Veteran sprinter Oxbridge brought up a New Year’s Day double for Yarradale Stud when he arrived on the line to nail the LR Summer Scorcher (1000m) at Ascot on Wednesday.

Oxbridge was conceived in the second of four books covered by Storm Cat sire City Place (USA) at Yarradale between 2014 and 2017 in contrast to the 8yo gelding’s bottom-line that continues to go from strength to strength.

His dam Colleges (Elusive Quality) has a five-from-five record at stud including $300,000 earner Catch These Hands (Rommel) and Hong Kong expat Tourbillon Prince (Rommel) who is on a hat-trick following a running double at Sha Tin last month.

Oxbridge (Photo / Western Racepix) is trained in Albany by Stephen Sheehy and he saluted in Wednesday’s black-type speed-test with a late collar to deny odds-on favourite Bopping Blue (Magnus).  The narrow victory improved his record to 13 wins in 56 starts for prizemoney over $273,000.

“He’s a super horse and he’s a mate,” an exuberant Sheehy said.  “My father told me to take on the best if they can run time and carry weight.

“Last start at home he clocked 1.03s over 1100m with 60.5kg and I thought, why not have a go?

“It was a gun ride by Holly (Watson) and this is my first win in town as a trainer.”  Sheehy will now target the $600,000 Bluff Knoll (1099m) with his home-town favourite.  It’s the Great Southern’s richest race and is scheduled for Sunday, March 16 at Albany’s Percy Spencer Racecourse.

Yarradale had struck for the first time in the New Year with its former champion sire War Chant (USA) getting on the board with Hostile Talk in the Ascend Trophies Hcp (1200m).

Hostile Talk sprinted through a gap one-off the rails to defeat the favourite Kraken Time (Universal Ruler) who was being hailed a winner at the furlong.  The 4yo gelding also opened this year’s winner-count for trainers Grant and Alana Williams on Wednesday.  They currently lead Peter Fernie (67-36) for the 2024-25 WA Premiership.

“That was only his 10th start and we really like him,” Grant said.  “He can keep stretching out because he’s learning to relax.  We did have him sitting with the speed early on but now we’re riding him off the pace.”

Winning jockey Clint Johnston-Porter felt confident while Hostile Talk was picking runs in transit until they were held up in the straight.  “I was looking for gaps on the inside and the outside before one opened up right in front of us.  He was racing second-up today and will improve.”

Hostile Talk was bred and sold by Tony Patrizi for $62,500 through his draft from Greenfields Lodge at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions.  He had won a Belmont 3yo maiden twelve months ago before adding a Bunbury Class 3 in June and has now banked $135,000 with $55,000 included via Westspeed Bonuses.

War Chant (Danzig) died just a month shy of his 27th birthday last year and there’s a half-dozen foals on the ground from his final book at Gidgegannup.  Among them is the first (filly) foal out of Yarradale mare Saint Eadie (Vital Equine) who is a younger half-sister to War Saint (G2 WA Guineas) and Taiyoo (G3 SA Lord Reims Stakes).