‘Bugger it, why not?’: Homebred bush beast taking on the millionaires

Bush galloper Tom Vegas will stand out from the blueblood crowd on paper, up against star three-year-olds from the powerhouses of Australian racing on Saturday at Rosehill in the group 3 San Domenico Stakes (1100m).

And while Bathurst trainer Dean Mirfin is unsure if Tom Vegas will measure up on the track, he’s certain his imposing charge will make his mark in the parade ring.

Dean Mirfin-trained Tom Vegas winning the Bathurst Gold Nugget.

A homebred gelding, the first winner by Peltzer, which stands for just $11,000 this season at Twin Hills Stud, Tom Vegas heads to the $250,000 race for three-year-olds with a Bathurst Gold Nugget win to his name and a second at Mudgee.

The $151 Sportsbet chance will take on hot stallion prospects like Chris Waller-trained Golden Slipper runner-up Wodeton, a $1.6 million Coolmore-owned son of boom sire Wootton Bassett, and Devil Night, a Yulong-owned $1.4 million yearling with a group 1 Blue Diamond win on his CV.

Throw in Godolphin’s Silver Slipper victor Beiwacht, Black Opal Stakes winner King Of Pop and Kris Lees-trained Rivellino, which already has $1.7 million in earnings, and it’s elite company – on and off the track.

Mirfin knows the task ahead for Tom Vegas, but he and owner-breeder Danny Gregory were keen for a “throw at the stumps”.

“They are only three once and the reason why the big trainers win all the big races is because they run in them,” Mirfin said.

“You can’t win races if they’re in their box, so give the horse his chance. The owner’s going to come down from where he lives out this way, take his wife down and they’ll have a lovely day.

“They’re not delusional about it. They know it’s a big ask for the horse, but they’ll enjoy having him down there.”

And while Mirfin was not expecting a win, he said Tom Vegas’ rivals will know he is there.

“He’s a lovely horse and walking around the enclosure before the race, he’ll certainly look as good as anything else,” he said.

“It’s a beautiful animal and a huge horse, but we are obviously aware we’re throwing him in at the deep end, but the owner wanted to get a runner in a race like that, so we thought ‘bugger it, why not?’

“He’s the biggest two-year-old that we’ve ever had. He’s 17 hands, and strong-looking, too. He’ll be the biggest horse in the yard, I’ve got no doubt about that.

“When he first came in we thought this horse will take time and I didn’t even think that we’d race him as a two-year-old and yet he got to the races and won. He’s quite light on his feet for a big horse.”

Mirfin hoped Tom Vegas could rise to the top level in country racing.

“He’s ready to race and that’s just what was there,” he said.

Jockey Donovan Dillon.Credit: Getty Images

“We thought, well, we can have that throw at the stumps and we can always bring him back to the country if he’s not quite up to the level.

“Next year he’d probably be a nice Country Championship-type horse if he’s progressed as we hope, but we’ll see how good he is first.”

The race will also be an opportunity for Donovan Dillon, who has ridden Tom Vegas at both starts. A group 1 winner in his native South Africa, Dillon will chase a first stakes win in Australia, where he has been since 2022.

“Donovan’s a terrific bloke and a really good, underrated rider,” Mirfin said.

“I know he’ll ride the horse as good as anyone. He’s an accomplished jockey and we’ve had terrific luck with him. He came out and rode for us here at Bathurst one day and rode four winners.”

Close watch on Ryan-Alexiou import

Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou believes former Irish and Hong Kong galloper Colourful Emperor is on track to complete a successful comeback on debut in Australia.

The six-year-old is set to race for the first time in 15 months when he contests the last at Rosehill on Saturday, a benchmark 88 handicap (1200m).

Colourful Emperor won in Ireland and Hong Kong, including three from his past five starts, all at Happy Valley, before injuries struck.

Trainer Sterling Alexiou.Credit: Getty

He has won all three trials since arriving in Sydney, and Alexiou, who trains in partnership with Gerald Ryan, was keen to see him perform on race day.

“It’s his first start for us since coming back from Hong Kong, and he had three really nice trials,” Alexiou said.

“We like what we see at home and it will be interesting to see what he produces at the races, but he’s a nice animal.

“The owner of High Blue Sea raced him in Hong Kong and he’d come back from David Eustace with a few little joint issues to either be retired here or rehab him and try and get him back to the races, but he’s been going well.”

Colourful Emperor was a $7 chance with Sportsbet. The stable, which have King Of Pop ($7.50) in the San Domenico Stakes, also have Grebeni ($14) in the ninth.

“He’s resuming on Saturday, 1500 first up, and he’ll improve off Saturday,” he said.

“We were happy with his trial, albeit on the Polytrack, so he’ll probably head to the Cameron Handicap after Saturday and then probably to the wild card race before the Big Dance.”

Warwick Farm trainer Bjorn Baker, meanwhile, was hoping one of his imports could step up quickly after a debut win in Australia.

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Baker has Nkosi in the fourth, a benchmark 78 handicap (1500m), after the former New Zealander scored a four-length victory two weeks ago at Wyong over 1600m.

The four-year-old had one win in four starts before the move.

“It’s definitely a big ask going straight to Saturday grade, but he gets with a reasonable weight and if you are going to ask for a Saturday without a lot of depth, maybe that’s it,” Baker said.

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