New season begins in style

06 Aug 2025

The new racing season is off to a flying start for Willow Park, with two impressive city winners in the first few days of August.

 

Cold Brew (pictured) added a third win to his name at Sydney's first metropolitan meeting for the season at Rosehill, building a nice picket fence form line for Richard and Will Freedman. 

 

The four-year-old gelding by evergreen sire Pierro began his career a perennial bridesmaid, finishing second in four of his first five starts, before breaking through with a 4.6L victory in a 1300m Midway Handicap at Hawkesbury in late June.

 

He followed up with a close win over 1400m at Newcastle three weeks later, before stepping up to metropolitan level to claim Saturday's 1400m Midway at Rosehill in dominant fashion.

 

Bred by the late Fergus Doyle, Cold Brew is the first foal of Fergus' homebred, Gr3 placed mare Connemara (Fastnet Rock). He was foaled and raised at Willow Park, before heading to Fernrigg Farm to prepare for the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in 2023, where he sold for $170,000.

 

Not to be upstaged, it was Charcoals' turn in the spotlight on Sunday, registering his first metro win at Sandown for Anthony and Sam Freedman.

 

Another well-bred gelding from our 2021 crop, Charcoals is building an impressive record with five wins from 10 starts to date. Sunday's 1.25L win at Sandown over 1200m came at just his second attempt at city level, following four wins as a three-year-old.

 

By Darley's super sire Too Darn Hot (GB), Charcoals is out of resident mare Aquila Solitaria (IRE) (Raven's Pass), who was a Listed winner herself and is the dam of two winners from two to race. Aquila Solitaria has a weanling colt by Pierro and is carrying a half-sibling by the exciting first season sire Shinzo this season.

 

Charcoals was bred by long-term client Darryl Guihot and sold through our 2023 Inglis Easter draft for $180,000 to his trainers, Julian Blaxland Bloodstock and Myracehorse.