With his oldest progeny just three year-olds, Newgate Farm’s Doncaster Mile winning sire Brutal has been ticking along nicely, but it’s a couple of two year-olds from his second crop that have him in the news on Sunday with a debut winner at Sha Tin and a super talented colt that is now a clear favourite for next week’s $1million Group I ATC Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.

Trained by Jamie Richards and ridden by Zac Purton, two year-old Brutal gelding The All Out stepped out for the first time in the Griffin Plate over 1000m at Sha Tin and scored a brave short head win in a slick 56.65 seconds.

https://twitter.com/HKJC_Racing/status/1911278521210597664

A $150,000 Karaka Book 1 purchase for Jamie Richards / Andrew Williams Bloodstock from the Cambridge Stud draft, The All Out is the second Hong Kong winner for Brutal from just four starters.

He is the second winner from Sistabeel, a winning Savabeel mare from the family of stakes-winners Dance to the Stars, Follow the Star and Wells Street.

Brutal colt Nepotism broke his maiden at his second start in the Group III ATC Baillieu Stakes (1400m) on April 1 with Team Hawkes immediately announcing their intention to target the G1 Champagne Stakes on August 19.

In the weeks that have followed, we’ve seen the running of the Group I ATC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) won by Vinrock and then the Listed ATC Fernhill Mile (1600m) on Saturday go to Spicy Lu and while both races historically have a bearing on the Champagne Stakes, the winners this year are unlikely to do so.

Vinrock has gone to the spelling paddock and Spicy Lu is no certainty to back up, leaving Sires’ Produce place-getters State Visit and Buffalo to challenge Nepotism, who is listed by Ladbrokes as a 2.20 favourite.

By champion sire O’Reilly, Brutal has already had his fee announced by Newgate Farm this spring at $16,500.