| Expensive
yearling purchase Hillsgrove will take another step on his SA Derby mission when he lines
up in Saturday's $100,000 Port Adelaide Guineas at Morphettville. A colt by Danehill out of the New Zealand Derby winning mare Popsy,
Hillsgrove cost his trainer Colin Alderson $700,000 at the Karaka Yearling Sale in 2000.
The well bred three-year-old is owned by a group including
Vinery Australia and Trelawney Studf.
"I bought the horse for a couple of good clients of
mine," Alderson recalled.
"So we kept half of him and then syndicated the other
half and a couple of shares were each taken by Vinery and Trelawney," he added.
On Saturday Hillsgrove will attempt for back to back wins
in Adelaide after his previous race success in a three-year-old handicap over 1600 metres.
Alderson said Hillsgrove would have a run in between
Saturday and the Group One SA Derby.
"There's the Veuve Clicquot Stakes in between and we
would run in that and then go into the Derby," Alderson said.
The exciting youngster travelled across to Adelaide in fine
fettle and his trainer couldn't be happier with him.
"He came across with a pony and in fact came through
it much better than the money," he said.
Stephen Baster, who partnered the colt to his last start
Melbourne success, will again be aboard Hillsgrove on Saturday.
Alderson knows what it takes to win a feature event in
Adelaide. The recent achievements of the likes of French Resort and La Volta are good
pointers toward Hillsgrove performing well in South Australia. |
