Talented import Buckaroo showed he is going to be a force to be reckoned with this spring when demolishing his rivals in the Underwood Stakes (G1) Sept. 21 at Caulfield. In the process he became the 44th individual elite-level winner for the recently pensioned Coolmore stalwart Fastnet Rock .
Trained by Chris Waller and ridden by superstar jockey Joao Moreira, the British-bred gelding looked comfortable throughout the contest and comfortably careered away in the straight to beat Huetor (FR) by 3 1/2 lengths. Godolphin homebred Pericles (AUS) did not seem to stay out the 1,800-meter (about 1 1/8-mile) trip, fading to finish a further half-length adrift in third.
Buckaroo began his career in Ireland under the tutelage of Joseph O’Brien for whom he won a pair of stakes. The 6-year-old arrived in Australia in September 2023 and, while his first preparation with Waller was fruitless, he did show his talent with a third-placed finish in the Ranvet Stakes (G1).
Having been gelded over the summer, Buckaroo returned with an impressive win in the Chelmsford Stakes (G2). Waller’s assistant, Charlie Duckworth, said gelding Buckaroo has had the desired effect on the 6-year-old.
“As a colt, he was actually too laid-back but now, as a gelding, he’s actually got a bit of spring in his step and he’s a bit more vibrant,” Duckworth said.
It was Moreira’s first group 1 success in Melbourne since claiming the 2017 Oakleigh Plate (G1). Moreira returned to the country earlier this week and is expected to feature throughout the remainder of the Spring Carnival.
“It feels amazing, you know. That’s what horse racing is about. When you get one up, the feeling doesn’t get any better,” said Moreira. “Impressive the way he won, isn’t it? He has a tricky manner in the gates, he wasn’t really kind to me there. He began a little bit worse than what we were hoping.
“(Buckaroo) found himself a little bit too far back. But as the race disenrolled itself, it kind of got him into the race. When I turned for home on the outside, with him having great momentum, I was always confident he was going to get up.”
Raced by an ownership group that includes Ozzie Kheir, Qatar Bloodstock, and Yes Bloodstock, Buckaroo holds entries for some lofty targets this spring including the Cox Plate (G1), Caulfield Cup (G1) and Melbourne Cup (G1) Those options follow an overall record that stands at five wins and five placings from 20 starts.
Buckaroo is from the eighth northern hemisphere-bred crop of Fastnet Rock and is out of listed winner Roheryn (by Galileo), making him a half brother to group 3 winner Middle Earth (by Roaring Lion), who has recently transferred from John and Thady Gosden to Ciaron Maher. Roheryn herself is a daughter of dual group 3 scorer La Chunga (by More Than Ready).
The gelding is bred on the highly successful Fastnet Rock/Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) cross, becoming the nick’s 11th individual top flight winner, joining the likes of Via Sistina and Personal. In total the cross has produced 113 winners from 158 runners, headed by 29 individual stakes winners.
A two-time champion sire in Australia, Fastnet Rock was retired from stud duties earlier this season and last season claimed his first champion broodmare crown.
