Vasil’s good Intencion

Trainer Tony Vasil may have found himself a spring contender in the nicely-bred colt, Intencion, an impressively debut winner on the all-weather at Geelong today.

Intencion (Spanish for intention), ridden by Glen Boss – who had been cleared of a suspected broken bone in the foot from an incident at Sandown the previous afternoon –  beat a pretty handy mid-winter field of 3YOs, including the promising runner-up Massivo (by Mossman), a first starter for Danny O’Brien. Both horses look to have a bright future in better races.

The Vasil stable regards Intencion as horse that could measure up to spring standard – Vasil’s racing manager Sam Doran was quick to “twitter” after the race … “you might see him in the spring”.

It’s not uncommon for spring horses to emerge in the winter and be contenders for the early spring features, and Vasil has done it before – prime examples being the outstanding half-brothers Elvstroem and Haradasun.

Boss was effusive about the colt when speaking on TVN. “This is a real nice horse,” he said.

“He seems like he has a bit of presence about him. He’s got a really good action and he’s well educated, but on the other hand he’s still very raw. He would have held them off for another lap, he was just kidding to them.

“This is a horse you can probably stick with and follow – he’s going to win a fair few races.”

The heavily backed Intencion ($2.30 – $1.85) is a son of top sire Commands (by Danehill (USA)) from Acupuncture, a well-related mare by Pins (by Snippets) – this could be one of the first high-quality runners to emerge from a Pins mare.

This is the same Danehill line over Snippets line that also has produced the brilliant Group 1-winning sprinters (and now sires at Eliza Park) Wanted (by Fastnet Rock from a Snippets mare) and Magnus (by Flying Spur from a Snippets mare).

Interestingly, Intencion’s spring campaign could mirror that of Pins, who made his debut in 1999 as a July 2YO, runner second at his first start on a heavy track at Canterbury, before winning on that track next time out in August.

The following month Pins won the Group 2 Stan Fox Stakes (1400m, Randwick) and two weeks later finished his campaign with a creditable fifth behind Redoute’s Choice (Testa Rossa was second, Commands third) in one of the highest-rated Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m, Caulfield) in history.

Pins returned to Melbourne in the autumn to win the Triple Crown bonus, taking out the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (1600m, Moonee Valley), Group 2 Autumn Classic (1800m, Caulfield) and Group 1 Australian Guineas (then 2000m, Flemington).

Intencion cost his owner, Masatsugu Otani, a Japanese based in Singapore, $200,000 at the 2009 Magic Millions Gold Coast Premier Yearling Sale. The colt was offered by Willow Park Stud, near Scone.

Acupuncture is an unraced mare from the speedy Quack, by Magic Ring (USA) from the former brilliant mare and good broodmare Mother Duck (by Luskin Star from Mission, by Vain).

Mother Duck won four times at Stakes level, including the 1986 Group 3 Gimcrack Stakes (1000m, Randwick) and the 1987 Listed The Shorts (1100m, Randwick).

She hasn’t produced a Stakes winner at stud, but Quack is the dam of the well-named 2009 Nitschke Stakes winner Pricked (by Thorn Park).

A study of Intencion, pictured as a yearling, shows he is very much in the Pins/Snippets mould – a bay with powerful quarters, strong forearm and gaskins, and short cannons. He also has Pins’ white snip on his nose.