Domination of Saturday night’s two rich Australian Pacing Gold finals at Melton could be a sign of things to come for leviathan syndicators Summit Bloodstock.

A pivot in business plans and some high-profile US investors are behind young stars Loucasso and Degarmea Teale, who stifle betting in their respective $150,000 APG 2YO finals.

But Summit Bloodstock principle Jamie Durnberger-Smith said there was “lots more where they came from” as far as their elite two-year-old stock.

“We bought 22 yearlings the year we bought Loucasso and Degarmea Teale, which was up from just eight the year before,” he said. “As good this pair is, I can assure you’ve got some other really nice babies not far off racing with Emma (Stewart) and Clayton (Tonkin). It’s really exciting.

“We raised the bar again last year when we bought 30 yearlings.

“There’s 42 people in the syndicate with all these yearlings and they include Mark Weaver, who is one of the biggest owners in the US, and Ron Burke, who is one of their top trainers.”

Loucasso is $1.12 favourite in the colts and geldings’ APG final from gate three after winning his heat at Bendigo by 23m in blistering time.

His only defeat in four starts came when he galloped at a crucial stage in the Group 1 Bathurst Gold final on March 29.

“He just overreached that night,” Durnberger-Smith said. “His point-to-point speed is electric and he just went too quickly for himself.

“We really like him. You don’t get many with his sort of speed.”

Degarmea Teale carried huge wraps into her first start in a heat of the APG series and could not have been more impressive.

“She sat outside them and won easily without Jackie (Barker, driver) even pulling the (ear) plugs,” Durnberger-Smith said.

“And what about the time … I doubt a two-year-old has gone that quickly around Bendigo before and that was her first start.”

Degarmea Teale clocked a 1min53.7sec mile rate for 1650m, which was 1.1sec faster than Loucasso.

“She’s a real credit to Emma and Clayton. She’s taken a fair bit of work. She wore ‘go straights’ early, but they’ve taught her not to need them and it makes a huge difference,” Durnberger-Smith said.

Loucasso looms as a major contender for Australasia’s richest juvenile race, the $500,000 Protostar at Albion Park on July 19.

“That’s the plan. He’s one of quite a few we own who will go to Brisbane. Emma and Clayton are planning on taking quite a big team up for the Carnival,” Durnberger-Smith said.

“We’ve got Kiss returning to the races at Melton on Saturday. She’s another who will go to Brisbane, then there is Heza Punk Rocker and maybe Iveseenheavenslight and Beach Diamond for the Queensland Oaks, too.”

Stewart and Tonkin also have stable big guns Bay Of Biscay, winner of the Chariots of Fire, and NSW Derby winner Always Hot heading north with the major target being the $350,000 Group 1 Rising Sun on July 5.

 

Photo: Claire Weston Photography