Love potion launches Prentice

Bunbury breeder Dan Love celebrated the success of Blackfriars gelding Prentice at Belmont on Saturday and he’s also betting on another winner with young stallion Famous Roman.

Love stands the Group 2 winning son of Danetime in association with Rivercrest Park studmaster Steve Hoare at Stratham.

Famous Roman’s first-crop two year-olds are due to start racing this season and, in the meantime, Love and his wife Julie will send Prentice interstate where he holds Group 1 nominations in Melbourne.

Prentice (3g Blackfriars – Stella Vision by Scenic) returned to form with a last-to-first victory in the Westspeed Hcp (1650m) on Saturday.  His only other win was the G3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at Ascot in April.

“He’s entered for the Caulfield Guineas, Caulfield Classic and Victoria Derby,” trainer Simon Foster told WA Newspapers journalist Ernie Manning.  “Dan is keen for him to have his next race in Melbourne.

“I was confident he was on his way back and I knew he would be hard to beat today even with 59kg.”

Prentice is from a three-quarter sister to Group 1 winning filly Shame (QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes & VATC Thousand Guineas).  His dam Stella Vision has a 2yo colt and a yearling colt by Blackfriars.

Blackfriars filly Big Caroline races in the same colours and was stakes placed in the LR Supremacy Stakes at Ascot in March.  She will keep progressing after her second win at Belmont last month.

The Loves and Hoare have placed a $1,100 (inc gst) service fee on Famous Roman this year.  “We want to give him every chance to build up as big a book as possible,” Hoare said.  “He’s also paid up for Westspeed and we will cap normal vet fees to $770 this year.

“At that price, I reckon he’s the best value young stallion in Western Australia.”