Palace Pier colt Southend emerged as a frontline contender for the final leg of Sydney’s autumn Triple Crown for two-year-olds with a stylish lead-up win in the G3 Baillieu at Rosehill on Saturday, 28 March.
Stepping into Stakes company for the first time after a debut win at Newcastle, Southend settled midfield before launching his claim to join the leaders at the 200m.
He asserted his authority under jockey Dylan Gibbons before scoring a 1-1/4 length win.
Co-trainer Gerald Ryan promised there is more to come from the unbeaten youngster.
“We’ve had a good opinion of him all the way along. We loved him at the sales. I think he’s a nice horse,” Ryan said.
Strongest at the end of 1,400m in the Baillieu, Southend will now contest the G1 Champagne Stakes over 1,600m at Randwick on 18 April.
“That’s always been the plan,” Ryan said.
Southend was sold as part of the Mill Park Stud draft for $425,000 at the 2025 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Out of the So You Think mare So We Are, Southend was bred by the Defiant Thoroughbred Breeding Trust.
He is the first Australian Stakes winner for Palace Pier, the five-time G1-winning, dual Champion Miler by Kingman. Southend is part of a highly promising first crop already operating at a 7.1% Stakes winners-to-runners, led by Group winners Royal Fixation (G2 Lowther Stakes), A Bit Of Spirit (G3 Solario Stakes) and Dr Omran (G3 Roma Premio Guido e Alessandro Berardelli).
