Yulong spend up in England

Vin Cox knows it would be ambitious to think Caught U Looking could become the next Via Sistina, but Yulong is set to give its most recent high-profile purchase the chance to follow in the footsteps of this year’s Cox Plate winner.

The emerging superpower, bidding under the name Willingham, paid 1.8 million guineas – or AU$3.7 million – for the daughter of Harzard on Day 1 of the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale in England.

Caught U Looking is not a Group 1 winner like Via Sistina was when Yulong paid AU$5.5m for that daughter of Fastnet Rock at the same sale last year, but she is two years younger which has Cox optimistic about what she might be able to achieve in Australia.

“She’s a well-performed filly, only a three-year-old filly, that we think has got a pretty good profile to race on with,” Cox said.

“Our ambition is probably to send her Australia and put on a path not dissimilar to Via Sistina, which we obviously had a lot of success with in the last 12 months.

“We’re not suggesting this filly is going to turn into a Via Sistina, we’d love her to, but you’ve got to keep your feet on the ground and hopefully she can win some nice races for us down the line.

“It’s no secret that staying horses in this part of the world perform exceptionally well in Australia – she’s already Stakes-performed – and she can retire to the stud irrespective of what happens in Australia.

“Hopefully we can add to her CV and add to her profile.”

Caught U Looking has won three of 11 starts, including the Group 3 Weld Park Stakes (1408m) as a two-year-old and the Listed Bluebell Stakes (2414m) at her most recent appearance, on October 13.

Out of the unraced Mastercraftsman mare Wild Mix, Caught U Looking contested both the Group 1 English Oaks (2419m) and Group 1 Irish Oaks (2414m), finishing fifth in each.

Trained by Noel Meade in Ireland, Caught U Looking is likely to spend some time with James Ferguson at Newmarket before heading south with Yulong not set on who she will be trained by in Australia.

“We have not got any plans as yet, we will sit on that for a little while yet,” Cox said.

“James Ferguson did a great job with Via Sistina last year, so we will probably send her to James and he can look after her for the short term and then we will put her on a plane.”

Chris Waller is the man in charge of Via Sistina, who also won the Winx Stakes, Turnbull Stakes and Champions Stakes at Group 1 level this spring, having won the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes in Sydney at her first Australian start in March.