Gatting added another credit to the record of his sire Hard Spun when he won the Listed Ascot Gold Cup in Perth, Western Australia on Saturday 11 November.
The winner of the G2 West Australian Derby was having the third run of his current preparation and appreciated the step up to 1,800m to score by a half-length from the long-time leader Dark Alert.
Gatting, who was bred by Kingston Thoroughbreds, is the first foal from the Lonhro mare Stubborn, a daughter of Firm who, in turn is the dam of the G3 winner Trim.
The four-year-old is one of Hard Spun’s 61 stakes winners, 12 of which were from his Australian crops which include Ertijaal, a G1 winner in South Africa, and Le Romain, winner of the G1 Canterbury Stakes and G1 Cantala Stakes.
Hard Spun will stand the coming season at a service fee of US$40,000 at Jonabell Farm, Kentucky.
