Group 3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup
Race Summary:
Archedemus (Lope de Vega {Ire}) proved to be just as good as his record shows when winning for the sixth time in nine career starts for his first career stakes win.
The 5-year-old gelding was among the horses fighting for the lead early on and won the battle to set the pace. Sitting about a length ahead of the field, Corey Brown looked confident on his mount as they raced into the straight and for good reason.
Only Tom Melbourne (Ire) (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) looked like he would challenge but the wire came too soon and Archedemus won by a little over a half length with Tom Melbourne registering his 12th career second place finish.
It was a foreign-bred second through fourth place finish behind the leader with Sixties Groove (Ire) (Sixties Icon {GB}) finishing third and New Universe (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) one of Chris Waller’s five trainees to finish in the top seven spots with just the winner – trained by Gwenda Markwell - and the third place horse – trained by Kris Lees - not from the Waller stable.
Pedigree Notes:
By former shuttle sire Lope de Vega (IRE), Archedemus is the first stakes winner and second stakes horse for Carolyn’s Star (Peintre Celebre {USA}), who is a half-sister to Group 1 placed Set Up (Spinning World).
Carolyn’s Star’s granddam is Group 1 South Australian Derby winner Mapperley Heights (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) who produced multiple stakes horses but never a stakes winner though two of her runners came close.
Carolyn’s Star is the dam of four winners from five to race with her two stakes horses combining for nine wins. The mare has a 2-year-old unraced colt named Librarian (Zoffany {Ire}), a yearling Adelaide filly, and after taking last year off she was served by Flying Artie in 2018.
Group 3 Hawkesbury Guineas
Race Summary:
Military Zone (Epaulette) bounced back to his best form with a hard-fought success over the fast-finishing Trope (More Than Ready {USA}).
Kept fresh after his stakes-breakthrough in the G3 Gosford Guineas last December, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained gelding was having just his second run of a preparation aimed towards Brisbane.
Continuing his unbeaten second-up record. Military Zone was given a perfect ride by James McDonald, settling midfield before making his run at the top of the straight.
He swept past the leaders at the 200m mark, but Trope, ridden by Christian Reith, had got to his outside and was closing quickly. However, Military Zone dug deep to record win number four from eight starts.
Pedigree Notes:
Military Zone becomes the second multiple stakes winner for his sire Epaulette.
Bred by two Bays farm in Victoria, he was a $140.,000 buy for triple Crown syndications at the 2017 Melbourne Premier Sale. His dam Loading Zone is a half sister to two stakes winners, Hesitates (Commands) and Super Lacuna (Grand Lodge {USA}) as well as the dam of G2 Sweet Embrace S. winner Scarlet Rain (Manhattan Rain).
Further back it is the family of Avilde and Toorak Toff.
Loading Zone has a yearling Kermedec colt and a weanling filly by Manhattan Rain and visited Russian Revolution last spring.
Group 3 Hawkesbury Crown
Race Summary:
Irithea (Snitzel) provided a quick interstate stakes double for Darby Racing less than half hour after Jagged Edge won in Queensland.
The 5-year-old mare took the lead from the break and pulled a length ahead of the field early on in the 1300 metre race. There was no catching the mare as she ran down the straight and built up her lead by a few lengths.
Multaja (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}) ate into the winner’s lead in the closing stages to lose by less than a length and lead home a Godolphin 2- 3 finish over Manicure (Exceed And Excel).
Pedigree Notes:
The 90th stakes winner for Snitzel, Irithea comes from a deep family. Her dam Kirovskaya (French Deputy {USA}) is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Cesario (Jpn) (Special Week {Jpn}), who has produced three Group 1 winners in her career with another stakes placed half-sister producing Group 3 winner and young sire Overshare (I Am Invincible).
There are 12 stakes winners under Kirovskaya’s second dam including champions Anna Pavlova (GB) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}), Gothenberg (Ire) (Polish Patriot {USA}), and Fascinating Rock (Ire) (Fastnet Rock).
Kirovskaya is the dam of three winners from four to race with Irithea her third live foal. The mare has an unraced 2-year-old Smart Missile filly named Ziyadah in training with Rodney Ollerton, a yearling colt by Real Impact (Jpn) who sold for $30,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale this year and a 2018 filly by Mikki Isle (Jpn). She was served by Scissor Kick in 2018.
Listed Hawkesbury Rush
Race Summary:
It was another stakes winning weekend for Godolphin when Intuition (Street Cry {Ire}) led home a 1-3 finish for the Blue Army at Hawkesbury.
Intuition was last for most of the race, only having one horse beat when they hit the 400 metre mark in the straight. As the field tightened up, he was able to pass a few more horses but ran into trouble and looked like he may not be able to get any running room as he searched for a hole in the middle of the pack.
When one opened up, Rachel King sent him after the leaders and he caught up to his leading stablemate in a matter of strides but it took him a last second push to be able to take the lead in the shadow of the line.
Race favourite Tactical Advantage (Bel Espirit) made a huge run to finish second and split the Godolphin horses with Badajoz (Commands) less than a half length behind his winning stablemate.
It was the third straight victory for Intuition, who got a small freshening after winning his last race in March.
Pedigree Notes:
Intuition is the first foal from the Exceed and Excel mare Radar, who won three races herself and has two winners from three to race.
Radar’s second dam is a Group 3 placed mare who proved to be a much better broodmare with three stakes winning runners and her daughters producing a further seven stakes horses including Alverta (Flying Spur).
Radar is another one of the future stakes producers Godolphin sold in the last few years with the mare selling for $70,000 at last year’s Inglis Sydney Weanling and Broodmare Sale.
The mare often visits Street Boss (USA) with fillies resulting from the mating in 2017 and 2018 with the mare returning to the stallion for a 2019 foal.
