G2 TAB S., $300,000, 1200m
Race Summary:
South Australian sprinter Kemalpasa (Magnus) capped a rich vein of form with his sixth win from his last seven appearances. He sat up on the speed and after hitting the front 400 metres from home he didn’t shirk his task to give rider Jake Toeroek his first carnival winner.
Order Of Command (Squamosa) came on well for second with the favourite Zoutori (Zoustar), who settled at the tail of the field, also doing his best work late for third.
Pedigree Notes:
Kemalpasa was purchased by co-trainer Richard Jolly for $140,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is a son of the Bianconi (USA) mare Yarra Bank.
The dam is a half-sister to the Listed Heatherlie H. winner Honest Politician (Distorted Humor {USA}) and to the mother of the Listed Great Northern Guineas winner Yourein (Reset).
Yarra Bank is a daughter of Yarra Dreaming (NZ) (Nassipour {USA}) and she is a half-sister to the Listed Singapore Gold Cup winner Grand Jury (Deputy Governor {USA}).
G2 Wakeful S. , $300,000, 2000m
Race Summary:
Miami Bound (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) travelled sweetly on off the pace and within touching distance of the leaders until the turn. The filly was then guided into clear air by rider Damien Oliver and she finished relentlessly to boost her G1 VRC Oaks claims.
The runner-up Vegas Jewel (NZ) also did her classic hopes no harm with a sound effort for second ahead of the outsider Palumbo (Sebring).
Pedigree Notes:
A NZ$120,000 purchase at the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale, Miami Bound is out of the G1 VRC Oaks winner Arapaho Lady (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
Also a half-brother to the Listed Andrew Ramsden S. winner De Little Engine (Encosta de Lago), the pedigree also features the G3 Chairman’s S. winner Declarationofheart (Declaration Of War {USA}).
G3 Carbine Club S., $500,000, 1600m
Race Summary:
Dalasan (Dalakhani {Ire}) was the recipient of a patient ride from Hugh Bowman who settled the colt in the body of the field. They eased into the clear as the field straightened for the run home and Dalasan lengthened stride powerfully in the closing 250 metres.
Brandenburg (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) also closed at a rate of knots to grab second money ahead of Groundswell (Redoute’s Choice).
Pedigree Notes:
Dalasan is a son of Khandallah (Kitten’s Joy {USA}), who won two races and finished runner-up twice at Listed level.
Also the mother of the multiple winner Liberty Lover (Rebel Raider), Khandallah is out of a half-sister to the G3 Robert Carey Memorial H. winner Galic Boy (USA) (Irish River {Fr}) and the family of the G2 Santa Anita Potrero Grande H. winner Smokey Stover (USA) (Put It Back {USA}).
G1 AAMI Victoria Derby, $2,000,000, 2500m
Race Summary :
The game changed at the start for jockey Damien Oliver when Wanted (Declaration Of War {USA}) began so well. The plan to ride the gelding quietly went out of the window and they raced close to the pace before taking control 400 metres from home.
Wanted never looked like shirking his task and was powerful to the line to comfortably account for Southern Moon (Puissance De Lune {Ire}) and Soul Patch (Shamus Award).
Pedigree Notes :
A $65,000 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale graduate, Wanted is out of the Galileo (Ire) mare Livia. Also the dam of the six-time winner Galaxy Gazer (Astronomer Royal {USA}), Livia is a half-sister to Chattanooga (Scenic {Ire}), who won the Listed Kevin Heffernan S. and was second in the G1 Futurity S. It is also the family of the G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Real Stolle (Elusive Quality {USA}).
G1 Kennedy Cantala, 1600m, $2,000,000
Race Summary:
Three weeks on from his victory in the G1 Toorak H. at Caulfield, Fierce Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) completed a massive spring double with victory in the famous Flemington mile.
Ridden by Craig Williams, the 6-year-old entire dropped back into the second half of the field and briefly struck traffic trouble at the top of the straight. But once Williams got him into the clear, he showed a terrific turn of foot and raced past the front-running Chief Ironside (GB) (Lawman {Fr}) and Cliff’s Edge (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) to take the lead.
He may have peaked on his run in the last 150 metres and faced a strong challenge from Fifty Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) on his inside, but he fought back relentlessly to hold on in a tight finish.
Godolphin runner Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) crossed the finish line only a neck behind the first pair in third place.
The Matthew Smith-trained Fierce Impact has now had 20 starts for four wins, eight placings and more than $1.8 million in prizemoney for an ownership group headed by Seymour Bloodstock and Francis and Christine Cook.
Pedigree Notes:
Fierce Impact is by the late, great Deep Impact (Jpn), a seven-time champion sire in Japan. He has sired 1003 winners from 1350 runners with 142 individual stakes winners – 44 at Group 1 level.
Fierce Impact was bred by Keiai Orthopedic Appliance Co., Ltd and was bought by David Redvers for 66 million yen as a weanling at the JRA Select Weanling & Foal Sale. Smith later paid £120,000 to secure him at the Tattersalls Horses in Training Sale at Newmarket.
Fierce Impact is out of Keiai Gerbera (Jpn) (Smarty Jones {USA}), who won nine races including the G3 Procyon S., G3 Capella S. and two Listed races.
She is the dam of two winners from three foals to race, both of them Group 1 winners. Fierce Impact’s full-brother Keiai Nautique (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) won the G1 Tokyo NHK Mile Cup.
Keiai Gerbera produced a colt and a filly by Henny Hughes (USA) in 2016 and 2017, the colts by Deep Impact in 2018 and 2019.
G1 Coolmore Stud S., 1200m, $1,500,000
Race Summary:
A vintage group of 3-year-olds went to war again down the Flemington straight, with three of them showing their clear superiority and fighting out a superb finish.
In the end it was Exceedance (Exceed and Excel) who came out on top, sprinting through on the inside of Bivouac (Exceed and Excel) and the filly Libertini (I Am Invincible).
Bivouac had more to give when Exceedance lodged his challenge, but in the end he couldn’t withstand the sustained assault. Exceedance edged ahead to win by a long neck.
Libertini was another 1.5l back in a gallant third, with the rest of the field 3l in the first trio’s wake.
Exceedance is trained by Team Hawkes for Vinery Stud, who bought him for $180,000 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and races him in partnership with a colts’ fund featuring the likes of Neil Werrett, Steve McCann, Colin Madden, Rupert Legh, Glenlogan Park, Phoenix Thoroughbreds and Auckland Racing Club chairman Doug Alderslade.
Famously a stallion-making race, the Coolmore was Exceedance’s third win from six starts, placing in all of the other three. He has earned more than $1.13 million in prizemoney.
Pedigree Notes:
Following on from the famous trifecta by Zoustar in this race 12 months ago, Exceed and Excel has done the next best thing with a quinella.
The champion sire has been represented by 1404 winners from 2009 runners including 163 at stakes level. Exceedance became his 14th individual Group 1 winner, a list headed by the multiple elite winners Guelph, Excelebration (Ire), Flamberge, Helmet and Mr Stunning.
Exceedance was bred by Nick Vass and is out of the Thorn Park mare Bonnie Mac (NZ), who won the Listed Proud Miss S. and placed in the G2 Australia S.
Bonnie Mac is a half-sister to three stakes winners including Upham (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who won the G3 Grand Prix S. in Brisbane and placed in three other stakes races, also finishing fourth in the G1 Hong Kong Gold Cup. Intimate Moment (NZ) (Dubawi {Ire}) was also a Group 3 winner and finished fourth in the G1 Queen of the Turf S.
Exceedance is Bonnie Mac’s first named foal. She has subsequently produced another colt by Exceed And Excel in 2017 and a filly by Sebring last spring. She was served by Capitalist last season.
G1 Empire Rose S., 1600m, $1,000,000
Race Summary:
Reigning New Zealand Horse of the Year Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) brought her all-conquering Kiwi form across the Tasman on Saturday and scored her first Group 1 victory in Australia.
The winner of nine races at the elite level in New Zealand, the only glimpse of Melody Belle’s top form in Australia came with a victory in the G2 Sires’ Produce S. in Brisbane as a 2-year-old.
She returned across the Tasman this spring in history-making form, having become the first horse ever to complete the Group 1 treble of the Tarzino Trophy, Windsor Park Plate and Livamol Classic during the Hawke’s Bay spring carnival.
Saturday’s race hardly had the perfect start, with Melody Belle drawing barrier 13 and unable to get any closer than three wide in the early part of the race.
But rider Opie Bosson had absolute faith in his mare, even when she had only three horses behind her at the top of the straight.
He angled her into the clear and let her rip, storming past Aristia (Lonhro) and powering clear to win by a length and a half.
Spanish Reef (Lope De Vega {Ire}) was another 1.75l away in third, just ahead of Princess Jenni (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Bosson has formed an unstoppable partnership with Melody Belle, with the pair now unbeaten in seven races.
Melody Belle was bought for just NZ$57,500 by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis at the 2016 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale at Karaka. Raced by the Fortuna Melody Belle Syndicate, she has now won 15 of her 25 starts and more than $2.51 million in stakes. She is trained by Jamie Richards.
Pedigree Notes:
Melody Belle was bred by Marie Leicester, daughter of famed Kiwi breeders James and Annie Sarten.
The star mare is by Commands, a three-time leading sire of winners in Australia. The son of Danehill (USA) has sired 973 winners from 1317 runners, with 79 individual stakes winners.
Melody Belle’s 10 Group 1 victories put her at the top of that list, while Appearance, Purple, Epaulette, Undue, Paratroopers, Commanding Jewel, Holler, Skilled, Russeting, Manuel and Erewhon have also scored at Group 1 level.
Melody Belle is out of the winning mare Meleka Belle (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), a half-sister to four black-type performers including the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas placegetter Tsarina Belle (NZ).
Meleka Belle is the dam of two winners from three foals to race. Melody Belle’s younger half-sister and stablemate Exaltation (NZ) (Not A Single Doubt), who was a NZ$900,000 purchase at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale, won on debut at Riccarton last Saturday.
Meleka Belle’s subsequent foals have been a filly by Tavistock in 2017, and a colt by the same sire a year later.
G3 Lexus Hotham S., 2500m, $300,000
Race Summary:
Precariously placed in 24th in the order of entry for the G1 Melbourne Cup, Downdraft (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) cemented his spot in emphatic style.
Ridden by John Allen, the 4-year-old sat in fifth place as Valac (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) led through the early part of the race. Allen was happy to bide his time when Haky (Ire) (Muhtathir {GB}) took over and put more speed into the contest past the halfway point.
It was at the top of the straight that he made his move, bursting to the front and bounding clear.
Carif (So You Think {NZ}) and Azuro (Fr) (Myboycharlie {Ire}) gave chase and ate into the lead in the last 150 metres, but Downdraft still had 1.5l up his sleeve at the finish line.
Carrying the colours of OTI Racing, Downdraft has now won seven of his 18 starts and more than $468,000 in prizemoney.
This was his third stakes victory, following on from the Listed Lenebane S. and Her Majesty’s Plate in Ireland. The Joseph O’Brien-trained runner had also finished second in the G3 Irish St Leger Trial S. and third in last week’s G2 Moonee Valley Gold Cup.
Pedigree Notes:
Bred by Airlie Stud, Downdraft is by the dual Derby winner Camelot (GB), who has sired 195 winners from 325 runners at stud to date.
Camelot’s 24 stakes winners include Latrobe (Ire), who won the G1 Irish Derby and placed in the G1 Mackinnon S. at this carnival last year, while Hunting Horn (Ire) won the Moonee Valley Gold Cup last week.
Downdraft is a half-brother to Chelsea Rose (Ire) (Desert King {Ire}), who won the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and is the dam of two Group winners including Kew Gardens (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
A multiple Group 1 winner of the Grand Prix de Paris and the English St Leger, Kew Gardens recently lowered the colours of champion stayer Stradivarius (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}). in the G2 British Champions Long Distance Cup.
Chelsea Rose’s other Group winner is Thawaany (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}), who won the G3 Prix de Ris-Orangis and Listed Prix Coronation and finished second in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest.
Another of Downdraft’s half-siblings is European (Ire) (Great Commotion {USA}), a Listed winner who stood at stud in India.
G3 Furphy S print, $200,000, 1100m
Race Summary:
Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) continued her winning ways here after an equally impressive previous success in the G3 Northwood Plume S. She sat off the pace under rider Dwayne Dunn and unleashed a storming finish for the fourth victory of her nine-start career.
Pippie (Written Tycoon) was in the leading party throughout and she fought on strongly for second with Miss Iano (Equiano {Fr}) taking the third cheque.
Pedigree Notes:
Tofane was a private purchase off her breeder, Curraghmore principal Gordon Cunningham, and is a daughter of Baggy Green (Galileo {Ire}). She is a half-sister to the G1 Flight S. winner Youngstar (Adelaide {Ire}).
The second dam is the multiple European Group 1 winner User Friendly (GB) (Slip Anchor {GB}), who produced the G3 Cork Give Thanks S. winner Downtown (Danehill {USA}).
