Hobart, G3 Ladbrokes Hobart Cup, 2400m, $250,000
Race summary:
Sunday’s Hobart Cup was all about in-form mare Toorak Affair (Toorak Toff), who claimed her biggest victory and her sixth win from her last seven starts.
Jockey Anthony Darmanin gave the 6-year-old a perfect run in fourth place, then began to creep forward from the 500 metre mark.
Toorak Affair loomed ominously at the home turn, then took over in the straight and opened up a winning margin of 1.5l as Darmanin stood triumphantly in the saddle.
In an all-Tasmanian trifecta, Shady Hustle (Hussonet {USA}) ran into second, narrowly ahead of Glass Warrior (Glass Harmonium {Ire}).
Trained by Michael Trinder, Toorak Affair has now had 35 starts for 12 wins, eight placings and $352,725 in prizemoney.
She was bought for $50,000 by part-owner Kevin Wadley at the 2015 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
Pedigree notes:
The win capped a huge day for breeders Alva Stud, who also bred the Listed Strutt S. winner Still A Star (Toronado {Ire}).
Toorak Affair is by Toorak Toff, who stands at Kingsley Park Thoroughbreds for a service fee of $3850.
Toorak Toff has sired 113 winners from 191 runners, with Toorak Affair joining Weekend Hussler S. winner Iconoclasm as his second stakes winner.
The dam of Toorak Affair is Smooth Return (Redoute’s Choice), who was a winner herself. Toorak Affair is her sole winner from two runners. Her last three foals were fillies by Written Tycoon and Night Of Thunder (Ire) and a colt by Alpine Eagle.
Smooth Return descends from a top-class family, with her granddam being a half-sister to Fanfreluche (Can) (Northern Dancer {Can}), who was champion 3-year-old filly in North America and Canadian Horse of the Year.
Fanfreluche produced five stakes winners including Group 1 winners L’Enjoleur (Can) (Buckpasser {USA}), La Voyageuse (Can) (Tentam {USA}) and Medaille d’Or (Can) (Secretariat {USA}).
Smooth Return’s granddam is also the third dam of Gypsy Diamond (Not A Single Doubt), who won the G2 Moonee Valley Fillies’ Classic and placed in the G1 Queen of the Turf S. and G2 Light Fingers S. and Emancipation S.
Hobart, G3 Kevin Sharkie Bow Mistress, 1200m, $150,000
Race summary:
A runner in the G1 Schweppes Oaks last season, Lindsay Park’s Zargos (Shamardal {USA}) headed to Tasmania for a Group 3 sprint on Sunday and claimed her first black type win.
Ridden by Blaike McDougall for David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Zargos was a little slowly away but improved into a midfield position after 200 metres.
When a gap appeared two off the rail in the straight, Zargos dived through, sprinted to the lead and won by 0.5l.
The 3-year-old filly Deroche (Needs Further) finished second, just ahead of the third-placed Twitchy Frank (Choisir).
Raced by her breeders Limerick Lane, Zargos has won four of her 13 starts and $226,000 in prizemoney.
Pedigree notes:
Zargos is by the quality international stallion Shamardal (USA), who has sired 925 winners from 1258 runners worldwide. He has sired 145 stakes winners, including more than 20 at Group 1 level.
His Southern Hemisphere-bred progeny have produced 208 winners from just 255 runners, 26 of them at black type level including Group 1 stars Able Friend, Faint Perfume, Maybe Discreet, Delectation and Captain Sonador.
Shamardal has also made an impact as a sire of sires, headed by Lope De Vega (Ire).
The dam of Zargos is Sister Rocks (USA) (Rock Hard Ten {USA}), who has produced two winners from three foals to race.
Sister Rocks is a sister to G2 American Turf S. winner Doubles Partner (USA) (Rock Hard Ten {USA}) and a half-sister to Listed winner Stormy Venus (USA) (Stormy Atlantic {USA}), who is the dam of Peruvian Group 2 winner Don Americo (USA) (Mr Greeley {USA}).
Another of Sister Rocks’ siblings is the dam of Puissance De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), who won the G2 Blamey S. and P.B. Lawrence S., was a multiple Group 1 placegetter and stands at Swettenham Stud.
Another sibling is the dam of Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}), the winner of the G1 Coronation S. and Moyglare Stud S.
The second dam of Zargos, Serena’s Sister (USA) (Rahy {USA}), is a full-sister to the champion Serena’s Song (USA) (Rahy {USA}), who won 13 Grade 1 races and is the dam of six stakes winners.
Hobart, Listed The Mills New Norfolk Thomas Lyons, 1400m, $100,000
Race summary:
Scott Brunton trained the quinella in the weight-for-age feature as Mandela Effect (Turffontein) scored a 1l victory over his veteran stablemate Hellova Street (Helike {USA}).
Mandela Effect, who could be aimed at the All Star Mile, was ridden by Craig Newitt and enjoyed a good run a couple of lengths from the leader in fourth. He was briefly pocketed approaching the home turn, but Newitt found a way out and got him into clear air at the top of the straight.
Mandela Effect moved through his gears and hit full flight halfway down the straight, charging to the lead with just over 100 metres to run and scoring impressively from his gallant stablemate.
I’m Wesley (I Am Invincible) was another 0.5l away in third.
Brunton paid only $18,000 to buy Mandela Effect at the 2016 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale. He shares ownership with 13 others, and the 5-year-old gelding has earned them $487,939 with 11 wins from 22 starts to date.
Pedigree notes:
Mandela Effect was bred in Tasmania by Mandy Gunn.
He is by Turffontein, who stands at Blue Gum Farm for a fee of $8800.
Turffontein has sired 125 winners from 235 runners, with Mandela Effect one of six individual stakes winners. That group is headed by Fontein Ruby, who won the G2 Edward Manifold S. and G3 Caulfield Classic, along with the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) and G3 Blue Diamond Preview (Fillies) winner Fontiton.
Mandela Effect is one of three winners from three foals to race for Morell (West Quest {Can}), who returned to Turffontein to produce a filly in 2018 and a colt in 2019.
Morell is a half-sister to Royal Work (Matsqui), who won eight races and placed in the Listed Tasmanian Guineas.
The second dam is a half-sister to the stakes winner and sire Persian Saint (Rajah Sahib {NZ}), while another of her siblings is the dam of G1 AJC Sires’ Produce S. winner Mighty Manitou (Manihi).
Hobart, Listed Crowne Plaza Hobart Strutt S., 2100m, $100,000
Race summary:
Exciting filly Still A Star (Toronado {Ire}) added a third consecutive stakes win to her burgeoning career, but only after surviving a big late scare.
Ridden by Brendon McCoull, Still A Star sat in second place behind a solid pace set by Sacred Valley (Fastnet Rock).
McCoull eased off the brakes rounding the home turn, and Still A Star cruised to the lead with 300 metres to run.
She quickly opened up a margin of 2l and seemed set for an easy win, but Mystical Pursuit (Needs Further) produced a flying finish in the last 100 metres and lunged at her in the last stride. In a photo finish, Still A Star held on by a nose.
The first two fillies dominated the finish, with Sacred Valley finishing almost 3l behind in third.
Still A Star was a $13,000 purchase by Monica Ryan at the 2018 Magic Millions Tasmanian Yearling Sale.
Bill and Monica Ryan share ownership with 13 others, and Bill Ryan trains the filly at Longford. She has now had 11 starts for six wins and five second placings, earning $321,190 in stakes.
She won the Listed Tasmanian Guineas on January 4, then added the Listed Launceston Guineas two weeks later.
Pedigree notes:
Still A Star was bred by Alva Stud.
She is by Toronado (Ire), who stands for a service fee of $27,500 at Swettenham Stud. Toronado has sired 104 winners from 209 runners worldwide, including 77 winners from 141 runners from his Australian progeny.
Still A Star is one of five Listed winners for Toronado and his first in the Southern Hemisphere.
The dam of Still A Star is Lita (Casino Prince), who is the dam of two winners from three foals to race. She produced a filly by Manhattan Rain in 2018, and she was served by Bolt d’Oro (USA) last spring.
Lita is out of Royal Asscher (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), who won the G3 Red Anchor S., Listed Ottawa S. and Listed William Crockett S. and placed in the G2 Schillaci S., G2 Yallambee Classic, Restricted Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic and Listed St Albans S. She also finished fourth in the G1 Oakleigh Plate.
Royal Asscher’s dam, Diamond Cashel (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), won the G3 Eulogy S. and is a full-sister to the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude winner and G1 Blue Diamond placegetter Our Cashel (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}).
Diamond Cashel is the granddam of the Group 2 winner Ruud Not Too (NZ) (Bernardini {USA}).
