G1 Longines Queen Elizabeth S., $2,000,000, 2000m
Race summary
Impressive English raider Addeybb (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) completed a Group 1 double for the Sydney autumn carnival with an emphatic victory over a star-studded Queen Elizabeth S. field.
An all-the-way winner of the Ranvet S. on his Australian debut two weeks ago, Addeybb enjoyed another perfect run in a different position on Saturday under in-form jockey Tom Marquand.
After breaking well from the inside gate, the 6-year-old settled beautifully in third as the veteran Gailo Chop (Fr) (Deportivo {GB}) set up a strong pace and charged out to a 4l lead.
As Gailo Chop began to tire coming up to the home turn, Addeybb started winding through his gears and moved into prominence.
He was joined by the highly rated Japanese runner Danon Premium (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) in the straight, setting up a thrilling two-horse war to the finish. But when Addeybb found another gear inside the last 200 metres, Danon Premium couldn’t match it and Addeybb powered clear.
Instead it was the Ranvet runner-up Verry Elleegant (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) who got the closest with a potent finish, but Addeybb was well out of her reach and crossed the finish line 2.75l ahead.
Verry Elleegant was second, 0.5l ahead of Danon Premium. Master Of Wine (Ger) (Maxios {GB}) took fourth, narrowly ahead of the Kiwi stablemates Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) and Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands).
Addeybb is trained by William Haggas for owner Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum. He has now had 17 starts for nine wins, four placings and more than $2.7 million in stakes.
Prior to his Group 1 double in Australia, Addeybb won the G2 Sandown Mile and G3 Rose of Lancaster S. He also finished second against a strong field in the G1 Champion S. at Ascot last October.
Pedigree notes
Addeybb is by Pivotal (GB), who is the sire of 997 winners from 1376 runners worldwide, with 150 individual stakes winners including 31 at Group 1 level.
From 17 runners in Australia, Pivotal has sired 14 winners including three in stakes races – Addeybb, fellow Group 1 winner Avilius (GB) and the Listed winner Peck.
Addeybb is out of Bush Cat (USA) (Kingmambo {USA}), who was a winner and finished fourth in the Listed Cheshire Oaks. She is a half-sister to the Listed winners Busha’ (USA) (Mercer Mill {USA}) and Rip ‘N’ Run (USA) (Mercer Mill {USA}).
Bush Cat’s dam Arbusha (USA) (Danzig {USA}) won at Listed level in Germany and placed in the G3 Royal Whip S. at the Curragh. She is a full-sister to the Group 2 winner Nicholas (USA) (Danzig {USA}) and to the dam of multiple Group 1 winner Strategic Choice (USA) (Alleged {USA}).
Bush Cat is the dam of six winners from nine foals to race. Her first foal Meer Kat (USA) (Red Ransom {USA}) placed in the G3 Generous S. and Listed Turf Paradise Derby.
G1 Schweppes Sydney Cup, $1,000,000, 3200m
Race summary
Co-breeder, part-owner and former trainer Mark Lupton pulled the right rein when the Matamata horseman sent Etah James (NZ) (Raise The Flag {GB}) to Ciaron Maher and David Eustace.
She made the move after finishing fourth in the G1 Auckland Cup and showed her reserves of stamina to win here in her first start since Ellerslie.
She settled behind the leading pack and dug deepest in the straight to beat The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) and Raheen House (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
Pedigree notes
Etah James is a daughter of Etah (NZ) (Danasinga), who won one minor race at 1400 metres and all four of her foals to race have been successful.
She is a sister to the dual Group 3 winner Tickle (NZ) and she also numbered a Listed event among her seven victories.
Etah James and Tickle are the only black type winners in the first four generations and deep into the pedigree is the G1 Middle Park S. winner Creag-An-Sgor (Ire) (Captain James {Ire}), who stood at stud in New Zealand and produced the dual Group 1 winner Lets Sgor (NZ).
G1 The Star Australian Oaks, $500,000, 2400m
Race summary
Seven days after stepping up to stakes level for the first time in the G3 Adrian Knox S., Godolphin filly Colette (Hallowed Crown) continued her meteoric rise with a dominant Group 1 classic victory at Randwick.
Colette was a maiden until February 8, but she has now strung together four enormously impressive wins by a combined margin of 13l.
She was ridden on Saturday by Glen Boss, who collected his fourth Australian Oaks victory. Sent out as the $3 favourite, Colette settled into a smooth rhythm in third or fourth place behind a solid pace.
Strange Charm (Casino Prince) showed the way through the early part of the race, before Stick ‘Em Up (Dundeel {NZ}) made a big move down the back of the track under jockey Jason Collett. She swooped forward out of midfield and quickly opened up a 3l lead.
The Oaks developed into a true staying test in gruelling heavy ground, and it was Colette’s stamina and class that shone through. She lengthened stride and took the lead early in the run home, quickly putting the result beyond any doubt.
Adrian Knox runner-up Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) chased hard again but could not match Colette, who completed a dominant victory by 2.5l.
Quintessa (Pierro) was third in the Adrian Knox and also repeated that result in the Oaks, finishing another 3l behind Toffee Tongue.
Proven Group 1 filly Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) sat near the tail of the field for most of the race and struggled to quicken in the heavy ground, making only minor inroads in the straight to finish eighth.
The James Cummings-trained Colette has now had seven starts for four wins, two seconds and $569,580 in prizemoney.
Pedigree notes
Colette is by the young stallion Hallowed Crown, who stands for a service fee of $11,000 (inc GST) at Twin Hills Stud.
With his oldest progeny now 3-year-olds, Hallowed Crown is the sire of 32 winners from 70 runners. Colette became his first stakes winner last weekend, and now she is his first Group 1 winner. Big Hearted and The Perfect Crown (Ire) have both been Listed-placed.
The dam of Colette is Libretto (Ire) (Singspiel {Ire}), who was unraced but comes from a quality black-type family.
She is a half-sister to Group 2 winners Wareed (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) and Truly A Dream (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}). The latter also produced the Group 2 winner Dream Piece (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) and Group 1 placegetter Catcher In The Rye (Ire) (Danehill {USA}).
Another half-sibling, Solo De Lune (Ire) (Law Society {USA}), was stakes-placed and is the dam of 11 winners including G1 Longchamp Prix Saint-Alary winner Cerulean Sky (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}). Cerulean Sky is the dam of Group 2-winning and Group 1-placed stayer Honolulu (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).
Solo De Lune is also the dam of G1 Irish Oaks winner Moonstone (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), who is the dam or granddam of Group 1 performers U S Army Ranger (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), L’Ancresse (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), Melbourne Cup fourth placegetter Master Of Reality (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and Orchestra (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Libretto is the dam of six winners from seven foals to race, and Colette is now her second stakes winner. Metastasio (Street Cry {Ire}) won the Listed MRC Chairman’s S. and placed in the G3 Quezette S.
Libretto’s twice-winning daughter Librettista (Elusive Quality {USA}) is the dam of Frenzified (GB) (Yeats {Ire}), a Listed winner who placed in the G1 Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita.
Libretto produced another Hallowed Crown colt in 2018.
G1 Coolmore Legacy S., $500,000, 1600m
Race summary
Con Te Partiro (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}) capped her autumn of content with further Group 1 success following her victory last month in the Coolmore Classic.
Ridden again by Tim Clark, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained mare had the leaders in her sights at the top of the straight and she surged clear to win by 1.8l.
The 3-yerar-old Funstar (Adelaide {Ire}) came on generously from back in the field to take second money ahead of Danzdanzdance (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and Delectation Girl (GB) (Delegator {GB}).
Pedigree notes
Con Te Partiro is a half-sister to the stakes winner and Group performer Donworth (USA) (Tiznow {USA}).
The mare was purchased for US$575,000 (AU$905,378) by Newgate and SF Bloodstock at the 2018 Fasig Tipton Kentucky Mixed November Sale.
She is a daughter of Temple Street (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}), who won five races and was Group 1 placed. She is from a deep North American pedigree, which includes the Group 1 winners Seattle Meteor (USA) (Seattle Slew {USA}), Pleasant Stage (USA) (Pleasant Colony {USA}) and Marsh Side (USA) (Gone West {USA}).
G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint, $500,000, 1200m
Race summary
Splintex (Snitzel) has made grand progress this year and has come from a BM74 win in January to be a Group 2 victor.
The versatile colt has been successful off the front, but rider Robbie Dolan was happy to take a sit before hitting the front 300 metres from home.
They surged clear and stayed on gallantly to deny the late inside run of Flit (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) with Anaheed (Fastnet Rock) third and Hawker Hurricane (Deep Field) found the line well for third.
Pedigree notes
Splintex is a half-brother to the multiple winner Invictus Salute (Exceed And Excel) and Acqume (Sepoy), who are both all stakes performers.
Their dam Acquired (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) was a talented mare who won seven races and finished runner-up in the G2 Dane Ripper S.
She is a half-sister to the G2 Reisling S. winner Hips Don’t Lie (Stravinsky {USA}), dam of the Listed Crockett S. winner and G1 Golden Slipper S. placegetter Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock) and also the family of the G3 Mr Tiz Trophy winner No More Tears (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).
G2 Heineken 3 Percy Sykes S., $500,000, 1200m
Race summary
With a CV that featured Magic Millions glory and a second placing in the Golden Slipper, star performer Away Game (Snitzel) towered over her 12 opponents in Saturday’s 2-year-old fillies’ feature. That was how it played out on the track too, but only after a few nervous moments at the top of the home straight.
Jockey Glen Boss had Away Game prominently positioned behind the front-running Forbidden Love (All Too Hard), and as they rounded the home turn she was cruising and ready to charge. But then Away Game found herself trapped in a pocket and was involved in a bumping duel as Boss tried to get her into clear air.
Eventually she found a way through and turned on the afterburners, and Away Game sprinted away to win by 1.5l. Vangelic (Vancouver) sprinted out of midfield to finish second, a 1.25l in front of See You Soon (Siyouni {Fr}), who finished well from near the back of the field.
Away Game is trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace for a group of eight owners. During her stint in Sydney, she has been in the care of assistant trainer Annabel Neasham.
From seven starts, Away Game has won four races and more than $2.7 million in stakes. She won the Listed Calaway Gal at Doomben on December 18, then captured the Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast three weeks later.
Since then, Away Game has won the G3 Widden S., finished fourth in the G1 Blue Diamond, second in the Golden Slipper and now first in the Percy Sykes.
Away Game was bought for $425,000 from Mill Park Stud’s draft at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Pedigree notes
Away Game was bred in South Australia by Mill Park Stud Pty Ltd and the Mills Thoroughbred Breeding Partnership.
She is one of 14 individual stakes winners this season for the outstanding Snitzel, who was Australia’s champion sire in all of the last three seasons and sits second on this season’s standings. He notched up his 100th individual stakes winner later on Saturday afternoon with Splintex in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint.
Away Game is one of 39 individual stakes-winning 2-year-olds for Snitzel, who has sired a total of 239 juvenile winners from 637 runners.
The dam of Away Game is Elusive Wonder (Elusive Quality {USA}), who was a winner as a 2-year-old and placed in the Listed Chairman’s S. at Caulfield.
Elusive Wonder is the dam of two stakes winners. Away Game’s full-sister Modern Wonder (Snitzel) won the Listed Dequetteville S. in Adelaide and placed in the G3 Typhoon Tracy S. and Thoroughbred Club S. in Melbourne.
Elusive Wonder is a half-sister to the Listed C.E. McDougall S. winner Tantra (Royal Academy {USA}), while her dam is a half-sister to the G1 Spring Champion S. placegetter Liberty Hall (Zabeel {NZ}).
Another half-sister is Cherry Garden (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), the granddam of Pontiana (Redoute’s Choice), who is the dam of G1 Randwick Guineas winner Inference (So You Think {NZ}) and this season’s impressive New Zealand 3-year-old Dragon Leap (Pierro).
Elusive Wonder has a perfect record at stud with five winners from five foals to race. She produced a filly by Not A Single Doubt in 2018, and a filly by Merchant Navy in 2019. She returned to Merchant Navy again later in the spring.
G2 TAB Sapphire S., $300,000, 1200m
Race summary
Defending champion White Moss (Mossman) returned to Randwick and delivered a repeat result in the final race of the second day of The Championships.
Twelve months ago, the Jason Coyle-trained mare sat in second or third place for most of the race before outfinishing her rivals to win by 0.75l.
It was a similar margin again in 2020 but a different style of victory, as jockey Nash Rawiller sent the grey mare straight to the lead.
She dominated the race from that point on, with her 15 rivals unable to reel her in down the Randwick straight.
She held on to win by 1l from Fasika (So You Think {NZ}), who finished another 1.5l ahead of Bangkok (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).
White Moss has now won eight of her 24 starts, placing in another four and earning more than $800,000 for her owner-breeders, the Esplin Family.
Pedigree notes
White Moss is by Mossman, whose long Australian stud career has produced 500 winners from 699 runners including 41 individual black-type winners. He has sired six Group 1 winners, headed by Buffering and Mossfun.
The dam of White Moss is Pay My Bail (NZ) (Justice Prevails), who was bought for just $2000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale in 2002. She won seven races and more than NZ$220,000, headed by a victory in the G2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ S. and placing in the G1 Railway H.
She is the dam of two stakes winners, with White Moss’ older half-sister White Sage (Reset) winning the Listed Festival S. and placing in the G2 Breeders’ Classic.
Pay My Bail is also the granddam of Fox Swift (Foxwedge), the winner of the Listed Cap d’Antibes S.
Pay My Bail is a half-sister to the dam of G2 Wellington Cup winner Megapins (NZ) (Pins), while another half-sister is the granddam of stakes-winner London Express (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}).
The dam of Pay My Bail is a half-sister to Shifnal Prince (NZ) (Shifnal), who won the G1 Thorndon Mile and placed in the G1 Toorak H., Waikato Sprint and New Zealand S.
After producing White Moss in 2013, Pay My Bail had the winners Ivory Jane (Animal Kingdom {USA}) and White Thyme (Reset) in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
Listed Cellarbrations Fernhill Mile, $150,000, 1600m
Race summary
Untamed (Pierro) ran out the 1600 metres strongly to win for the second time in his career and earn a possible crack at the G1 Champagne S. in a week’s time.
The colt sat in fourth spot on the fence and, once clear, he finished doggedly for rider Nash Rawiller to get in the deciding stride at the expense of Wheelhouse (Pierro).
Fayerra (Valentia) was on the pace and fought on strongly, but the favourite Postcode (Vancouver) petered out to run fourth after making the running.
Pedigree notes
A $450,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, Untamed is out of the unraced She’s A Wildcat (Fastnet Rock).
She has a perfect record at stud with all three of her foals to race having been successful and is a sister to the G1 William Reid S. winner and sire Foxwedge.
Their sister She’s A Fox was also a black type winner and there’s also a strong North American presence with the G3 Fairmount Derby winner Count The Time (USA) (Regal Search {USA}) under the third dam.
Listed The Agency South Pacific Classic, $150,000, 1400m
Race summary
Indy Car (Sebring) showed he was a horse with a bright future when he remained unbeaten this preparation after successfully resuming on the Kensington track earlier this month.
As is his style, he settled well off the pace and unwound strongly in the run home for jockey Tom Marquand to win with authority.
Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) should have finished closer than second after being held up in the straight and Hilo (Lonhro) pipped Havin’ Fun (All Too Hard) for third.
Pedigree notes
Bred and raced by Gerry Harvey, Indy Car is the first winner for Zulia (Hussonet {USA}), who is out of a sister to the Listed Tokyo City Cup winner Zauberin (Zabeel {NZ}).
The third dam is the dual Group 1 winner Skating (At Talaq {USA}), who produced the stakes-winning stallions Murtajill and Bradbury’s Luck.
The feature name in the pedigree is the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner, former champion 2-year-old colt and young sire Vancouver.
