Wu Gok, a winner of the Listed Lord Mayor's Cup at Rosehill, and Star Encounter, who narrowly claimed the G3 Belmont Sprint at Belmont, were both outsiders in betting markets, but both come from families that are synonymous with stakes success.
As well as being the dam of now three-time stakes-winner Wu Gok, Lipari has also produced G1 Australian Derby winner Levendi (Pierro) and Group 3 winner Marcel From Madrid (Sepoy) from her four foals to the track.
A daughter of G1 Australasian Oaks winner Tully Thunder (Thunder Gulch {USA}), Lipari, who was Group 3 placed as a racehorse, was sold for $1.6 million at last year's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and is now among the elite broodmares at Gerry Harvey's Baramul Stud. She produced an I Am Invincible colt last year and visited that stallion again.
Lipari was a $1.6 million Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale purchase by Gerry Harvey's Baramul Stud
Star Encounter is from a family which has served leviathan WA breeder and owner Bob Peters very well. She was the only stakes winner from Lady Ashford (Royal Academy {USA}), but the next generation has produced Group 1 winner Galaxy Star (Redoute's Choice) and stakes winner and Group 1-placed Enticing Star (Testa Rossa) as well as three stakes winners from Star Encounter herself.
On Saturday, Perfect Jewel added the Belmont Sprint to her previous successes in the G2 WA Guineas, G3 La Trice Classic and Listed Belgravia S. Her older half-brother Star Exhibit (Statue Of Liberty {USA}) is a dual G2 Perth Cup winner, two of his four stakes wins, while sister Royal Star (Redoute's Choice) won a Listed Natasha S.
Adam Durrant has trained all three of Star Encounter's winners at some point of their careers, as well as having prepared the mare herself, so brings a real insight to her progeny.
"I trained the Mum as well, so it was quite good to get those horses from her. Star Exhibit was the benchmark horse of them. He won us two Perth Cups. They are just a winning family, they just win. Like most of Bob's, you front up and they are easy. They make us all look good," he said.
Perfect Jewel joined Durrant's stable ahead of her spring campaign last year, after finishing down the track behind Star Exhibit in the 2019 Perth Cup for her previous trainers Grant and Alana Williams.
"They are just a winning family, they just win. Like most of Bob's, you front up and they are easy. They make us all look good." - Adam Durrant
Durrant's immediate impression of the mare was how relaxed she was when compared to her siblings and her mother.
"Her mum was quite a handful. She wasn't easy to handle and was probably one of the naughtiest ones we have had. She was very ratty and highly strung," he said.
"This mare, she is very laid back. The rest of the family have all got a few issues. They have been quite difficult to deal with over the years, but this girl, she is a pet. She's got a great attitude.
"Maybe that's something to do with the Redoute's. He seems to put a bit of calmness to the whole relationship, because the Statue Of Liberty's out of that mare were quite hard to handle, especially early on."
Perfect Jewel winning the G3 Iron Jack Belmont Sprint (cerise and white silks)
Upset win sees class prevail
Having her second run of the preparation, Perfect Jewel, ridden by Patrick Carbery, charged home along the inside of The Velvet King (Universal Ruler) to win by a nose, prevailing at odds of $31.
The betting market may not have expected that result, but Durrant said that while it was a tough race, he always felt the 5-year-old had the class to measure up.
"Class-wise, she has always been really well credentialed. Her first-up run was really good and she was coming off a win over the carnival at her previous start in a stakes race," he said. "I wouldn't say it was a total surprise. It was a strong race and she was only 2.5l off them first-up without a trial. I think as the distances increased, she was always going to be more competitive."
"I wouldn't say it was a total surprise. It was a strong race and she was only 2.5l off them first-up without a trial." - Adam Durrant
Peters will make the decision on where Perfect Jewel goes next, but Durrant is expecting that she will go to the G3 Hyperion S. on June 13, with a view to the G3 Strickland S. in late June.
Trainer Adam Durrant (right)
While he hasn't spoken to Peters about the mare's longer-term future, Durrant would not be surprised if this is her last campaign before she heads on to the next stage of her life.
"I'm imagining, not speaking for Bob here, but he'd be looking for the breeding barn with her come August this year. She's quite valuable. She is out of a fantastic family and they just keep producing."
Should she do that, she will join Star Encounter and Royal Star in Peters' broodmare band.
As well as a 2-year-old filly named Spritely Star (Statue Of Liberty {USA}), Star Encounter has a Dundeel (NZ) colt foal and visited that stallion again on a late service last year.
Royal Star visited Pierro last year in her first season.
Perfect Jewel was one of four winners for Bob and Sandra Peters at Belmont. Two-year-old Dunbar (Vancouver) kept his unbeaten start to his career going with a second win, 4-year-old mare Festival Miss (Bernardini {USA}) made it win number five, and 4-year-old Picture Perfect (Reset) claimed victory number four.
Those other three winners in the Peters' famous cerise and white colours were prepared by Grant and Alana Williams.
