G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S., $1,000,000, 1400m
Having had no luck in the G2 Feehan S. following her tough G2 Lawrence S. victory, Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) was deserving of her Group 1 breakthrough, showing plenty of heart late.
The 12th Group 1 winner for The Oaks Stud's five-times G1-winning stalwart Darci Brahma (NZ), Sierra Sue (bred by J.E Fokerd) has proven to be a bargain buy for connections; secured at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Mixed Sale for a mere NZ$2000 having been passed in at Karaka the year before.
Served last spring by Mongolian Khan, Sierra Sue's dam Centree (NZ) by Centaine, has produced another four winners. She is out of the Group 3-placed Oregon (USA) mare Miss Tree (NZ), dam of the Group 3-placed successful broodmare Miss Puzzle (Citydancer {Ire}) who has produced the G1 Santa Anita Oaks winner Fashion Plate (USA) and the Listed winners Miss Bigly (USA) and Mr Candy Bar (USA). New Zealand Horse of the Year Tit For Taat (NZ) (Faltaat {USA}) also hails from this family.
The first Australian Group 1 winner for Daniel Moor who was celebrating his 37th birthday in style, Sierra Sue is the 27th Group 1 winner for Centaine as a broodmare sire.
G2 Off The Track Community Thousand Guineas Prelude (Tranquil Star S.), $300,000, 1400m
A homebred for Ken King Thoroughbreds who also raced her sire Bon Hoffa who won the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. on this weekend 14 years ago, Bon's A Pearla came from well back to win her first stakes race in impressive style.
The fifth stakes winner for the Bowness Stud stallion, she is the first foal for the lightly raced Gold Coast-winning Duporth mare Treasure Island who has paid return visits to Bon Aurum the last two springs.
The first stakes winner producing mare for the G1 BTC Cup winner Duporth, Treasure Island is a half-sister to the handy Hong Kong galloper Refined Treasure from the family of stakes winners Kalamata, Stirling Grove, Kirvinsky, Hucklebuck and Acushla Marie (Bon's A Pearla's Group 1-winning fourth dam).
A feature of Bon's A Pearla's pedigree is her 6 X 6 cross of the great mare Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}) via her sons Sir Gaylord (USA) and Secretariat (USA).
G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude, $300,000, 1400m
G2 VRC Sires' Produce S. winner Lightsaber added another string to his bow with this gutsy performance on his way to a crack at the G1 Caulfield Guineas.
Twice making his way through the sales ring, Lightsaber fetched $80,000 as a 2020 Inglis Classic Sale Yearling, re-sold for $100,000 at the William Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale later that year.
Bred by Emirates Park, Lightsaber is one of Widden Stud's Zoustar's 24 stakes winners from his first four crops. Bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Danehill (USA) and a 5 X 6 cross of the terrific mare Fairy Bridge (USA) (Bold Reason {USA}) via her sons Fairy King and Sadler's Wells (USA), he is an exciting stallion prospect being from the family of Fastnet Rock.
He is the second foal and first winner for the unraced Dream Ahead (USA) mare Dream Cirque who was served last spring by Tassort, having produced a Capitalist colt. She is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Distant Rock out of the Giant's Causeway (USA) mare Magestique whose stakes-placed dam Cirque de Soleil is Fastnet Rock's full sister.
G3 How Now S., $200,000, 1200m
Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) is in great form this spring and her latest victory is her second at Group 3 level on the back of her Quezette S. victory in July last year.
Bred by Saconi Thoroughbreds by Coolmore Stud's dual Group 1-winning Street Cry (Ire) stallion Pride Of Dubai, she is the first foal produced by the lightly raced Star Witness mare Bella Orfana who recently foaled a colt by Trapeze Artist.
Bred on a 3 X 5 cross of Danehill, she is one of 11 stakes winners for her sire and the first stakes winner for Star Witness as a broodmare sire, Bella Nipotina is an $80,000 graduate of the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Her dam is a half-sister to the Group 2 sprinter Hallowell Belle and the Group 3 winner Fuddle Dee Duddle (Red Ransom {USA}) with her grandam Bella Inez (Beautiful Crown {USA}) being a sister to the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner In Top Swing.
G3 MRC Foundation Cup (Naturalism S.), $200,000, 2000m
Nonconformist (Rebel Raider) assured himself a Caulfield Cup berth with a deserved victory, his third at Group level on the back of his successes in the G2 Alister Clark S. and the G3 Coongy Cup.
A homebred for the Henwood family, he is the best runner for the G1 VRC and SA Derby winner Rebel Raider who died two years ago. The sire of four stakes winners, he was a son of Zabeel's (NZ) unbeaten star Reset.
Boasting crosses of the influential mares Somethingroyal (USA (Princequillo {Ire}) and Irish Lass, Nonconformist is one of only two foals for the city placed three-time winning Hold That Tiger (USA) (broodmare sire of six stakes winners) mare Good Thinking who died young.
Good Thinking is one of four winners from as many runners produced by the Last Tycoon (Ire) mare Rowenchelle whose dam Devaki (NZ) (Defensicve Play {USA}) is a half-sister to the four-time Group winner Waikiki from the family of NZ Filly of the Year Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}).
Stakes winners Puttanesca, Happy Features, Classic Clare, Rainbow Dash, Mr Nevermind, Carnival, Love Of Mary, Miss Scaramanga, Maryah, Jabali and Order Of Command also hail from this branch of the prolific Eulogy family, as does the Hong Kong star Sacred Kingdom.
