Hastings, G1 Tarzino Trophy, NZ$220,000, 1400m
Holding off a late lunge from the fast-finishing Spring Tide (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante) was determined, securing his second consecutive victory in this elite-level contest.
It was win number six from 18 starts for the tough galloper whose sire G1 NZ 2000 Guineas winning sire Atlante, a son of Fastnet Rock, is a resident of Mapperley Stud.
One of the great recent bargain-basement stories, the Windsor Park Stud bay secured for just NZ$3000 at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sale is one of four winners produced by the three-time winning Volksraad (GB) mare Raadisi (NZ), who died three years ago.
A half-sister to the Group 1 winner The Party Stand (NZ), Raadisi hails from a reliably classy Australian family, one which has also produced the big race winners Kenvain, Mr Murphy, Regal Power and Arcadia Queen.
Callsign Mav is the first and to date only Group 1 winner line-bred to Royal Academy (USA), dam sire of his grandsire Fastnet Rock and of his dam Raadisi.
Hastings, G3 Gold Trail S., NZ$80,000, 1200m
It takes a decent amount of courage to come up along the rails to win a feature race and it was a very gutsy performance by Bellacontte (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) to record her second stakes victory on the back of her last start Listed success in the O'Leary's S. at Wanganui two weeks ago.
A three-time winner from just six starts, she is one of five stakes winners for Redoute's Choice's regally bred Group 3 winner Burgundy (NZ), the Cambridge Stud resident whose dam is the grand mare Grand Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Bred by Dr M.Y Chong and purchased by her owner Ben Kwok as a foal at foot with her dam, Bellacontte (who boasts a 6 X 6 cross of the famed matriarch Special via her son Nureyev (USA) and grandson Sadler's Wells (USA)) is one of the first two stakes winners for Tavistock (NZ) as a broodmare sire.
Her dam Devon Doll (NZ) is a placed daughter of the Centaine mare Goodgolly Itsdolly (NZ) is a half-sister to the Group 3 winners Legless Veuve (NZ) (Pins) and Tootsie (NZ) (Pins) in turn dam of the three-time Group 2 winner Ocean Emperor (NZ)) and to the grandam of last start G3 Cockram S. winner Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel).
G1 NZ Oaks heroine Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel) is also a member of this prolific family, as are the stakes winners La Rose Noir, Espurante, Jennifer Lynn, Hussousa, Red Eclipse, Urbane, Battle Hero, No Excuse Maggie and Pomcelle.
Riccarton, Listed Canterbury Belle S., NZ$60,000, 1200m
Art de Triomphe (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}) proved a class above her rivals with a dominant victory, her first at stakes level coming at just her fifth start.
Bred by G & S Bluett & J, F Marks and sold for NZ$80,000 in Book 1 of the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale, Art de Triomphe (the first stakes winner line-bred to the brilliant galloper Peintre Celebre (USA)) is the first stakes winner for Rich Hill Stud's G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp winner Vadamos (Fr), son of the great German stallion Monsun (Ger).
She is a daughter of the G3 Winter Cup-winning Captain Rio (GB) mare Art Beat (NZ), also dam of the Group 3-placed Arctic Shock. Paying a return visit last spring to Vadamos, she is a half-sister to the dual Group 3 winner Perfect Start (NZ) (Perfectly Ready).
Art de Triomphe is the second 2021 stakes winner for her family with Savatoxl (Kuroshio) taking out the G1 Goodwood H. in Adelaide in May.
Morphettville, Listed WH Wylie H., $107,250, 1100m
It was a deserved black-type breakthrough for Free Of Debt (Unencumbered) who was a good enough 2-year-old to contest both the G1 Blue Diamond S. (running third to Lyre (Lonhro)) and the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes.
Recording the fifth win of his 18 start career, Free Of Debt became the sixth stakes winner for the late Unencumbered, Testa Rossa's R. Listed Magic Millions 2Y0 Classic winner who served just four books of mares at Three Bridges Thoroughbreds.
Bred by Greta West Stud and picked up by the Chris Bieg stable for $30,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Free Of Debt is one of the five winners (from as many foals) produced by the city winning Giant's Causeway (USA) (broodmare sire of 168 stakes winners) mare Stagerush.
Served last spring by Impending, Stagerush is out of the Caerleon (USA) mare Star Quality (Ire), half-sister to the stakes-placed Orange Park, in turn dam of the stakes winner Organizer. This is one of Europe's finest families; Free Of Debt's fourth dam Idyllic (USA) from the family of Rainbow Quest, Commander In Chief and Warning being the dam of the Group 1-winning successful stallion Scenic (Ire).
