Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
G1 Moet & Chandon Spring Champion S., $1,00,000, 2000m
A G1 Spring Champion S. winner at just his third start, the Arrowfield Stud-bred Profondo (Deep Impact {Jpn}) looks a horse of the future.
Justifying his price tag with his impressive performance, the $1,900,000 graduate of the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale is the first Australian-bred son of Deep Impact (Jpn) to win at Group 1 level with three of his Japanese horses successful in such races (Fierce Impact,{Jpn}, Tosen Stardom {Jpn} and Real Impact {Jpn}).
He is the first foal for the G3 Widden S. winner Honesty Prevails (Redoute's Choice), half-sister to the stakes-placed Aerobar (Flying Spur) out of a half-sister to the Listed winner Ego's Dare (Hussonet {USA}).
This is one of America's finest families, one well represented at the elite level by the likes of Wolfhound (USA) (Nureyev {USA}), Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), Ruler Of The World (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Lemon Drop Kid (USA) (Kingmambo {USA}), Gay Mecene (USA) (Vaguely Noble {Ire}), Gallanta (Fr) (Nureyev {USA}), Gay Gallanta (USA}) (Woodman {USA}), Summer Squall (USA) (Storm Bird {Can}), A. P. Indy (USA) (Seattle Slew {USA}) and Court Vision (USA) (Gulch {USA}).
Missing last year to Written Tycoon, Honesty Prevails (a $720,000 Magic Millions yearling) produced a Dundeel (NZ) colt last spring with her previous foal (her second) being the $1,150,000 Shalaa (Ire) colt Custodian, member of the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable.
Profondo carries multiple Natalma (USA) (USA) (Native Dancer {USA})/Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) family strains... Halo (USA), Northern Dancer (Can) and Danehill (USA) and is also line-bred to the great mare Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}).
G2 Heineken 3 Stan Fox S., $250,000, 1500m
An interesting quinella with Hilal (Fastnet Rock) defeating Coastwatch (Fastnet Rock). Not only are the pair by the same Coolmore Stud-based Champion Sire, but both are out of mares by Encosta De Lago.
They are two of the six Fastnet Rock stakes winners out of Encosta De Lago mares with the former celebrating his 180th stakes winner (and his second for the day) whilst the latter - who also called Coolmore home - has now had 127 stakes winners as a broodmare sire.
A homebred for Emirates Park out of their unraced but well-related mare Salma (Encosta De Lago), Hilal is a half-brother to the Australian-bred South African stakes winner Trojan Harbour (Harbour Watch {Ire}).
His dam - who was served last spring by Tassort having produced a Not A Single Doubt filly last October - is out of the G2 Fernhill H. winner Salameh (Secret Savings {USA}), half-sister to the G1 Australian Guineas winner Al Maher (Danehill {USA}).
This is of course the same branch of the Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) family as Group 1 winners Redoute's Choice (Danehill {USA}), Hurricane Sky (Star Watch), Umatilla (NZ) (Miswaki {USA}), Platinum Scissors (Danehill {USA}), Gathering (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), Manhattan Rain (Encosta De Lago), He's No Pie Eater (Canny Lad) and Shoals (Fastnet Rock).
G2 Polytrack Roman Consul S., $300,000, 1200m
Part of a good day for Godolphin homebreds, Paulele (Dawn Approach {Ire}) was too strong recording his fifth win from just nine starts.
One of 15 stakes winners for his sire, a multiple Group 1-winning former shuttler who spent five seasons in Australia, Paulele is one of three stakes winners for his multiple city-winning dam Chatoyant (Flying Spur).
Also dam of the G3 Canonbury S. winner Tessera (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) and the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders' S. winner Montsegur (New Approach {Ire}), who is in turn dam of the G3 David Coles S. winner Heresy (Street Boss {USA}).
Retired last spring after producing an Exosphere filly, Chatoyant is a three-quarter sister to the G1 Myer Classic winner Bonaria (Redoute's Choice) and half-sister to Group 3 winners Time Out (Rory's Jester) and Legally Bay (Snippets) - dam of the dual Group 1-winning stallion Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock).
Bred on a 6 X 7 cross of the G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}), Paulele is a descendant of the famed matriarch Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}).
G3 Bentley Angst S., $160,000, 1600m
A homebred for Bennelong Bloodstock (passed in for $300,000 at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale) Mirra Vision (Lonhro) showed that her owner's decision to take her home was an astute one.
One of 23 stakes winners combining Lonhro and Redoute's Choice, Mirra Vision is the 92nd stakes winner for Darley's high-class veteran Lonhro and the 124th stakes winner for the late Redoute's Choice as a broodmare sire.
Her dam is the G3 Tattersall's Cup winner Mirrasalo (Redoute's Choice), a $700,000 Inglis Easter Sale yearling whose dam St Therese (Dehere {USA}) won two Listed races in New Zealand and was also Group 1 placed on two occasions.
Mirrasalo was not served last spring having produced a full brother to Mirra Vision (and to the Bennelong-owned, Snowden trained 2-year-old San Luca) last October.
Her half-brother is Arrowfield Stud's dual Group 1 winner Castelvecchio (Dundeel {NZ}) whilst her half-sister Maid Of Heaven (Smart Missile) is also a big race winner, taking out the 2018 G1 Spring Champion S. The five-time Group 1-winning sprinter/miler Planet Ruler (Kaoru Star) also hails from this historic local family.
Mirra Vision's Listed Gimcrack S.-winning seventh dam Civic Pride (Ajax) - dam of the Group 1 winners Amneris and Pride of Egypt both by Nilo (GB) - is also the sixth dam of Magic Incanto (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) who won Saturday's G3 Breeders' S. in New Zealand.
A 7 X 6 cross of Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}) via her sons Sir Gaylord (USA) (Turn-To {Ire]) and Secretariat (USA) (Bold Ruler {USA}) is one highlight of her pedigree.
G3 The Nivison, $200,000, 1200m
A lovely future broodmare for Rosemont Stud, Minhaaj (Exceed And Excel) was game first-up for the John O'Shea stable, this latest success her fourth from just 10 starts and her second at stakes level (the first coming for her breeders Shadwell Stud).
One of Darley veteran Exceed And Excel's 189 stakes winners, she is the first foal produced by the lightly raced Telaawa (Lonhro) - a winner and city placed from just eight starts.
Recently producing a full brother to Minhaaj, Telaawa also has a 2-year-old Exceed And Excel, a yet-to-be-named filly who was purchased by Dean Hawthorne for $900,000 at this year's 2021 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Bred on a 2 X 4 cross of Danehill (USA), Minhaaj is a granddaughter of the stakes-placed Magic Harmony (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) who has produced two Group 3 winners; Charmed Harmony (Hussonet {USA}) locally and Suyoof (Magic Albert) in South Africa.
Plenty of stakes winners hail from this family including Group 1 juvenile winners Reward For Effort (Exceed And Excel) and Overreach (Exceed And Excel).
Silver Eagle, $500,000, 1300m
Finding his best form first-up from a spell, Aim (Star Witness) recorded the fourth win of his 16 start career.
Bred by B 2 B Bloodstock by the now Victorian-based Widden Stud stallion Star Witness (sire of 21 stakes winners), Aim is a $200,000 graduate of the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale where he was secured by the China Horse Club and Newgate Bloodstock.
He is the second foal for the imported Vintage Strike (USA) (Smart Strike {Can}) whose dam is the G1 Coolmore Classic winner Bollinger (Dehere {USA}) who produced Group 2 winners in both hemispheres - Friesan Fire (USA) (A. P. Indy {USA}) in America and Villermont (All Too Hard) in Australia.
Bollinger's dam is the G1 Golden Slipper S. heroine Bint Marscay (Marscay), also dam of Group 3 winners Mannington (Danehill {USA}) and Sheraton (Woodman {USA}) and grandam of the G1 VRC Derby winner Benicio (More Than Ready {USA}).
Recently producing a colt by Swettenham Stud's Toronado (Ire), Vintage Strike has a Written Tycoon 2-year-old colt called Soldier Field.
