G3 bet365 Geelong Cup, $400,000, 2400m
Tralee Rose (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) secured her third stakes victory and all but booked her spot in the G1 Melbourne Cup with a hard-fought win in the G3 bet365 Geelong Cup.
The 5-year-old Symon Wilde-trained mare had been placed at her three runs this campaign and secured an ideal passage for Dean Holland in behind the pace before surging along the inside to claim the lead at the top of the straight.
She then endured a serious test of her mettle from the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Dr Drill (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who headed her inside the furlong mark, but Tralee Rose proved the better stayer, drawing away to win by 0.5l on the line.
The win is the sixth of her 15-start career and her third at stakes level, after wins in the Listed Bagot H. and the G3 Lord Reims S. Her career prizemoney has now lifted to close to $750,000, a substantial return on the NZ$50,000 she cost as a yearling from the Cambridge Stud draft at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka.
She is Cambridge Stud-bred through and through, being one of 11 stakes winners by Tavistock (NZ) out of mares by Zabeel (NZ).
Her stakes-placed dam, Star Of Tralee (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Serenade Rose (Stravinsky {USA}), who is the grandam of Group 1-winning sprinter Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}).
Star Of Tralee produced a Russian Revolution colt last year and is due to foal to Kermadec (NZ) this spring.
Listed Roderick Insurance Brokers Geelong Classic, $200,000, 2200m
Tutukaka (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) added a second stakes win to his growing resume, with a convincing victory in the Listed Geelong Classic.
The Tony Pike-trained gelding, a half-brother to 14-time Group 1 winner Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) bounced back from his recent defeat in the Listed Super Impose S. to produce a strong finish, eclipsing the James Cummings-trained Character (Teofilo {Ire}) by 0.75l, with another 2.5l back to Phere The Ex (Exosphere) in third.
The favourite in the race, King Of Pharaohs (American Pharoah {USA}), got home from a long way back to finish fourth.
The race was set up well for Tutakaka, who Damian Lane sat back off the hot speed set by Grinzinger King (Domesday). That runner led by as much as 6l mid-race, but was quickly challenged the straight, firstly by Character and then by Tutakaka, who came widest of all and wound up with a big finish
It was his third win in his eight-start career and adds a second stakes success to his victory in the Listed Tattersall's Life Member S. in June.
He was a NZ$250,000 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale purchase by Pike Racing via the draft of Haunui Farm and is the fifth foal out of Meleka Belle (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}).
Meleka Belle is a half-sister to G1 NZ One Thousand Guineas third placegetter Tsarina Belle (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), who produced the dual New Zealand Group 2 placegetter Desert Rain (NZ) (Honor Grades {USA}).
Meleka Belle currently has a yearling filly named My Annie Belle (NZ) (Snitzel) and is due to foal to Coolmore Stud stallion Pierro this spring.
Listed Bennett Racing Black Pearl S., $160,000, 1200m
Toronado (Ire) mare Rainbiel has broken through for a deserved stakes win, leading all the way to win the Black Pearl S.
Trained by Anthony Chibnall, the 4-year-old had been placed in a G3 Typhoon Tracy S. earlier this year but got that valuable piece of black type when prevailing by 1.25l in Wednesday's Listed event.
She defeated Night Raid (Vancouver), who returned to form, with race favourite How Womantic (The Wow Signal {Ire}) in third.
It was her fourth win at her 13th start and also represents the first stakes win for her trainer. Her career prizemoney has now jumped to $286,000.
Rainbiel becomes the 19th global stakes winner for Toronado and the eighth he has produced from his Australian base at Swettenham Stud. She is also his third Australian stakes winner this season.
Bred by Makybe Racing and Breeding, she was first purchased as a weanling through the Inglis Great Southern Sale for $6000 before fetching $10,000 via the Jazcom Thoroughbreds draft at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Gold Sale.
Her dam, Isles Of Wonder (Manhattan Rain), is a daughter of Listed winner Gina Lollawitcha (Perugino {USA}), which is the family of stakes winners Lucky Diva (Perugino {USA}), Spirit Of Westbury (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and Duke Of Westbury (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}).
Isles Of Wonder, who has also produced the stakes-placed Isles Of Avalon (Toronado {Ire}), foaled a colt by Redente in September.
