Overshare makes perfect start
Spendthrift stallion Overshare began his stud career on the perfect note on Saturday with a victory by his very first runner, Lady Laguna.
The 2-year-old filly, trained by Annabel Neasham for OTI Racing, made her debut in the BBHT QTIS 2-Year-Old H. at Eagle Farm. Ridden by Ryan Maloney, she jumped from the outside gate and produced a strong finishing burst to score by 0.5l.
By super-sire I Am Invincible, Overshare won the G3 Zeditave S. before commencing his stud career at Spendthrift in 2018. His 2021 service fee is $11,000 (inc GST).
Listed strike for promising colt
Lightly raced Snitzel colt Bend The Knee handled the step up to stakes level with ease in Saturday’s Listed The Amanda Elliott at Flemington.
Making just the fourth start of his career, the John O’Shea-trained Bend The Knee quickened smartly in the straight to score by 0.1l from the favourite Port Louis (Maurice {Jpn}).
“Nice young horse that has progressed nicely,” jockey Kerrin McEvoy said. “On today’s run, he enjoyed himself with blinkers on, and John is having a great run.”
Bend The Knee was a $300,000 purchase by John O’Shea Racing from Arrowfield Stud’s draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Duke Of Marmalade dies at 17
Multiple Group 1 winner and sire Duke Of Marmalade (Ire) died in his paddock at Drakenstein Stud in South Africa on Friday. The 17-year-old had been pensioned in October.
“It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Duke Of Marmalade,” Drakenstein Stud tweeted on Friday. “He died peacefully in his paddock this morning. He was a hero to many on the racetrack including ourselves, and a true gentleman at stud.
“His legacy will live on through his progeny to come and his already growing influence as a broodmare sire around the world. He will be sorely missed by all of us at Drakenstein Stud. He lived up to his title as a Duke in every way. RIP.”
Bred by Southern Bloodstock and raced by the Coolmore Partners, the bay was a three-time Group 1 placegetter as a 3-year-old in the St. James's Palace S., Irish Champion S. and Queen Elizabeth II S.
Duke Of Marmalade dazzled as a 4-year-old with five consecutive Group 1 wins – the Prix Ganay, Tattersalls Gold Cup, Prince of Wales's S., King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. and Juddmonte International S.
Originally based at Coolmore Stud in Ireland from 2009 to 2013, Duke Of Marmalade moved to Drakenstein Stud in 2014. The bay sired a total of 46 black-type winners internationally, 26 at Group level. His best runners were a septet of Group 1 winners, led by G1 St Leger winner Simple Verse (Ire), G1 Gold Cup hero Big Orange (GB), and G1 Prix de Diane heroine Star Of Seville (GB).
As a broodmare sire, his daughters have foaled seven black-type winners with six Group scorers in England, France and Italy. His grandson Lone Eagle (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was runner-up in the G1 Irish Derby this year, and the filly Higher Truth (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) ran third in the GI Belmont Oaks.
Time Test tops online sale
A breeding right in progressive young stallion Time Test (GB) was purchased for 100,000 gns (AU$190,000) by Blandford Bloodstock's Tom Goff to top the Tattersalls Online Sale on Friday.
Time Test has already sired four black-type winners in his first crop, led by G3 Dick Poole S. heroine Romantic Time (GB) and German Group 3 winner Rocchigiani (GB). The King's Horses (GB) has won at the Listed level in Italy and has also placed in the G3 Premio Primi Passi, while Tardis (GB) captured the Listed St Hugh's S. at Newbury. The winning Sunset Shiraz (Ire) has earned black type four times and was third in the G1 Moyglare Stud S.
Overall, the dual Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1-placed Time Test has sired 11 winners to date.
“The Time Test breeding right has been bought for an overseas investor who wishes to remain anonymous,” said Goff. “They approached us earlier in the week about it. The sire is a fantastic addition to the National Stud's roster and has started very well, achieving more than most people expected of him at this stage. He has some excellent crops sizes to come and it's all ahead of him really.”
Time Test shuttles to Little Avondale Stud in New Zealand, where his 2021 service fee is NZ$8500 plus GST.
Galiway anchors roster
Galiway (GB) has had his service fee raised to €30,000 (AU$46,833) for 2022, placing him firmly at the head of the Haras de Colleville roster.
Six of his progeny have scored at black-type level in 2021, with Sealiway (Fr) taking third in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club prior to winning the G1 Champion S. on QIPCO British Champions Day. Esope (Fr) added the G3 Prix de Lutece, and another quartet of runners were placed at Group level.
A stalwart of the Colleville roster is Kendargent (Fr) with 33 black-type winners. His fee is €17,000 (AU$26,538). In 2021, the grey's Skalleti (Fr) won the G1 Prix d'Ispahan and the G1 Grosser Dallmayr Preis to become his sire's first Group 1 scorer. Tokyo Gold (Fr) won the G2 Derby Italiano and was runner-up in the GI Belmont Derby in America. Skalleti's full brother Skazino (Fr) also won at the Group 2 level this term and was second in the G1 Prix Royal Oak, while Kennella (Fr) placed third in the G1 French 1000 Guineas.
Kendargent's son Goken (Fr) already has four black-type winners from just two crops of runners, led by Group 3 winners Livachope (Fr) and Go Athletico (Fr). His fee is €15,000 (AU$23,416).
New to the roster is Soft Light (Fr), who will stand at €5000 (AU$7805). A Listed winner this term, the bay has placed three times in Group 2 company.
Oaks winner's sister impresses
Former Queenslander Amiche (Nicconi) has made a perfect start for new trainer Edward Cummings, winning Saturday’s Petaluma H. at Rosehill in her first race in Sydney.
Now the winner of five of her 10 starts, Amiche is a half-sister to her now-stablemate Duais (Shamus Award), who won the G1 Queensland Oaks in June and added the G3 Coongy Cup at Caulfield last month.
“I suppose on the back of getting some good results with Duais, the owners suggested that she come down to us,” Cummings said. “Different environment, she’s a bit older and a reinvigoration might do her the world of good.
“Despite a few anxious moments in the run there, it’s been a good start for her.”
Lafferty on the board
Apprentice jockey Laura Lafferty’s relocation from Melbourne to Sydney has quickly reaped rewards, riding her first Sydney metropolitan winner aboard longshot Real Time Warrior (Toorak Toff) in Saturday’s Drinkwise Country Classic at Rosehill.
“I’m here for three months but I’m open to staying, I will see how it goes,” Lafferty said. “This is my first Sydney winner. I’ve had a few in Melbourne.
Laura Lafferty
“Liam Prior prompted me to make the move to Sydney. At the start of the spring, it was going to be hard to make my mark in Melbourne, so I wanted to get a head start in Sydney for the summer months.
“I’ve joined the John O’Shea stable and I’m hoping I can really kick along.”
Babylon Berlin brilliant
Speedy All Too Hard mare Babylon Berlin earned the second black-type success of her 11-start career with a commanding performance in Saturday’s Listed Donaldson Brown Pegasus S. at Riccarton.
Ridden by Lisa Allpress, the 4-year-old chestnut dominated the sprint feature from the front and never looked in any danger of defeat, charging to victory by 1.75l and stopping the clock at 56.53s for 1000 metres.
“She bounced away and got to her favourite spot in front, and she kicked away really nicely when I asked her,” Allpress said. “She’s a willing wee girl.”
Trained and part-owned by Ben Foote, Babylon Berlin is a half-sister to the stakes winner and Group 1-placed Darci Be Good (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).
Listed quinella for Marsh
Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh saddled the first two finishers in Saturday’s Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint at Te Rapa with Raposa Rapida (Foxwedge) and Run To Perfection (Sepoy).
Making his first start since May, Raposa Rapida overcame long odds and an energy-sapping wide run to hold out his more favoured stablemate by 0.2l, with 0.5l back to the well-performed Mascarpone (NZ) (Shooting To Win) in third.
Raposa Rapida is a full brother to the Group 1 winner Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge), who was a $1.9 million purchase at this year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) and Longwood Thoroughbred Farm.
The win capped a special week for the Marsh family, who also celebrated the 50th anniversary of a Melbourne Cup victory by Stephen Marsh’s father Bruce aboard Silver Knight (NZ) (Alcimedes {GB}) in 1971.
Mr Intelligence takes Metropolitan
A shot at the time-honoured G3 New Zealand Cup next Saturday looms large on the horizon for Mr Intelligence (NZ) (Niagara), who scored a tough victory under 59 kilograms in the Listed Nautical Boat Insurance Metropolitan Trophy H. at Riccarton.
It was the first black-type victory for the 6-year-old, who has now had 29 starts for six wins and four placings for owner-trainers Nikki and Barrie Blatch.
“He has probably been a little underrated, but not by us, and that’s all that matters,” Nikki Blatch said. “As long as he comes home and pulls up well, then we will be looking forward to next week.
“It’s pretty much one race at a time with him, because he has had a tendon injury. But he carried the weight well today and there is no penalty for next week, so that gives us a lot of hope.”
Mr Intelligence was bred by Curraghmore’s Gordon Cunningham and was bought for just NZ$4750 from the auction website Gavelhouse.com.
