G3 WA Champion Fillies' S., $200,000, 1600m
The race shaped as an interesting clash between two exciting fillies and so it ensued with Searchin’ Roc’s (Awesome Rock) game holding off a determined challenge from Buzzoom (Safeguard).
It was the fifth win from just seven starts for the up-and-comer who is her G1 Emirates S. winning Gold Front Thoroughbreds-based stallions first stakes winner from a debut crop of just 47 foals.
A homebred for Mrs H Grant, Searchin’ Roc’s is the second foal for the lightly raced Still Searchin’ (Trade Fair {GB}) whose dam is the multiple city winner Search Me (Vergals {Ire}).
A descendant of the wonderful Denise’s Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}), Still Searchin’ was not served last spring having sadly lost a foal the year before.
Searchin’ Roc’s is bred on a 3 X 4 cross of Danehill (USA) (Danzig {USA}) and a 4 X 4 cross of Royal Academy (USA) (Nijinsky II {Can}) whilst also boasting a 5 X 6 X 5 cross of Royal Academy’s dam Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}) and a 6 X 7 X 6 cross of Nijinsky II’s (Can) dam Flaming Page (USA) (Bull Page USA}).
G3 RJ Peters S., $150,000, 1500m
Kissonallforcheeks (Written Tycoon) certainly knows how to find the line, so gutsy weaving through to secure her eighth win from just 15 starts; her third at stakes level.
Bred by Mr G Daws and sold to Morton Racing for $120,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Kissonallforcheeks is one of the 44 stakes winners sired by Australia’s reigning Champion Sire, Yulong’s Written Tycoon.
Her dam is the dual Listed winner Rosie Rocket (Blackfriars) from the family of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Indigenous (Ire) (Marju {Ire}), the G1 Sydney Cup winner Jessicabeel (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and the two times G1 Tenno Sho hero Fenomeno (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}).
Served last spring by All Too Hard, Rosie Rocket has a yearling colt by Russian Revolution.
Kissonallforcheeks is line-bred to the G1 Kentucky Oaks winner Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) via her high-class sons Never Bend (USA) (Nasrullah {Ire}) – dam sire of Written Tycoon’s grandsire Last Tycoon (Ire) (Try My Best {USA}) – and Bold Reason (USA) (Hail To Reason {USA}). Within five generations Written Tycoon and Bold Reason have combined in the pedigrees of 98 winners, six of whom are stakes winners including the Group 1 gallopers Written By and Tyzone.
G3 Colonel Reeves S., $150,000, 1100m
Elite Street (Street Boss {USA}) continued on his winning way recording his fourth win from four runs this campaign – and his eighth overall from 16 starts.
A homebred for Anita Vale Stud (also breeders of this year’s G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Portland Sky by Deep Field) who race him with the Morton stable, Elite Street is one of his Darley-based sire’s 56 stakes winners.
His dam is the dual city winner Elite Ateates (Exceed And Excel), daughter of the four-time Group 2 winner Ateates (Zeditave). His third dam is also a stakes winner, the G3 Light Fingers S. winner Paris Miss (Opera Prince). In mid-October producing a colt by Omaha Beach (USA), Elite Ateates also has a colt by Written By and a filly (named Bonnie Gladys) by Dundeel (NZ).
Elite Street is another nice horse combining the relations of Danehill (USA) (Danzig {USA}), Northern Dancer (Can) (Nearctic {Can}), Halo (USA) (Hail To Reason {USA}) and Machiavellian (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}).
Listed Ascot Gold Cup, $125,000, 1800m
Bob Peters may not have had a runner in the race named after him but he celebrated his tribute day with an impressive homebred winner in this, the following race.
Having his 16th start and just his second for this campaign, Midnight Blue (So You Think {NZ}) relished the 1800 metres as he heads to a second crack at the G2 Perth Cup in which he finished third this year.
The 37th stakes winner for his dual G1 W.S Cox Plate winning, Coolmore Stud-based sire, Midnight Blue is the third stakes winner for his dam Midnight Special (Zabeel {NZ}). A winner over 1600 metres, she is also dam of the New Zealand based two-time Group 2 winner Demonetization (All Too Hard) and the dual Listed winner Neverland (Big Brown {NZ}) as well as the multiple city winner Midnight Sky (Myboycharlie {Ire}).
A full sister to the G3 Naturalism S. winner Rainbow Styling (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), Midnight Special was not served last spring having produced another two So You Think (NZ) colts since foaling Midnight Blue.
Bred on a 6 x 4 cross of the legendary Mill Reef (USA) (Never Bend {USA}), Midnight Blue is also line-bred to the wonderful mares Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Perfume II (GB) (Badruddin {Fr}).
It was a black-type quinella for So You Think with his son Bad Wolf a game second.
