The TAB Gong, $1,000,000, 1600m
It was a local victory in this rich contest with favourite Count De Rupee (Real Impact {Jpn}) holding up the Golden Eagle form.
Recording the sixth success of his 15 start career, Count De Rupee was bred by Arrowfield Stud and purchased by Robert Price for $145,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
His G1 Yasuda Kinen and G1 George Ryder S.-winning sire Real Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) stood three seasons at Arrowfield with his best local runner to date being the G3 WA Oaks heroine Lunar Impact.
Count De Rupee is the first foal for the unraced but well-related mare Timeless Choice (Redoute's Choice) whose dam is the G3 Champagne S. winner Estelle Collection (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}).
She has a 2-year-old full sister to Count De Rupee, a $180,000 Magic Millions graduate (named Bias) purchased for $180,000 by Michael Costa Racing and Bevan Smith Bloodstock.
Served last spring by Written Tycoon with her 2020 foal being a filly by Dundeel (NZ), Timeless Choice hails from the same prolific My Tricia (NZ) (Hermes {GB}) family as yesterday's New Zealand stakes winner Bright Blue Sky (Fastnet Rock).
Listed Ballarat Cup, $500,000, 2000m
It was a case of deja vu for Zayydani (NZ) (Savabeel) who won the Ballarat Cup in similar fashion - proving too tough along the rails - to her G2 Matriarch S. victory over the Flemington carnival.
Described by co-trainer Ben Hayes as "the pin-up girl of the stable," the homebred for Trelawney Thoroughbreds is now a triple stakes winner.
One of Waikato Stud's stalwart Savabeel's (Zabeel {NZ}) 119 stakes winners, Zayydani is a half-sister to Yulong Stud's dual Group 1 winner Grunt (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) out of the two-time winner Ruqqaya (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy {USA}), also dam of the stakes-placed Addison (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}).
Served last spring by Super Seth, Ruqqaya (who has a recently named 2-year-old full sister to Zayydani; Ayyesha {NZ} in the Roger James and Robert Wellwood stable) is a half-sister to the five times Group 1 (including the W.S Cox Plate) NZ Horse of the Year Ocean Park (NZ) (Thorn Park).
What a great New Zealand family this is, one that has been producing quality performers for generations, Zayydani able to boast amongst her relations the big-race winners Critic (NZ) (Centaine), Prince Kaapstad (NZ) (Kaapstad {NZ}), Courtza (NZ) (Pompeii Court {USA}), O'Reilly (NZ) (Last Tycoon {Ire}), Our Pompeii (NZ) (Pompeii Court {USA}) and Kapchat (NZ) (Centaine).
Zayydani is one of the five stakes winners (and the only one by Savabeel) line-bred to Zabeel (NZ) of whom she carries a close 2 X 3 cross. The great mares Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) and Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}) are also duplicated in her pedigree.
