Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
G1 Mostyn Copper Randwick Guineas, $1,00,000, 1600m
Two high-class colts got clear of their rivals in this historic Classic with Converge (Frankel {GB}) able to turn the tables on the favourite Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}) off their clash in the G2 Hobartville S.
The winner of four of his 10 starts, Converge is a success story for breeding to a high class Northern Hemisphere stallion to Southern Hemisphere time - another big race success for the mighty Frankel (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).
Now a dual Group 1 winner having taken out last year's JJ Atkins S. at Eagle Farm, Converge is one of his superstar sire's 84 stakes winners, one of his 20 Group 1 winners and his ninth multiple Group 1 winner.
And he is one of the three Frankel Group 1 winners on Australian soil, Hungry Heart and Mirage Dancer (GB) the others.
A homebred for Tony Bott's Evergreen Rich, Converge is the first foal produced by the placed Conversely (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}) whose second foal is the yet to race Churchill (Ire) 2-year-old Conservative.
Served last spring by Divine Prophet (Choisir) - subsequently heading back to the UK - Conversely is out of the G3 Belmont Sands Point S. winner Melhor Ainda (USA) (Pulpit {USA}) whose dam is the Argentinian Group 1 winner Potrinner (Arg) (Potrillazo {Arg}).
One of the eight winners from 10 runners by Frankel out of Shamardal (USA) (Giant's Causeway {USA}) mares (another of those in Mehnah {GB} also being a stakes winner), Converge hails from a classy South American family whose members include the Argentinian Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Potridee (Arg) (Potrillazo {Arg}), the Argentinian Champion 2-Year-Old colt Touareg (Arg) (Easing Along {USA}) and the Argentinian Champion 3-Year-Old Filly Potrizaris (Arg) (Potrillazo {Arg}).
G1 Furphy Canterbury S., $500,000, 1300m
It has been a good eight days for connections of Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) - easy winner last Saturday of the G2 Guy Walter S. and this weekend doing just as good a job taking out her second Group 1 on the back of her Surround S. success last year.
One of the 22 stakes winners for her Vinery Stud-based, four-time Group 1-winning sire, she was bred by Kerry O'Brien Thoroughbreds and purchased by Richard Freedman for $150,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Her dam is the stakes-placed multiple city winner Juliet's Princess (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}), also dam of the Metropolitan winner Kuramae (Foxwedge).
Served last spring by King's Legacy (Redoute's Choice) having previously missed upon a return visit to All Too Hard (Casino Prince), Juliet's Princess is out of a half-sister to the dual Group 3 winner River Squall (USA) (Summer Squall {USA}).
Forbidden Love's third dam Bangkok (USA) (Riverman {USA}) has made her mark on the breed, producing 10 winners with her descendants including the Group winners River Squall (USA) (Summer Squall {USA}), Better Now (USA) (Thunder Gulch {USA}), Dark Cove (USA) (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) and Heavenly Landing (USA) (Pulpit {USA}).
This is a family that has enjoyed Australian success with the stakes winners Churchill Downs (Danehill {USA}) and Apache Chase (Better Than Ready).
G2 Hyland Race Colours Challenge S., $500,000, 1000m
The second dual G2 Challenge S. winner in the last 10 years (English by Encosta De Lago the other), Eduardo (Host {Chi}) got the upperhand on his regular rival Nature Strip (Nicconi) early in the straight - holding off a late challenge by the field's outsider Shelby Sixtysix (Toronado {Ire}).
In doing so he recorded the 11th win of his outstanding 26-start career - a big thrill for his breeder and part-owner Jane Kaufmann.
One of the seven stakes winners - and the only Group 1 winner - sired by the late multiple Group 1-winning Hussonet (USA) stallion Host (Chi), Eduardo is the third (the other two being Provincial winners) and final foal for the unraced Blushing (Fantastic Light {USA}).
Blushing is out of the city winner Lavina Bay (Dehere {USA}) whose dam is the G3 Lightning H. winner Peggy Ann (NZ) (Bletchingly), in turn daughter of Avon Angel (NZ) (Avon Valley {GB}) who was the joint-third top filly on the 1984/85 Australasian 3YO Classification, winning 10 races including the G1 Rosemount Wines Classic.
G2 Yarraman Park Reisling S., $300,000, 1200m
Green over the final stages but just too good leading throughout, Seven Veils (Shalaa {Ire}) did a nice job stepping up in class off a Kensington maiden second.
A homebred for Dr CM Rogers and Dr Paul Hughes, Seven Veils (who is bred on a 4 X 4 X 4 Danzig {USA} {Northern Dancer {Can}} cross) is stakes winner number five for her Arrowfield Stud-based, dual Group 1-winning sire. Sadly her dam Mesmereyeser (Redoute's Choice) passed away only recently with her final foal being a full sister to Seven Veils.
Also dam of a Kermadec (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}) yearling colt (with her first two foals being winners), Mesmereyeser was also bred and raced by Dr Rogers and Dr Hughes - winning three of her 15 starts including a 1200-metre contest at Rosehill.
Mesmereyeser is one of the three Metropolitan winners for her dam Intralase (Spinning World {USA}) whose grandam is the G1 Thousand Guineas winner Copperama (Comeram {Fr}) - ancestress of the Group 1 winners Danendri (Danehill {USA}), Bonham (Per Incanto {USA}), Faint Perfume (Shamardal {USA}) and Danestorm (Danehill {USA}) as well as last weekend's G1 Chipping Norton S. runner-up She's Ideel (Dundeel {NZ}).
G2 UNSW Todman S., $300,000, 1200m
Finishing off strongly to record the third success of his four-start career, Sejardan (Sebring) is now equal G1 Golden Slipper S. favourite.
Hailing from the final crop of Sebring (More Than Ready {USA}), Sejardan was bred by Packaging Investments Aust Pty Ltd, Haltrow Pty Ltd and Stud Consultants Pty Ltd and sold to Portelli Racing for $160,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
He is the second foal for the Metropolitan-winning juvenile Miss Amajardan (Hinchinbrook), half-sister to the stakes-placed multiple city winners Blazing Miss (Sizzling) and Tristate (Headwater).
He is one of the seven stakes winners bred on the same Sebring/Encosta De Lago (Fairy King {USA}) cross; one that provides for a cross of the latter's grandam Rolls (Mr. Prospector {USA}), dam of the former's dam sire Flying Spur (Danehill {USA}).
A descendant of the 1945 G1 Melbourne Cup winner Rainbird (The Buzzard {GB}), he has as his fourth dam the G3 Tristarc S. winner Procrastinate (Jade Hunter {USA}) who did such a great job at stud with her 12 winners including the South African star Laisserfaire (Danehill {USA}) and the local stakes winners A Time For Julia (Redoute's Choice), Time Thief (Redoute's Choice), Foreplay (Danehill {USA}) and Personify (Galileo {Ire}) - in turn dam of last spring's G1 VRC Oaks winner Personal (Fastnet Rock).
Miss Amajardan was served last spring by Trapeze Artist (Snitzel) having last spring foaled a Capitalist (Written Tycoon) colt. Her yearling is a Trapeze Artist colt who goes through the ring as Lot 288 at the upcoming Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
G3 Ranvet Aspiration Quality H., $160,000, 1600m
An easy all-the-way win for Le Lude (Lope De Vega {Ire}) who had run so nicely when resuming in the G2 Millie Fox S.
A homebred for managing owner Adrian Whittingham's Honeycomb Stud (also a proud part-owner of Verry Elleegant {NZ}) (Zed {NZ}), Le Lude was fourth in this race last year and this was her deserved breakthrough in stakes company.
The 91st stakes winner for her G1 French Derby and G1 French 2000 Guineas-winning sire who shuttled to Australia on four occasions, Le Lude is one of the four winners produced by the dual city winner Second Draw (Galileo {Ire}).
Served last spring by Sooboog (Snitzel) having foaled a Puissance De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}) filly, Second Draw also has the Dissident 2-year-old Ra Ra Grandpa (placed in three trials) in the Brad Widdup stable.
A half-sister to the speedy city winner Grey Countess (Murtajill), Second Draw is a daughter of the Listed winner Dancefloor Doll (Voodoo Rhythm {USA}), half-sister to the G1 Champagne S. winner Full And By (NZ) (Zephyr Bay).
Also related to the G1 Queensland Oaks winner Mon Mekki (Mukddaam {USA}), Le Lude is the ninth stakes winner bred on a Lope De Vega/Galileo (Ire) cross.
G3 Entire Travel Wenona Girl Quality H., $160,000, 1200m
Having been Group placed on two occasions, it was a deserved victory for Belluci Babe (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) who had been in consistent form in the lead-up.
Bred by Little Avondale Stud by their resident Street Cry (Ire) stallion, Belluci Babe is his 23rd stakes winner.
She is one of five Metropolitan winners (from as many foals to race) for the unraced Savamour (NZ) (Savabeel), daughter of the G3 Ladies Mile winner Sound Lover (NZ) (Sound Reason {Can}) - a mare who also boasts a great stud record with all 11 of her foals to race being winners including the G2 Chairman's H. winner Philosophe (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and the Listed winners Magnum (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), Men At Work (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Sir Lovesalot (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).
Sound Lover is one of the five winners produced by Country Flower (NZ) (Oncidium {GB}) whose dual Group 1-winning daughter Candide (NZ) (Sound Reason {Can}) is the dam of the G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Nadeem (Redoute's Choice) and grandam of the G1 Australasian Oaks winner Marju Snip (NZ) (Marju {Ire}).
Last spring again visiting Per Incanto (USA), Savamour has a yearling filly by that same stallion and a yet to be named Time Test (GB) 2-year-old colt. Her unraced 3-year-old Brown Brocks (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) is also a member of the Bjorn Baker stable.
Listed Cellarbrations Randwick City S., $140,000, 2000m
Competitive in strong staying races last spring, the G1 Sydney Cup-bound, Aga Khan-bred Zeyrek (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) is the sixth Australian stakes winner for his star sire. A descendant of the great mare Petite Etoile (GB) (Petition {GB}), he is a grandson of the unbeaten Zarkava (Ire) (Zamindar {USA}).
Listed Tokyo City Keiba Fireball S., $140,000, 1100m
Mazu (Maurice {Jpn}) looked to have a bit in hand recording this, his third win in a row. Bred by Parsons Creek Pastoral Co and purchased by Triple Crown Syndications for $180,000 at the 2020 Inglis Classic Sale, Mazu - one of six stakes winners for his sire - is a half-brother to the G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Headway (Charge Forward).
