Eagle Farm: G1 TAB Stradbroke H., $1,500,000, 1400m
A first Stradbroke for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, a 150th Group 1 win for the former, a remarkable return from severe medical issues for the winner - Alligator Blood's (All Too Hard) Stradbroke was a memorable one!
Out of the winner's circle since taking out the G1 Australian Guineas in February 2020, Alligator Blood has certainly always had the talent but a battle with kissing spine saw him lose form for a time.
Bred by Gerry Harvey and prepared by his Baramul Stud for the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Alligator Blood was secured for $55,000 by Allan Endresz's Ezyonds No 1 Syndicate.
One of the 22 stakes winners (and one of the four Group 1 horses who have all won at the elite level at least twice) for his Vinery Stud-based four-times Group 1 winner, All Too Hard, Alligator Blood is out of the unraced Lake Superior (Encosta De Lago) who sadly died young having had only four live foals, Alligator Blood the last of those.
Lake Superior is a daughter of the three-time Group 1-placed Kwilkwong (Red Ransom {USA}) whose son Cantonese (Redoute's Choice) won the Listed Christmas Cup. Kwilkwong's dam Tracy's Element (Last Tycoon {Ire}) earned the titles of South African Champion 2-Year-Old and South African Champion Older Mare with her four wins in Group 1 company.
And she did a great job at stud, her nine winners including the Australian Horse of the Year Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom {USA}) and the dual Listed winner Red Element (Red Ransom {USA}).
Alligator Blood is one of the 22 stakes winners and six Group 1 winners combining the close relations Flying Spur and Encosta De Lago - bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Rolls (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}) as well as a 4 X 4 cross of Last Tycoon (Ire).
G1 Treasury Brisbane JJ Atkins, $1,000,000, 1600m
Proving her G2 BRC Sires' Produce S. win no fluke Sheeza Belter (Gold Standard) was again impressive recording the fourth success of her seven-start career.
Bred in Western Australia (where she kicked off her career, winning two of three including the R. Listed Pinjarra Magic Millions) by Mt Hallowell Stud, Sheeza Belter was purchased by Justin Warwick for $50,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale.
She is the first stakes winner (from a debut crop of just 42 foals) for the former Spendthrift now Widden Stud Victoria Gold Standard, winner of the G2 Stan Fox S.
Her dam is the Mt Hallowell Stud-bred, dual city winner Saxabelle (Saxon) whose three foals to race have all been winners including the multiple city winner Grand Design (Master Of Design).
Served last spring by Brave Smash (Jpn) having had the previous season off, Saxabelle has a More Than Ready (USA) yearling who has already been named Heeza Bolter.
Line-bred to the relations Halo (USA) and Danehill (USA), Sheeza Belter can count amongst her relations the Group 3 winners Special Reward (Demerit) and Showy Chloe (Alfred Nobel {Ire}).
G2 Sky Racing The Q22, $1,200,000, 2200m
They were all coming at him down the straight but there was no denying the leader Numerian (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) who just kept kicking.
Twice a stakes winner on Australian soil and once in Ireland, the tough 6-year-old bred by Whisperview Trading Ltd is one of the 94 stakes winners for his former shuttling sire, a dual Group 1-winning son of Danehill (USA).
Numerian's dam Delicate Charm (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) has produced another two winners and she is out of a half-sister to the G3 St Simon S. winner Kithanga (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) whose son is the G1 St Leger hero Milan (GB).
This is a strong European family, Numerian's able to count amongst his relations the Group winners Koora (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), Kemari (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) and Karpion (GB) (Cape Cross {Ire}) as well as the G1 Epsom Derby winning successful sire Kahyasi (Ire).
Ancestress of this family is the multiple Group 1 winner Majideh (GB) (Mahmoud {Fr}), dam of the big race winners Gallant Man (GB) (Migoli {GB}) and Masaka (Ire) (Nearco {Ity}).
G2 XXXX Brisbane Cup, $400,000, 3200m
Backing up his tough Listed Winter Cup victory, Irish Sequel (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was game recording his seventh win from 24 starts.
Bred by His Highness The Aga Khan's Studs, the 6-year-old who won twice in Ireland was having his first run over the 3200-metre trip.
One of his high-achieving sire's 139 stakes winners, Irish Sequel is out of the G3 Irish 1000 Guineas Trial winner Baliyana (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) who has produced another four winners including the stakes-placed Balansiya (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), in turn dam of the stakes-placed Baraniya (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}).
Baliyana's dam is the Listed winner Balanka (Ire) (Alzao {USA}) who also produced the G2 Royal Ascot King Edward VII S. winner Balakheri (Ire) and the dam of the recent G1 Secretariat S. winner Baiykara (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}).
G2 Magic Millions Dane Ripper S., $200,000, 1300m
Game sneaking up along the rails Palaisipan (So You Think {NZ}) was a deserved winner on the back of consistent form, the 4-year-old close up at her two previous runs for the campaign with her overall record of six wins from 11 starts reading well.
Bred by Gooree Park Stud, she was passed in at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, later purchased by the Chris Munce stable for $40,000 from a Gooree dispersal.
The 42nd stakes winner for her in-form Coolmore Stud-based sire So You Think (NZ), Palaisipan is sadly the only foal produced by the unraced Touch Of Red (Fastnet Rock) who died aged only five. Her dam Kiss From A Rose (Encosta De Lago) won four races including the Listed Triscay S. whilst her grandam Comical Smile (USA) (Comic Strip {USA}) produced six winners including the dual Group-winning stallion Smart Missile and the Listed winner Surge Ahead (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
High-class stallion Northern Meteor also hails from this branch of the prolific Simon's Shoes (GB) (Simon Square {GB}) family which also produced the day's Sydney Listed winner Dragonstone (Mikki Isle {Jpn}).
And Palaisipan is line-bred to this family with her pedigree featuring her relations, the full brothers Sadler's Wells (USA) and Fairy King (USA) - the terrific mare Fairy Bridge (USA) (Bold Reason {USA}) duplicated 4 X 5.
G3 Channel 7 Gunsynd Classic, $200,000, 1600m
Rosemont Stud's Shamus Award always seems to have a good one for the Brisbane carnival and this year's smart representative of the breed is the promising Kiss Sum (Shamus Award).
A homebred for Mr A McCulloch, Mr E Stachow, Mr C Gibbons, Mr S Gibbons and Mr T Falkingham, Kiss Sum was able to atone for an unlucky G3 Fred Best S. second with this comfortable victory - his fourth from 12 starts.
The 19th stakes winner for his sire, Kiss Sum is out of the city winner Stolen Kisses (Mossman) whose dam Stolen Princess (Jade Robbery {USA}) is a half-sister to the Listed Nitschke S. winner Twitter (Kendor {Fr}) who produced the G1 1000 Guineas winner Serious Speed (Royal Academy {USA}).
A descendant of the acclaimed matriarch Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}), Kiss Sum is the sixth stakes winner line-bred (3 X 3) to Success Express (USA) (Hold Your Peace {USA}) and one of the four Shamus Award winners from five runners out of Mossman mares.
Listed Nova 106.9 Oxlade S., $150,000, 1300m
Remaining unbeaten off an easy debut win at the Sunshine Coast, Johnny Rocker (Jukebox) put a gap on his rivals early in the straight and just kept going.
A homebred for Jamie Stumer who was also in the ownership of his dam and her high-class three-quarter brother, Johnny Rocker is the first stakes winner (from his first 12 runners) for her Aquis-based sire, winner of the G3 Vain S., Jukebox.
He is sadly the last of the four live foals produced by the talented Margene (Magic Albert) who was never out of the placings during a brief career, winning three of her seven starts including a 1250-metre contest at Canterbury.
Also dam of the Eagle Farm maiden winner Scissorhands (Scissor Kick), Margene died last year. She was one of the 12 winners produced by Symphonetta (NZ) (Western Symphony {USA}), the best of whom was the stakes placed, 11-time winner Mastery (Bureaucracy {NZ}).
Meanwhile her two-time winning-daughter Alemar (Bureaucracy {NZ}) was able to produce the dual Group 1 winner (Emirates S. and BTC Cup) Albert The Fat (Magic Albert).
Bred on a 6 X 4 cross of the great Nijinsky II (Can) (Northern Dancer {Can}), Johnny Rocker also boasts duplications of a number of influential mares including Grey Flight (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}).
Listed Radiotab The Wayne Wilson, $150,000, 1600m
Grabbing the lead late and holding on gamely in an exciting finish, Charmmebaby (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) did a good job recording her second stakes win.
Taking out the Listed Brisbane H. late last year, she is one of the 14 stakes winners for her multiple Group 1-winning sire, a former Windsor Park Stud shuttler, Charm Spirit (Ire).
A half-sister to the Listed NZ St Leger winner Vikja King (NZ) (Viking Ruler), Charmmebaby is the second-last foal produced by the city-placed three-time winner Lithe (Zabeel {NZ}) whose final foal Win Charm (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}) has placed once from five starts in Hong Kong.
Lithe is a daughter of the Listed Avondale Classic S. winner Precocity (NZ) (Vice Regal {NZ}) whose Listed Geelong Oaks Trial winning grandam Katie Louise (Taj Rossi) produced the NZ Champion 2-Year-Old Lycra (NZ) (Tights {USA}).
Charmmebaby boasts duplications of two high-class broodmares within six generations - Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}) and Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}).
Listed Maker's Mark Hinkler H., $150,000, 1200m
Too good second-up having been so good when resuming, Ranges (Shooting To Win) was having just his second start in stakes company - recording the sixth win of his 32-start career.
Bred by the Estate of the Late DW Storey, the sixth stakes winner for his G1 Caulfield Guineas-winning, former Darley-based sire Shooting To Win, made his way through the sales ring on two occasions.
Fetching $100,000 to the bid of Pat Equine from Rothwell Park at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, he was purchased by Triple Crown Syndications for $140,000 from Baramul Stud at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is the second stakes winner for his city-winning dam I Believe (Octagonal {NZ}) whose eight foals to race are all winners including the five-time Group winner Rain Affair (Commands) who, like this fellow, boasts a cross of the mighty mare Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}).
The first Shooting To Win stakes winner line-bred to Eight Carat, Ranges also has a cross of the great mare Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}). A descendant of the G1 Melbourne Cup winner Rainbird (The Buzzard {GB}), he can count amongst his close relations the stakes winners Walk Alone (Honour And Glory {USA}) and Wayupinthesky (Snitzel).
Belmont: G3 Seacorp - Hyperion S., $200,000, 1600m
At his third run back from a break appreciating the step up to the 1600 metres, Kaptain Kaos (Demerit) recorded his first Group victory having won at Listed level (the Northam Cup) last spring.
Bred by J.P Campbell and Z.M Campbell, he is one of the six stakes winners for his late G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude winning-sire who stood at Rangeview Stud.
He is the final foal for the two times winner Velvet Strike (Commands) who also produced the Malaysian-based, eight-time winner D'Great Eminence (Proart). Her placed dam Flannelle (Marscay) is out of the stakes-placed Velvet Rocket (Plush {NZ}) whose daughter Rockets Galore (Whiskey Road {USA}) won seven races, two at Group 3 level.
Kaptain Kaos has pedigree links another two of today's stakes winners - like Kiss Sum (Shamus Award) he is a descendant of the great mare Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}) and like Ranges (Shooting To Win) he is line-bred to Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}) - his great-grandsire being her son Octagonal (NZ) whilst his dam sire Commands is her grandson.
Royal Randwick: Listed Bob Charley AO S., $150,000, 1100m
It was a deserved and easy win for Dragonstone (Mikki Isle {Jpn}) who had been so game finishing runner-up at each of his previous three outings in Melbourne and Sydney.
Bred by Forest Lodge Super Fund Pty Ltd and passed in for $65,000 at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, he is the fourth stakes winner (the first Australian bred) for his dual Group 1-winning sire, a former Arrowfield Stud shuttler.
He is the second live foal for the metropolitan winner Quick's The Word (Shamardal {USA}) whose first, Stormborn (Headwater), won at Warwick Farm in February. Her 2-year-old Storm's End (Pariah) is a member of the Mark Newnham stable whilst her Headwater yearling was purchased by that same trainer for $85,000 at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Quick's The Word's multiple city-winning dam Lady Of Snows (Bluebird USA}) did a great job at stud with 10 of her 11 foals to race being winners, three of those in town. Her dam is the G2 Maribyrnong Plate winner Catchfire (Century), daughter of the Listed winner Kilmarie (Bletchingly).
A descendant of the influential mare Simon's Shoes (GB) (Simon Square {GB}), Dragonstone carries a cross of the classy broodmare River Lady (USA) (Prince John {USA}) via her great-grandson Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire) and her son Riverman (USA). Also of note in his pedigree is Mikki Isle's (Jpn) second dam sire Nureyev (USA) who hails from Dragonstone's family.
