Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
Rosehill: Listed Winter Challenge, $160,000, 1500m
Despite a rise in class and distance, the promising Cross Talk (NZ) (Keano {NZ}) was all the more impressive winning this Listed race than he had been taking out a BM78 at his previous outing at Randwick.
Successful at five of his seven starts, the talented 4-year-old bred by K J Caldwell is the first stakes winner for his lightly used sire, winner of the Listed Lighting H. at Eagle Farm. Standing at Sentry Hill Farms for NZ$2,000 plus GST, he is a son of the terrific stallion Pins (Snippets).
Cross Talk is the fourth live foal and second winner for the unraced Mrs Cross (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}) who has also produced the metropolitan winner Man With The Plan (NZ) (Citi Habit {NZ}).
Cross Talk's grandam is the G3 Sweet Embrace S. winner Postage Due (Luskin Star) whose G1 1000 Guineas-winning half-sister Copperama (Comeran {Fr}) is the grandam of the Group 1 winners Danestorm (Danehill {USA}) and Danendri (Danehill {USA}).
Not served in the two seasons after producing Cross Talk, Mrs Cross last spring paid a visit to El Roca (Fastnet Rock).
Morphettville: Listed Lightning S., $107,250, 1050m
The amazing story that is Newgate Farm's Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) continued with this smart performance by the lightly raced (his third win from five starts) and promising Extremely Lucky.
Bred by the Parker family and withdrawn from two sales (Gold Coast Magic Millions and Inglis Melbourne Premier), he is stakes number eight for his sire - from just 43 runners and 29 winners.
He is the fourth foal and fourth winner for the unraced Tamarind Lane (Stratum), half-sister to G1 The Goodwood H. winner Zip Zip Aray (Bellotto {USA}) and the Listed Proud Miss S. winner Zipanese (Bellotto {USA}).
A descendant of the terrific mare Froth (NZ) (Faux Tirage {GB}), Extremely Lucky hails from a wonderful Australasian family whose members include the big race winners Niconero (Danzero), Nicconi (Bianconi {USA}), Brew (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), Horlicks (NZ) (Three Legs {GB}) and General Nediym (Nediym {Ire}).
Not served last spring having produced an All Too Hard (Casino Prince) colt in late November, Tamarind Lane has made her own bit of history as the first dam of a stakes winner line-bred to Redoute's Choice (Danehill {USA}) via the two male lines.
Another five stakes winners carry a Redoute's Choice cross but not in this way - through the direct male line out of a mare whose sire is one of his sons.
Te Rapa: Listed Ryder S., NZ$60,000, 1200m
It was a deserved stakes success for Pacific Dragon (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}), the talented filly first across the line in a Group 2 contest in January only to be relegated on protest.
Racing in Swettenham Stud's famous silks, the daughter of Windsor Park's former shuttler (his 15th stakes winner) is a full sister to this season's Moonee Valley winner Paper Dragon (NZ) out of the city-placed winner Daring (Encosta De Lago).
Boasting crosses of the outstanding mares Fairy Bridge (USA) (Bold Reason {USA}), Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Charm Spirit's (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) fourth dam Ciboulette (Can) (Chop Chop {USA}), Pacific Dragon (a NZ$70,000 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale purchase for Henry Dwyer Racing) is a granddaughter of the stakes-placed Liatris (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).
Liatris is one of the nine winners produced by the classy broodmare Subterfuge (GB) (Machiavellian {USA}) - also dam of the stakes winners Shania Dane (Danehill {USA}), Scintillation (Danehill {USA}) and Risk Aversion (Encosta De Lago).
Now back in Australia, Daring was served last spring by Zousain (Zoustar) having produced a Too Darn Hot (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) filly in late October.
