Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Randwick: The Everest, $15,000,000, 1200m
It may well be that we have seen the next star of the turf; so impressive was this barnstorming performance by the lightly raced and very exciting Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) who remains undefeated after five starts.
A homebred for Jonathan Munz, Giga Kick is one of the two stakes winners for his G3 Up And Coming S.-winning sire who left Australian shores in 2019 - Haras d'Etreham in France his home before he ventured even further afield to Tunisia!
He is the 10th foal produced by the imported mare Rekindled Applause (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}), a four-time winner who was four times stakes-placed in Italy.
Last spring producing a colt by Pariah, Rekindled Applause has been nicely represented by six winners with Rekindled Power and Shuffle Up (both by Scissor Kick's sire Redoute's Choice) also earning black type with Group placings.
And she is the grandam of a classy galloper, her lightly raced daughter Lago Ovation (Encosta De Lago) producing Yulong's G1 CF Orr S. winner Alabama Express (also by Redoute's Choice).
It seems no accident that members of this family have been regular visitors to Redoute's Choice and his sons with Rekindled Applause's fourth dam being a half-sister to Redoute's Choice's influential fourth dam Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA})
Plus, her sire Royal Applause (GB) is a grandson of Try My Best (USA), Best In Show's high-achieving grandson.
Also boasting crosses of Rainbow Quest (USA) (4 X 3) and the Canadian Oaks heroine Flaming Page (USA) (Bull Page {USA}), Giga Kick boasts a pedigree of considerable depth with his sire's three strains of the great Nijinsky II (Can) complemented by his dam's strain of that horse's three-quarter brother The Minstrel (Can). And Flaming Page and Best In Show are both descendants of the wonderful mare Torpenhow (GB) (Torpoint {GB}).
Rekindled Applause is one of the seven winners produced by Rekindled Affair (Ire) (Rainbow Quest {USA}), also dam of the G2 Feehan S. and G2 AAMI Vase winner Rekindled Interest (Redoute's Choice again), the US-based Group 3 winner Where We Left Off (GB) (Dr Devious {Ire}) and the French Listed winner Porticcio (Ire) (Lomitas {GB}).
G3 Sydney S., $2,000,000, 1200m
A surprise winner at big odds, Rocketing By (So You Think {NZ}) was so tough getting up on the inside of the more strongly fancied In The Congo (Snitzel), providing his Coolmore Stud-based, multiple Group 1-winning sire with his 45th stakes winner.
Bred by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds and sold for $22,000 from the Middlebrook Valley Lodge draft to David Pfieffer Racing and Ferguson Bloodstock at the 2018 Inglis Scone Yearling Sale, Rocketing By is a half-brother to the Hong Kong winners Man Star (Shooting To Win) and Intrepic (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}).
His dam is the stakes-placed Across The Moon (Stratum), daughter of the Listed Debutante S. winner Cloister (Marauding {NZ}), in turn daughter of the G3 Debutante S. winner Pampas Fire (Prince True {USA}) whose dam is the great matriarch Summoned (Crowned Prince {USA}).
Able to boast amongst her relations the Group 1 winners Zeditave, Grey's Inn (USA), Generous Tycoon (Generous {Ire}), Melito (Redoute's Choice) and Smart Call (SAf) (Ideal World {USA}), Across The Moon was served last spring by Playing God having foaled a Rubick filly. Her most recent named foal is the Western Australian-trained 2-year-old Moorditj Boy (Dissident).
G3 Craven Plate, $750,000, 1800m
Eye-catching, popular and talented, Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}) was suited by the strong pace set by tearaway leader Zeyrek (Fr) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), finishing off strongly to record the 10th win of his career - his sixth at Group level.
One of the 59 stakes winners for his multiple Group 1-winning, Dalham Hall-based, former shuttling sire, Cascadian is a Godolphin homebred. He is one of the four winners (from as many to race) for the G3 UAE Oaks winner Falls Of Lora (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}), also dam of the G1 Woodbine Summer S. winner Albahr (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
Falls Of Lora is one of the four stakes winners produced by the Listed Prix des Sablonnets winner Firth Of Lorne (Ire) (Danehill {USA}) - also dam of the dual Group winner Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}) and the Listed winners Latharnach (USA) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Etive (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}).
Firth Of Lorne's dam is the G3 Cherry Hinton S. winner Kerrera (Ire) (Diesis {GB}), ancestress of another eight stakes winners.
Cascadian boasts crosses of four high-class broodmares within seven generations - Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Relance (Fr) (Relic {USA}).
G3 Angst S., $200,000, 1600m
Capping off a big day for jockey Craig Williams, Hope In Your Heart (Dundeel {NZ}) found plenty to win her third race in a row. Now a dual stakes winner having taken out the G3 Tibbie S. at Newcastle last month, she is a homebred for the Illes family.
One of the 18 stakes winners for her Arrowfield Stud-based sire, Hope In Your Heart is one of the five winners produced by Hayaat (Montjeu {Ire}) with the other four all being metropolitan winners.
Last spring producing a colt by Dundeel's (NZ) son Castelvecchio, Hayaat is out of a half-sister to the dam of the dual Group 2 winner Single Minded (NZ) (Bachelor Duke {USA}) from one of the world's best families.
A family Hope In Your Heart is line-bred to - her fourth dam Valderna (Fr) (Val De Loir {Fr}) being the grandam of Dundeel's dam sire Zabeel (NZ).
Also 3 X 3 Sadler's Wells (USA), Hope In Your Heart can boast amongst her other relations the Group 1 winners Baryshnikov, Hallowed Crown, Carnegie (Ire) and Detroit (Fr) (Riverman {USA}).
Listed Reginald Allen Quality, $160,000, 1400m
Doing a great job stepping straight up from maiden class, A Lot More Love (Sebring) - a homebred for the Vieira family - is stakes winner number 81 for her late sire. She is the second foal for the city winner Little Bita Love (Snippetson), daughter of the dual Group 3 winner Sky Love (Octagonal {NZ}). Little Bita Love was served last spring by Trapeze Artist having foaled a colt by that same stallion.
Caulfield: G1 Caulfield Cup, $5,000,000, 2400m
It was an all-import finish to this year's G1 Caulfield Cup, Durston (GB) (Sea The Moon {Ger}) charging late down the outside to snatch an exciting finish right on the line.
Another high-class performer bred by Kirsten Rausing who cheered home the recent G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner Alpinista (GB) (Frankel {GB}), Durston is by the G1 German Derby winner Sea The Moon (Ger) who is a resident of Rausing's Lanwades Stud.
Purchased by Blandford Bloodstock for 52,000gns (AU$98,300) at the 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Durston was Group 3-placed in the UK before heading to Australia - making his local debut at Flemington in August last year.
Also winner of the G3 Newcastle Gold Cup and the Listed Wyong Cup, Durston - one of 25 stakes winners for his sire - is a half-brother to Cubanita (GB) (Selkirk {USA}) who earned the title of 2014 German Champion Older Mare.
Durston's dam Caribana (GB) is by Hernando (Fr) who also stood at Lanwades. Her grandam is the 1996 Irish Champion 3-Year-Old Stayer Key Change (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}), winner of the G1 Yorkshire Oaks.
Hailing from a family that has been producing topliners for generations, Durston had a relation in the Caulfield Cup - Numerian (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) not far away finishing fifth.
G2 Tristarc S., $300,000, 1400m
Tasting defeat only once in seven starts, Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun) has done a great job rising through the classes - coming a long way since her Inverell maiden win in January!
One of the four stakes winners for her late sire (a lightly raced Listed Canonbury S. winner who stood six seasons at Sun Stud), Chain Of Lightning is a homebred for Ramsey Pastoral out of the city-placed winner Magic Art (Perugino {USA}).
Served last spring by Better Land after foaling a Magna Grecia (Ire) colt, Magic Art is also dam of the two-time winner Magic Sunset (a full sister to Chain Of Lightning).
Her dam is the G2 Magic Night S. winner Mardi's Magic (Kenny's Best Pal) whose full sister Surrealist produced the multiple Group 1 winner Racing To Win (Encosta De Lago) and the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude winner Purrealist (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) - as well as the dam of the Group 2-winning sprinters Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) and Aethero (Sebring).
A descendant of the great mare La Troienne (Fr) (Teddy {Fr}), Chain Of Lightning boasts an interesting pedigree with his damsire Perugino (USA) hailing from the same prolific Rough Shod II (GB) (Gold Bridge {Fr}) family as Fighting Sun's sire Northern Meteor, his great-grandsire Fairy King (USA) and his second damsire Geiger Counter (USA).
One breeder cheering on would be Rob Hage who secured Chain Of Lightning's dam online for just $3250 in July!
G2 Caulfield Sprint, $300,000, 1000m
Asfoora (Flying Artie) enhanced her already impressive record with this, her first stakes victory - and her fifth win from seven starts.
A homebred for Noor Elaine Farm who took her home from the 2020 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale where she was passed in for $24,000. Asfoora is the fourth stakes winner for her G1 Coolmore Stud S.-winning, Newgate Farm-based sire.
The first stakes winner for reigning Champion Sire I Am Invincible as a broodmare sire, she is the first foal produced by the lightly raced Mornington placegetter Golden Child whose multiple city-winning dam Predestined (King's Best {USA}) is a half-sister to the stakes winners Big Chill (Artie Schiller {USA}), Hard Stride (Street Sense {USA}) and Utah Saints (God's Own).
Golden Child was served last spring by Dirty Work with her previous foals being colts by Akeed Mofeed (GB) and Noor Elaine's Ilovethiscity.
G3 Ethereal S., $200,000, 2000m
Charging home out wide after finding trouble early in the straight, Renaissance Woman (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) put her name forward as a leading G1 VRC Oaks candidate.
Bred by Gerry Harvey and sold through his Westbury Stud draft at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale for NZ$250,000 to Attunga Stud, Renaissance Woman is the 20th stakes winner for her Westbury-based, dual Group 1-winning sire.
She is the third foal and second winner for Mrs Kennedy (Fastnet Rock) who is one of the 10 winners produced by the terrific broodmare Miss Jakeo (Unbridled's Song {USA}) who has been so well-represented by four stakes winners - the G1 Oakleigh Plate winner Mrs Onassis (General Nediym), the G3 How Now S. winner Miss Judgement (Strategic), the G3 Matron S. winner Fifth Avenue Lady (Encosta De Lago) and the G3 Ming Dynasty winner Aussies Love Sport (Redoute's Choice).
Also, grandam of the stakes winners Missrock (Fastnet Rock), Passive Aggressive (Fastnet Rock) and Pearl Green (Fastnet Rock), Miss Jakeo as her name suggests is a daughter of the G1 Blue Diamond S. and G1 Australia S. winner Lady Jakeo (Last Tycoon {Ire}) whose 11 winners include the G3 Los Angeles H. winner Red Arrow (Red Ransom {USA}) and the Hong Kong stakes winner Able Choice (Dehere {USA}).
Mrs Kennedy paid a return visit to Reliable Man (GB) last spring, missing to him the two previous seasons with Renaissance Woman being her most recent foal.
G3 Moonga S., $200,000, 1400m
Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) had been out of the winner's circle for a while but he looked great in the mounting yard and raced up to his looks.
Bred by Waikato Stud and purchased by the in-form trainer Andrew Forsman for NZ$150,000 from their draft at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, Aegon is now a five-time stakes winner with his career highlight being success in the 2020 G1 NZ 2000 Guineas.
One of the five stakes winners for his late sire, Aegon is one of the five winners for Toss Up (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) whose dam is the stakes-placed Heads Or Tales (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), half-sister to the G1 Ellerslie Sires' Produce S. winner Good Faith (NZ) (Straight Strike {USA}).
Hailing from the family of the NZ Champion 3-Year-Old Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}), Toss Up was served last spring by Tivaci having missed at her two previous seasons at stud. Her most recent foal is the yet to race 3-year-old filly Dagger (NZ) (Tivaci), a member of the Lance Robinson stable.
G3 Caulfield Classic, $200,000, 2000m
Getting the upperhand late, favourite Mr Maestro (NZ) (Savabeel) was tough winning this G1 VRC Derby lead-up.
Successful at four of his nine starts including the Listed Super Impose S., he is one of the 127 stakes winners for Waikato Stud's G1 W.S Cox Plate-winning stalwart.
A NZ$100,000 graduate of the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale, he was bred and sold by Windsor Park Stud to his trainer Andrew Forsman.
His stakes-placed, six-time winning dam Let Me Roar (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) - who sadly died after producing just three foals - is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home {GB}).
He was part of a good day for Rip Van Winkle (Ire) who was represented by a stakes winner as a sire (Specialty {NZ}) and as a broodmare sire.
Boasting crosses of Northern Dancer's (Can) great sons Nureyev (USA) and Nijinsky II (Can), Mr Maestro also has Nureyev's three-quarter brother Sadler's Wells (USA), giving him crosses of the terrific mare Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}).
Hailing from the family of the G2 Tulloch S. winner Harris Tweed (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}), Mr Maestro has as his fourth dam the multiple Group 1 winner Blue Denim (NZ) (A Chara {Ire}).
Listed Gothic S., $175,000, 1400m
Digging deep to record a gutsy win, his second from seven starts and his first at stakes level, Sandpaper (Snitzel) became his Champion Sire's 126th stakes winner. The Godolphin homebred is the first foal for the unraced Smooth (Lonhro), a three-quarter sister to Pierro and half-sister to the G2 Wakeful S. winner Ambience (Street Cry {Ire}). Smooth was served last spring by Ghaiyyath (Ire) having foaled an Exceed And Excel colt.
Listed Alinghi S., $175,000, 1100m
Saluting by the barest of margins, A Very Fine Red (Deep Field) put her nose out right where it counted. A $120,000 graduate of the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale bred by Phoenix Thoroughbreds and sold by Vinery Stud to the Summers family. The 20th stakes winner for her Newgate-based sire, she is the first foal for the three-time winner Italian Storm (Nicconi), half-sister to the stakes winner Soft Sand (Dansili {GB}). Italian Storm recently foaled a Dirty Work colt having missed to Written By last year.
Hastings: G1 Livamol Classic, NZ$330,000, 2040m
One of the finds of the spring, Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh) was so impressive racing away to this easy win at the elite level.
Bred and raced by Windsor Park Stud out of a mare they paid just $5000 for at the 2017 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Mustang Valley is the second stakes winner and first Group 1 winner for their G1 Spring Champion S.-winning Encosta De Lago stallion.
She is the first foal for the metropolitan maiden winner Cream Of The Crop (New Approach {Ire}) who was served last spring by Hello Youmzain (Fr) after producing a Darci Brahma (NZ) filly with her previous foal being a Charm Spirit (Ire) filly.
Cream Of The Crop is a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Balmaurice (Maurice {Jpn}) from the family that provided one of Australia’s best in Might And Power (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Mustang Valley boasts an exciting pedigree with multiple strains of his own ancestress, the famed matriarch Selene (GB) (Chaucer {GB}), also ancestress of Star Way (GB), Lucky Owners and Sir Tristram (Ire) who all feature in Vanbrugh’s pedigree with the latter two both descending from Selene’s wonderful daughter All Moonshine (GB) (Bobsleigh {GB}) - Mustang Valley’s eighth dam. And his fourth dam - Might And Power’s dam Benediction (Ire) (Day Is Done {Ire}) - is Lucky Owners’ grandam.
An apt day for a Group 1 win with Might And Power on this weekend 25 years ago recording one his biggest wins in the G1 Caulfield Cup.
G3 Spring Sprint, NZ$100,000, 1400m
A race with a dramatic aftermath (several falls past the line), the race was won in exciting fashion by Times Ticking (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) who was due a stakes win having been in the placings at Group level on three occasions.
A homebred for V.A Lackner and A.R MacGregor, Times Ticking is the 39th stakes winner for her much-missed sire, the high-class resident of Cambridge Stud who died too young.
He is the final foal produced by the two-time winner Laoghaire (NZ) (Pins) whose grandam is the Listed winner Avum (USA) (Umbrella Fella {USA}) - a high-class broodmare represented by eight winners including the Group winners Minneapple (USA) (Riverman {USA}) and Baroness Direct (USA) (Blushing Groom {Fr}).
Avum has proven to be a prolific ancestress with her descendants also including the Group 1 winners Stephen Got Even (USA), Artemis Agrotera (USA) (Roman Ruler {USA}), Xtension (Ire) (Xaar {GB}), Supremacy (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}) and Darley's shuttler Harry Angel (Ire).
Ascot: G3 Eurythmic S., $150,000, 1400m
An exciting four-way finish saw Resortman (Helmet) have his nose out by a narrow margin; up along the rails recording his 10th win - his first at Group level on the back of three Listed victories.
A bargain $15,000 purchase from the Supreme Thoroughbreds draft at the 2017 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale - purchased by M Lane and P Capararo - Resort Man was bred in Victoria by M Jennings, L Davies, T Rocks, R Gerbes and G McLeod.
He is one of the 18 stakes winners for his three-time Group 1-winning sire who left Australia in late 2017 - best known in the Northern Hemisphere as sire of the dual G1 Dubai World Cup winner Thunder Snow (Ire).
Resortman is one of the four winners (from as many foals to race) produced by the four-time winner Straveen (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), also dam of the Group 3-placed Estoril Park (Pride Of Dubai) and the city winners Gougers (Wanted) and Another Flag (Wanted).
Served last spring by Lean Mean Machine (and Invader), Straveen has a yearling colt by Vancouver whilst her yet to race 3-year-old The Gatlin (American Pharoah {USA}) is a member of the Amy and Ash Yargi stable at Mornington.
Straveen is one of the nine winners for the Group 1-placed Susum Corda (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), full sister to the Group 1 gallopers St Reims (NZ) and Champagne (NZ). Other elite-level winners from this family include Charmont (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi {GB}).
Resortman boasts crosses of the outstanding mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) and Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}).
Listed R.S. Crawford S., $125,000, 1000m
So game getting up along the rails, Miss Conteki (Eurozone) recorded her third Listed victory. Bred by Lynch Bages Limited and purchased by Amelia Park for $55,000 at the 2017 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, she is one of the four winners for her G2 Stan Fox S.-winning sire. She is a half-sister to the G3 Gunsynd Classic winner Dreams Aplenty (Dream Ahead {USA}) out of Tipsy Moment (Redoute's Choice) who missed last year having foaled a Magna Grecia (Ire) colt. Miss Conteki is a member of the prolific Froth (NZ) (Faux Tirage {GB}) family.
Ashburton: G3 Barneswood Farm S., NZ$85,000, 1400m
Too good in this G1 New Zealand Guineas lead-up, Specialty (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) at nice odds upset his more fancied rivals recording his second win at just his fifth start.
A homebred for Clearview Park, he is the 34th stakes winner for his late Windsor Park Stud-based, multiple Group 1-winning sire, a son of Galileo (Ire).
Specialty is the first and to date only foal for the winner Rio Tennille (NZ) (Captain Rio {GB}) who was not served last spring. A half-sister to the 10-time winner Five Kings (NZ) (Shinko King {Ire}), she hails from a strong Group 1 family - one which has produced the NZ Horse of the Year Tit For Taat (NZ) (Faltaat {USA}), Sierra Sue (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) and Fashion Plate (USA) (Old Fashioned {USA}).
Specialty boasts an interesting pedigree with her sire bred on a Miswaki (USA)/Nureyev (USA) cross whilst his dam is bred on the opposite - plus he is a member of the Sadler's Wells (USA) sireline, that horse being a three-quarter brother to Nureyev.
