Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Flemington: G1 Melbourne Cup, $7,750,000, 3200m
The modern day G1 Melbourne Cup is a world race and the pedigree of Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) is about as international as they come!
The 2020 G2 Prix Greffulhe winner bred by Michel Monfort is the first Group 1 winner (and one of 10 stakes winners overall) for his Godolphin-bred sire, Outstrip (GB), who stood at Darley in the UK before making his way last year to Brazil.
The grey was one of the better juveniles of his year, winning the G2 Champagne S. at Doncaster before venturing to the US to win the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. And his sire is one of Australia's longest serving stallions - Darley's dual Group 1-winning speedster Exceed And Excel who is currently standing his 20th Australian season.
Gold Trip is the second foal produced by the lightly raced Sarvana (Fr) whose G1 Queen Anne S.-winning sire Dubai Destination (USA) is really making a name for himself as a broodmare sire with 50 stakes winners, seven of whom have been successful at the elite-level.
A Melbourne Cup, a couple of G1 Dubai World Cups (Thunder Snow {Ire} by Helmet), a G1 Epsom Derby (Golden Horn {GB})... Dubai Destination has made his mark on some major races!
Sarvana's first foal is the two-time stakes-placed, two-time winner Got Wind (GB) who, being by Olympic Glory (Ire) is also the grandchild of an Australian sprinter in Choisir.
A yet to be named filly by Charming Thought (GB) was Sarvana's next foal, followed by the placed Gotha (GB) (Ultra {Ire}), a colt by Shalaa (Ire) and a Wootton Bassett (GB) filly who fetched €41,000 (AU$63,000) (purchased by Avenir Bloodstock) at this year's Deauville February Mixed Sale.
Sarvana's Longchamp-winning dam Sarlisa (Fr) (Rainbow Quest {USA}) was represented by three winners with her Group 1-placed, Group 3-winning daughter Sarkiyla (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}) producing the Group 3 winner Saiydabad (USA) (Blame {USA}).
This is a family that has been producing quality performers for generations and if you delve back a bit further into Gold Trip's pedigree you can find some Southern Hemisphere form - such as the G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Vapour Trail (NZ) (Jetball).
Gold Trip boasts duplications of four high-class broodmares within seven generations - Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}) via Danehill (USA) and Northern Dancer (Can), Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) via Sadler's Wells (USA) and Nureyev (USA), My Charmer (USA) (Poker {USA}) via Lomond (USA) and Seattle Slew (USA) and Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) via Bold Reason (USA) and Never Bend (USA).
Gold Trip is the 19th Group 1 winner (and one of the 195 stakes winners) bringing together Exceed And Excel and Mr Prospector (USA).
G3 Maribyrnong Plate, $200,000, 1000m
With the edge of racing experience on most of his rivals, Krakarib (Ribchester {Ire}) did a good job for his big group of owners, providing them with a memorable Melbourne Cup Day Group winner.
Bred by Spendthrift Australia, he is the first Southern Hemisphere stakes winner (and the sixth overall) for Haunui Farm's multiple Group 1-winning shuttler.
He is the first foal for the lightly raced Skagerrak (Dawn Approach {Ire}), an easy Newcastle maiden winner at the last of her three starts. Served last spring by Dirty Work after foaling an Omaha Beach (USA) filly, she is a half-sister to Rosemont Stud's G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts and Geldings) winner Hanseatic.
Krakarib's fourth dam is the wonderful producer Scandinavia (Snippets), ancestress of the big-race winners Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), Magnus, All Too Hard and Ole Kirk.
Krakarib boasts multiple strains of the prolific Simon's Shoes (GB) (Simon Square {GB}) family - Nureyev (USA) and Lorenzaccio (Ire) twice each plus Sadler's Wells (USA).
G3 Hong Kong Jockey Club S., $200,000, 1400m
Catching the eye as she pranced around the mounting yard, Larkspur Run (Shamardal {USA}) dug deep stepping up to 1400 metres off a Geelong Listed-placing over 200 metres shorter.
The Godolphin homebred is the 164h stakes winner for her late sire and the second black-type performer for her dam Aspen (Exceed And Excel) whose daughter Magic Carpet (Lonhro) is a Group 3 placegetter.
Not served last year having lost a Blue Point (Ire) colt, Aspen is also dam of the 2-year-old, Dipsy Doodle (Lonhro), who ran nicely at her Randwick debut a couple of weeks ago.
Portillo is one of the three stakes winners for the high-class broodmare Snowdrift (Fr) (Polish Precedent {USA}) who also produced the G1 The Galaxy winner Snowland and the dual Listed winner Snippetson.
A Warwick Farm winner at two, Aspen is one of the five winners (from as many to race) for the dual Group 2 winner Portillo (Red Ransom {USA}), also dam of the dual Group winner Ghisoni (Lonhro), in turn dam of the Group 3-placed Renosu (Exceed And Excel) who also won at Flemington today.
Larkspur Run's pedigree brings together the relations Northern Dancer (Can), Halo (USA), Danehill (USA) and Machiavellian (USA).
Listed TAB Trophy, $175,000, 1800m
Swettenham Stud's popular multiple Group 1-winning globetrotter Highland Reel (Ire) is off the black-type mark in Australia with High Approach (Highland Reel {Ire}) his first local stakes winner (he has two in the Northern Hemisphere) from his first local crop.
Bred by Dr J Mulholland and sold through the MB Thoroughbreds draft for $50,000 to Alexander Racing and Rogers Bloodstock at the 20202 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, High Approach was having just his fifth start, stepping straight up in class off a Ballarat maiden victory.
He is the ninth live foal (eight of whom are winners) for the unraced Encapsulate who has provided her sire Encosta De Lago with his 115th stakes winner as a broodmare sire.
Served last spring by Strasbourg having missed to him the previous season, Encapsulate (whose latest foal is a yet to be named Nostradamus 2-year-old filly who sold at this year's Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale for $12,000 to Brendan Blackshaw) is also dam of the city winner Swipeline (Sequalo).
Encapsulate's dam is the stakes-placed Anemone Garden (Ire) (Dancing Dissident {USA}), also grandam of the triple Group-winning sprinter Super Cash (Written Tycoon).
High Approach carries cross of the outstanding mares Fairy Bridge (USA) (Bold Reason {USA}) and her dam Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) and Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}).
Listed Furphy Plate, $175,000, 1800m
Traveller Bartholomeu Dias (GB) (Mount Nelson {GB}), who won a Flemington winter race last year, returned to the scene of that success with this gutsy win on the back of runs in New South Wales and Queensland.
Bred by Newsells Park Stud, he was purchased by Donald Sackville for 60,000gns (AU$113,000) at the 2016 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and later on for 150,000gns (AU$282,400) by Donald Sackville, Blandford Bloodstock and Ciaron Maher Racing for 150,000gns (AU$282,400) at the 2019 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
Recording his eighth win, Bartholomeu Dias is the 28th stakes winner for his G1 Critérium International and Eclipse S.-winning sire who died three years ago at Boardsmill Stud where he was standing as a national hunt stallion.
Bartholomeu Dias dam is the two-time stakes-placed Lady Francesca (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), a half-sister to Mount Nelson's (GB) dual Group 3-winning daughter Purr Along (GB) and to the Listed winner Katawi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
A descendant of the influential Black Ray (GB) (Black Jester {GB}), Bartholomeu Dias carries crosses of the fine mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}) and Flower Bowl (USA) (Alibhai {GB}).
Listed MSS Security Sprint, $175,000, 1200m
Having to scratch Lunar Flare (Fiorente {Ire}) from the G1 Melbourne Cup this morning must've been a bitter pill to swallow but Grahame Begg was in the winner's circle later in the day with the talented Vespertine (Epaulette).
Purchased by Begg with Rohan Hughes Thoroughbred Services for $110,000 from the Amarina Farm Draft at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, the winner of four races was bred in Queensland by G M P Nominees.
The 19th stakes winner for her now Turkey-based sire, Vespertine is the second of only three foals produced by the unraced Sweet Nothings (Falvelon) who died two years ago. Her dam Quiet Aggie (USA) (Alleged {USA}) did a great job at stud with all eight of her foals to race being winners including the G3 Frank Packer Plate winner Red Terror (Red Ransom {USA}) and the Singapore Listed winner Lim's Reward (Royal Academy {USA}).
Vespertine's third dam Agacerie (USA) (Exclusive Native {USA}) is a Group 3 winner from the same branch of the prolific Plucky Liege (GB) (Spearmint {GB}) family as the Group 1-winning stallions Dare And Go (USA) and Quiet American (USA).
Pukekohe Park: G3 Balmerino S., NZ$110,000, 2050m
What a terrific horse Defibrillate (NZ) (Shocking) is, this win - his fourth at stakes level and his 11th (from 29 starts) overall coming at just his second run back in New Zealand off a long and successful stint in Australia.
A homebred for the Mcinteer Family Syndicate and his trainer Graham Richardson, Defibrillate was an apt winner with his Rich Hill Stud-based sire taking out the G1 Melbourne Cup on this day 13 years ago.
One of that horse's 19 stakes winners, Defibrillate is a half-brother to the stakes winner Italian Princess (NZ) (Bertolini {USA}) out of the lightly raced Our Chickaroonie (NZ) (Groom Dancer {USA}).
A half-sister to the stakes-placed Herecomewongchoy (NZ) (Bigstone {Ire}), Our Chickaroonie died three years ago having also produced the nine-time winner Rush'n Prince (NZ) (St Petersburg) and the Hong Kong winner Love Shock (NZ) (also by Shocking).
Defibrillate's fourth dam is the New Zealand Champion 2-Year-Old Sheralee (NZ) (Sovereign Edition {Ire}), grandam of the G1 AJC Sires' Produce S. winner Rhythmic Charm (NZ) (Sackford {USA}).
Listed Karaka Classic, NZ$90,000, 1500m
A determined winner of two in a row, Seajetz (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) is building a good record for the Paul Richards stable.
Bred by the Taylor family and Trelawney Thoroughbreds, the 5-year-old is the 87th stakes winner for his former shuttling sire, a resident of Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket.
Sold through the Trelawney Stud draft at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale - fetching $100,000 to the bid of David Ellis - Seajetz is the second foal and second winner for the three-time winner Bellazeel (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Bellazeel is one of the six winners produced by the terrific mare La Bella Dama (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}) winner of seven races including - on this week 21 years ago - the G1 Mackinnon S. at Flemington.
La Bella Dama did well at stud, her other foals including the G2 St George S. winner La Rocket (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), the stakes-placed city winners Macau Causeway (Giant's Causeway {USA}) and Voile Rouge (Encosta De Lago) and the dam of the G3 Belle Of The Turf S. winner Tinkermosa (NZ) (Alamosa {NZ}).
Ascot: Listed Queen S., $125,000, 1400m
Upsetting the short-priced favourite and previously unbeaten Amelia's Jewel (Siyouni {Fr}), Laced Up Heels (Toronado {Ire}) just kept finding - recording the third win of her promising five-start career.
Bred by Mr M Bearsley and purchased by Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) for $100,000 from the Supreme Thoroughbreds draft at the 2021 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Laced Up Heels is the 28th stakes winner for her Swettenham Stud-based sire - and the second of their horses represented by a stakes winner today - Highland Reel (Ire) the other.
Laced Up Heels is the fourth live foal (all winners) for the city-placed, four-time winner A City Girl (part of a good day for Exceed And Excel mares), also dam of the metropolitan winner Magnicity (Magnus).
A couple of weeks ago foaling a Nicconi filly, A City Girl has a Shalaa (Ire) filly as well as a full brother to Laced Up Heels; the former purchased by Edward Cummings/Myrtle House for $110,000 at this year's Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
A descendant of the famed matriarch Eulogy (GB) (Cicero {GB}), A City Girl is one of the four winners for the triple Listed winner Lady Knockout (Serheed {USA}), also dam of the Listed winner Missy Cummings (Magnus) - in turn dam of the G1 Canterbury S. winner Mizzy (Zoustar).
