Cover image courtesy of Elsdon Park

It’s been a whirlwind nine months for Lib Petagna, Kerrie Cox and the rest of the team at Elsdon Park, who, later this month, will offer a draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale for the first time.

In May last year, it was announced that Petagna had purchased the boutique, picturesque Matamata-based thoroughbred stud, Valachi Downs, from Kevin and Jo Hickman.

Since then, the Elsdon Park team, headed by well-known and respected industry figure Cox – the farm’s general manager - have done a tremendous job to get a draft of 15 ready for the first New Zealand sale of 2023.

“We got the keys in August (2022), so we hit the ground running. We started foaling, breeding; it was a new farm, a new team, it has been super busy, but there’s no better way to get going and see what you’re made of,” Cox told TDN AusNZ.

“It has been an amazing season; we’ve had a great in-foal rate and the foalings have gone awesome, and then obviously into the yearling prep, and that’s gone really smoothly.

“We’re on the last step now; it’s under a week until we head off (to Karaka) and it’s very exciting.”

Cox said the Elsdon Park team hasn’t done much to the property since taking over, admitting there hasn’t been a need.

“The Hickmans have done an incredible job developing the property, we’ve literally walked into ‘Horse Heaven’, it feels like,” Cox said.

“The pastures are fantastic and the fencing, and the undulating land is just amazing for growing sound racehorses and producing good bone and strength.

“And, visually, it’s stunning, the trees… there’s been a lot of time and effort and money spent on developing the property, so we knew we could walk in and everything would be there for us.

“Always when you buy a new property you want to make it your own and this is no different for us. Lib has a vision and things he wants to progress with.

“One of the things we did do was put a brand-new parade ring in. We cut off a massive hill and the view is just outstanding. We put in a new parade area, so we’re pretty proud of that, and the buyers have said it’s a great place to be viewing horses.”

Elsdon Park was named as a nod to the suburb in Wellington where Katrina, Petagna’s wife, grew up.

Up until recently, the Petagnas, had been a shareholder in Blandford Lodge with Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax. Blandford Lodge has long been one of New Zealand’s leading vendors, breeding and selling Group 1 winners such as Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel), Pasadena Girl (NZ) (Savabeel) and Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).

Elsdon Park didn’t retain any of the Hickmans’ stock, who were dispersed via Gavelhouse Plus in August, and included the grand producer Baggy Green (Galileo {Ire}), in-foal to Ocean Park (NZ), as well as the Group 2 scorer Bohemian Lily (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}).

“We did look to buy a few, but we missed out,” said Cox.

Elsdon Park will look to expand its broodmare band in the coming years, but for now, it will rely on its current crop that includes top mares such as Lucia Valentina, Group 1 victress Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) and Dreamlife (NZ) (Danroad) – the dam of Group 2-winning sprinter Lost And Running (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}).

Cox explained: “We’re working with our own already established and highly successful broodmare band, which Lib and (bloodstock agent and consultant) Bruce Perry have put together over the years. Lib has raced some exceptional fillies that he’s not wanted to sell, so he’s become a breeder, he’s gone from racing to breeding, and the numbers start to get up pretty quickly when you do that; we’re sitting at approximately 50 in our broodmare band.

“Whilst the name is new, the foundation is an amazing, high-quality broodmare band.

“I just walk around the stock and it really does just ooze quality and it’s not just looking at a piece of paper and seeing top-quality pedigrees, which they obviously are as well, but you could walk around the paddocks not knowing any of the pedigrees and just see beautiful types. At the end of the day, we’re breeders on type, we want to breed a racehorse, and then obviously we match it up with the pedigree and hopefully get a good result. That really shines through in our horses at Elsdon, they’re great types as a whole and then you look through their pedigrees and think, ‘Wow’.”

A draft to be proud of

Elsdon Park’s draft comprises seven colts and eight fillies, with yearlings by Alabama Express, Almanzor (Fr), Ardrossan, Per Incanto (USA), Savabeel, Shalaa (Ire), Super Seth, Tivaci, Too Darn Hot (GB) and U S Navy Flag (USA).

The Petagnas have shares in Waikato Stud residents Ardrossan, Super Seth and Tivaci, as well as Yulong Stud-based Alabama Express.

“It’s a word that gets thrown about, but we are definitely really proud of this draft; every horse that comes out for an inspection… we’re just so proud of them,” said Cox.

“They’re a lovely bunch of horses to be presenting to the market for our first draft and the feedback we’ve been getting from on-farm parades has been really positive, so we’re looking forward to showcasing them at Karaka.”

Cox said the two Savabeel fillies are likely to have their share of admirers.

Lot 97 is from the 1200-metre winner Chiaretta (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) – a half-sister to the Listed victress Members Joy (Hussonet {USA}) – the dam of the Group 2 winner Pure Elation (I Am Invincible). Members Joy’s Zoustar filly made $1.1 million at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Lot 548 is out of Deep Field mare Star Ellipse, who was placed at two and is a three-quarter sister to the stakes performer Good And Proper (Shooting To Win).

“I think there’s only seven Savabeel fillies in the whole catalogue,” Cox commented.

Gallery: Some of Elsdon Park's yearlings to be offered at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, images courtesy of NZB

“If this wasn’t our first year, we probably wouldn’t be offering them for sale; we would keep them, but we’re very mindful that we don’t have a huge draft this year and we want to showcase the stock that we have on-farm.

“These are two high-end fillies with lovely pedigrees.”

Elsdon Park has two yearlings by first-season sire Super Seth, whose progeny averaged $231,429 at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Lot 282 is a filly from Kissmekate (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) – an unraced half-sister to the dual Group 1 hero Nashville (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), while Lot 337 is a colt out of the stakes performer Mary D’Or (Fr) (Verglas {Ire}) – a sister to the Group 1 heroine Stormy River (Fr) and a three-quarter sister to the Group 1 winner Silverware (Fr) (Silver Frost {USA}).

“Super Seth’s progeny are big, strong, very forward horses and the two we have are a really good representation of the stock,” Cox remarked.

Too Darn Hot is another first-season sire that made waves on the Gold Coast, with his 14 yearlings selling at an average of $276,786.

Elsdon Park will offer Lot 471 – a colt by the Darley shuttler from the stakes-performed Savabeel mare Rosa Carolina (NZ). The colt’s grandam is the three-time Listed victress Ombre Rose (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), who has produced three stakes performers.

“He’s a really nice colt with a great female line,” said Cox.

“I actually think the mare he’s out of could one day be one of our best mares on the farm, I just think she’s got the makings of being an outstanding broodmare.”

Plans for the future

Not surprisingly, Lib Petagna – a hugely successful Wellington-based businessman - has grand ambitions for Elsdon Park.

Cox said there is no rush, but there is an aim for Elsdon Park to stand stallions.

“Lib’s always on the lookout for top-quality fillies for us to race, then add on to the broodmare band, and also colts; one day he would love to stand stallions.

“He’s raced a lot of colts that are now stallions standing around the place, so it would be nice if he could stand one of them himself one day. That’s definitely the dream and the goal, but for now, we’re happy where we’re at.

“We’ll continue to race horses; Lib gets a lot of enjoyment from that and his love of the industry came through the actual racing side.

“Bruce (Perry) has bought a large majority of Lib’s racehorses and their strike-rate is absolutely incredible. They’ve had a lot of success and I’d imagine that will continue.”

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

Various reports surfaced on Tuesday morning suggesting that a number of feature races, including the time-honoured Cox Plate, could potentially be moved in a bid to extend the Melbourne spring carnival into late November.

The rumoured changes would see the Cox Plate moved back from October 28 to November 25, while sprint features like the G1 Moir S. and G1 Manikato S., as well as the G1 Memsie S. and G1 Thousand Guineas, could also be on the move as part of the revamp.

The past two Melbourne Cup winners have come through the Cox Plate before going on to Cup glory, something that would no longer be possible should the proposed changes be implemented.

That was not a cause for concern for David Eustace, the trainer of reigning Melbourne Cup champion Gold Trip (Fr) (Outstrip {GB}) in partnership with Ciaron Maher, who feels racing participants need only look at the current strength of Australian racing before dismissing any potential tweaks to the spring program.

“To be honest, I haven’t given it a whole lot of thought, but what I would say in general is that Australian racing is happy to try different things to engage and expand the sport, and credit to them, because the sport is certainly benefiting from that,” Eustace told TDN AusNZ.

“We should all be open-minded in trying different things. I’m not saying I’m vehemently for or against what has been proposed, but I’m certainly not against trying different things.”

Should the proposed changes be given the green light, there is likely to be big ramifications for overseas-trained horses with Cox Plate ambitions, particularly those based in Europe.

Eustace is not convinced it will necessarily impact them negatively, however, with a move potentially opening the door for overseas horses to compete at other major race meetings around the world.

“Without looking at fixed dates, it might mean that you could run on Champions Day in England and then in the Cox Plate,” he said.

“You also might be able to run in the Cox Plate and then go onto Hong Kong, and depending on what date it is, it could mean that you could run in the Breeders’ Cup and then the Cox Plate.”

Making amends

One horse who will almost certainly have his sights on the Cox Plate in the spring is Melbourne Cup hero Gold Trip, who endured a luckless passage when finishing ninth in last year’s renewal prior to his triumph in the race that stops the nation.

The 6-year-old entire, who is raced by an Australian Bloodstock-assembled syndicate, also ran in both the G1 Turnbull S. and G1 Caulfield Cup during last year’s spring carnival, and Eustace is confident that changing the Cox Plate’s position in the calendar will not hinder his charge’s prospects of making amends in 2023.

“The Cox Plate is certainly on the agenda for Gold Trip, and he took a path last year which suggests that it doesn’t really matter where the races are in the calendar, he’d be able to perform at a good level,” he said.

“He ran in all three majors close together and was able to perform at a decent level.”

Eustace does, however, feel that potential date changes should be considered for both the G1 Moir S. and G1 Manikato S., races which the stable won last year courtesy of Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) and Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai).

“I do think the sprints certainly need looking at, but quite how that is supposed to be I’m not sure,” he said. “The Everest has put a spanner in the works there, but a good spanner all the same.

“The tricky part is the spring is the jewel in the crown and it is quite condensed, which I think captures people who are not regularly involved in racing because it doesn’t go on too long.”

‘I’m going to try and win it’

Mick Price, who trains last year’s Cox Plate runner-up I’m Thunderstruck (NZ) (Shocking) in partnership with Michael Kent Jnr, is similarly unperturbed about the prospect of a spring carnival revamp.

The dual Group 1 winner, who also landed the $7.5 million Golden Eagle in 2021, will still be set on a path to the Cox Plate according to Price, particularly if the Moonee Valley showpiece receives the mooted prizemoney boost to $8 million.

“It doesn’t worry me, you just work your way around it,” Price told TDN AusNZ.

“It will impact the Sydney autumn, I would have thought, as you can’t keep turning your horses around, they’ll need a longer break. But it’s going to be a destination race, so if you want to win it that’s what you’ve got to do.

“The standard whinge in the industry will be ‘if it’s not broken don’t fix it’, but who’s to say that it’s not a better idea? The racing administrators will have researched it and will have their reasons, there are two sides to every story.

“Next year there is going to be $20 million in prizemoney over two days at the Magic Millions, it’s insane. But it’s there to win, and it’s what is driving the industry.

“I think Australia probably has the best racing model in the world. Would it matter if the Cox Plate is moved to two weeks after the carnival? I can only say that if it’s for eight million dollars, I’m going to try and win it.”

‘Premature and speculative’

Last month Moonee Valley Racing Club’s chief executive Michael Browell was quoted as saying “A pretty compelling offer” would be needed from Racing Victoria to consider any plans to move the Cox Plate, while Victoria Racing Club’s chief executive Steve Rosich was quick to quash any suggestion that the changes had progressed past the consultation stage.

“(Tuesday’s) media reports are premature and speculative, with the Club and industry consultation process ongoing with Racing Victoria,” Rosich told News Corp.

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Hickmott is no stranger to making headlines, having become the first Murray Bridge-based trainer to win the South Australian metropolitan premiership only two years ago, while he currently occupies second spot in this year’s standings, boasting the best strike rate in the top 10 at an impressive 23.8 per cent.

Statistics like those are bound to attract strong support to the stable, and much to Hickmott’s delight, he had that in spades heading into this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Hickmott, whose older brother Robert trained both Green Moon (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) and Almandin (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) to Melbourne Cup glory, signed for a total of six lots throughout the week, of which the colt out of G1 Stradbroke H. and G1 Tattersall’s Tiara placegetter Super Cash was undoubtedly the highlight.

Having bid up to $1.2 million on the I Am Invincible colt out of Group 1 winner Spright (Hinchinbrook) late on Wednesday, Hickmott was forced to return to those dizzy heights the following day to secure the Arrowfield-consigned Snitzel colt, who he feels represented good value in spite of the seven-figure price-tag.

“He was one of the top three colts that we identified at the sale, bred off a great farm and by one of the greatest modern day stallions of all time,” he said.

“He has a massive pedigree, his mother won over a million dollars, and he had just the most wonderful attitude. I think I looked at him six or seven times, and every time I looked at him he was more professional each time.

“The fact that he’s by a champion stallion from one of the best breeders in Australian history is also a massive positive, and just his overall quality gave us the confidence to go that high. We thought the horse would probably bring closer to $1.5 million, so as silly as it sounds, I think he was still good value.

“He's a horse that I am very, very excited to be bringing back to South Australia.”

Stallion prospect

The son of four-time Champion Sire Snitzel was purchased in conjunction with legendary Hong Kong jockey Douglas Whyte, who immediately turned his hand to training after retiring from the saddle in 2019.

Hickmott, who counts Whyte as a close friend and colleague, revealed the Snitzel colt won’t be packing his bags for Hong Kong until he has been given a chance to prove his credentials on Australian soil, in the hope that his exploits on the race track will attract the attention of potential studmasters.

“We’ll put him into our system and see how he measures up, we’ll go from there,” Hickmott said.

“I think anyone who buys a colt with a big pedigree from this type of sale has got the two dirty words on their mind and lips - ‘stallion prospect’.

“We’ll live that dream until he tells us to stop, and then at that stage we'll assess the situation, discuss it with the ownership group and decide whether he stays in Australia or is transferred to Douglas in Hong Kong.

“Douglas and I have worked together for quite some time and have become good friends. We have a great working relationship and a lot of trust in each other.”

With the dust barely settled on their million-dollar purchase, Hickmott and Whyte teamed up once more to secure a Capitalist colt from Yarraman Park for $450,000.

Out of the winning Street Cry (Ire) mare Bridle Lane and from the family of Darling View Thoroughbreds’ recently acquired Group 2 winner Lightsaber (Zoustar), the colt was purchased for a different client of Hickmott and Whyte’s and could possibly find himself on the plane to Hong Kong sooner rather than later.

“He was a quality colt and he really stood out from all our inspections,” Hickmott said.

“The stallion is going so well in Hong Kong and interestingly enough certain sires always seem to fare better there than others. Hong Kong is quite a tough environment and good, sturdy horses survive and prosper there. Temperament is huge as well.

“Obviously they have to be strong, sound horses with plenty of bone and this colt is a big, strong horse from a great farm once again. What’s not to like!

“Whether he stays in Australia or not, we’ll leave it up to the client who purchased the horse at this stage. He’s a little bit undecided and there’s every chance that he may head to Hong Kong unraced.”

Multi-faceted

The trading of horses both internationally and domestically has been a key driver of Hickmott’s burgeoning operation, helping to finance his purchase of the historic Lakewood Stud back in 2020.

The Wellington property once occupied by Three Bridges’ Peter and Pauline Liston boasts a plethora of top-class facilities, something which allows the trainer and bloodstock agent to wear his many hats.

“We don’t just train horses, we trade and sell a lot of horses, which keeps the wheels ticking,” Hickmott said. “It’s one of the key differentials in my business and it’s very important from my point of view.

“Two years ago we purchased the farm, and selling horses allows us to continually improve the asset and the facilities that we can offer both our horses and our clients.

“We have 800 acres down here, a 1500-metre heavy sand track, a grass track that we’re continuing to renovate and should be in full operation by winter this year. We’re right on Lake Alexandrina, so the big positive for us is that we have irrigation, which is very uncommon for horse properties in South Australia.

“We’ve got everything from mares in foal right through to horses that have retired. It’s pretty much a one-stop shop.”

Feet on the ground

In addition to his two purchases with Whyte, Hickmott signed for a further five yearlings on the Gold Coast last week with the aid of trainer turned bloodstock agent Andrew Campbell, whom Hickmott regards as “one of the best judges in New Zealand”.

Campbell, who masterminded the race career of the late Cambridge Stud stallion Tavistock (NZ), has regularly helped source imports from across the Tasman for the Hickmott stable, though the trainer remains keen to keep a lid on his numbers despite the success the last few years has brought.

“We have facilities for up to 50 horses in work, but at this stage I’ve just capped that to 30 whilst we’re continuing to develop,” Hickmott said.

“When we increase we’ll do it nice and gradually, building up slowly, but I don’t have any ambition or desire to ever have 100 horses in work. I’d just like to keep the numbers around the 40 mark, that would be ideal.

“I want to be able to provide one on one attention to both our clients and our horses, and still be able to provide a service to Douglas in Hong Kong.”

Gallery: Michael Hickmott and Andrew Campbell's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchases, images courtesy of Magic Millions

Regardless of how long the $1.1 million Snitzel colt remains in Hickmott’s care, the arrival of such an expensive purchase to a South Australian-based stable is sure to bring some welcome positivity to a racing jurisdiction that has lost some of its major participants to rival states in recent times.

Six-time Champion Adelaide trainer Tony McEvoy and his son Calvin announced last year that they would be shutting down their Angaston operation to focus on their new facilities at Ballarat in Victoria, while leading trainer Phillip Stokes has also reduced his numbers in the state in recent years.

There is plenty of cause for optimism as far as Hickmott is concerned, however, with the young trainer pointing to a recent policy change as a step in the right direction.

“If everyone plays the same fiddle, you’re going to get the same song, but if you think slightly outside the square and have a positive mindset, you’ll get positive results,” he said.

“People look at our prizemoney and scowl a little bit, but with the change in the way they provide the SA Racing rewards system now, the fact that we can qualify horses for those rewards even if they’re not bred in South Australia means we’re racing for $50,000 to the winner for 2- and 3-year-olds on a Saturday.

“I think that, comparative to the class of horse they are racing against, is quite good money.

“The other thing is that the black-type in South Australia is still very well respected. There are plenty of people out there wanting black-type in South Australia, especially for fillies. Once you’ve got it, you’ve got it forever.”

Cover image courtesy of the Hong Kong Jockey Club

Last week was a big one for Torryburn Stud. On Friday afternoon, their Diddums (Snitzel) colt by star sire Written Tycoon realised $200,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, with Best Bloodstock signing the ticket. Then, two days later, Diddums’ half-brother, Voyage Bubble (Deep Field), who was bred and sold by Torryburn Stud, laid a marker for the prestigious Hong Kong 4-Year-Old Series, after making all in the Class 3 Ping Shan H. (1600 metres) at Sha Tin.

Voyage Bubble was Torryburn Stud’s top-priced lot at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, with Hong Kong-based trainer Ricky Yiu going to $380,000 for him.

Mel Copelin – stud manager at Torryburn Stud – told TDN AusNZ it was an exciting 48 hours.

“It was a great couple of days, very satisfying,” Copelin told TDN AusNZ.

Torryburn Stud was formerly run by John and Pam Cornish and their horses race in the distinctive white jacket with a red heart. Sadly, Pam passed away in February 2020 – on the eve of the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

“Voyage Bubble is a lovely horse. He is from one of the Cornishs' (John and Pam) old racemares, so it’s nice when he does something, it makes me smile,” Copelin said.

“He wasn’t much of a yearling to look at, he was a bit of an ugly duckling. His mum’s nickname is Ugg Boot because she’s always hairy and he had a really plain head like his mum.

“He just scraped into the Classic Sale, but he had the best walk ever and the best temperament. Once we got him to the sale and he started walking, everyone kept coming back to look at him over and over again, so we thought, ‘This could be exciting’.

“Unfortunately, Pam Cornish died the night before (the sale).”

Voyage Bubble will next contest the Hong Kong Classic Mile (1600 metres) on January 29.

“We thought he would get 1600 metres, because Brettan (his Commands half-brother) ran a mile,” Copelin explained.

“He’ll have to step up, but it’s all exciting.”

Yiu is confident his charge will be competitive in the Classic Mile.

“Front-running horses always have more of an advantage than the backmarkers,” he said.

“We’ll go step by step and I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets 2000 metres, but (we’ll concentrate on) a mile and 1800 metres first.

“This was his first run over a mile and when I bought him, it was expected that he would get a mile as he has a big, long stride and is a free-running type.

“The jockey did well on him. His trial before this was a very impressive trial. I asked the jockey in the trial to get him to the front and rolling along.”

Happy Together (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}) was a close second, while La City Blanche (Arg) (Cityscape {GB}) placed third.

Copelin said the Written Tycoon-Diddums yearling “is a lovely colt” and his owners would be rapt to get a nice pedigree update, on the back of Voyage Bubbles’ Sha Tin triumph.

Diddums has a Zoustar filly on the ground and was covered in the spring by Maurice (Jpn).

Tuchel returns in style

Redwood (GB) gelding Tuchel (NZ) was another to announce himself as a serious 4-Year-Old Series contender, with the John Size-trained galloper resuming from injury with a first-up win in the Class 2 Yuen Long H. (1400 metres) under Zac Purton.

After scoring in a Class 3 in his seasonal return in September, Tuchel was found to be lame in October, before his impressive victory off barrier 14 on Sunday.

Purton said: “He deserves his place, for sure. I knew he had that ability but whether he was going to be able to produce that (on Sunday), that was the question. He did it the tough way so that was a good effort.

“He had a setback with the injury, he drew the outside gate and I wasn’t able to get in. I had to cop my medicine and just try to keep him nice and balanced and in a rhythm.

“He just enjoyed being back to the races. His attitude behind the gates, during the run – he was happy to be back and when he had to dig deep, he waited for me to ask him and he went and he didn’t change his leg either. It was a very big effort after such a long time off.”

Tuchel was bought by Simple Bloodstock Services for NZ$130,000 when offered by Westbury Stud at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2).

The gelding is from the Testa Rossa mare Trista Rossa – a three-time winner and half-sister to the stakes performer Raudkivi (Spinning World {USA}). His grandam is the Listed victress Alstrista (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) – a three-quarter sister to the stakes winners Capestad (NZ) (Kaapstad {NZ}) and Zalinda (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).

Galaxy Witness (Star Witness) was 0.8l away in second, with Mr Ascendancy (Ire) (The Gurkha {Ire}) a further 0.3l back in third.

Russian Revolution on the board in Singapore

Just hours after his 2-year-old, Red Resistance, won impressively on debut at Rosehill, Russian Revolution celebrated his first winner in Singapore, when Petrograd triumphed over 1000 metres on the Poltyrack.

Trained by Michael Clements, Petrograd was his sire’s first runner in Singapore, and the gelding is owned by Kuldeep Rajput Singh’s Gandharvi Stable (he has horses in some of Australia’s leading stables).

Petrograd was bought by Kingstar Farm for $18,000 at the 2020 Inglis Great Southern Sale, when offered by Noorilim Park, before Kuldeep Singh Rajput and Bevan Smith Bloodsock paid $145,000 for him at the 2021 Inglis HTBA May Yearling Sale.

The 3-year-old is from the unraced mare Lucinda’s Moon (USA) (Malibu Moon {USA}) – a sister to the G3 Jessamine S. victress Moonwalk (USA).

Sol Oriens enters Classics calculations

Japan hosted three Group races across the weekend, with Art House (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) taking out the G3 Aichi Hai at Chukyo on Saturday, while on Sunday, the G3 Keisei Hai at Nakayama was won by Sol Oriens (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) and the G2 Nikkei Shinshun Hai at Chukyo saw Weltreisende (Jpn) (Dream Journey {Jpn}) prevail.

The Takahisa Tezuka-trained Sol Oriens is now two for two and looks a live chance in the G1 Satsuki Sho.

A Shadai homebred, Sol Oriens is a half-brother to the G2 Fuji S. hero Vin De Garde (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}), who has placed in the past two editions of the G1 Dubai Turf at Meydan.

Sol Oriens is the fourth black-type winner - each at Group level - for Kitasan Black (Jpn), with two each coming from his first two crops.