Pukekohe Park: G2 Avondale Guineas, NZ$140,000, 2100m
Consistent since his maiden win at debut early last year, Desert Lightning (Pride Of Dubai) had been in the thick of things in good company and was deserving of this breakthrough at stakes level.
Bred by the Mahoenui Partnership, he went through the Little Avondale Stud draft at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale - fetching NZ$150,000 to the bid of PJ & DM Williams.
The 16th stakes winner for his Coolmore Stud-based dual Group 1 winner, Desert Lightning is one of the two winners (from three to race so far) for the unraced Isstoora (High Chaparral {Ire}) - also the dam of the handy Singapore galloper Opunake (I Am Invincible).
Also, dam of a couple of yet to be named Per Incanto (USA) colts, Isstoora is out of the G3 SAJC Breeders S. winner Murjana (Giant's Causeway {USA}) from the Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky II {Can}) branch of the prolific Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) family.
Bred on a 3 X 4 Danehill (USA) cross with duplications of Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) and Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}), Desert Lightning can count amongst his relations the big race winners Redoute's Choice, Manhattan Rain, Al Maher, Gathering (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), Umatilla (NZ), Hurricane Sky, Platinum Scissors and In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}).
G2 Avondale Cup, NZ$140,000, 2400m
A home-bred for Cambridge Stud's Lindsay family, Aquacade (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) proved a class above her rivals - impressive winning her third race in a row and her first at stakes level.
The 21st stakes winner for her Arrowfield Stud-based multiple Group 1 winning sire, she is out of the unraced imported mare Forest Of Seas (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) whose dam Epping (GB) (Charnwood Forest {Ire}) has produced five winners - three of whom are stakes placed.
Served last spring by King Of Comedy (Ire) having previously missed to Ribchester (Ire), Forest Of Seas has a yearling colt by Embellish (NZ).
Bred on a 3 X 5 cross of Sadler's Wells (USA), Aquacade also carries a strain of that high-achieving sire's 3/4 brother Nureyev (USA).
Ascot Park: Listed Southland Guineas, NZ$100,000, 1600m
The richest race ever contested at Ascot Park saw Press Charges (NZ) (Press Statement) dig deep to record a gusty win at nice odds; making it two wins from two starts.
Bred by C W Kwok, the fifth stakes winner for her Vinery Stud-based dual Group 1 winning sire made his way through the sales ring on two occasions - sold by Leanach Lodge to Upper Bloodstock, Enigma Farm and Phill Cataldo Bloodstock for NZ$77,500 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale (Book 2) before being passed in at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale.
Press Charges is one of the three winners (from as many to race) for the multiple city winner Max It Out who provided her sire Northern Meteor with his eighth stakes winner as a broodmare sire.
Also the dam of the metropolitan winner Maximum Output (All Too Hard) and the six times winner Full Press (another Press Statement), Max It Out has youngsters coming through by Shamexpress (NZ) and Rageese.
Max It Out is a daughter of the G3 Roma Cup winner Is Amazing (Laranto) from the family of the big race winners Preferment (NZ) and Ancient Song (Canny Lad).
There is good male strength to Press Charges' pedigree - three strains each of Sovereign Edition (Ire) and Nijinsky II (Can).
Pinjarra Park: Listed Magic Millions WA 2YO Trophy, $240,000, 1200m
A smart performance by Super Smink (Super One) having just her second start - and there looks to be more in store for the $45,000 graduate of last year's sale.
Bred by B Duncan and sold by Forest View Farm to Morton Racing, she is the first stakes winner for her Lincoln Farm-based sire whose biggest win came in the same race, the G3 DC McKay S. - won by his sire I Am Invincible.
Super Smink is the first foal (the second a yearling, a Sessions colt already named No Short Man) for the lightly raced (just the one start, finishing off well as favourite in a Bunbury maiden Sminky Shorts (Snitzel)).
Sadly losing her I'm All The Talk foal last spring, Sminky Shorts is a half-sister to the city winner Disco Donut (Safeguard) out of the unraced Most Joyous (Viscount) whose dam is the triple Listed winner Most Secret (Bletchley Park {Ire}).
The dam of ten winners including the G1 Railway S. winner Covertly (Metal Storm {Fr}), the Group 3 winners So Secret (Danetime {Ire}) and Crack The Code (I Am Invincible) as well as the Listed winner Secret Link (Encosta De Lago), Most Secret is also grandam of the Listed winner Bombay Blitz (Snitzel) and third dam of the Listed Singapore Gold Cup winner Big Hearted (Hallowed Crown).
Listed Magic Millions WA 3YO Trophy, $187,000, 1200m
Fourth in the two-year-old race at this same meeting last year, Man Crush (Manhattan Rain) kicked off his campaign with a stylish win.
Bred by Kingarth Pty Ltd, he is the 17th stakes winner for his Geisel Park-based sire, a G1 AJC Sires' Produce S. winning half-brother to Redoute's Choice.
Sold by Misty Valley Thoroughbreds to Peter Fernie for $45,000 at the 2021 Perth Magic Millions Yearling Sale, he is out of the placed Crushed who has provided her sire All Too Hard with his first stakes winner as a broodmare sire.
Man Crush is Crushed's first foal, her second being a Maschino yearling filly. Last year returning to Manhattan Rain, she'd had the previous season off.
Crushed's dam is the G1 NZ Thoroughbred Breeders' S. winner Juice (NZ) (Bertolini {USA}), daughter of the Listed Matamata Cup winner Call Minder (NZ) (Christmas Tree).
Man Crush is bred on a 4 X 5 cross of the terrific mare Rolls (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}), grandam of Encosta De Lago and dam of Flying Spur.
