Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Fourteen of the last 20 winners of the G1 Golden Slipper S. ran on Saturday’s raceday before going onto Slipper glory, so the action is likely to prove very informative for Australia’s premier juvenile contest.
Learning To Fly survives scare to retain Slipper favouritism
Last start R. Listed Inglis Millennium winner Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}) retained her unbeaten record with a hard-fought victory at Royal Randwick on Saturday, with the Annabel Neasham-trained filly having to pull out all the stops to deny runner-up Facile (Trapeze Artist) in a thrilling finish to the G2 Reisling S.
Learning To Fly retains her unbeaten record with a hard-fought victory in the G2 Resling S. at Randwick | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sent off at prohibitive odds of $1.65 in the four-horse contest, Learning To Fly was eventually sent to the front by Chad Schofield, with Facile sliding forward to eyeball the daughter of Coolmore shuttler Justify (USA) at the top of the straight.
The pair knuckled down for a ding-dong battle up the Randwick rise, with Learning To Fly sticking her neck out where it mattered most to win by a short head. Cigar Flick (Churchill {Ire}), who previously finished 2.97l behind the winner in the G3 Widden S., came home a further 4.5l adrift in a distant third.
Winning trainer Annabel Neasham confessed that she hadn’t anticipated Schofield leading on Learning To Fly, but confirmed that all roads lead to the G1 Golden Slipper S., for which her star filly is favourite, in two weeks’ time.
Annabel Neasham after winning the G2 Reisling S. | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“It wasn't an easy watch by any means,” Neasham said.
“I know how tough Facile is, she's so fit that filly. But it's another string to her (Learning To Fly's) bow, she has led a race now.
“I'm not sure it's where she's comfortable being but she's got that job done and hopefully now we just have a smooth passage into the Slipper in two weeks' time.
“She's very tactical, she's very versatile and she's very professional. It’s so exciting having a filly like this going into a Slipper.”
“She's (Learning To Fly) very tactical, she's very versatile and she's very professional. It’s so exciting having a filly like this going into a Slipper.” - Annabel Neasham
Kia Ora paid $900,000 for Learning To Fly at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale last year when she was offered by Coolmore, who retained a share in the youngster.
Learning To Fly is out of Group 3 winner Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock) - a daughter of Hips Don’t Lie (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), who landed the G2 Resiling S. herself back in 2008.
As well as Ennis Hill, Hips Don’t Lie is the dam of a further three stakes horses, including Listed scorer Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock) and Acrobat, who won the R. Listed Inglis Nursery and now stands at Coolmore Stud.
Annabel Neasham, Alix Turpin and Tom Magnier with Learning To Fly after winning the G2 Reisling S. | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Justify stood his first season in the Hunter Valley for a private fee, before being offered to breeders at a fee of $66,000 (inc GST) the following year and at $55,000 (inc GST) in 2021. The stallion was rested from shuttle duties last season and is expected to return to Australia for the 2023 breeding season.
An unbeaten winner of the US Triple Crown, Justify made an excellent start to his stud career in the Northern Hemisphere, siring 34 winners and six stakes scorers from his first crop, spearheaded by G2 Airlie Stud S. winner Statuette (USA).
Cylinder rounds off Slipper preparation with stylish Todman win
Half an hour before Learning To Fly threw down her Slipper gauntlet, Godolphin’s progressive 2-year-old Cylinder (Exceed And Excel) enhanced his own credentials for the $5 million juvenile feature with a stylish success in the G2 Todman S. at Royal Randwick, a race won two years ago by Godolphin’s superstar colt Anamoe (Street Boss {USA}).
Having broken his maiden last start in the G2 Silver Slipper S., the son of Darley stalwart Exceed And Excel continued on his upward trajectory with a 0.8l success over Red Resistance (Russian Revolution), getting the better of the previously unbeaten colt in a sustained duel up the Randwick straight.
Cylinder asserts his dominance to win the G2 Todman S. at Randwick | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
The pair drew clear of the Chris Waller-trained Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}), who came home a further 2.8l adrift in third.
Cylinder had previously been beaten by G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Little Brose (Per Incanto {USA}) in his first racing preparation, a race in which he suffered a broken jaw, and winning trainer James Cummings is confident his colt is taking the right formlines into Saturday week’s G1 Golden Slipper S.
“Cylinder is going to take the 'A1' form going into the Golden Slipper with the Silver Slipper and Todman (Stakes) under his belt,” Cummings said.
“We won this race a couple of years ago with Anamoe. It's a good horse's race.
“He's a very classy colt who is going to give himself every opportunity in the hardest test of all in two weeks.”
“He's (Cylinder) a very classy colt who is going to give himself every opportunity in the hardest test (G1 Golden Slipper S.) of all in two weeks.” - James Cummings
Cylinder’s Todman S. success ensures he remains in contention to land a $1 million bonus should he go on to land the G1 Golden Slipper S. in two weeks’ time, and winning jockey James McDonald feels he will need to improve again to do so.
“I feel he’s got improvement to come,” he said. “He’s second-up, he had that grounding work done back in the spring and his work seems to be getting stronger and stronger.
“But I tell you what, he’s tractable, he does everything really well and takes everything in his stride, so that’s a big tick.”
James McDonald and James Cummings | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
A homebred by Godolphin, Cylinder is one of 209 stakes winners for Darley’s record-breaking stallion Exceed And Excel, who is enjoying another terrific year with his juveniles. He is also the first stakes winner to emerge from the Street Cry (Ire) mare Circular, whose five career victories included a Group success at Flemington in the G3 Schweppervescence Trophy.
Cylinder is a direct descendant of the Group 3-winning, multiple Group 1 placegetter Shadea (NZ) (Straight Strike {USA}), a mare who is most famous for being the dam of champion racehorse and breed-shaping stallion Lonhro.
Shadea is also the dam of three-time Group 1-winning sire Niello, as well as stakes scorer Shannara (Octagonal {NZ}). Her daughters have gone on to produce a further four stakes winners of their own at stud.
Lindsay Park and Dee continue red-hot run juvenile run
Just a week after teaming up to land the G1 Blue Diamond S. at Sandown, the red-hot combination of Lindsay Park and Michael Dee unearthed another promising juvenile at Flemington on Saturday after Princess Duhallow (Shalaa {Ire}) raced away with the Listed Furphy Trophy.
Princess Duhallow races away to victory in the Listed Furphy Trophy at Flemington | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
A daughter of Arrowfield Stud stallion Shalaa (Ire), Princess Duhallow showed a devastating turn of foot at the 200-metre mark and readily drew clear of her rivals, before being guided home under hands and heels to score by 1l.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Butch Cassidy (Written Tycoon), a $750,000 Magic Millions graduate, made eye-catching late headway to snatch second from Treasurway (Starspangledbanner), who crossed the line a further 0.2l adrift in third.
Winning co-trainer JD Hayes felt that the drop back to 1000 metres had worked the oracle for Princess Duhallow, before heaping praise on Dee’s winning ride.
“She's a very fast filly and we did think that she's a 1000-metre specialist because she is so fast and brilliant,” Hayes said.
“She's (Princess Duhallow) a very fast filly and we did think that she's a 1000-metre specialist because she is so fast and brilliant.” - JD Hayes
“She was a little bit tardy away, so I think that's what played into the different tactic and Mick Dee summed it up so well.
“He could win on a broomstick at the moment. He really summed it up and she was strong late. We couldn't be more thrilled.”
The 10th 2-year-old winner of the season for Lindsay Park, Princess Duhallow was a $160,000 purchase by her trainers at last year’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, having been pinhooked by Supreme Thoroughbreds, who remain in the ownership, for $100,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale in 2021.
Princess Duhallow and connections after winning the Listed Furphy Trophy | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Hayes was especially delighted to saddle a Premier Sale graduate to stakes success on the eve of this year’s auction, which gets underway at Oaklands Junction on Sunday.
“It is always timely to have a winner in general but to have one on the eve of a sale that we purchased her out of, we're just so happy for the owners and connections,” Hayes added.
“That was a very professional performance and we're very happy.”
Princess Duhallow is the first stakes winner to emerge from the winning Denman mare Duhallow, who is a half-sister to three stakes horses in Sabie (Exceed And Excel), Ankaret (Desert Prince) and Graskop (Manton). That trio star among 10 winners produced by the Snippets mare Rondavel, who is herself a daughter of Group 3-winning 2-year-old Lusso (Prego {Ire}).
Princess Duhallow became the 12th stakes winner for Arrowfield Stud stallion Shalaa (Ire), who now resides in Australia permanently having previously shuttled to the Southern Hemisphere from Europe.
Shalaa (Ire) | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
Shalaa, who also sired the winner of last weekend’s G3 Zedative S. at Sandown, has sired a further four 2-year-old stakes winners to date, including the like of R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Shaquero and last year’s G2 Reisling S. heroine Seven Veils in Australia.
First-season sires to the fore
The Lindsay Park team didn’t have to wait long for their 11th 2-year-old winner of the season, with the previously stakes-placed Tacito (Showtime) breaking his maiden in emphatic fashion in the Magic Millions SA 2YO Classic at Murray Bridge on Saturday.
Having previously placed in both the G3 Chairman’s S. and Listed Talindert S. in Melbourne, Tacito looked to have a class edge over his rivals and duly sprinted clear of the field to score easily by 2.8l, handing Arrowfield Stud’s first-season sire Showtime his second winner in the process.
Showtime | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
Showtime wasn’t the only first-season sire making waves on Saturday, as Widden Stud stallion Trapeze Artist sired his fourth first-crop winner courtesy of Spin Doctor’s impressive debut success in the QTIS Jewel Prelude for 2-year-old colts and geldings at Eagle Farm.
The Steven O’Dea and Matthew Hoysted-trained gelding showed a smart turn of foot under jockey Brodie Loy to score by 0.4l over Snitzel colt Zelgaria, and will now bid to give his owners a big payday in the $500,000 QTIS Jewel in a fortnight.
Spin Doctor was a $240,000 purchase by Proven Thoroughbreds from the Kenmore Lodge draft at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale last year and is a grandson of G1 Auckland Cup heroine Upsetthym (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}).
Trapeze Artist | Standing at Widden Stud
Trapeze Artist, whose daughter Facile came agonisingly close to giving her sire his first stakes winner when beaten a short head in the G2 Reisling S. earlier in the day, has eight lots catalogued for the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, while Showtime has two yearling set to go under the hammer at Oaklands Junction over the next three days.