Cover image courtesy of Michael McInally
Eagle Farm: G1 Queensland Oaks, $700,000, 2200m
Darley sire Kermadec (NZ) sired his fourth Group 1 winner in Amokura (Kermadec {NZ}) a dazzling winner of the G1 Queensland Oaks by 1.63l. She is out of the Quest For Fame mare Fain, who has produced seven foals for four winners.
Bred and raced by the St Aubins Scone Partnership, Amokura is the first stakes winner for Fain who is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Paulini (Singspiel {Ire}) and Tide (Galileo {Ire}). Amokura was her last living foal and she is now in foal to Last Kingdom (USA).
The G1 Queensland Oaks win was the first stakes win for Amokura and she becomes the fifth Group winner for her sire, a son of Teofilo (Ire).
In an unusual statistic, Kermadec's four of five Group winners have won Group 1 races; Montefilia (four-time Group 1 winner), Tuvalu (G1 Toorak H.), Willowy (G1 VRC Oaks) and now Amokura. He stands at Darley's Northwood Park property in Victoria for $16,500 (inc GST) for the upcoming season.
G2 Moreton Cup, $300,000, 1200m
Showing not only plenty of pace but plenty of class, Prince Of Boom (Spirit Of Boom) impressed with this dominant leader performance - his seventh win from 13 starts and his fourth at stakes level.
Also winner of the G2 Spirit Of Boom Classic and the G3 Gold Coast Guineas, he is one of his Eureka Stud-based sire’s 21 stakes winners, Prince Of Boom was a bargain $20,000 purchase for Adrenaline Thoroughbreds at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale. Bred by Eureka Cambooya Thoroughbreds, Peter Mahony and Grania McAlpine, Prince Of Boom is out of the Gold Coast winner Dazzling Display (Red Dazzler).
Last spring paying a return visit to Spirit Of Boom having missed to him the previous season, Dazzling Display has a Defcon yearling filly.
Dazzling Display is a half-sister to the G2 Queensland Guineas winner Express Air (Piccolo {GB}), dam of Spirit Of Boom’s Listed Chief de Beers H. winner Simply Fly. This is a family that has been in great form over the past couple of years - also producing the triple Group 1 winner Incentivise (Shamus Award).
One of the nine Spirit Of Boom stakes winners line-bred to Danehill (USA) and one of the four line-bred to Semipalatinsk (USA), Prince Of Boom also boasts a cross of the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Never Too Late (USA) (Never Say Die {USA}) via her son Without Fear (Fr) and her grandson Head Over Heels. Spirit Of Boom’s Listed winner Heaven’s Deal (from the same family as Prince Of Boom) is also line-bred to her.
Spirit Of Boom stands at Eureka this season for $38,500 (inc GST).
Listed Queensland Day S., $200,000, 1200m
Last-start winner of the Listed Denise's Joy S., a descendant of the wonderful mare Denise's Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}), Red Card (Ribchester {Ire}) is building an imposing record, this win - her second at stakes level - her fifth from 10 starts.
She is the first Australian-bred (and seventh overall) stakes winner for her multiple Group 1-winning sire Ribchester (Ire) who has stood at Haunui Farm in New Zealand for his last three seasons.
Red Card is the first foal for the Yarra Valley maiden winner Penalty (Street Cry {Ire}) whose Group 2-placed dam Forfeiture (Commands) is also the dam of the G3 Widden S. winner Amercement (Lonhro).
Served last spring by Tagaloa having foaled a filly to him in August, Penalty (who has Denise's Joy as her fifth dam) also has a yet-to-be-named 2-year-old by Exosphere.
Ribchester will return to Haunui Farm this season for a fee of NZ$12,000 plus GST.
Listed The Phoenix, $160,000, 1500m
Smart daughter of Maurice (Jpn), Azula is from the Redoute's Choice mare Shutout, a granddaughter of Group 2 winner La Sizeranne (NZ) (Stravinsky {Ire}).
It's a deep New Zealand pedigree, filled with quality Group winners. La Sizeranne is a blood sister to the dam of Champion Sprinter by Redoute's Choice, Lankan Rupee, and a sister to Sara Ann (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who is the dam of G1 ATC Australia Derby winner Tavago (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
Shutout has a yearling colt by Denman, a weanling colt by Fiorente and is in foal to Hallowed Crown.
Azula is from the third crop of Arrowfield Stud sire Maurice - who currently leads his year group in that division and stands this season for $82,500 (inc GST).
Listed Lightning H., $160,000, 1000m
A $1 million yearling purchase by James Moore Racing from the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2018, 6-year-old gelding Petronius (Redoute's Choice) has become the newest stakes winner for his Champion Sire who passed away in 2019.
He's a son of the Tale Of The Cat (USA) mare Cat By The Tale (USA), the latest successful American-bred mare crossed over the Redoute's Choice sireline.
Cat By The Tale was a Group 2 winner at Santa Anita and also placed in a Group 1 at Hollywood Park. She has produced four stakes horses including Petronius' brothers Raphael's Cat and Tale of Choice, as well as the Maurice (Jpn) gelding Port Louis, with Petronius her first stakes winner.
Her yearling colt by The Autumn Sun sold for $200,00 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to Legend Racing, she has a weanling filly by the same sire and is in foal to Maurice.
Listed Spear Chief H., $160,000, 1500m
A 16,000gns (AU$31,600) bargain buy from the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale, British-bred import Munhamek (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) was bred and sold by Shadwell Stud. Previously known as Hall Of Champ in Hong Kong, where he earned over HKD$4 million (AU$770,000), Munhamek has previously placed at Listed level in Australia.
Out of the Dansili (GB) mare Cadenza, the gelding is the fifth stakes winner Down Under for the exceptional Irish sire Dark Angel (Ire), who stands at Yeomanstown Stud. He is represented in the Australian sire ranks by Darley's exciting young sire Harry Angel (Ire) who stands at Kelvinside in New South Wales for a fee of $33,000 (inc GST).
Rosehill: Listed Winter Cup, $160,000, 2400m
Al Aabir (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) has become the 11th stakes winner for his exceptional sire who stands at the Aga Khan Studs' Irish base, Gilltown Farm. He was secured as a yearling by Shadwell for 200,000gns (AU$394,900) before being re-offered as a 2-year-old and picked up by Go Racing New Zealand for 50,000gns (AU$98,700).
The progressive stayer is out of Shamardal (Ire) mare Wo De Xin (Ire), who is a three-quarter-sister to G1 HK Champions Mile winner Dan Excel (Shamardal {Ire}). Second dam Moonshadow (GB) (Diesis {GB}) is a sister to Love Divine, winner of G1 The Oaks and dam of British Champion Stayer, Sixties Icon (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Belmont: Listed Raconteur S., $125,000, 1400m
A new stakes winner for former Newgate Farm sire Flying Artie, Vast Art is a son of Fastnet Rock mare Fast Gal. Bred by Impressive Racing Pty Ltd and Sheppard Group Pty Ltd who remain in the ownership group, this was the fifth win for the 4-year-old from 10 starts with earnings of over $250,000.
Fast Gal has three colt foals following Vast Art; an unnamed juvenile and a yearling by Universal Ruler and weanling by Earthlight (Ire).
Flying Artie now has seven stakes winners, with his flagbearer Artorious heading to Royal Ascot to contest the G1 King’s Stand S. later this month.
Wanganui: Listed Castletown S., NZ$65,000, 1200m
Chantilly Lace (NZ) has become the first Southern Hemisphere stakes winner for The Oaks' Stud's young sire U S Navy Flag (Ire), a son of War Front (USA). After running fifth in the G1 Manawatu Sires' Produce S. - a race where U S Navy Flag's progeny finished 2nd and 3rd - Chantilly Lace ran third in the Listed Auckland Futurity S.
Trained by Chrissy Bambry, she is owned by her trainer alongside her parents and was bred by Kevin Hickman. Chantilly Lace is from the More Than Ready (USA) mare On The Move, a daughter of G1 Winter S. winner Russeting (Commands).
On The Move has a yearling filly by Almanzor (Fr) who was picked up by Roger James and Rob Wellwood for NZ$160,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale earlier this year, she has a Vespa weanling colt and is in foal to Satono Aladdin (Jpn).
U S Navy Flag stod his first two seasons at Hickman's Valachi Downs, before moving across to The Oaks after his first home sold. He has sired two juvenile stakes winners in his first crop at Coolmore Ireland and stands his fourth season in New Zealand for a fee of NZ$15,000 plus GST.
Listed AGC Training S., NZ$65,000, 1600m
Justaskme (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}) is an 11-time winner from 32 starts. The 7-year-old is now a four-time stakes winner having taken out the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup last start, G3 Tauranga S. in November 2021 and the Listed Opunake Cup in July 2021.
One of the 20 stakes winners for his late sire, Justaskme is out of the unraced Often (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) whose dam is the G3 New Zealand St Leger winner Freequent (NZ) (Mistral Dancer {Can}).
Served last spring by Vadamos (Fr) having missed the previous season with her most recent foal being a Contributer {Ire}) filly, Often can count amongst her relations the G1 Makfi Challenge S. winner I Do (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}) and the G1 Queensland Derby winner Court Ruler (NZ) (Viking Ruler).
