Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Rosehill: G3 Up And Coming S., $250,000, 1300m
A stakes winner at two of the Listed Fernhill H., Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) was straight into winning form at three, doing a very nice job at double-figure odds - making it three wins from six starts.
One of the eight stakes winners (three local) for his Darley-based G1 July Cup and G1 Sprint Cup-winning shuttling sire, Tom Kitten is the second stakes winner for the multiple city winner Transfers (Street Cry {Ire}) whose son Promotions (Exceed And Excel) won the Listed Canberra Guineas.
Also dam of the multiple city winner Va Via (Astern), Transfers was served by last spring Palace Pier (GB) having had the previous season off. Her 2-year-old is a colt by Brazen Beau.
Transfers is out of the metropolitan winner Movin’ Out (Encosta De Lago) whose city-winning dam Twyla (Danehill {USA}) is a three-quarter sister to Redoute’s Choice - making Tom Kitten a member of the internationally prolific Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) family which is represented in Harry Angel (Ire) by Try My Best (USA).
Tom Kitten boasts a cross of another great mare in Ciboulette (Can) (Chop Chop {USA}), dam of Night Shift (USA) and fifth dam of Encosta De Lago. And he boasts multiple strains of the prolific Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA})/Almahmoud (USA} (Mahmoud {Fr}) family including a 4 X 3 cross of Machiavellian (USA).
G3 San Domenico S., $250,000, 1100m
Remaining undefeated with this classy performance, Libertad (Russian Revolution) looks set for a big spring.
One of the eight stakes winners for his Newgate-based G1 The Galaxy and G1 Oakleigh Plate-winning sire, Libertad was bred by Rheinwood Pastoral and Somerset Services. He made his way through the sales ring on two occasions - sold by Rheinwood to pinhooker Tal Nolen for $40,000 at the 2022 Inglis Classic and on to Annabel Neasham for $210,000 at the 2022 Inglis Ready2Race Sale.
He is one of the three winners (from her first four to race) for the city-placed winner Electric Charge (Charge Forward). Served last spring by Prague having foaled a colt by that same stallion in September, she is a daughter of the Listed Widden S. winner Miss Bussell (Danzero).
Also dam of the G3 Adrian Knox S. winner Miss Darcey (Hussonet {USA}), Miss Bussell is out of the G1 Auckland Classic winner Lurestina (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) - grandam of the dual Group 2 winner Hurried Choice (Choisir).
Libertad is one of the five stakes winners (from 57 runners/37 winners) with Snitzel and Charge Forward in the pedigree, noting that the former's fifth dam Scotch Verdict (USA) (Alsab {USA}) is the grandam of Valid Appeal (USA), second damsire of Charge Forward. The G1 Golden Slipper winner Estijaab (Snitzel) is also bred this way.
Te Rapa: G2 Foxbridge Plate, NZ$150,000, 1200m
Showing plenty of heart - and class - getting his nose out just a stride or two before the line - Dragon Leap (Pierro) recorded his second win in a row since returning from an Australian campaign that saw him go close to the prize at big odds in the G3 BRC Sprint in late May.
It was the third Group 2 victory for the 7-year-old with the first two coming during his Classic year - the 2020 G2 Avondale Guineas and the G2 Auckland Guineas.
Bred by GP Ingham and sold by Coolmore Stud to Hermitage Thoroughbreds, Wexford Stables and Andrew Williams Bloodstock for $1,050,000 at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, he is one of his Coolmore-based sire's 34 stakes winners.
And one of three for his Group 2-placed Rosehill-winning dam Pontiana (Redoute's Choice) - also dam of Cornwall Park Stud's G1 Randwick Guineas winner Inference and the dual Listed winner Illation (So You Think {NZ}).
Served last spring by So You Think (NZ) having missed and slipped at her two previous seasons at stud, Pontiana is also the grandam of Widden Stud's G1 Golden Rose and G1 CF Orr S. winner Jacquinot.
Pontiana is a daughter of the Listed Morphettville Guineas winner Liberty Rose (Royal Academy {USA}) whose five winners include the Listed Crawford S. winner Grand Jardin (Redoute's Choice).
Bred on a 5 X 4 cross of Sir Tristram (Ire), Dragon Leap can also count amongst his relations the Group 3 gallopers Kanzan (Commands) and Kordia (Epaulette).
Moonee Valley: Listed Carlyon S., $175,000, 1000m
It was Western Australian form to the fore here with the talented Acromantula (Written Tycoon) strong to the line making at just his second Victorian outing - in doing so recording the eighth win of his 25-start career.
The 53rd stakes winner for Yulong's Australian Champion Sire, the homebred for Alan Olive is out of the talented mare For Your Eyes Only (Bletchley Park {Ire}), winner of 10 races - three of those at Listed level in Perth.
Also dam of the city winners Explicitly (Snitzel) and Secret Lady (Choisir), she was not served last spring having foaled an All Too Hard colt in late September. She had missed the previous year and her 2020 born foal Catch The Red Eye (Rubick) broke his maiden at Northam on Thursday.
A descendant of the acclaimed matriarch Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}), Acromantula (who was obviously named by a Harry Potter fan) can count amongst his relations the stakes winners Mr Cube (Esquire), Dr John (Dr Johnson {USA}), Paris Moon (Metal Storm {Fr}) and First Affair (Saxon).
Belmont: Listed Idyllic Prince S., $125,000, 1300m
What a grand campaigner Valour Road (Frost Giant {USA}) is, so tough to the line recording the 10th win of his 32-start career - one which has seen him successful at stakes level on eight occasions.
Bred by Yarradale Stud and purchased from their draft at the 2017 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale by Aquanita Racing for $60,000, the millionaire galloper is one of the 19 stakes winners for his late sire (he was put down early last year with laminitis), a Group 1-winning Giant's Causeway (USA) horse who shuttled to Yarradale on just two occasions.
Valour Road is one of two winners for the lightly raced Northam maiden winner Melba Avenue (Street Sense {USA}) whose dual Group 3-winning half-sister Raspberries (Lonhro) is the dam of the Group 3-placed dual city winner Malahat (Exceed And Excel).
A great-grandson of the triple Listed winner Ice Cream Sundae (Sovereign Red {NZ}) who produced the durable Group 1-winning sprinter Flavour (Rubiton) and the dam of the G1 Queensland Derby winner Sonntag (Teofilo {Ire}), Valour Road is line-bred to Secretariat (USA), also boasting a strain of that legend's half-brother Sir Gaylord (USA).
Also line-bred to the excellent mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) and Glamour (USA) (Nasrullah {Ire}), Valour Road has two unraced half-brothers to race... the 3-year-old Mighty Melba (Exceed And Excel) and a yearling colt by I Am Invincible.
Melba Avenue was served last spring by Pinatubo (Ire).
Morphettville: Listed Leon Macdonald S., $120,000, 1400m
What great form Seonee (Winning Rupert) is in with this success, her first at stakes level, being her fourth win in a row - and her eighth overall from 18 starts.
Bred by Frank Mitchell, she was purchased for $80,000 by Prime Thoroughbreds from the Yarraman Park draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The second stakes winner for her speedy Grandview Stud-based sire (whose sire Written Tycoon was represented by the Listed Carlyon S. winner Acromantula), Seonee is the second foal for the city-placed Mowgli (Not A Single Doubt) whose half-brother Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook) earned the title of Hong Kong Champion Sprinter on two occasions with his four elite-level victories.
Foaling a Hellbent filly a few weeks ago, Mowgli had slipped and missed at her two previous seasons at stud.
Hailing from the same family as the G3 Newcastle Gold Cup and G3 Gosford Gold Cup winner Silent Impact (NZ) (Casual Lies {USA}), Seonee is line-bred to the wonderful mare Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) as is the G3 Up And Coming S. winner Tom Kitten.
She is the 15th stakes winner combining Written Tycoon and Redoute's Choice and the second (from just 12 runners/nine winners) by Written Tycoon out of a Not A Single Doubt mare; the dual Group 3 winner Enthaar the other.
