Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
G1 Epsom H., $1,500,000, 1600m
Providing his trainer Chris Waller with his fifth G1 Epsom H., Rediener (Redoute's Choice) enhanced upon his already impressive record - this win his sixth from 14 starts and his third at Group level.
He also provided his late sire with a nice farewell, being one of the 23 foals from his final crop. And one of his 182 stakes winners overall... and his 40th Group 1 winner.
A homebred for Neil Werrett, Rediener is one of the four stakes performers produced by the stakes-placed Wiener (More Than Ready {USA}) - also dam of the Listed Phelan Ready S. winner Rathlin (Fastnet Rock) and the stakes-placed, city winners Redoutable Heart (Redoute's Choice) and Za Zi Bar (All Too Hard).
Dying last year with her final foal being a yet-to-be-named 2-year-old colt by Fastnet Rock, Wiener has a 3-year-old daughter - La Belle Vie (The Autumn Sun) - in the Chris Waller stable; that $200,000 Inglis Easter graduate ran fifth in a Rosehill trial last month.
Wiener is a half-sister to Snitzel and Hinchinbrook and her speedy dual stakes-winning dam Snippets' Lass (Snippets) is the third dam of the last-start G2 The Shorts winner Private Eye (Al Maher) who won the Epsom two years ago.
Rediener, who can also count amongst his relations the stakes winners Viennese (Redoute's Choice) and Arcaded (Street Boss {USA}), is the ninth Group 1 winner with a pedigree combining Redoute's Choice with Snippets - noting that Redoute's Choice's damsire Canny Lad is out of a mare by Snippets' sire Lunchtime (GB).
G1 Flight S., $750,000, 1600m
The 11th G1 Flight S. winner for Gai Waterhouse, Tropical Squall (Prized Icon) just kept going strongly, able to go right on with the job after her gutsy on-pace G2 Tea Rose S. third.
Turning the tables on the first two home in that race, she recorded her third win from just four starts.
Bred by Kooringal Stud - home to her G1 VRC Derby and G1 Champagne S.-winning sire, Tropical Squall was a bargain purchase for Gooree Park who bred and raced Prized Icon.
It took just $16,000 to secure Tropical Squall from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale - a great bit of buying!
Her sire's first stakes winner amongst his first 15 runners from his debut crop, Tropical Squall is one of the five winners produced by the Cranbourne maiden winner Squalls (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}).
Sadly, she is the final foal for that mare who died in early 2021.
Squalls' dam is the G3 Frances Tressady and G3 Mannerism S. winner Blue Storm (Bluebird {USA}), also dam of the G3 Breeders Classic winner Steflara (Zabeel {NZ}) and ancestress of the G1 Thousand Guineas winner Flit (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) and the Listed-winning sprinter Federal (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}).
Blue Storm's dam is the triple Group 1 winner Gold Hope (NZ) (John's Hope) whose five foals to race were all winners with one of her unraced daughters being the dam of the G2 Taranaki 2YO Classic winner Byzance Star (Clear Choice {USA}).
Prized Icon is the eighth son of More Than Ready (USA) to sire a Group 1 winner.
G1 Metropolitan H., $750,000, 2400m
Remaining undefeated in Australia, Just Fine (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) had to call on all of his reserves as he managed to just get his nose in front of fellow import Spirit Ridge (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}).
Known in the UK as King Charles' first winner, Just Fine was purchased by McKeever Bloodstock and Waterhouse Bott Racing for 300,000gns (AU$597,500) at the 2022 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
He is the 20th Group 1 winner - and one of the 113 stakes winners - for his Gilltown Stud-based sire, the 2009 European Horse of the Year.
Just Fine is one of the four winners for the three-time-winning miler Bint Almatar (USA) (Kingmambo {USA}) whose other son of Sea The Stars (Ire) - Perseus Way (Ire) - is a winner over the jumps.
Bint Almatar is out of the Listed winner Firth Of Lorne (Ire) (Danehill {USA}) who has been well represented by four stakes winners amongst her 10 winners - the five-time Group winner Master Of The Seas (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), the Listed winners Latharnach (USA) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Etive (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}) and the G3 UAE Oaks winner Falls Of Lora (Ire) (Street Cry {Ire}).
The latter has made her mark locally as the dam of the G1 Doncaster H., G1 All Aged S., and G1 Australian Cup winner Cascadian (GB) (New Approach {Ire}).
G2 Premiere S., $1,000,000, 1200m
Digging deep to hold off a late charge from Hawaii Five Oh (I Am invincible), The Everest favourite Think About It (So You Think {NZ}) continued his marvellous winning run that kicked off in January... eight wins in a row.
Twice successful at Group 1 level over the Queensland winter carnival, Think About It is one of the 54 stakes winners for his star Coolmore Stud-based sire.
Bred by Lightning Thoroughbreds and sold through the Newgate Farm draft for $70,000 at the 2020 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, he was purchased by Proven Thoroughbreds/Joe Pride Racing.
HIs city-placed dam Tiara (Flying Spur) sadly died only recently with her final foal - born last spring - being a colt by Wootton Bassett (GB). She had missed the previous season with her 2-year-old being a yet-to-be-named Pierro colt.
Her first three foals are all winners, Kokoshnik (Pierro) taking out a Goulburn maiden in May whilst Private Cheetah (also by Pierro) is a Randwick-Kensingtom maiden winner.
Tiara is a half-sister to the G2 Gilgai S. and dual Listed winner Keen Array (Bel Esprit) out of a half-sister to the Hong Kong Group 1 winner The Duke (Danehill {USA}) from the family of another Hong Kong Group 1 winner in Sky Field (Deep Field).
Think About It's pedigree brings together six different sons and daughters of Northern Dancer (Can) - Sadler's Wells (USA), Nijinsky II (Can), Danzig (USA), Fanfreluche (Can), Nureyev (USA) and Storm Bird (Can).
G3 Gimcrack S., $250,000, 1000m
What an exciting three-way go it was to the line in this, the first of the season's black-type juvenile contests.
It took a photo to split the three across the track, but it was Manaal (Tassort) who had her nose out at the right time.
A homebred for Emirates Park, she is the first runner for her Newgate Farm-based sire who raced just twice, taking out the Inglis Golden Gift at debut before finishing second to Time To Reign in the G2 Silver Slipper S.
And she is the first stakes winner with I Am Invincible as a great-grandsire - another generation to his sireline.
Manaal is out of the imported Listed winner Red Lodge (USA) (Midshipman {USA}) whose first two foals are both winners - Fightertown (Snitzel) breaking his maiden for the Chris Waller stable at Warwick Farm late last month whilst Badr (USA) (Kitten's Joy {USA}) is a winner in Saudi Arabia.
Red Lodge - who was served last spring by Zoustar after foaling an I Am Invincible filly - is a half-sister to the Listed Deville S. winner Good Like Magic (USA) (Good Magic {USA}). Her grandam is the dual Group 1 winner Memories Of Silver (USA) (Silver Hawk {USA}) whose five winners include the dual Group 1 winner Winter Memories (USA) (El Prado {Ire}), the Group 3 winner La Cloche (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA}) and the Storm Cat (USA) Listed winners British Blue (USA) and War Trace (USA).
Manaal has no male duplications within six generations of his pedigree but within seven is line-bred to the outstanding mares My Charmer (USA) (Poker {USA}) and Flower Bowl (USA) (Alibhai {GB}) - the former appearing via her sons Lomond (USA) and Seattle Slew (USA) and the latter via her sons (and full brothers) His Majesty (USA) and Graustark (USA).
A few minutes after the race, Eagle Farm hosted another 2-year-old race, it being won by Mishani Lily from the same sireline, a daughter of Kobayashi.
G3 Breeders' Plate, $250,000, 1000m
It was an exciting battle to the line here and it was another Randwick juvenile contest photo-finish with Espionage (Zoustar) showing plenty of heart late.
Bred by Gerry Harvey and sold by his Baramul Stud to the James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership for $1 million at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Espionage is the 42nd stakes winner for his Widden Stud-based, dual Group 1-winning sire.
He is the third foal for the dual city winner In Times Of War (Street Cry {Ire}) whose first foal Thorsby (Redoute's Choice) won an Ipswich maiden late last month and whose second foal Altercation (American Pharoah {USA}) is a yet to race member (though she has had a couple of trials) of the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace stable.
Served last spring by Zoustar after foaling a Snitzel filly, In Times Of War is a daughter of the R. Listed Magic Millions, G2 Reisling S. and G3 Gold Coast Guineas winner Military Rose (General Nediym) whose third dam is the influential mare Summoned (Crowned Prince {USA}).
Espionage is Summoned's 35th stakes-winning descendant with the best of his relations being the Group 1 winners Zeditave, Greys Inn (USA), Smart Call (SAf) (Ideal World {USA}) and Norzita (NZ) (Thorn Park).
A member of the great Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}) family, Espionage is bred on a 4 X 5 cross of Danehill (USA) and a 5 X 5 cross of the lovely mare Rolls (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}) who appears via her grandson Encosta De Lago and son Flying Spur - and he is the 29th stakes winner bred that way.
Listed Dulcify S., $250,000, 1600m
Doing well stepping up from a Class 1 victory at Hawkesbury (the blinkers seemingly doing the job), Ganbare (Maurice {Jpn}) certainly seems to be a horse on the improve.
Bred by Arrowfield and Cloros Bloodstock, he was sold by Arrrowfield to Dodmark Thoroughbreds for $260,000 at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
The 18th stakes winner for his Arrowfield-based, multiple Group 1-winning sire, Ganbare is one of the three winners produced by the four-time city winner Mardi (Redoute's Choice) whose dam is the G3 Newcastle Gold Cup and triple Listed winner Bianca (NZ) (Painted Black {Jpn}).
Bianca is a granddaughter of the Group 1 winner Cariere (NZ) (Funny Fellow {GB}).
The second stakes winner for the day for Redoute's Choice as a broodmare sire, Ganbare is Maurice's (Jpn) fifth stakes winner (from 23 runners/20 winners) out of mares by that Arrowfield champ.
And he is his sire's eighth stakes winner line-bred to Sunday Silence (USA).
Mardi foaled a Rebel Dane filly in mid-August having last year produced an Admire Mars (Jpn) colt with her previous foal being a son of Castelvecchio.
