Cover image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Hawera: G3 Taranaki Breeders' S., NZ$100,000, 1400m
Having her first run since May - doing a good job holding off the classy favourite Prowess (NZ) (Proisir), Town Cryer (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) recorded her second victory at stakes level.
Raced by a group which includes her breeders the Smith family, Town Cryer is one of the 44 stakes winners for her late sire and one of the three winners (from four named foals) for her stakes-placed dam The Speaker (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}).
Also dam of the six-time winner Irish Whisper (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), The Speaker is a three-quarter sister to the G1 Wellington Cup winner Willy Smith (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) from the family of the stakes winners O'Fille (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), Albarado (NZ) (Savabeel) and It Has To Be You (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}).
Served last spring by Shocking having had the previous year off, The Speaker has a yet-to-be-named 2-year-old Shocking colt.
Town Cryer carries crosses of the wonderful mares Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}).
Eagle Farm: Listed Queensland Cup, $160,000, 2400m
Hard fit at his fourth run in, imported galloper Fancy Man (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai) was able to record his first local victory on top of his four successes in the United Kingdom.
A Listed winner at Haydock and Lingfield - and six-time Group 3-placed - Fancy Man is a €30,000 (AU$49,800) 2019 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale graduate who was purchased for 675,000gns (AU$1.35 million) by Blandford Bloodstock and Annabel Neasham at the 2022 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
He is one of the 19 stakes winners for his Coolmore Stud-based, dual Group 1-winning sire and one of the four winners (from as many foals to race) for the unraced Fancy (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).
Also dam of the US-based, three-time winning, three-time Group-placed galloper The Grey Wizard (Ire) (Caravaggio {USA}), Fancy is out of the G3 Express S. winner Danehill Music (Ire) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}).
Bred by Longfield Stud, Fancy Man hails from the same branch of the prolific Pretty Polly (GB) (Gallinule {GB}) family as Northern Dancer's sire Nearctic (Can).
Kalgoorlie: Listed Kalgoorlie Cup, $150,000, 2300m
Holding on gamely as she was challenged late, Be Optimistic (Blackfriars) was a deserved winner having been in the placings at her two previous starts in country cups.
The 48th stakes winner for her late sire (and a member of that G1 VRC Derby winner's final crop), Be Optimistic was bred by Scenic Lodge and sold by them to Peter and Luke Fernie for $36,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale (Book 2).
She is the only foal (she died a few months after producing him) for the unraced Mekie's Dream (Pluck {USA}) whose winning dam Mrs Post (Carnegie {Ire}) produced four winners including the city winners Sharp Turn (Street Sense {USA}) and Byron (Dawn Approach {Ire}).
Mrs Post is a daughter of the four-time Group 1 winner Mannerism (Amyntor {Fr}) whose 10 foals to race were all winners including the Group winners Dandify (Danehill {USA}) and Manner Hill (Danehill {USA}).
Most famous for her G1 Caulfield Cup victory over Veandercross (NZ) (Crossways {GB}), Mannerism is also third dam of the G3 Toy Show H. winner Fituese (Deep Field) and she is a descendant of the acclaimed matriarch Teppo (GB) (Ladas {GB}).
Murray Bridge: Listed Murray Bridge Gold Cup, $120,000, 1600m
Late last year Jack The Lad (I Am Invincible) - who had been purchased for $30,000 through the Inglis Digital September (Late) Online Sale by Parade Remedial - finished second last at his debut for the Wayne Francis and Glen Kent stable having previously won three races in Sydney and Brisbane for the Chris Waler stable.
Originally a $575,000 yearling - bred by Milburn Creek Stud and sold by them to Waller and Mulcaster Racing at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale - he seemed an unlikely candidate to become a significant winner for his Yarraman Park-based sire.
But with his win in today's Listed Murray Bridge Cup he was just that - becoming I Am Invincible's 100th individual stakes winner.
He is the first foal produced by the unraced Luluoru (Redoute's Choice), a half-sister to the Listed winner Topic (USA) (Discreet Cat {USA}) out of a half-sister to the G1 Belmont S., G1 Preakness S. and G1 Hopeful S. winner Afleet Alex (USA) (Northern Afleet {USA}).
In late September foaling a filly by Pierro, Luluoru had a North Pacific filly last spring and a Yes Yes Yes filly the previous year. Her 3-year-old Somebodytolove (More Than Ready {USA}) is a yet to race member of the Grahame Begg stable.
Matamata: Listed Matamata Cup, NZ$80,000, 1600m
This year's G1 Australian Guineas winner Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) - who had caught the eye charging home when a first-up G1 Tarzino Trophy third last month - was back in winning form with this classy performance.
Beaten only twice in her nine-start career, Legarto was bred by W E Jeffries and purchased by Ancroft Stud for NZ$90,000 from the Highline Thoroughbreds draft at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2).
One of her Rich Hill Stud-based sire's 14 stakes winners and five Group 1 winners, she is the third named foal and third winner for the two-time winner Geordie Girl (NZ) (Towkay) whose tough son Locally Sourced (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) has won 10 races and whose daughter Emanon (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) has won eight including an 1100-metre race at Gore last month.
Geordie Girl is a full sister to the Listed winner Rapid Kay (NZ) and half-sister to the Listed winner Kekova (NZ) (Elusive City {USA}).
Hailing from the family of the NZ Champion 2-Year-Old Ballybrit (NZ) (Wandering Eyes {Ire}), Legarto boasts crosses of the outstanding mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Aurora (GB) (Hyperion {GB}).
Geordie Girl was served last spring by Proisir having missed to him the previous season. She'd had the previous two years off with Legarto her most recent named foal.
