Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
G3 Geelong Cup, $500,000, 2400m
Bursting through late to claim his first Australian victory at the age of 10, Amade (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) had been out of the winner's circle since claiming the G2 Belmont Gold Cup in June 2019.
A habit of missing the start had cost him on a number of occasions including his fourth to Tralee Rose (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) in this same race two years ago.
Bred by Eamonn Mcevoy, Amade made his way through the sales ring several times - purchased for €80,000 (AU$132,900) at the 2015 Goffs Ireland February Sale, for 62,000gns (AU$124,200) at the 2015 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, for €50,000 (AU$83,000) at the 2016 Arqana Saint-Cloud 2YO Breeze Up Sale and for €34,000 (AU$56,500) at the 2018 Arqana Deauville Autumn Mixed Sale.
The winner of 10 of his 27 starts, Amade is one of the 10 stakes winners for his late sire, a Shamardal (USA) G1 Racing Post Trophy winner.
Amade is one of the five winners produced by the unplaced Sheba Five (USA) (Five Star Day {USA}), also dam of the G3 Atalanta S. and Listed Pipalong S. winner Nakuti (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), in turn dam of the G3 Atalanta S. and Listed Dick Hern S. winner Heredia (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
Listed Geelong Classic, $200,000, 2200m
The only filly and the only homebred runner in the race, Served Cold (Shamus Award) outstayed her rivals with this smart victory, getting clear from the 150 metres to record the second win of her third-start career.
Bred and raced by the Balmerino Racing Partnership, she is the 23rd stakes winner for her G1 WS Cox Plate and G1 Australian Guineas-winning, Rosemont Stud-based sire.
She is a full sister to last year's G1 Australian Oaks winner El Patroness who died just a few weeks ago.
Her dam is the dual two-time Flemington winner Sure You Can (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) whose dual metropolitan-winning dam Not Sure (NZ) (Masterclass {USA}) also produced the dual Group 2 winner Surely Sacred (NZ) (Rock 'N' Pop) and the G3 Tasmanian Derby winner Betwixt (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) who is in turn dam of the G1 Queensland Oaks winner Provocative (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Served Cold's third dam Icelette (NZ) (Icelandic {Ire}) won two races at Listed level, producing four winners including the South African-based Group 1 winner Taupo Retreat (NZ) (Centaine).
Served late last year by Shamus Award, Sure You Can foaled a colt by that same stallion last November and she has a yet-to-be-named 2-year-old colt by Puissance De Lune (Ire).
Served Cold carries three strains of the great mare Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) - Redoute's Choice, Try My Best (USA) and Masterclass. As well as two strains of Nijinsky II (Can) and one of his three-quarter brother The Minstrel (Can) - providing for a cross of the Canadian Oaks heroine Flaming Page (USA) (Bull Page) who, like Best In Show, is a descendant of the influential mare Torpenhow (GB) (Torpoint {GB}).
