Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Pukekohe: G1 Zabeel Classic, NZ$450,000, 2050m
She is certainly a mare who knows how to find the line - lifting when challenged over the final stages, Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) so game recording her her third win in a row - and her first at Group 1 level.
Bred by Simms Davison, Campionessa was sold by Westbury Stud for $60,000 to David Ellis at the 2010 Magic Millions National Yearling Sale, she is one of seven stakes winners - and the second Group 1 winner - for her Mapperley Stud-based dual Group 1-winning sire.
And she is one of three stakes winners for her metropolitan winning dam Bella Carolina (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) - also dam of the Listed winners Tennessee (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) and Leedox (NZ) (NZ) (Time Test {GB}).
Hailing from the family of the G1 Metropolitan H. winner Dress Circle (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and the G1 Easter H. winner Carson's Cash (NZ) (Lord Ballina), Campionessa is a descendant of the influential Kite (GB) (Bustard {GB}).
Bella Carolina was served last spring by Bivouac after producing - in mid-September - a full sister to Campionessa. Her 2-year-old son Naitanui (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) is a member of the Hayes stable.
Campionessa is one of the 12 (from 14 runners) Contributer (Ire) winners out of mares carrying an O'Reilly strain with Family Ties (NZ) also a stakes winner whilst another five are stakes placed.
And she was part of good day for the High Chaparral (Ire) sireline, his son Ace High siring the G2 Eight Carat Classic winner Molly Bloom (NZ).
G2 Eight Carat Classic, NZ$225,000, 1600m
It was a successful trip to New Zealand for Blake Shinn with Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) backing up her G1 NZ 1000 Guineas success with another classy performance.
Bred by Seaton Park and sold by them to Wexford Stakes for NZ$150,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, she is the first stakes winner from the debut crop (one which has produced another seven winners) of her Rich Hill based G1 VRC Derby and G1 Spring Champion S. winning sire, a regally bred High Chaparral (Ire) horse from the family of Danehill (USA) and Northern Dancer (Can).
She is the first foal for the lightly raced Dancilla (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) who won a 2000 metres New Plymouth maiden from just seven starts.
Her second foal is a full sister to Molly Bloom but she missed the following season, last year served by Proisir.
Dancilla is out of the stakes placed three times winner Nordic Dancer (NZ) (Generous {Ire}) who produced another four winners including the dual Group 3 winner Decorah (NZ) (Pins).
Nordic Dancer's two times Moonee Valley winning dam Danish Habit (Danehill {USA}) is a half-sister to the wonderful galloper Rough Habit (NZ) (Roughcast {USA}) whose 11 Group 1 victories earned him two New Zealand Horse of the Year titles.
His dam Certain Habit (NZ) (Ashabit {GB}) also produced the two times Group 3 winner Citi Habit (NZ) (Citidancer {Ire}) and the dam of the G1 Livamol Classic winner Addictive Habit (NZ) (Colombia {NZ}) and the G3 Canterbury Gold Cup winner Branson (NZ) (Personal Flag {USA}).
Bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Danehill (USA), Molly Bloom also boasts crosses of that stallion's grandam, third dam and fourth dams - Spring Adieu (Can) (Buckpasser {USA}), Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}) and Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}).
As well as duplications of the Canadian Oaks heroine Flaming Page (USA) (Bull Page {USA}) and Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}).
G2 Auckland Guineas, NZ$225,000, 1400m
Emerging best from an exciting two horse battle to the line, Pendragon (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) was tough recording the third win of his six start career.
The fourth stakes winner for his multiple Group 1 winning sire who calls The Oaks Stud his Southern Hemisphere home, Pendragon was bred by Kevin Hickman and sold by his Valachi Downs to Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables for NZ$110,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2).
He is the first foal produced by the imported placegetter Kerre (Ire) (Pour Moi {Ire}) who was served last year by Satono Aladdin (Jpn) having previously foaled a colt by Time Test (GB) and a filly by Zacinto (GB).
Kerre is out of the Listed Prix Michel Houyvet winner Double Green (Ire) (Green Tune {USA}) whose full sister Four Green (Fr) produced the Listed winner Capitaine Courage (Ire) (Bering {GB}).
Other members of this family include the Group 1 gallopers Solemia (Ire) (Poliglote {GB}), The Gurkha (Ire), Silasol (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}), Okawango (USA), Quijano (Ger) (Acatenango {Ger}) and Authorized (Ire).
Pendragon is the third stakes winner with a pedigree combining the relations Storm Bird (Can) and Green Tune - the result being a 6 X 6 cross of the dual stakes winning successful broodmare South Ocean (Can) (New Providence {USA}).
Both of Pendragon's parents are descendants of the 1850-born mare Miss Agnes (GB) (Birdcatcher {Ire}) - founder of a great equine dynasty!
Randwick: G3 Summer Cup, $250,000, 2000m
Part of a good day for Mapperley Stud's G1 Chipping Norton and G1 Ranvet S. winning import Contributer (Ire), Lion's Roar (NZ) was back in the winner's circle for the first time since taking out the G1 Randwick Guineas in March 2021.
One of his sire's seven stakes winners - another one being Tuesday's G1 Zabeel Classic winner Campionessa (NZ) - Lion's Roar was bred by bred by P G Gillespie and sold by Wellfield Lodge to Champion Thoroughbreds for NZ$65,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2).
He is one of the three winners for the four times winner Minnaleo (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe {USA}) whose dam is the G1 Avondale Cup winner The Mighty Lions (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}).
Served last spring by Almanzor (Fr) having foaled a full sister to Lion's Roar in October 2022, Minnaleo is a half-sister to the G3 Tibble S winner Vaquera (NZ) whose sire is Contributer's sire High Chaparral.
The Mighty Lions is one of two stakes winners produced by Maybe Yes (Last Tycoon {Ire}), the other being the Listed Challenge S. winner Marenostro (NZ) (Duelled).
Lion's Roar boasts duplications of the excellent mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) and Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}).
Caulfield: Listed Christmas S., $200,000, 1100m
He looked particularly well in the yard and raced up to his looks, Sghirripa (Lonhro) digging deep to record his first win at stakes level - and his sixth overall from just 13 starts.
The 97th stakes winner for his retired sire, the grey was bred by Grenville Stud and sold by them to Francesco Sghirripa for $70,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
He is the third foal and second winner for the unraced Wonder I Do (Encosta De Lago), half-sister to the Listed winners Albumin (Foxwedge) and Holy Empire (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
Missing last spring to Zululand after foaling a Merchant Navy filly, Wonder I Do has a 2-year-old - Mystic Wonder (Stratosphere) in the Gordon Richards and Damien Moyle stable.
Wonder I Do is a granddaughter of the G1 VRC Oaks and G1 1000 Guineas winner Tristanagh (Sir Tristram {Ire}) whose great grandson El Milagro (Red Dazzler) is a stakes winner in Singapore.
Hailing from the same family as the G1 Brisbane Cup winner Dupain (Sir Tristram {Ire}), Sghirripa is line-bred to the outstanding mares Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Misty Morn (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}).
He is the third stakes winner (from 38 runners/34 winners) by Lonhro out of an Encosta De Lago mare and he is the 158th stakes winner for the latter as a broodmare sire.
Listed Lord S., $175,000, 1700m
Purchased in May by Gilgai Farm for $750,000, Zennzella (Snitzel) was back in the winner's circle for the first time since her G2 Wakeful S. success in the spring of 2022.
Bred by Gerry Harvey and purchased by her original trainer Kennewell Racing with Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) for $350,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Zennzella is one of the 139 stakes winners for her Arrowfield Stud based star sire.
She is the first live foal for the classy mare Zennista (NZ) (Zenno Rob Roy {Jpn}) - a triple Group 3 and dual Listed winner in New Zealand who travelled to Australia to win the Listed Caloundra Cup.
Missing to Snitzel last spring, Zennista foaled fillies by him in 2022 and 2021 - missing the year after producing Zennzella.
Zennista is out of a winning half-sister to the Listed winner Chartreuse (NZ) (St Petersburg) whose daughter Platinum Witness (California Dane) won the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas.
Bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Danzig (USA), Zennzella hails from the same branch of the Democratie (Fr) (Epinard {Fr}) family as the champion stallion Showdown (GB).
Wingatui: Listed Hazlett S., NZ$80,000, 1200m
Storming home from the rear, Kai (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) made it two in a row, kept fresh since putting in the big strides late at Te Rapa in late October.
Bred by the Nakhle family and passed in (with a reserve of just NZ$10,000) at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2), she is the 21st stakes winner for her Waikato Stud based G1 Waikato Stud Cox Plate-winning sire.
One of only three foals produced by the unraced Brilliant Blush (NZ) (Testa Rossa) who sadly died young, Kai is a half-sister to the six times Macau based winner Harbour Wisdom (NZ) (Ego {NZ}).
Her grandam Blushful (Red Ransom {USA}) - whose son Al Magico (Al Maher) is a city winner in Peth and Brisbane - is out of the G1 Australia S. winner Stella Cadente (Centaine) whose six winners include the Listed Gimcrack S. winner Brilliant Bisc (Elvstroem) and the dams of the stakes winners Dashing Fellow (Duporth), Aeronautical (Encosta De Lago) and (Deep Image) (Testa Rossa).
Boasting crosses of the terrific mares Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) and Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) as well as a 4 X 6 cross of Sir Tristram (Ire), Kai hails from the Group 1 family of Bint Marscay (Marscay), Bollinger (Dehere {USA}), Benicio (More Than Ready {USA}), Filante (NZ), Kenny's Best Pal and Royal Merchant (Merchant Navy).
