Cover image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
Trentham: G1 Thorndon Mile, NZ$400,000, 1600m
From a Group 3 to a Group 2 to a Group 1, Puntura (NZ) (Vespa {NZ}) is racing in flying form and proved a class above his rivals in this feature.
One of the five stakes winners (and the first at the elite level) for his Mapperley Stud-based Group 1-winning sire - a son of Elusive City (USA), Puntura is a homebred for Carole and John Lynskey out of their two-time-winning mare Mumzahoney (NZ) (Magic Of Sydney) who has produced another three winners.
Two of whom have been successful at metropolitan level - Margherita Veloce (NZ) (also by Vespa) and Four Degrees (NZ) (Shocking).
Retired from stud duties with her final foal being a full brother to Puntura foaled in 2022, Mumzahoney hails from the family of the stakes winners Foxbay (NZ) (Zephyr Bay), Ellakapella (NZ) (Pompeii Court {USA}), Warrentherooster (NZ) (Savabeel) and Jason Belltree (NZ) (Ferlax {NZ}).
G3 Wellington Cup, NZ$300,000, 3200m
The second stakes winner for the day Aberlour (NZ) (Mongolian Falcon) by a son of Fastnet Rock, Mary Louise (NZ) (The Bold One {NZ}) relished the 3200 metres, putting in a strong performance to record the seventh win of her 15-start career and her first at stakes-level.
The third stakes winner (amongst his first 23 winners) for her Grangewilliam Stud-based sire, Mary Louise is a homebred for EM & NA Bourke and AR Piercy.
Her dam is the two-time winner Daisy Louise (NZ) (Catbird), dam of another two winners and half-sister to another three. Her three-time winning grandam Go Hayley Go (Centaine) is a daughter of the G3 Ladies Mile winner Sneetch (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}) whose daughter Black Mamba (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe {USA}) won at Group 1-level in the United States of America.
Sneetch’s daughter Gussy Godiva (NZ) (Last Tycoon {Ire}) produced the G1 Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor (NZ) and the G2 Wellington Guineas winner Rios (NZ).
Mary Louise’s sire and dam are bred on the same Danehill (USA)/Grosvenor (NZ) cross.
Daisy Louise has two yet to be named full brothers to Mary Louise and was again due to have foaled to him last spring.
G3 Desert Gold S., NZ$120,000, 1600m
Making a strong run out wide, Sudbina (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) went right on with the job having also put in the big strides late at her previous outing in easier company.
A homebred for Frantic Bloodstock and Haunui Bloodstock, she is the 12th stakes winner for her Cambridge Stud-based sire.
She is the penultimate foal (her last Certain Future {NZ}, a full brother to Sudbina being a member of the Annabel Neasham stable) for the unraced Destined (GB) (Danehill {USA}).
The dam of another five winners, Destined is not new to black-type success with her daughter Fix (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) earning the title of New Zealand Filly of the Year with her three wins at Group 2-level.
The grandam of the Listed Phoenix S. winner Political Debate (So You Think {NZ}), Destined is out of the G1 Cheveley Park S. winner Prophecy (Ire) (Warning {GB}) whose three stakes winners include the G1 Ranvet S., G1 Makybe Diva S. and G1 Underwood S. winner Foreteller (GB) (Dansili {GB}).
Gore: Listed Gore Guineas, NZ$80,000, 1335m
Working hard when breaking her maiden at the previous outing, Aberlour (NZ) (Mongolian Falcon) did a great job taking a big step up into Listed success at just her fifth outing.
The first stakes winner (from 16 runners) for her Group 3-winning sire, a son of Fastnet Rock, Aberlour is a homebred for A.S Todd out of the winning mare Sophie Louise (NZ) (Postponed {NZ}).
Due to have foaled (no Stud Book return online as yet) last spring to Satono Aladdin (Jpn), Sophie Louise has also produced amongst her first three foals the stakes-placed five-time winner Tobilicious (NZ) (Natural Destiny).
Sophie Louise is a three-quarter sister to the G1 Easter H. winner Pasta Post (NZ) (Postponed) out of a half-sister to the G3 Hawke’s Bay Cup winner Don Domingo (NZ) (Don Eduardo {NZ}) and the dam of the dual Group 3 winner Polly Grey (NZ) (Azamour {Ire}).
Aberlour is the second stakes winner (from 12 runners/six winners) combining Fastnet Rock and Postponed - noting that the latter’s fourth dam Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}) is the dam of Fastnet Rock’s dam sire Royal Academy.
