Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Moonee Valley: G2 Australia S., $350,000, 1200m
The first 3-year-old since Holler in 2016 to beat the older horses in this sprinting feature, Veight (Grunt {NZ}) really pinned his ears back, showing good heart to get up in the final strides.
Having his first run since his G1 Caulfield Guineas second, the handsome colt has now won three Group races.
Bred by Yulong Stud (home to his G1 Australian Guineas and G1 Makybe Diva S. winning sire), he was sold by them to Sledmere Stud/Cangon Pty Ltd for $100,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale.
Sledmere then sold him onto McEvoy Mitchell Racing/Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) for $220,000 at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Hailing from his sire's debut crop (one which also produced the Listed winner Miraval Rose), Veight is a son of the dual Group 3 winner Neena Rock (Fastnet Rock) whose dam is a half-sister to the Group 1 winning stallion Quiet American (USA).
A descendant of the famed matriarch Plucky Liege (GB) (Spearmint {GB}), Neena Rock was served last spring by Grunt (NZ) after foaling a colt by Tagaloa. Her yet to race 2-year-old Rock Pop is a full sister, and stablemate, to Veight.
Veight boasts duplications of three influential mares within seven generations - Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) and Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}).
Randwick: Listed Carrington S., $200,000, 1400m
On the improve at each run this campaign, Zou Tiger (Zoustar) was just too strong at his third run in - recording his first success at stakes level.
The two times winner from 13 starts was bred by Widden Stud, Boeara Holdings, C Ricards, D Shaw and E Bertoli and sold by Widden to John O’Shea for $200,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling sale.
The 48th stakes winner for his Widden based-sire, Zou Tiger is the second stakes winner for the dual city winner Tigress Lily (Snitzel) whose daughter Daisies (Sebring) won the G2 Stocks S., the G3 Ethereal S. and the G3 Alexandra.
Served last spring by Jacquinot after foaling a So You Think (NZ) colt with her previous foal being a Written By colt, Tigress Lily is out of the Group 1-placed Empress Lily (Zabeel {NZ}) whose dam is the triple Group 1 winner Tycoon Lil (Last Tycoon {Ire}).
Zou Tiger is Zoustar’s seventh stakes winner line-bred to Redoute’s Choice and he also carries a strain of that stallion’s relation Try My Best (USA) - making him the second stakes winner for the day line-bred to Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}).
Sunshine Coast: Listed Sunshine Coast Cup, $160,000, 1400m
Kinloch (I Am Invincible) was rising in class and distance but was too good, winning for the first time at stakes level.
The winner of another six races during his 29 start career, the 6-year-old was bred by J Chapman and sold by Jamieson Park to Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) for NZ$300,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
The 102nd stakes winner for his Yarraman Park based Australian Champion Sire, Kinloch is one of two winners from three runners for the city placed five times winner More Beautiful (More Than Ready {US}) whose half-sister Grand Journey (Good Journey {USA}) won the G1 WA Derby.
Due to have foaled last spring to Hello Youmzain (Fr), the now New Zealand based More Beautiful (whose latest named foal is the yet to race 3-year-old Autumn Beauty by The Autumn Sun) is a full sister to the Listed winner Proliferate (More Than Ready {USA}) and half-sister to the dam of the G1 Galaxy winner Griante (Good Journey {USA}).
Kinloch is the second stakes winner (from 17 winners/23 runners) by I Am Invincible out of a mare by More Than Ready (USA).
Ascot: Listed Scenic Blast S., $125,000, 1200m
It was another good day for Australia’s reigning Champion Sire I Am Invincible with his daughter Real Danger his second stakes winner for the day - and his 103rd overall.
A homebred for Bob and Sandra Peters, Real Danger is a full sister to the retired dual city winner Real Grace (served last spring by Pierata) out of the dual Listed winner Real Charm (Reset) who was also bred by Peters.
Served last spring by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) after foaling a filly by that same stallion Real Charm has the yet to race 2-year-old Cypress Mountain (Vancouver) in the Michael Grantham stable… that colt running third in a Lark Hill trial a couple of weeks ago.
Real Charm is one of the five winners produced by the winner Purfect Size (NZ) (Catbird) whose son Mystic Prince (Reset) won the G2 Western Australian Derby.
Both Real Charm and her daughter boast interesting pedigrees (as can be expected with Peters' horses!) - Real Charm bred on a 4 X 4 cross of her own fourth dam Summoned (Crowned Prince {USA}) who is a descendant of the great matriarch Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}).
As is I Am Invincible - as is his second dam sire Zoffany (USA)... and I Am Invincible picks up exceptionally well on the Chelandry influence.
Morphettville: Listed Durbridge S., $120,000, 1100m
Going to the lead at her first run since the spring, Aitch Two Oh (Headwater) kept going strongly - never looking in any danger of defeat.
One of the six stakes winners for her Vinery Stud based G2 Silver Slipper S. winning sire, Aitch Two Oh was bred by Gerry Harvey and purchased by trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly for $65,000 from the Baramul Stud draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
She is the second foal and one of two winners for the lightly raced Geelong maiden winner Very Dogmatic (NZ) (Swiss Ace), a full sister to the G3 Vo Rogue Plate winner Mywayorthehighway (NZ).
Served last spring by Snitzel after foaling a Written Tycoon filly, Very Dogmatic has a yet to be named All Too Hard 2-year-old filly and the yet to race three-year-old Mr Assertive (Press Statement) in the Mark and Levi Kavanagh stable. Aitch Two Oh hails from the same family as the Group 1 winners Reset, Assertive Lad (Zeditave), Assertive Lass (Zeditave) and Lindermann (Lonhro).
