Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
G3 Chairman's S. - a varied history
Here's a race with an interesting history, its winners going onto a variety of careers.
First run in 1990 as the Listed Bounding Away Quality, it had a few different sponsors names but has been consistently run as the Chairman's S. since 2010.
It's first winner was a smart one, Wrap Around (Bletchingly) taking it out at her debut en route to another eight victories including the G1 William Reid S. And she then made her mark at stud as ancestress of six stakes winners including her dual Group 1 winning granddaughter Fashions Afield (Redoute's Choice).
Fashions Afield | Image courtesy of Sportpix
The following year's winner had a different racing career, Pampas Fire's (Prince True {USA}) win coming at the last of her four starts. She is ancestress of 10 stakes winners including her Group 1-winning granddaughter Melito (Redoute's Choice).
The 1992 and 1995 runnings were taken out by the full sisters Tennessee Mist (Bletchingly) and Tennessee Magic with the latter being one of the four female winners of this race to produce stakes winners, the others including Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock), dam of Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}).
This is a race to have also been won by future high-class stallions, namely Redoute's Choice in 1999 and 17 years later by his grandson Extreme Choice. Those horses are amongst the three to go onto G1 Blue Diamond S. success; Road To Success (Dolphin Street {Fr}) the other.
Gallery: G3 Chairman's S. winners’ descendants and past winners
And they are amongst the six future Group 1 winners, the others being Coup De Grace, Yell (Anabaa {USA}), Headway (Charge Forward), Crystal Lily (Stratum) and one of the best to have raced in Hong Kong - this race the first won by Subscribe (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who went on to race as Vengeance Of Rain.
He is one of three winners of this race to have won overseas, Bonegilla Tom (Tierce) heading to the United States, winning a race at Hollywood Park whilst Under The Floor (Secret Savings {USA}) won in Hong Kong and Tirade (Distorted Humor {USA}) in Macau.
It's a small but interesting field lining up in Saturday's edition at Caulfield - Race 4 - with only seven accepted including a debutant in the $330,000 Magic Millions colt Evaporate (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) who has won a Flemington jump-out.
Evaporate (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
It is however two who have raced who fight out favouritism - Coleman (Pierata) and Eneeza (Exceed And Excel), both last-start winners resuming off good jump-outs. The former was a touch keen but still too good claiming the Listed Debutant S. at debut whilst the latter raced away to an easy win in the Listed Merson Cooper S. at her second outing.
G3 Geoffrey Bellmaine S. - Wrote To Arataki again?
A relatively new race that was run at Listed level from 2001 until 2006 and at its current Group 3 rating since then, this sprinting contest for mares at Caulfield has a good record in regards to future broodmare success.
In regards to racing ability, the stand-out winner is Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) who took this out in 2021 and 2022 and it is going to be exciting to see how she fares at stud.
Meanwhile eight winners of this race have produced stakes winners - Skewiff (Mookta) the dam of the Group 3 galloper Enquare (Stratum), Given (Canny Lad) producing the Listed winner Green Roller (Flying Spur), Beautiful Gem (Peintre Celebre {USA}) the four-time Group 3 winner Gem Song (Your Song), Coniston Gem (Greig {NZ}) the Group 2 stallion Gold Standard, Lucky Diva (Perugino {USA}) the Group 3 mare Ms Catherine (Shooting To Win), Beaded (Lonhro) the Group 3 winner Resin (Exceed And Excel) and A Time For Julia (Redoute's Choice) the Listed winner As Time Goes By (Deep Impact {Jpn}).
Attempting to emulate Probabeel by winning this race in consecutive years - a feat also achieved by Prussian Vixen (King Of Prussia) in 2017 and 2018 - Wrote To Arataki (NZ) (Wrote {Ire}) was deep into her campaign this time last year whilst this time around she is first-up.
Gallery: Wrote To Arataki (NZ) is attempting to emulate Probabeel (NZ)
She does however race very well fresh, kicking off her last campaign with a somewhat unlucky fast finishing third in the G3 Cockram S. at this track.
She is one of Saturday's runners to have already secured winning black type with the other being last year's G3 Kevin Hayes S. winner Rich Fortune (Rich Enuff). Several others have shown stakes potential including Naiconi (Nicconi) who has jumped out well in preparation for her return, the last-start winners Penthouse (Capitalist) and Vagrant (Pariah) and the consistent A Little Deep (Deep Field).
G3 Canonbury S. - Slipper pointer?
A 2-year-old feature contest that predates the G1 Golden Slipper S. by 27 years, this Group 3 1200-metre contest at Rosehill (Race 3, 1.40pm AEST) has been in different times throughout the previous spring and early summer but regardless of its date it has proven a decent guide to further success.
Fine And Dandy (Star Kingdom {Ire}), Sebring and Vancouver went onto Slipper wins whilst the race has also been won by the high-class gallopers Tulloch (NZ) (his second start and first win), Time And Tide (Star Kingdom) and Shogun Lodge (Grand Lodge {USA}) as well as by the successful stallions Not A Single Doubt, Hinchinbrook and Strategic.
It looks to be an even edition of the race this year with five of the seven acceptors at Rosehill opening at single-figure odds, the early favourite being the $650,000 Magic Millions colt Prost (Snitzel) who has won two trials following his fast-finishing debut third in the G3 Breeders' Plate in September.
Prost, the current race favourite | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
His three-quarter brother debuted with a third in this same race last year, a rather smart one by the name of Shinzo (Snitzel)! First home that day was Red Resistance (Russian Revolution), Prost's stablemate.
Also well-fancied is Godolphin's Traffic Warden (Street Boss {USA}) who broke his maiden at Caulfield having run second at debut to Storm Boy (Justify {USA}).
Fearless (Pierata) and King Of Roseau (Capitalist) are also displaying plenty of natural ability and it will be interesting to see how the first starters go.
There are three of those - the $300,000 Inglis Easter colt Enhance (Exceed And Excel) who has won a Rosehill trial and the $220,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka graduate Pick Up The Tab (NZ) (Savabeel) from the family of Street Cry (Ire) and Shamardal (USA).
G3 Southern Cross S. - a race with Group 1 history
Run as the G3 Southern Cross S. since 2009 and before that known as the Frederick Clissold S. (and before that the Frederick Clissold H.), this open-age sprint at Rosehill (Race 4, 2.15pm AEST) has been won by some more than handy horses.
It has on a number of occasions been won by previous Group 1 winners such as Hartshill (My Heart {Ire}) and more recently Le Romain (Hard Spun {USA}) and even more often by horses who went onto Group 1 glory... Nagpuni (Gaekwar's Pride {GB}), San Domenico (Hua), Tipperary Star, Comrade (NZ), Wong (NZ) (Rojipath {Fr}), Always Welcome, Roman Consul (NZ) (Agricola {GB}), Lord Essex (Scenic {Ire}), Secret Savings (USA), Terravista (Captain Rio {GB}) and Masked Crusader (Toronado {Ire}).
As well as a G1 Melbourne Cup winner and a G1 WS Cox Plate winner - Evening Peal (Delville Wood {GB}) winning this and the big Flemington two-miler in 1956 whilst the popular grey Gunsynd won this race eight months before his big moment in the Moonee Valley sun back in 1972.
There are just seven facing the starter this time around, no Group 1 winners but a smart batch of sprinters nevertheless. Including the in-form Lady Laguna (Overshare) who opened up favourite on the back of her smart wins in the Listed Nudgee S. and the Magic Millions Fillies & Mares.
Lady Laguna | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Baller (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Hard To Say (Exceed And Excel) also come off solid Queensland form whilst a couple of nice types are resuming - Malkovich (Choisir) and Kristilli (Hellbent).
G3 White Robe Lodge WFA - match race?
Two impressive last-start winners are fighting out favouritism for this 1600-metre feature at Wingatui and with all racegoers loving a good clash, it would be fun to see them go head-to-head over the final stages.
Both horses have been around, both have their fans - the 6-year-old Perfect Scenario (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) and the 8-year-old Times Ticking (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
The winner of eight races including his recent success at this track and this same race last year, Perfect Scenario attempts to become the seventh horse to win this race on multiple occasions.
Gallery: Two impressive last-start winners are fighting out favouritism for this 1600-metre feature at Wingatui
Times Ticking also knows how to find the line, the 11-time winner coming off a big win in the G3 Trentham S. - his third success at Group level.
Also heading to this race on the back of consistent form is Lord Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) who has been sparingly raced since enjoying Group 3 success in August 2022.
Matscot (NZ) (Haradasun) had foot and muscle issues following on from his latest disappointing run, but he had previously finished off nicely in the G1 TAB Classic won by last weekend's winner Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai).
Dazzling Miss (NZ) (Proisir) is more lightly raced than her major rivals but she is building a nice record, in the winner's circle on six occasions from 13 starts and she did not have the best of luck when contesting the Listed Timaru S.
G3 Taranaki 2YO Classic - and odds-on favourite
Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) has created a big impression winning her first two starts - in late November and early December (the G2 Challenge S.) and she has trialled nicely as she heads to this race on the fresh side.
The $525,000 Magic Millions graduate out of the Flemington winner Moldova (Snitzel) has drawn nicely for Opie Bosson and it looks like it will be her the others will be chasing. Of those only two have raced - her stablemate Dream Of The Moon (All Too Hard) third to her in the Challenge whilst Kay's Ruebe (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}) was solid off a slow start at her New Plymouth debut late last year.
It is quite the race for Australian-bred horses - Captured By Love and Dream Of The Moon joined by Chicago Jack (All Too Hard), Hakushu (I Am Invincible) and Love Poem (Snitzel).
Captured By Love | Image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images Palmerston North)
The most expensive purchase amongst those was Hakushu, a $520,000 Inglis Easter yearling out of the G3 Tesio S. winner Shoko (Sebring). Love Poem was also popular, the filly out of a sister to Pierro fetching $280,000 at Inglis Easter.
The two New Zealand-bred debutantes are both homebreds; the trial winning Mirabella (NZ) (Sweynesse) a half-sister to the stakes-placed Big Story (NZ) (What's The Story {NZ}) whilst Shavasana (NZ) (Super Seth) is a half-sister to the Darci Brahma (NZ) stakes winners Windborne (NZ) and Darci's Dream (NZ).
