Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Randwick: G2 Apollo S., $300,000, 1400m
Fangirl (Sebring) looks set for another successful campaign, letting down so impressively to gather in her rivals before racing away by 2.25l.
One of her late sire's 82 stakes winners, the Ingham racing homebred is one of five winners for her triple Listed-winning dam Little Surfer Girl (a $1.5 million yearling by Encosta De Lago), daughter of the wonderful mare Special Harmony (Spinning World {USA}) who won 10 races, three of those at Group 1 level.
Special Harmony's dam Marooned Lady (Marooned {GB}) was also classy, that G2 WA Sires' Produce S. winner producing 10 winners including the G2 Perth Cup winner King Canute (King Of Kings {Ire}) and the G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Redwoldt (King Of Kings {Ire}).
Marooned Lady is also ancestress of the Listed Hobart Guineas winner Reprisal (Galileo {Ire}), the Listed Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic winner Saintorio (Oratorio), the G3 Western Australian Oaks winner She's Fit (Pride Of Dubai) and the Listed JF Meynink S. winner Double Heart (Lion Heart {USA}).
Like fellow multiple Group 1 winner Alligator Blood (All Too Hard), Fangirl is line-bred to the terrific mare Rolls (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}), dam of Sebring's damsire Flying Spur and grandam of Encosta De Lago.
Fangirl is a descendant of the lovely mare Democratie (Fr) (Epinard {Fr}), also ancestress of the high-class stallions Red Ransom (USA) and Showdown (GB).
Served last spring by Home Affairs having foaled a colt by him in September, Little Surfer Girl had a Wootton Bassett (GB) filly in 2022. She has also produced the city winners Dancing Gidget (Al Maher) and Palmateer (Fastnet Rock) with the latter being the dam of the stakes-placed Cigar Flick (Churchill {Ire}).
G2 Expressway S., $300,000, 1200m
Really putting in the big strides late, King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible) was tough to the line recording his eighth win from 28 starts - taking his prizemoney tally to beyond $3.3 million.
Bred by Yarraman Park - home to his Champion Sire - with HG and MG Cope, King Of Sparta is raced by them with various other owners including the China Horse Club who, with Newgate Bloodstock and Starlight Racing, bought him for $700,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Also winner of this year's R. Listed Magic Millions Guineas, the G3 Bletchingly S. and the Listed Falvelon Quality, King Of Sparta is one of his sire's 105 stakes winners and one of four (from five to race) winners for his G3 Cockram S. and Listed Kevin Hayes S.-winning dam Octavia (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}).
Also dam of the metropolitan winners Aviemore (Written Tycoon) and Ljungberg (I Am Invincible), Octavia was again served by I Am Invincible last spring having missed to him the previous year, producing a dead foal by him the year before that.
Also by I Am invincible is her 2-year-old Braveheart, a $1.3 million Inglis Easter colt in the Peter and Paul Snowden stable.
Octavia is one of the nine (from as many to race) winners produced by the multiple city winner Filming (Brocco {USA}) whose dam is the two-time Group 1-placed, two-time Group winner Paklani (Haulpak), dam of the Group 3 winner Real Mak (Brahms {USA}) and grandam of the South African Group 1 winners Stellite (SAf) (Fard {Ire}) and Zirconeum (SAf) (Jallad {USA})
King Of Sparta is also closely related to the local stakes winners Jersey Lily (Catbird) and True Valour (NZ) (Honour And Glory {USA}).
Bred on a 4 X 4 Danzig (USA) cross, King Of Sparta also boasts duplications of the influential mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}) and Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}).
G2 Light Fingers S., $300,000, 1200m
It was a deserved - and determined - breakthrough at stakes level for the consistent Kimochi (Brave Smash {Jpn}) who had seven black-type placings on her resume including placings in the G1 Flight S. and the G1 Thousand Guineas.
Having her first run since the latter, Kimochi is the second stakes winner from the debut crop of her Yarraman Park-based, dual Group 1-winning sire.
Bred by Aquis Farm, Kimochi was sold by Valiant Stud for just $21,000 to Hall Of Fame Bloodstock at the 2021 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale.
She is second foal and second winner for the unraced Summer Fun (I Am Invincible) whose G1 VRC Oaks-placed dam Summerbliss (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) produced the Group 3-placed, multiple city winner Real Charisma (I Am Invincible).
Served last spring by Farnan having lost her previous foal, Summer Fun has a yet-to-be-named 2-year-old filly by Invader and a yearling colt by Russian Revolution.
Summerbliss is a granddaughter of the G1 Woodbine International S. winner Infamy (Ire) (Shirley Heights {GB}), dam of 11 winners including the Group winners Innuendo (Ire) (Caerleon {USA}), Moon Queen (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}) and Barafamy (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}) as well as the Listed winner Rostropovich (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}).
Hailing from the family of Dubawi (Ire), Infamy is also ancestress of the stakes winners Criticism (GB) (Machiavellian {USA}), Magical Touch (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), Peacoat (GB) (Doyen {Ire}), Beauty Parlor (USA) (Elusive Quality {USA}), The Brothers War (USA), Enola Gay (USA) (Uncle Mo {USA}), Famous Wolf (Fr) (Kendargent {Fr}), Raa Atoll (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), Selfie Star (Ind) (Excellent Art {GB}), Silver Beauty (Ind) (Aussie Rules {USA}) and Wonderful (Ind) (Excellent Art).
G3 Triscay S., $250,000, 1200m
Adding a Group 3 win to a nice record that also includes her previous start success in the R. Listed Magic Millions Cup, Semana (Winning Rupert) became a millionaire with this classy performance.
One of the three stakes winners for her Grandview Stud-based sire - a very fast son of Written Tycoon - she was bred by G1G Racing and Breeding, David Murphy, David Warner, Joel Oliver, Simon Lamont and Dahlia Bloodstock and sold by Newgate Farm to James Bester Bloodstock and Vantage Thoroughbreds for $200,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
She is the second foal and second winner for the triple city-winning mare Festivity (Nicconi), also dam of the six-time winner More The Merrier (Dissident).
A half-sister to the Listed Atlantic Jewel S. winner Merriest (Denman) out of a granddaughter of the G1 VRC Oaks winner Scomeld (Scotian), Festivity was served last year by Farnan and Spirit Of Boom having foaled a colt by the former. Her 2-year-old Gala Queen (Deep Field) ran second in a December Pakenham jump-out for the Phillip Stokes stable.
Ellerslie: G2 Avondale Guineas, NZ$175,000, 2100m
The only filly in the field, Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) won in the style expected off an odds-on favourite, proving a class above her rivals as she raced clear by 4l.
One of the 139 stakes winners her Waikato Stud-based sire, she is the first live foal for her Group 3-placed, four-time winning dam Symphonic (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) who was due to again have foaled to Savabeel last spring, in 2022 producing a colt by him.
Symphonic is out of a half-sister to the G1 Ellerslie Sires' Produce S. winner Good Faith (NZ) (Straight Strike {USA}), dam of the stakes winners Tully Dane and Mygoodgrace (Royal Academy {USA}).
Other members of this prolific family include the Group 1 gallopers Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) and Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}).
Orchestral is one of the 30 stakes winners (amongst 161 winners from 220 runners) by Savabeel out of a mare by O’Reilly (NZ). And she is one of the 11 winners from 13 runners by Savabeel out of a mare by O’Reilly with a grandam by Danasinga.
G2 Avondale Cup, NZ$175,000, 2400m
Returning to the scene of his 2022 G1 New Zealand Derby success, Asterix (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) relished a step up to 2400 metres, outstaying his rivals with this classy performance.
One of the 46 stakes winners for his much -missed sire, Asterix was bred by Go Bloodstock New Zealand and sold by Curraghmore to Bruce Perry Bloodstock for NZ$450,000 at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run.
He is one of the three winners (from as many to race) for the imported stakes-placed, two-time winner Mourasana (GB) (Shirocco {Ger}) whose G2 Prix de Royallieu winning half-sister Mouramara (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}) is the dam of the G1 Sydney Cup winner Mourayan (Ire) (Alhaarth {Ire}) and the Listed winner Mourilyan (Ire) (Desert Prince {Ire}).
Asterix's two-time winning grandam Mamoura (Ire) (Lomond {USA}) is also ancestress of the stakes winners Skins Game (GB) (Diktat {GB}), Epatha (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}), Volkan Star (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) and Endless Time (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
Boasting a cross of the Canadian Oaks heroine Flaming Page (USA) (Bull Page {USA}), Asterix is a descendant of the star mare Pretty Polly (GB) (Gallinule {GB}).
Mourasana was due to have foaled last spring to Tarzino (NZ) having foaled an Ocean Park (NZ) filly in 2022. Her 3-year-old Perfect Ten (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) is a yet-to-race member of the Lloyd Kennewell and Lucy Yeomans stable.
Listed Uncle Remus S., NZ$100,000, 1200m
Measuring up to stakes class as he recorded the third win of his seven-start career, Pericles (NZ) (Rubick) was part of a good few minutes for Ballymore Stables who had won the previous race at Flemington with Big Watch (Shamus Award).
Bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds, Pericles was sold by them to Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables for NZ$110,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
The 10th stakes winner for his Swettenham Stud-based, regally bred sire, Pericles is the first foal for the unraced Empyrean (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) whose dam is the star mare Ethereal (NZ) (Rhythm {USA}).
That four-time Group 1 winner did a great job at stud with her six winners (from seven to race) including the Listed Marton Cup winner Seraphim (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), three stakes-placed winners and the dam of the multiple Group winners Supera (NZ) (Savabeel) and Eleonora (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) - noting that the latter is the dam of the Listed winner Ethereal Star (Snitzel).
Ethereal is one of the seven winners produced by the five-time Group 3 winner Romanee Conti (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), a three-quarter sister to the G1 Australasian Oaks winner Grand Echezeaux (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who produced the multiple Group 1 winning successful stallion Darci Brahma (NZ).
Served last spring by Farnan having missed the previous season, Empyrean has a yearling colt by Ole Kirk. He recently went through the Karaka ring, purchased by Go Racing and Blandford Bloodstock for NZ$200,000.
Pericles is the second Rubick stakes winner out of a mare carrying a strain of his relation Try My Best (USA) - Shades Of Rose the other. Bred on a 6 X 6 cross of Rubick's prolific fifth dam Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}), Pericles is also line-bred to the Kentucky Oaks heroine Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}).
Ascot Park: Listed Southland Guineas, NZ$120,000, 1600m
There were some impressive performances across Australasia today and the 5.5l victory recorded by Aberlour (NZ) (Mongolian Falcon) was certainly one of them.
Also the winner of the Listed Gore Guineas last time out, she is the first stakes winner (from 17 runners) for his Group 3-winning sire, a son of Fastnet Rock. She is a homebred for A.S Todd out of the winning mare Sophie Louise (NZ) (Postponed {NZ}).
Last spring foaling a Satono Aladdin (Jpn) filly, 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 {USA}) 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 damsire Royal Academy (USA).
