Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Randwick: G1 Verry Elleegant S., $1,000,000, 1600m
It was a third Group 1 success for Think It Over (So You Think {NZ}) who took his prizemoney tally to beyond $8.4 million with this strong performance.
One of the 56 stakes winners (and 11 Group 1 winners) for his Coolmore Stud-based star sire, Think It Over is a homebred for Bylong Park out of the unraced Personal Service (Zabeel {NZ}) who has produced another three winners.
A half-sister to the Group 1 gallopers Universal Prince and Universal Queen (Scenic {Ire}), Personal Service sadly died in 2022 with her final foal being the yet-to-race Denis Pagan trained 4-year-old Normie No Show (Exosphere).
Able to count amongst his relations the big-race winners Blevic and Krone (Eurozone), Think It Over is line-bred to the wonderful mares Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Perfume II (GB) (Badruddin {Fr}) - and he is a descendant of the latter's influential third dam Marchetta (GB) (Marco {GB}).
G1 Surround S., $750,000, 1400m
A spring and summer Group 1 winner, Tropical Squall (Prized Icon) proved herself to be one of the season's finest 3-year-old fillies.
Bred by Kooringal Stud - home to her G1 VRC Derby and G1 Champagne S. - winning sire, Tropical Squall was a bargain purchase for Gooree Park who bred and raced Prized Icon.
It took just $16,000 to secure Tropical Squall from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale - a great bit of buying!
Her sire's first stakes winner, Tropical Squall is one of the five winners produced by the Cranbourne maiden winner Squalls (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}). Sadly, she is the final foal for that mare who died in early 2021.
Squalls' dam is the G3 Frances Tressady and G3 Mannerism S. winner Blue Storm (Bluebird {USA}), also dam of the G3 Breeders' Classic winner Steflara (Zabeel {NZ}) and ancestress of the G1 Thousand Guineas winner Flit (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) and the Listed-winning sprinter Federal (Medaglia D'Oro).
Blue Storm's dam is the triple Group 1 winner Gold Hope (NZ) (John's Hope) whose five foals to race were all winners with one of her unraced daughters being the dam of the G2 Taranaki 2YO Classic winner Byzance Star (Clear Choice {USA}).
G2 Skyline S., $300,000, 1200m
Continuing on his winning way as he heads to the G1 Golden Slipper S., Storm Boy (Justify {USA}) made it four from four.
Bred by Katom and sold by Coolmore Stud to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing and Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $460,000 at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale (recently partly sold back to Coolmore) Storm Boy is one of the 26 stakes winners for his Coolmore-based, American Crown-winning shuttling sire.
The well-named colt is the first foal produced by the lightly raced Moonee Valley winner Pelican (NZ) (Fastnet Rock) whose second is a Pierro colt and whose third - born in mid-October last year - is a filly by St Mark's Basilica (Fr). And not surprisingly she paid a return visit to Justify last spring.
The Pierro colt will head to the same stable, purchased by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott with Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $375,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast.
Pelican is one of the four winners produced by the star New Zealand mare Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}) - the seven time Group 1 winner who also produced the Group 3 placed dual-city-winner Divan (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Seachange is one of two Group 1 winners produced by the placed Just Cruising (NZ) (Broad Reach {NZ}), also dam of the G1 Levin Classic winner Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper) - in turn dam of the Listed winner Espresso Martini (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Storm Boy is one of the four (from 14 runners/12 winners) Justify stakes winners out of Fastnet Rock mare - a cross which provides for the duplication of the terrific mare Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}) via her grandson Storm Cat (USA) and son Royal Academy (USA).
G2 Sweet Embrace S., $300,000, 1200m
It was win number two from three starts for Manaal (Tassort), an Emirates Park homebred who was the first runner for her Newgate Farm-based sire who has made such an encouraging start with his four winners from 14 runners.
When winning the G3 Gimcrack S. last spring, she also became the first stakes winner with I Am Invincible as a great-grandsire - another generation to his sire line.
Manaal is out of the imported Listed winner Red Lodge (USA) (Midshipman {USA}) whose first two foals are both winners - Fightertown (Snitzel) breaking his maiden for the Chris Waller stable at Warwick Farm late winter whilst Badr (USA) (Kitten's Joy {USA}) is a winner in Saudi Arabia.
Red Lodge - who was served last spring by Justify (USA) after foaling a Zoustar filly (and an I Am Invincible filly the year before) - is a half-sister to the Listed Deville S. winner Good Like Magic (USA) (Good Magic {USA}).
Her grandam is the dual Group 1 winner Memories Of Silver (USA) (Silver Hawk {USA}) whose five winners include the dual Group 1 winner Winter Memories (USA) (El Prado {Ire}), the Group 3 winner La Cloche (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA}) and the Storm Cat (USA) Listed winners British Blue and War Trace.
Manaal has no male duplications within six generations of her pedigree but within seven is line-bred to the outstanding mares My Charmer (USA) (Poker {USA}) and Flower Bowl (USA) (Alibhai {GB}) - the former appearing via her sons Lomond (USA) and Seattle Slew (USA) and the latter via her sons (and full brothers) His Majesty (USA) and Graustark (USA).
G2 Guy Walter S., $300,000, 1400m
Showing great determination picking up the Group 1 winner Hinged (Worthy Cause) right on the line, Hell Hath No Fury (Hellbent) was up in class but too good.
Stakes placed at three, the four-time winner is the fifth stakes winner for her Yarraman Park-based sire. Bred by that stud's Harry Mitchell, she was sold by them to Brae Sokolski for $160,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Her Listed Bow Mistress Trophy winning dam Diamond Cove (Octagonal {NZ}) is also dam of the G3 Summer Cup winner Montauk (More Than Ready {USA}) and the stakes-placed Bright Diamond (I Am Invincible) as well as the dam of the two-time Group 3 placed Prince Of Sussex (Toronado {Ire}).
Diamond Cove is out of a half-sister to the multiple Group-winning sprinter/miler Kidman's Cove (Marscay) and her grandam is the Listed Birthday Card H. winner Settlers Cove (Luskin Star).
Other members of this family include the G1 The Galaxy winner Charge Forward, the South African Group 1 winner Sydney's Dream (Bletchingly) and the G1 Hong Kong Champions Mile winner Southern Legend (Not A Single Doubt).
G3 Liverpool City Cup, $250,000, 1300m
Too good on pace at his first run since December, the speedy and tough Phearson (Exosphere) recorded his second win at stakes level.
Bred by Fernrigg Farm and Tim Scales, he was sold by Fernrigg to Sunninghill Park Stud for $65,000 at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
One of the nine stakes winners for his Oaklands Stud-based, G1 Golden Rose S.-winning sire, Phearson is the first stakes winner and one of the three winners for the dual city winner Chateau D'Yquem (NZ) (Pins).
The grandam of the stakes-placed juvenile Cerons (Street Boss {USA}) who was out of the placings behind Storm Boy (Justify {USA}) on Saturday, Chateau D'Yquem is now in New Zealand with her latest stud book recorded foal being her 2022 filly by Darci Brahma (NZ).
Chateau D'Yquem is one of the 11 winners produced by the winner Miss Distinction (NZ) (Bletchencore), also dam of the dual Group 1 winner Gee I Jane (NZ) (Jahafil {GB}) and the Group 3 galloper Miss Jessie Jay (NZ) (Spectacularphantom {USA}) and grandam of the Group 1 winners Katie Lee (NZ) (Pins) and Banchee (NZ) (Oratorio {Ire}).
Phearson has a very Australian pedigree with four strains of Star Kingdom - two each of Kaoru Star and Biscay.
Flemington: G1 Australian Guineas, $1,000,000, 1600m
It was a second generation winner for Daandine Pastoral - breeders of Southport Tycoon and of his Champion Sire Written Tycoon.
Selling this colt to Bennett Racing for $300,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions, Daandine have certainly made their mark on Australian breeding!
And it was a good race for Yulong as well, home to Written Tycoon and to Grunt (NZ), sire of the runner-up Veight.
The 62nd stakes winner and 13th Group 1 winner for Written Tycoon, Southport Tycoon is the second live foal produced by the placed Ready To Rule (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}) whose full sister Grace And Power (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}) is the dam of the G1 Darley Classic winner Delectation (Shamardal {USA}) and grandam of the G1 Blue Diamond S. and G1 Canterbury S. winner Artorius.
A descendant of the legendary matriarch La Troienne (Fr) (Teddy {Fr}), Ready To Rule was served last spring by Spirit Of Boom after foaling a filly by Farnan.
She'd not had much luck before that; Southport Tycoon who most recent named foal.
Southport Tycoon is the third Written Tycoon Group 1 winner - Coolongatta and Luna Rossa the others - out of a More Than Ready (USA) mare; a cross which has produced 23 winners from 28 runners.
G2 Blamey S., $300,000, 1600m
Part of a good day for her sire and her family, Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) was too strong enjoying a class drop after contesting the G1 CF Orr S. first-up.
A 10-time winner who is edging closer towards $4 million, she has now won seven races at stakes level. One of the 141 stakes winners for her Waikato Stud-based sire, Atishu is a NZ$260,000 graduate of the New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale (Book 1) - sold by Waikato Stud to Go Racing.
Bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Nureyev (USA), Atishu is a well named daughter of the dual-winning No Excuse Needed (GB) mare Posy (NZ), sister to the NZ Champion 3-year-old Daffodil (NZ) whose three wins at Group 1 level include the AJC Oaks.
Served last spring by Ardrossan having slipped her two previous foals, Posy has as her most recent foal the Mick Price and Micheal Kent (Jnr) trained 3-year-old Dream All Day (NZ) (Savabeel) who has been placed in a couple of jump-outs.
Also dam of the G3 Desert Gold S. winner Mazzolino (NZ) - also by Savabeel, Posy hails from the same family as today's G1 New Zealand Derby winner Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel).
Champion NZ 3-year-old Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) is another member of this prolific family, which has as its ancestress the high class UK broodmare Felucca (GB) (Nearco {Ite}).
Listed Furphy Trophy, $175,000, 1000m
Holding up the form that saw her defeat subsequent G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}} in the R. Listed Inglis Banner on WS Cox Plate Day, Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau) was just too fast for her rivals.
Bred by the Pope family and sold by Blue Gum Farm to Lindsay Park and Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) for $270,000 at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, she is one of the 26 stakes winners for her Darley Victoria-based sire.
Her dam is the Listed Bob Hoysted winner Chloe In Paris (Exceed And Excel) whose dam is the four-time Group winner Innovation Girl (Rubiton) - also dam of another R. Listed Inglis Banner winner in Ideas Man (also by Brazen Beau) and grandam of the stakes winners She Dances (Street Boss {USA}) and Larimer Street (Brazen Beau again).
Served last spring by Anamoe, Chloe In Paris missed to So You Think (NZ) the previous season with her yearling being a full brother to Bold Bastille.
Ascot: Listed Lex Piper S., $125,000, 1600m
He is a horse who knows how to find the line, Russian To The Bar (Russian Revolution) digging deep to record the fourth success of his six-start career and his second in a row at Listed level.
Bred by GR Daws who remains in the ownership, the 3-year-old was sold by Dawson Stud to trainer Luke Fernie for $200,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Perth Winter Yearling Sale having been passed in for $150,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale earlier that year.
One of the 10 stakes winners for his Newgate-based sire, he is the second stakes winner produced by the Listed Starstruck Classic and Listed La Trice Classic winner Rosie Rocket (Blackfriars) - her other being the triple Group winner Kissonallforcheeks (Written Tycoon).
Served last spring by Dundeel (NZ) after foaling a filly by Capitalist, Rosie Rocket missed the previous season and her 2-year-old Sophia's Kiss (All Too Hard) is a member of the Sean and Jake Casey stable.
Rosie Rocket is one of only two foals (and the only named) for the city placed Rose For Jodie (Scenic {Ire}) whose grandam is a half-sister to the Hong Kong Horse of the Year Indigenous (Ire) (Marju {Ire}).
Bred on a 4 X 3 cross of Danehill (USA) via Redoute's Choice and Blackfriars, Russian To The Bar is also line-bred to the great mare Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) through her son Nureyev (USA) and grandson Sadler's Wells (USA).
Listed Ascot 1000 Guineas, $125,000, 1800m
Favourite on the back of two smart wins in a row, Own the Queen (Awesome Rock) handled a rise in class with aplomb.
Bred by Clive Atwell and sold by the Western Breeders Alliance to John Chalmers Bloodstock and Erkelens Racing for $57,500 at the 2022 Magic Millions Perth, she is the fifth stakes winner for her Gold Front Thoroughbreds-based, G1 Emirates S.-winning sire, a son of Fastnet Rock.
Her dual city winning dam Queen Of Choice (Patronize) has had three named foals, all of whom are winners. Served last year by Playing God and Lightsaber, she foaled a Playing Gold colt in October having slipped to that same stallion the year before.
Her 2-year-old is a son of I'm All The Talk and her yearling colt is by Playing God. Queen Of Choice's city placed winning dam Coronations (Canny Lad) is a half-sister ot the dam of the G3 Skyline S. winner Uate (Ad Valorem {USA}) whist her grandam is a half-sister to the G3 CS Hayes S. winner Cannibal King (Clear Choice {USA}).
