Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Rosehill: G1 Golden Slipper, $5,000,000, 1200m
It was a race in which so much of the pre-race hype centred on the boys but it would a filly to find the line - Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) the sixth G1 Golden Slipper S. winner of her gender in the last ten years.
After running such a great race in the G1 Blue Diamond S. in which Coleman (Pierata) - second to her today - was so favoured - Lady Of Camelot was able to go right on with it at just her fourth start.
One of the 62 stakes winners - and the 15th Group 1 winner (and second Golden Slipper winner, Capitalist the other) - for her in-form Yulong based Champion Sire Lady Of Camelot is one of the three stakes winners (from her first three foals) for the Listed Denise's Joy S. winner Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock).
A home-bred for Go Bloodstock, Lady Of Camelot is a half-sister to the four times Group 3 winner Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible) and the G3 Gimcrack S. winner Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar). Those two also raced today, both out of the placings in feature events at Moonee Valley.
A daughter of the G3 Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. winner More Than Real (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}), Miss Debutante missed last spring by Zoustar having foaled an I Am Invincible filly. Her 2022 foal is a colt by Flying Artie.
More Than Real is out of the five times Listed winner Miss Seffens (USA) (Dehere {USA}) whose dam Noise Enough (Can) (Bold Ruckus {USA) was also a stakes winner... that's a remarkable five generations of female black-type!
Lady Of Camelot is one of the 28 Written Tycoon winners (from 34 runners) out of mares by Fastnet Rock and another four of those are stakes winners.
G1 Galaxy H., $1,000,000, 1100m
It was a deserved Group 1 breakthrough for Zapateo (Brazen Beau), the winner of four Group races and third in the G1 Robert Sangster S. and the G1 Goodwood.
Part of a good day for the I Am Invincible sire line, Zapateo is a Godolphin home-bred. She is one of the 26 stakes winners for her Darley based sire - and his second Group 1 winner.
She is out of the Listed Ramornie H. winner Jerezana (Lonhro) who did such a great job at stud with all of her six foals being winners including the the Group 2 winning sprinter Osborne Bulls (Street Cry {Ire}) and the Group 3 placed Badajoz (Commands).
Jerezana (who died in 2019 is out of the Group 1 placed dual city winner Saddler's Silk (Barathea {Ire}) whose grandson Viridine (Poet's Voice {GB}) is a two times Group winner.
Also from this family are the stakes winners Barawin (Barathea {Ire}), De La Terre (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), Black Thorn (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) and Brief Embrace (Irgun {USA}).
G1 George Ryder S., $1,000,000, 1500m
So tough taking on the older horses, Veight (Grunt {NZ}) was deserving of his first win at the elite level having won three times in Group company and finishing runner-up in the G1 Australian Guineas and the G1 Caulfield GUineas.
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 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 after foaling a colt by Tagaloa. Her yet to race 2-year-old Rock Pop is a full sister, and stablemate, to Veight. She won a Terang jump-out late last mongth.
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}).
G1 Ranvet S., $1,000,000, 2000m
Part of a great day for Yulong - home to the G1 Golden Slipper winner's sire Written Tycoon and the G1 George Ryder S. winner's sire Grunt (NZ) - the Ranvet saw imported mares racing in their bottle green colours finish one two, Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) game defeat Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}).
Having her first Australian start off consistent form in UK and European Group 1 company - winning the G1 Pretty Polly S. last July - Via Sistina is one of her Australian bred, Coolmore Stud based sire's 193 stakes winners.
Bred by Laundry Cottage Stud Farm, she was purchased by Evergreen Equine for 2.7 million gns at last year's Tattersalls December Mares Sale.
Her dam is the unraced Nigh (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) whose half-brother Kingsgate Native (Ire) (Mujadil {USA}) earned the title of GB Champion 3YO Sprinter with his two wins at the elite level - the G1 Golden Jubilee S. and the G1 Nunthorpe S.
A descendant of the G1 Irish Oaks winner Djebellica (Fr) (Djebel {Fr}) - also ancestress of Pierro - Via Sistina is one of the 49 stakes winners and 13 Group 1 winners (from 324 winners/540 runners) combining Galileo and Fastnet Rock.
G1 Rosehill Guineas, $750,000, 2000m
It was a second Group 1 for last year's G1 VRC Derby hero Riff Rocket (American Pharoah {USA}) whose record of six wins from ten starts is hard to fault!
One of the 45 stakes winners for his former Coolmore shuttling sire, Riff Rocket is the second foal produced by the stakes placed multiple city winner Missile Coda (Smart Missile) who was also raced by Debbie Kepitis.
Her first foal Quintillion (Deep Field) is a lightly raced metropolitan maiden placegetter and she was served last spring by Home Affairs having also visited him (no online stud return as yet) the previous season.
Her third foal is the Michael Freedman trained 2-year-old Codetta (Nicconi).
Missile Coda is out of the triple city winner Rain Melody (Lonhro), a half sister to the Listed Toy Show H. winner Walk Alone (Honour And Glory {USA}) from the family of the stakes winners Rai Affair (Commands), Ranges (Shooting To Win) and Wayupinthesky (Snitzel).
A descendant of the 1945 G1 Melbourne Cup winner Rainbird (The Buzzard {GB}), Riff Rocket boasts a cross of the terrific mare Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}) via her grandson Storm Cat (USA) and son Royal Academy (USA).
This cross works particularly well when Royal Academy appears via Fastnet Rock (sire of Smart Missile) - he and Storm Cat combining in the pedigrees of 45 stakes winners; eight of whom are Group 1 winners with another one of those being today's G1 George Ryder S. winner Veight (Grunt {NZ}).
G3 Birthday Card S., $250,000, 1200m
It had been a while out of the winner's circle for Chain Of Lightning (Fighting Sun) but the 2022 G2 Tristarc S. winner had run well when resuming in the G1 Oakleigh Plate which is proving to be a strong form race.
One of the five stakes winners for her late sire (a lightly raced Listed Canonbury S. winner who stood six seasons at Sun Stud), Chain Of Lightning is a home-bred for Ramsey Pastoral out of the city placed winner Magic Art (Perugino {USA}).
Served last spring by Jacquinot after missing to Magna Grecia (Ire), Magic Art has a 2-year-old called Jaddaf by that same sire in the Anthony and Sam Freedman stable whilst her yearling is a daughter of Better Land.
Magic Art's dam is the G2 Magic Night S. winner Mardi's Magic (Kenny's Best Pal) whose full sister Surrealist produced the multiple Group 1 winner Racing To Win (Encosta de Lago) and the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude winner Purrealist (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) - as well as the dam of the Group 2 winning sprinters Classique Legend (Not A Single Doubt) and Aethero (Sebring).
Mardi's Magic is also the grandam of Glint Of Silver (Rubick) who won last year's G2 Autumn S.
A descendant of the great mare La Troienne (Fr) (Teddy {Fr}), Chain Of Lightning boasts an interesting pedigree with her dam sire Perugino hailing from the same prolific Rough Shod II (GB) (Gold Bridge {Fr}) family as Fighting Sun's sire Northern Meteor, his great grandsire Fairy King (USA) and his second dam sire Geiger Counter (USA).
G3 Epona S., $250,000, 1900m
Holding on gamely after taking over with 300 metres to go, Osmose (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) was a deserved Group winner having previously been four times finished in the placings at that level.
The 60th stakes winner for his late sire who had his 59th yesterday - the Listed Albury Gold Cup winner Fawkner Park (Ire) - Osmose was bred by Al Shanania Stud Doha and is owned by a big group led by First Light Racing and Aristia Park Bloodstock.
She is out of the unraced Meseika (USA) (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}) whose dam is the G1 Breeders Cup Ladies Classic winner Unrivaled Belle (USA) (Unbridled's Song {USA}) who also produced the USA Champion Older Dirt Female and USA Champion Female Sprinter Unique Bella (USA) (Tapit {USA}).
Unrivaled Belle's dam is the dual Group 2 winner Queenie Belle (USA) (Bertrando {USA}), grandam of the G3 Gotham S. winner Raise Cain (USA) (Violence {USA}). Ancestress of this family is the famed matriarch Pretty Polly (GB) (Gallinule {GB}).
G3 NE Manion Cup, $250,000, 2400m
William Haggas further improved on his good record in this race with Post Impressionist (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) racing away to an easy win.
A descendant of the famed matriarch Gondolette (GB) (Loved One {GB}), he was bred by David and Henri Egan and is the 114th stakes winner for his Kildangan Stud based sire.
He made his way through the sales ring on two occasions - sold to the Shadwell Easter Company for 260,000gns at the 2020 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and for 54,000gns to Stevenson Bloodstock at the 2021 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale.
His dam is the Group 3 placed two times winner Island Remede (GB) (Medicean {GB}) whose third dam is the Listed winner Vanya (Ire) (Busted {GB}) from the family of the Group 1 winners Mediate (USA) (No Nay Never {USA}), Ectot (GB) (Hurricane Run {Ire}) and Most Improved (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}).
Listed Darby Munro S., $200,000, 1200m
Knuckling down gamely to record the fifth win of his 12 start career, Brave Mead (Brave Smash {Jpn}) is now a triple stakes winner.
One of the two debut crop stakes winners for his Yarraman Park based dual Group 1 winning sire, he was bred by the AB Breeding Venture.
He is one of two stakes winners for the city winner Mead (Galileo {Ire}), also dam of the Listed Geelong Classic winner Solemn (Bernardini {USA}) as well as the stakes placed Honeywine (Street Cry {Ire}).
Paying a return visit to Brave Smash last spring, Mead had not had much luck at her two previous seasons at stud with her most recent foal being the $130,000 Magic Millions graduate Aemelius (Hellbent), a yet to race 2-year-old member of the Annabel Nesham stable.
Grandam of last year’s G3 Gloaming S. winner Raf Attack (Satono Aladdin {Jpn}), Mead is a half-sister to the G1 Australasian Oaks winner La Volta (Laranto) whose grandson Mighty Boss (Not A Single Doubt) won the G1 Caulfield Guineas.
Brave Mead can also boast amongst his relations the Group winners Coastwatch (Fastnet Rock), Catch A Fire (Sebring) and Seaburge (Sebring).
The Valley: G1 William Reid S., $1,000,000, 1200m
It was Group 1 number ten for the wonderful mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) who joined The Night Patrol, Heros (Heroic), Flying Halo, Golden Doubles (Avalanche {GB}), All Shot (NZ) (Idomeneo {GB}), Manikato (Manihi), Apache Cat (Lion Cavern {USA}) and Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) as multiple winners of this Moonee Valley feature.
The most prolific stakes winner for her Yarraman Park based reigning Australian Champion Sire (whose stakes winner total sits at 105), Imperatriz was bred by Raffles Dancers and purchased by David Ellis for $360,000 from the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Imperatriz is the second foal and first winner for Berimbau (Shamardal {USA}) who earned her black-type with a G3 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic third to Lumosty (Fastnet Rock).
Also dam of the multiple city winner Cabaca (Fastnet Rock), Berimbau produced a full brother to Imperatriz last August, subsequently served by Pierata. Her 2-year-old is a Capitalist colt, a $200,000 Magic Millions purchase for Lofth Thoroughbreds and AGR Racing.
Berimbau is out of the winner Percussive (Encosta de Lago), half-sister to the G2 Todman Slipper Trial winner Royal Courtship (Royal Academy {USA}).
Percussive's six foals to race have all been winners including the Listed Spear Chief H. winner Vinco (also by I Am Invincible).
Boasting crosses of the wonderful mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}) and Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}), Imperatriz hails from the same family as the stakes winners Poor Judge (Royal Academy {USA}) and Proud Player (Squill {USA}).
G2 Sunline S., $300,000, 1600m
Eternal Flame (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) made it two smart Group victories in a row, the G3 Matron S. winner travelling well throughout for come-back rider Ethan Brown who earlier in the day had enjoyed Listed success aboard Growing Empire (Zoustar).
Bred by Hoofbeat Ltd, she was sold by Kilmore Farm to Phill Cataldo Bloodstock for $260,000 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale.
She is one of the nine stakes winners for her late sire, a four times Group 1 winning son of O'Reilly (NZ).
She is one of the five winners produced by the winner Suriyan (NZ) (Savabeel) whose grandson Kinane (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) won the G3 Frank Packer Plate for the Michael Kent stable.
Not served last spring having lost her Jon Snow (NZ) foal, Suriyan has not had much luck at stud in recent years with her only live foal since Eternal Flame being her 2022 born Jon Snow filly.
Suriyan is a daughter of the dual Listed winner Dazzling Belle (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}) whose G3 Taranaki 2YO Classic winning daughter Magic Dancer (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) produced the G1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner Noverre (NZ).
G2 Alister Clark S., $500,000, 2040m
Big odds coming back in distance of his G1 New Zealand Derby second at even big odds, Antrim Coast (NZ) (Roc de Cambes {NZ}) got the bob in defeating fellow New Zealander Quintessa (NZ) (Shamus Award).
The seventh stakes winner for his The Oaks Stud based sire and he was bred and is raced by that farm's Dick Karreman.
He is one of the three winners (from as many named foals) for the winner Coasting (NZ) (Sakhee's Secret {GB}) whose dam is the G1 Levin Classic winner Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper) - also dam of the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial S. winner Espresso Martini (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and grandam of the recent Listed Otago Breeders S. winner Drakaina (NZ) (Ace High).
What a hot family this is, Keepa Cruisin being a half-sister to the two times New Zealand Horse Of The Year Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}) whose grandson Storm Boy (Justify {USA}) was third in today's G1 Golden Slipper S.
Sadly Coasting is no longer with us, her most recent foal being a yet to be named 2022 born filly by Eminent (Ire) whilst her yet to be named 2-year-old colt is by Ace High.
Antrim Coast boasts crosses of the terrific mares Fairy Bridge (USA) (Bold Reason {USA}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {ire}).
G3 Alexandra S., $200,000, 1600m
Finding winning form at just her second run this time in, Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun) did a good job with her previous victory being a Geelong maiden last spring.
The fourth stakes winner for her Arrowfield Stud based sire, she was bred by Canning Downs and purchased by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock with Mick Price Racing and Breeding for $260,000 at the 2022 Gold Coast Magic Millions.
She is the second foal and second winner for the G3 Vamos S. winner Vibrant Rouge (Written Tycoon) whose closest stakes winning relation is her fifth dam's half-sister!
Vibrant Rouge was served last spring by Jonker having had a run of bad luck at stud, missing to Anders the previous season having lost (born dead) consecutive foals by Pierata and Deep Field.
Bred on a 3 X 4 cross of Danehill (USA), Vibrant Sun is also line-bred to the terrific mare Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) via Redoute's Choice and Try My Best (USA).
G3 Don Casboult Classic, $200,000, 1200m
Getting up along the rails turning, Gumdrops (Written Tycoon) reaffirmed her liking for Moonee Valley, recording her second stakes victory at the track.
Bred by Ravenswood Bloodstock, she is one of the 62 stakes winners for her Yulong based Champion Sire who had one of his best ever days.
Sold by Lime Country Thoroughbreds to Sheamus Mills Bloodstock for $600,000 at the 2022 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, she is the only foal produced by the G3 Wenona Girl H. winner Sugar Bella (Not A Single Doubt) who sadly died young.
Sugar Bella's dam is the dual Group winner Hula Wonder (Hula Chief {NZ}) who also produced the Listed winner Willy Jimmy (Dehere {USA}).
Hula Wonder’s dam was also classy, Natural Wonder (Aurilandy) winning twelve races, two of those at Listed level for the Roger Hoysted stable. And so that is four generations of female stakes winners!
Boasting a cross of Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) - one of the great modern day line-breeding subjects, Gumdrops is one of the three stakes winners and 11 winners from just 13 Written Tycoon runners out of mares by Not A Single Doubt.
Listed Valley Pearl, $175,000, 1200m
Racing greenly when a close debut second to subsequent G3 Magic Night S. placegetter Chateau Miraval (Zousain) in mid-February, the Ciaron Maher trained Growing Empire (Zoustar) was too fast and too good.
Bred by P Hodgens, Werrett Bloodstock and Encompass International, Growing Empire was sold by Vinery Stud to Yulong for $700,000 at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
The 50th stakes winner for his Widden Stud based sire, he is a half-brother to the Group 3 placed Flemington and Caulfield winner Dancing Alone (I Am Invincible) out of the stakes placed multiple city winner Miles Of Krishan (Snitzel) whose half-sister Il Quello Veloce (NZ) (Captain Rio {GB}) earned the title of NZ Champion 2YO.
This is also the family of the recent G3 Black Opal S. winner Holmes A Court (Capitalist) who took his place in today's G1 Golden Slipper S.
Growing Empire is the eighth Zoustar stakes winner line-bred to Redoute's Choice and the fourth out of a Snitzel mare.
Miles Of Krishan was served last spring by I Am Invincible having foaled a full sister to Growing Empire in late October. Her yearling is a filly by I Am Invincible.
