Eagle Farm: G1 Seven Queensland Oaks, $700,000, 2200m
It is not often that a leading trainer wins a major race with a 100-1 shot but those sort of odds were on offer for the Ciaron Maher trained Socks Nation (Sioux Nation {USA}) who outstayed her more fancied rivals. Bred by Ian Millard, she was sold by Milburn Creek to Suman Hedge Bloodstock for $160,000 at the 2022 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
She is the 14th stakes winner for her G1 Phoenix S. winning sire who shuttled just the once to Swettenham Stud; Adam Sangster disappointed in the lack of support for the Scat Daddy (USA) horse who served just 54 mares. 39 foals resulted and there have been 14 winners from the 20 local runners with Archo Nacho a Group 3 and Listed winner. Socks Nation is the first foal produced by the good racemare Tahnee Tiara (Commands) who raced 43 times - winning seven races and finishing in the placings on 17 occasions.
She was bred and raced by Millard who also bred her multiple city winning dam Tahnee Topaz (Lonhro) and that mare's Murray Bridge winning dam Tahnee (Lake Coniston {USA}).
Served last spring by North Pacific after foaling a filly by that same stallion, Tahnee Tiara has a yearling colt by Ghaiyyath (Ire) who was passed in at this year's Adelaide Magic Millions. Her 2-year-old Eye Of Light (All Too Hard) sold for $170,000 at last year's Inglis Classic - looking to be Hong Kong bound after a Flemington jump-out victory last month.
Socks Nation is not the first Group 1 winner Millard has bred from this family, Tahnee being a half-sister to Shogun Lodge (Grand Lodge {USA}), Referral (Dr Grace {NZ}) and Singing The Blues (Bluebird {USA}) who between them won five elite level races. The first Group 1 winner line-bred to Bluebird, Socks Nation also boasts a cross of her sire's family, one which produced His Majesty (USA), the dam sire of Danehill (USA).
G2 The Star Moreton Cup, $300,000, 1200m
Godolphin home-bred Vilana (Hallowed Crown) did not have a great deal of luck last time out but atoned for that defeat with this very easy victory - his fourth in stakes company, his third at Group 3 level.
One of the seven stakes winners for his Twin Hills Stud based sire, he is out of the city placed winner Retsina (Redoute’s Choice) whose four winners are all stakes performed - the others the six times Group winner Savatiano (Street Cry {Ire}), the dual Listed winner Athiri (Lonhro) and the stakes placed Rakomelo (Lonhro).
Also dam of the promising 2-year-old Efharisto (Blue Point {Ire}) who was second in the Max Lees Classic at his only start to date, Retsina was served last spring by Pinatubo (Ire) having missed the previous season. Her yearling colt by Blue Point has been named Aleppo Pine. Retsina is a daughter of the G1 QTC Sires’ Produce S. winner Star Shiraz (Sequalo) whose three-quarter sister In Her Shoes (Sequalo) is dam of the Listed Ascot H. winner In His Stride (Rothesay).Vilana is bred on a 3 x 3 female/male cross of Danehill (USA) with strains of that stallion's close relations Machiavellian (USA), Halo (USA) and Northern Dancer (Can).
Listed Queensland Day S., $200,000, 1200m
He was up in class but just too good, the lightly raced and promising Ostraka (Pariah) putting nearly three lengths on his rivals in this impressive performance. Bred by Arrowfield Stud, he was sold by them to Annabel Neasham Racing, B McGuire, Stallion Match and Mitchell Bloodstock for $150,000 at the 2022 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
The third stakes winner for his Oaklands Stud based sire, he is a half-brother to Widden Stud's G3 San Domenico S. winner Anders who is also a member of the Redoute's Choice sire line.Also dam of the stakes placegetters Battleground (Snitzel) and Satin Love (Snitzel), Ostraka's unraced (though she won a Rosehill trial over the dual Group 1 winner Flying Snitzel (Snitzel) dam Madame Andree (War Emblem {USA}) was served last spring by Snitzel (and Extreme Choice).She had missed the previous season with her Snitzel yearling filly purchased by Galletta Constructions for $400,000 at Easter.
Madame Andree's dam Glamour Stock (Jpn) (Sunday Silence {USA}) is a half-sister to four stakes winners including the Canadian Champion 2YO Colt Exciting Story (USA). The dam of Ostraka's sire Pariah is bred on the same Mr Prospector (USA)/Hoist The Flag (USA) cross as War Emblem's sire Our Emblem (USA).
Listed Spear Chief H., $160,000, 1500m
Last year's G3 Gold Coast Guineas winner was back to his best, Yellow Brick (The Mission) too strong out wide recording the seventh win of his 15 start career. Bred by the Aquis Sha Tin Syndicate, he was a $20,000 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale purchase by Tony Sears Racing/Paul Moroney Bloodstock (a good day for him!) from the Waylon J Stud draft.
The first stakes winner for Aquis' G1 Champagne S. winner The Mission, Yellow Brick is out of the dual city winner Magical Mist (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and he is one of that terrific mare's three stakes winners... the G3 Rough Habit Plate winner Ballistic Boy (Smart Missile) and the G3 Premier's Cup winner Splendiferous (Pride Of Dubai) the others (both of whom won their features in track record time).
Served last spring by a trio of stallions - Alabama Express, Written Tycoon and Tagaloa - the now Yulong owned Magical Mist foaled a Maurice (Jpn) colt last spring whilst her Smart Missile yearling colt was purchased by Sheamus Mills Bloodstock for $400,000 at the Magic Millions. Magical Mist's dam Fairy Tipsy (NZ) (Casual Lies {USA}) is a Group 2 placed dam of seven winners including the G1 Levin Classic winner Distill (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) and the dual Listed winner Mr Tipsy (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}).
Yellow Brick boasts a nice link to racing history, his tenth dam Raphis (NZ) (Night Raid {GB}) being a full sister to Phar Lap (NZ) (Night Raid {GB}). His grandsire Choisir has always fared well with members of the Sadler's Wells (USA) sire line and Yellow Brick is one of the six stakes winners (from 69 winners/107 runners) bred on a Choisir/High Chaparral (Ire) combination with two of those - California Spangle (Ire) and The Wow Signal (Ire) being Group 1 winners.
Listed Lightning H., $160,000, 1000m
It was a deserved breakthrough at stakes level for Steady Ready (Better Than Ready) who had been in the placings in Listed races on three occasions. Bred by Yarramalong and sold by them to Paul Moroney Bloodstock with Haoh & Co for $70,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale (Book 2), he is the 12th stakes winner for his speedy Lyndhurst Stud based sire.
Boasting a fascinating pedigree, he is closely related to Better Than Ready's sire More Than Ready (USA), carrying a 3 X 3 cross of his own third dam Woodman's Girl (USA) (Woodman {USA}). A descendant of the famed matriarch La Troienne (Fr) (Teddy {Fr}), Steady Ready - who is also line-bred to the speed influence Vain - is the second foal and one of the three winners for the Kembla Grange winner Our First Lady (Denman).
By Better Than Ready she has also produced My Spy who won two in a row over the summer - exported to Hong Kong in March. He is the only stallion she has visited - served by him last year with a yearling colt by him. Our First Lady is one of the six winners for Becky's Ransom (USA) (Red Ransom {USA}) - More Than Ready's half sister.
Listed The Pheonix, $160,000, 1500m
Putting in the big strides over the final 100 metres, Imperialist (Churchill {Ire}) chose a nice race in which to break his maiden. Bred by Arkle Bloodstock and Gordon Cunningham, he was sold by the latter's Curraghmore to Chris Waller and Mulcaster Bloodstock for $170,000 at last year's New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
He is the 25th stakes winner (the fourth in Australia) for his Coolmore Stud shuttling sire. He is the second foal (first named) for the three times Victorian provincial winner Dancing Hare (Fastnet Rock) who is now in New Zealand - served last year by Ocean Park (NZ) after foaling a filly by Satono Aladdin (Jpn).
Her dam Global Dance (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}) is a half-sister to the G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Cerulean Sky (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) whose son Honolulu (Ire) was crowned Champion 3YO Stayer in Ireland in 2007.
Another of her half-sisters is the G1 Irish Oaks winner Moonstone (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) who also did a great job at stud with five stakes winners. And another is the Listed winner L'Ancresse (Ire) (Darshaan) who also made her mark with three stakes winners.
Also from this family is the Australian bred Hong Kong based four times Group 1 winner Wellington (All Too Hard).Imperialist is bred on a 3 X 3 cross of Sadler's Wells, also carrying a 5 X 5 cross of the terrific mare Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}) via her grandson Storm Cat (USA) and son Royal Academy (USA).
Randwick: Listed Bob Charley AO S., $200,000, 1100m
Mnementh (Eurozone) had trainer Mitchell Beer emotional after recording his 11th victory and his second at stakes level. Last year's Listed Santa Ana Lane Final winner is one of the five stakes winners for his G2 Stan Fox S. winning sire - a Northern Meteor horse who last served in 2021.
Bred by Rushton Park, Mnementh is one of only two foals produced by four times winner Yurrapendi (Pendragon) who dropped out of the stud book three years ago. Her placed dam Garryurra (GB) (Daylami {Ire}) - whose four runners were all winners - is out of the four times Group 3 winner Tropical (GB) (Green Desert {USA}).
Tropical also produced the dual Group 3 winner Tropical Star (Ire) (Machiavellian {USA}) and she is grandam of the G1 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp winner Move In Time (GB) (Monsieur Bond {Ire}).
Tropical's dam is the dual Group 3 winner Bermuda Classic (Ire) (Double Form {Ire}) - dam of another two stakes winners including the G1 Coronation S. winner Shake The Yoke (GB) (Caerleon {USA}). Ancestress of this family is the acclaimed matriarch Pretty Polly (GB) (Gallinule {GB}).
Listed Lord Mayor's Cup, $200,000, 2000m
Eliyass (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}) could not have been any more impressive at his local debut - racing away by 1 three-quarter lengths to record his second win at Listed level.
Bred The Aga Khan, the talented 5-year-old is one of the 64 stakes winners for his late G1 French Derby winning sire. His dam Edilisa (Ire) (Azamour {Ire}) is a two times winning half-sister to the G3 Give Thanks S. winner Edelmira (Ire) (Peintre Celebre {USA}) and to the dam of the Italian Listed winner Evina (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}).
Edlisia's grandam is the triple Listed winner Ebaziya (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}) whose eight winners included four Group 1 winners - Enzel (Ire) (Kahyasi {Ire}), Ebadiyla (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}), Estimate (Ire) (Monsun {Ger}) and Edabiya (Ire) (Rainbow Quest {USA}). Ancestress of this outstanding family is the famed matriarch Frizette (USA) (Hamburg {USA}) whose most prolific descendant is the great stallion Mr Prospector (USA).
Belmont: Listed Raconteur S., $125,000, 1400m
Charging home from well back, Brave Spirit (Brave Smash {Jpn}) did a great job up in class - recording the third win of his ten start career. A home-bred for Mt Hallowell Stud who passed him for $110,000 ($120,000 reserve) at the 2022 Perth Magic Millions, he is the third stakes winner for his Yarraman Park based dual Group 1 winning sire. A half-brother to the metropolitan winner Oristano (Master Of Design), he is out of the lightly raced (one start, a Northam last) Miss Shanghai (Flying Spur) whose dam is the Listed Keith Mackay H. winner Shobard (Show A Heart).
Not served last year after foaling a Gold Standard filly with her yearling being an All American filly, Miss Shanghai is a half-sister to the dual Listed winner Granny Red Shoes (Not A Single Doubt) whose son High Octane (Deep Field) won a Listed Blue Diamond Preview in January.Group 1 winners Ray's Hope (NZ) (Star Way {GB}), Silver Nymph (NZ) (Silver Dream {GB}) and Star Satire (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) hails from this family as do the Group winners Satin Shoes (Flying Spur), Zarzuela (NZ) (Zabeel), Serious Satire (More Than Ready {USA}) and Soubrettes (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) as well as the promising Listed winning 3-year-old I Am Unstoppable.
It has been no surprise to see Brave Smash fare well with Danehill (USA) line mares (his Group 2 daughter Kimochio also bred on this cross), he being from the same prolific Boudoir (GB) (Mahmoud {Fr}) as Danehill's dam sire His Majesty (USA).
