Listed Mona Lisa S. won by Terra Mater
Sunday’s Listed Mona Lisa S. at Wyong was won by 5-year-old mare Terra Mater (Wandjina) for trainer Jarrod Austin and jockey Nash Rawiller. Trapped behind the leaders until the final furlong, Rawiller finally got a gap and Terra Mater exploded through to win by 0.25l from the John Sargent-trained Ningaloo Star (Deep Field) with the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained Hell Hath No Fury (Hellbent) in third.
“With 150 (metres) to go, I was getting a little concerned,” said Austin. “Nash loves her, he’s been fantastic for us the whole way through. I knew back on the dry track that her turn of foot would even better today. Very, very happy.
“We just wanted to get some black type into her, we knew she was a nice mare, just a really satisfying result. … A great bunch of owners and I’ve got a great team of staff at home who’ve worked hard with her. We’ll look at the Tibbie in a couple of weeks time.” The G3 Tibbie S. over 1400 metres will run at Newcastle on September 20.
She becomes the seventh stakes winner for Wandjina and took her record to seven wins from 16 starts with earnings over $500,000. Given away by Widden Stud at the 2020 Inglis May Digital Sale for just $1750 as a weanling, she was purchased by Garry Carden. Terra Mater is the third foal of Before Time (Bel Esprit), whose first two foals are also winners, and Before Time has a 2-year-old filly by Dark Acclaim (Ire). Before Time is an unraced granddaughter of the Group 3-placed juvenile winner Dantain (Danehill {USA}).
Coolmore's Wootton Bassett headlines dominant juvenile performances at the Curragh
It was a familiar story at the Curragh on Saturday as Aidan O'Brien and Ryan Moore dominated the card's juvenile races, winning the G3 Round Tower S. with 2-year-old colt Ides Of March (Ire) (Wootton Bassett {GB}), and 2-year-old filly Dreamy (Ire) (American Pharoah {USA}) won the G3 Newtownanner Stud S. in the Niarchos colours.
“He was professional and grew up a lot from the last day,” O'Brien said of Ides Of March who now has two wins from four starts. “He's a powerful, fast horse and he finds it easy to go quick. He's big and he's strong and is getting bigger, wider and stronger all the time. We have the Middle Park in mind, and he can go there with Whistlejacket if the lads agree–that's the obvious choice and I think he's versatile ground-wise. Wootton Bassetts handle soft ground as well and he handles fast ground very easy, he's a very good mover.”
Wootton Bassett (GB) is currently in Australia, serving his fourth Southern Hemisphere book of mares at Coolmore. His first runners are set to step-out this spring. Worldwide, Wootton Bassett is the sire of 47 stakes winners, including nine Group 1 winners.
Sunshine Coast delayed, Hobart abandoned
The races at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday were put back by one race after the on-course ambulance had to attend to a sick racing patron and a new ambulance had to be called out. Meanwhile at Hobart, poor weather forced the abandonment of the last three races on the card.
Last year’s Melbourne Cup runner wins in England
Last year’s Ebor winner, and G1 Melbourne Cup seventh, Absurde (Fr) (Fastnet Rock) demonstrated his versatility once more when providing Willie Mullins with his first winner on the Roodee in the Listed Chester S. over 2900 metres. “He's brilliant. He's not just a horse, he's my best mate. He's part of my family,” travelling companion Emilie Seigle told Sky Racing.
“I travelled around Australia, he won an Ebor, Cheltenham – he's my best traveller. I'm so proud of him.” Absurde now has six wins from 29 starts, on the flat and over hurdles, and is $26 for the G1 Melbourne Cup on November 5.
Jonker’s 3-year-old full sister wins
Heart And Spirit (Spirit Of Boom) won at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday for trainer Stuart Kendrick. The 3-year-old filly won by 1.5l for jockey Cody Collis. A $180,000 purchase by Kendrick Racing from Eureka Stud’s 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft, she is a full sister to Group 1 winner and Queensland-based sire Jonker.
She took her record to a win and a third from three starts.
Around the Nation: 3-year-old winners
Geelong saw three 3-year-old winners on Sunday with the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained filly Actuality (Snitzel) winning on debut. The others were King’s Coronation (Strasbourg) and Lario (Epaulette).
Wyong also saw three 3-year-old winners on Sunday; Useapin (Yes Yes Yes), Deconstruction (Snitzel) and Zoum Raider (Zousain). At Hobart, filly Baybougg (Cable Bay {Ire}) won the first for trainer John Blackler.
Dunn sets up Kosciuszko slot syndicate
Trainer Matt Dunn, who notched 18 winners in August at an astonishing strike rate of almost 30 per cent, has declared he will pull together up to $40,000 through a syndicate to buy Kosciuszko raffle tickets. Slots for the rich $2 million country race are chosen from raffle ticket holders.
“We will be buying some tickets, so hopefully we can draw one, maybe two,” Dunn told racenet.com.au. “This is the first time we have done it like this, we haven't done it before. I'm not sure if a stable has done it before, you see syndicates like pubs and those things do it, they spend big money and usually get one or two. On previous years' numbers, it works out if you spend $30,000, you are nearly one-in-two chance of getting one.
“If you spend $30,000, most of the (prizemoney) splits are 50/50, or close to that, so it can be a half-million-dollar result if your horse wins, which is not a bad return. It will go to our client base, and it will be up to $40,000 or up to a certain cut-off date to get in the syndicate. If you can jag two (slots), you really are holding the aces. We have four good sprinters there, they are genuine Saturday horses and that is what you need to be competitive in that race.”
G1 Spinaway goes to Godolphin’s Immersive
Undeterred by the sloppy conditions in Saturday’s GI Spinaway S. for 2-year-old fillies, it was Immersive (USA) (Nyquist {USA}) at 12-1 who powered to the front late to spring the upset win. Breaking from the rail under Manny Franco, Immersive was ridden for speed but outrun by several rivals to her outside through the opening furlong. Franco opted to take a hold of his filly, and the pair settled along the fence in fifth as the opening quarter went in 22.68s. Stuck behind a wall of horses four-wide in front of her around the turn, Immersive was already under a sustained drive as she tipped to the outside of the leaders. The longshot reeled in the leaders with determined strides, got by on the outside and won going away.
“I love her even more now,” admitted winning trainer Brad Cox. “She is good. She really is. She kind of stamped herself as being good from day one. She showed at Keeneland that she had some talent. We moved her over to Churchill, we thought she was a Saratoga filly for a while. She came up here and ran a big race first time out. I thought she galloped out huge that day, and always thought she'd stretch out–most often Godolphin horses do with their pedigrees, they breed for two-turn horses. I think she'll handle the two turns when she gets the opportunity.” Cox noted that the G1 Darley Alcibiades S. at Keeneland may be the next start for his newest Grade 1 winner who has a two from two record now.
The third winner at the top level for Darley stallion Nyquist, Immersive is also another feather in the cap for prolific broodmare sire Bernardini (USA). Her dam Gap Year (USA), who has produced two winners from two runners, is a daughter of GI Ballerina Breeders' Cup S. winner Dubai Escapade (USA) who was purchased by Godolphin for US$2 million (AU$2.96 million) as a 2-year-old in training in 2004. As one might expect from such a price-tag, the family includes Grade 1 winner and US$3.1 million (AU$4.5million) Fasig-Tipton November Sale broodmare Madcap Escapade (USA) (Hennessy {USA}), the dam of Grade 1 winner and US$1.9 million (AU$2.8 million) broodmare Mi Sueno (USA) (Pulpit {USA}).
Outsider wins G1 Pacific Classic
Saturday's G1 FanDuel Pacific Classic was won by Calumet Farm's 4-year-old entire Mixto (USA) (Good Magic {USA}) who plugged on late and grabbed an exceptionally game Full Serrano (Arg) (Full Mast {USA}) to earn a fees-paid berth into the field for the G1 Breeders' Cup Classic at odds of 22-1 some may have considered underlaid.
Mixto, who owned just a maiden victory from 13 starts prior to Saturday, was aggressively ridden by Kyle Frey who earned his first Grade 1. “The original plan was for me to go to the front,” said Frey, who also won the GII Del Mar Handicap aboard Gold Phoenix (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) earlier on the program. “But in the paddock, I asked Doug (trainer O'Neill), I said, 'If somebody goes crazy in there, are you okay with me taking a hold?' He said, 'Sure.' So, he was okay with Plan A and Plan B. He came running for me. So sweet. This is a tribute to the glory of God. This is the biggest day of racing in my career. No doubt.”
Mixto won his maiden at career start number seven at this venue last November and has not seen allowance company since. Second in the G2 San Antonio S. in December and third in the G2 San Pasqual S. the next month, he was fifth after attending the early pace in the G1 Santa Anita H. on March 3. Third in the G3 Californian S. on April 20, the chestnut slipped to fifth in the G2 Gold Cup on May 27 and was most recently runner-up as the favorite in the July 7 Pleasanton Mile S.
Mixto is the 19th stakes winner, 11th Graded winner and fifth Grade 1 winner for Good Magic (USA). Mixto's dam, Musical Mystery (USA) (Concerto {USA}), who was purchased by Farfellow Farms in foal to Awesome Again (Can) for US$42,000 (AU$62,000) at Keeneland November in 2015, is a half-sister to 2010 G1 Oak Leaf S. winner Rigoletta (USA), the dam of G1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile hero Battle of Midway (USA) (Smart Strike {Can}), as well as the stakes winner Moretti (USA) (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}). She is also kin to Almost a Valentine (USA) (High Cotton {USA}), whose son Patternrecognition (USA) (Adios Charlie {USA}) won the G1 Cigar Mile H.
Unbeaten Magic Sands adds Group 3 in Japan
Sunday Racing's 2-year-old colt Magic Sands (Jpn) (Kizuna {Jpn}) retained his unbeaten tag when reeling in long-time leader Arma Veloce (Jpn) (Harbinger {GB}) to land the G3 Sapporo Nisai S. in a tight finish on Saturday. He has now won two from two.
Magic Sands is the sixth foal of the King Kamehameha (Jpn) mare Kona Brewers (Jpn}), herself a stakes winner at Sapporo when landing the Ozora Tokobetsu over 1200 metres. She is a daughter of the G3 Hakodate Nisai winner Ambroise (Jpn) (French Deputy {USA}). Kona Brewers's 5-year-old son Kona Black (Jpn) (Kitasan Black {Jpn}) has also won at the same track this season, lifting the Sapporo Sponichi Sho back in early August. The latter's full sister Kona Coast (Jpn) was runner-up in last year's G1 Oka Sho (Japanese 1000 Guineas).
Fallen Angel purchased by Wathnan Racing
Irish Guineas heroine Fallen Angel (GB) (Too Darn Hot {GB}) has been purchased by Wathnan Racing, the organisation's racing adviser Richard Brown confirmed to the TDN on Saturday. The 3-year-old filly had been previously campaigned by Clipper Logistics and trainer Karl Burke. Brown said, “She's a tremendous athlete, already a dual Group 1 winner, and we're very excited to see what she can do in the months and seasons ahead.”
Bred by Steve Parkin of Branton Court Stud, the daughter of G2 May Hill S. winner and G1 Fillies Mile second Agnes Stewart (Ire) (Lawman {Fr}) won three of her four starts at two, including the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and G3 Sweet Solera S. Unplaced in the G1 1000 Guineas, she ran out a 2.75l victress of the Irish equivalent in May. Her current record stands at 6-4-1-0 and $622,881 in earnings. She is targeting the G1 Matron S. on Irish Champions Weekend in September.
Field Of Gold, from Puissance De Lune family, wins Group 3
Emulating the feat of his sire Kingman (GB) in winning Sandown's G3 Solario S. on Saturday, Juddmonte's 2-year-old colt Field Of Gold (Ire) continued his upward trajectory for the Gosdens who have enjoyed some big moments in this seven-furlong juvenile staging post.
Juddmonte's European racing manager Barry Mahon said, “He will have no problem staying a mile and I think we will look at the (G1) Jean-Luc Lagardere next, at this stage that looks an obvious plan. The 2-year-olds have been exciting this year and in general we have a good bunch led by Babouche in Ireland who is a Group 1 winner, so it's an exciting time.”
Field Of Gold is the third foal out of Princess De Lune (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}), whose first was the Listed Rosemary Stakes winner Zanbaq (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}). She is a full sister to the triple group scorer Puissance De Lune (Ire) and the G2 Middleton Stakes winner Queen Power (Ire) and a half to the G1 Prix d'Ispahan hero Zabeel Prince (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). The second dam Princess Serena (USA) (Unbridled's Song {USA}) is also responsible for Serena's Storm (Ire) (Statue Of Liberty {USA}), who produced the G1 Coronation S. and G1 Moyglare Stud S. heroine Rizeena (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Kingman's G2 Balanchine winner and G1 Just a Game S. and G1 Diana S. runner-up Summer Romance (Ire).
Hong Kong season nearly here
Jockey Karis Teetan started the new season on a winning note in Saturday’s jockeys’ sprint as he prepares for the upcoming Group 1 ride on rising star Mugen (Deep Field) in Japan. Teaming up with apprentice Ellis Wong Chi-wang in the 100-metre relay contest down the Sha Tin straight, the Mauritian rider overhauled Australian Brenton Avdulla late to claim his fifth success in the annual jockeys’ sprint.
“It’s very exciting,” Teetan told scmp.com about Mugen. “He’s doing really well. I’ve been sitting on him in the mornings, I’m very happy with the way he’s going and I think it’s a nice trip for him.” The new season kicks off at Sha Tin on Sunday, September 8.
