Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Race-day Recap
The death of The Inevitable (Dundeel {NZ}) marred the Listed Hellova Street Stakes, as the 9-year-old gelding was adored by Tasmania racegoers.
Star Thoroughbreds’ juvenile filly Sunniya stayed unbeaten with a stunning win in the Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes.
The Listed Hellova Street Stakes was won by Star Thoroughbreds’ owned 4-year-old gelding Durazzo (Needs Further) with Denise Martin paying tribute to The Inevitable.
Geegees Mistruth (Wordsmith) put her hand up as the best 3-year-old in the state with a second successive Group 3 win in Wednesday’s G3 Vamos Stakes.
Distrustful Award (Shamus Award) become stakes winner number 27 for his sire in winning the G3 Launceston Cup for owner and trainer Paul Luttrell.
Vale The Inevitable
One of Tasmania’s best gallopers The Inevitable (Dundeel {NZ}) died during the Listed Hellova Street Stakes on Wednesday, with Star Thoroughbreds’ Denise Martin paying tribute to him during the winner’s presentation to her horse Durazzo (Needs Further).
The Inevitable | Image courtesy of Cornerstone Stud
“We want to acknowledge the great horse and the immense feeling of loss over The Inevitable. It was very distressing,” Martin said.
From the first crop of Dundeel (NZ), 9-year-old gelding The Inevitable won 18 of his 44 starts with earnings over $2 million. Trained by John Keys, he won the G3 CS Hayes Stakes and Listed Tasmania Guineas at three, and in total 11 black type races.
Unbeaten juvenile wins Gold Sovereign
Star Thoroughbreds’ unbeaten 2-year-old filly Sanniya (Stratosphere) made easy work of the Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes at Launceston on Wednesday, cruising to the lead for jockey Craig Newitt, and kicked away on the bend to win by 3l in a good time of 1:10.12 for the 1200 metres.
Trained by Barry Campbell, she won from Stuart Gandy stablemates filly Crack The Shutters (Alpine Eagle) and filly Zany Girl (Needs Further).
“What a great day for Star. We had owners from all over Australia visiting for probably the best raceday in the state. When she won the Magic Millions, Craig Newitt thought she would take a power of beating in the Gold Sovereign today. She ran a fantastic time last start, and again a very fast time today, faster than the open race,” said Martin.
“She’s not quite a push button horse but nearly and for a new-to-the-races filly, she’s very tractable. She'll go for a spell at Armidale Stud for at least a month and we will work out plans later. The fillies races look in her grasp, and maybe she’ll take the same path as Geegees Mistruth. She’s a filly with a very good future.
“The fillies races look in her grasp, and maybe she’ll take the same path as Geegees Mistruth. She’s a filly with a very good future.” - Denise Martin
“I’d like to thank Brett Howard from Randwick Bloodstock. He said she was the best filly in the sale, and we didn’t pay an enormous amount. Her half-brother had won at Moonee Valley, and a mare who can produce Melbourne form suggests plenty.”
Winner of the Magic Millions Tasmania 2YO Classic on debut, Sanniya has earnings over $144,000 from her two wins. Purchased at the 2024 Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale by Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock (FBAA) for $67,500 from Grenville Stud, Sanniya is the second stakes winner for Snitzel son Stratosphere, who was second in the G3 Canonbury Stakes at his only start.
Sanniya is one of only 25 foals in his third crop, while his other stakes winner Greatham Boy came from his first crop of just 53 foals. Greatham Boy has done all his racing in Singapore and has recently been imported back to Australia where he’ll be trained by Tim Fitzsimmons.
Sanniya winning as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Sanniya is the first stakes winner for unraced mare Lady Writer (Written Tycoon) who has produced three other winners, including War Correspondent (Time For War) mentioned by Martin, and has a yearling full sister to Sanniya. Lady Writer is a daughter of Listed Tasmania Oaks winner Wavishing (Ark Regal {NZ}) who also produced Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes-placed Emily’s Girl (Genuine {Jpn}).
Heartbreaking victory in Listed Hellova Street
Star Thoroughbreds’ 4-year-old gelding Durazzo (Needs Further) won an emotional Listed Hellova Street Stakes for trainer Barry Campbell by 1.5l over Glenn Stevenson trained First Accused (Turffontein) and Nick Ryan trained Munhamek (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}).
“When you win a wonderful race like that and tragedy unfolds, your heart is drawn to the owners who lost their hero,” said Martin about the loss of The Inevitable. “Every racegoer in the state admired him greatly, he raced until he was nine and it was such a tragic end. We left the track thinking of him, while being thrilled with our horse.
“Durazzo has had a long campaign, having been up since September and has charged through grades quickly. When he ran in (Tasmania) Goodwood, we knew we had a proper horse on our hands.
“We set him for The Carpet Charge, and he won that over a distance that wasn’t suitable for him, then in Magic Millions 3YO & 4YO and he was super impressive, and last time missed in the Thomas Lyon by a short half-head. Two strides past the line he was in front. We believed he’d get the mile and be competitive and he was wonderful today.
“He'll have a spell now at Armidale for a couple of months, then we will have an owners gathering before deciding on the next steps. He’s a marvellous horse, when they perform at that level, you are always thankful to own a horse as special as he is.”
Blake Shinn, Denise Martin and Chris Waller | Image courtesy of Star Thoroughbreds
Durazzo has won eight of his 11 starts with earnings over $340,000 and today’s win was his first at stakes level so he becomes the ninth stakes winner for his sire. A $97,500 purchase by Star Thoroughbreds and Randwick Bloodstock (FBAA) at the Magic Millions Tasmania Yearling Sale from Armidale Stud, and is the second winner for Arenzano (Not A Single Doubt) who won eight races in Tasmania and was fourth in the Listed Tasmanian Guineas, and she is a distant relative of Super Seth.
Geegees Mistruth wins again
Boom 3-year-old filly Geegees Mistruth (Wordsmith) is unbeaten for this campaign after winning the G3 Vamos Stakes on Wednesday. She won the G3 Mystic Journey Stakes when resuming two weeks ago. A dual stakes winner at two, Geegees Mistruth now has six wins (four at black type) from 11 starts with earnings over $510,000.
Trained by Stuart Gandy, Geegees Mistruth won by 1.5l from Adam Trinder trained 5-year-old mare Jaguar Stone (Spieth {NZ}) with John Blacker trained 6-year-old mare Zewinna (Tough Speed {USA}) in third.
A homebred for Elizabeth Geard Racing, she is one of eight stakes winners for her sire who is a son of Testa Rossa. Geegees Mistruth is a full sister to Listed Elwick Stakes placed 2-year-old filly Geegees Missile, and their dam Miss Mana (Jetball) has produced two other winners, also by Wordsmith. Geegees Mistruth’s third dam is a winning half-sister to G1 South Australian Oaks winner Lady Liberty (NZ) (Noble Bijou {USA}).
Launceston Cup stays home
Local trainer Paul Luttrell’s 5-year-old gelding Distrustful Award (Shamus Award) vended off the three mainlander raiders in winning the G3 Launceston Cup by 0.5l from Ciaron Maher trained 5-year-old gelding Promises Kept (Cluster) with Imogen Miller trained Kaliuwaa Falls (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) in third.
Winner of the Longford Cup four starts ago, Distrustful Award now has four wins from 20 starts with earnings over $240,000. This was his first black type win, and he becomes the 27th stakes winner for his G1 Cox Plate winning sire who has six Group 1 winners.
Bred by Baree Stud in Victoria, Distrustful Award was originally trained by Paul Preusker, then Grant and Alana Williams, before arriving with Luttrell in October 2024. He was passed in at an Inglis Digital sale in July 2024. Three of his four wins have been with Luttrell.
The first foal of unraced mare Distrustful (Trusting), who has an unnamed 3-year-old full sister, an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Star Witness, and a colt foal by Shamus Award. Her dam, Fandom (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) won twice at two, and this is the family of Casino Prince.
