Cover image courtesy of Cambridge Stud
Pleasure Queen continues her dam’s fruitful relationship with Trapeze Artist
Just in time for the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, another graduate from the 2024 edition strikes on the track; Pleasure Queen (Trapeze Artist) was offered by Widden Stud on behalf of Bert Vieira last year, and on Thursday was a winner on debut at the first race on Kensington’s card for Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou. The filly sat wide for most of the trip under Joshua Parr, before surging forward once straightening and passing eventual third-placed Hellabella (Hellbent), with Scrumptious (Tassort) on her heels to finish 0.94l back. She makes the 54th winner for her sire for the season, and Widden Stud announced via X that she would head to the G2 Percy Sykes Stakes next.
Co-trainer Sterling Alexiou was pleased with the result, “she’s just been steadily improving all preparation. She’s come a really long way the last six or seven weeks and, as you can see, she’s still pretty raw, but she’s got a bit of a motor there.
“Mentally, she seems to be going the right way and taking everything in her stride, and I think Bert and the family are going to have a bit of fun with her.” He confirmed that the Percy Sykes would be next, and expected her to improve off of her debut run.
“She’s (Pleasure Queen) just been steadily improving all preparation...She’s still pretty raw, but she’s got a bit of a motor there.” - Sterling Alexiou
Dam Perfect Pleasure (Pierro) has had a bit of a love affair with Trapeze Artist, having visited him for her first five seasons at stud. This also marks her third winner from three runners; first-born Trapeze Pleasure (Trapeze Artist) is a dual-winner, followed by Pleasure Artist who was second in the Listed Dulcify Stakes, before two fifth-placed finishes at Group 1 level. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the 3-year-old filly, who is trained by Richard and Will Freedman, try again at stakes level, considering she was only beaten 2.16l in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes and 3.65l in the G1 VRC Oaks. She is nominated for Wyong on Monday to kick off her autumn campaign.
Perfect Pleasure delivered another full brother in the Spring before visiting Widden’s newest stallion, Sweet Ride. Unraced herself, she comes from good stock, being a half-sister to G2 Queensland Guineas winner Torio’s Quest (Oratorio {Ire}) and Listed Starstruck Classic winner Bippo No Bungus (Dubawi {Ire}), whose daughter Samiam Seussie (Hinchinbrook) was a winner and stakes-placed as a juvenile.
Trapeze Artist | Standing at Widden Stud
While the offspring of Trapeze Artist no doubt improve by age, it’s not a big surprise that he can strike with juveniles as well, particularly as the autumn gets underway; he won the G3 Black Opal Stakes, which ran last weekend, and was third in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes. All of his stakes winners have come as 3-year-olds, but he is tracking at 20.3 per cent winners to runners with his juveniles, which rises to 42.6 per cent with his 3-year-olds.
The weekend may bring a change again to those statistics, as he has two daughters accepted for the G3 Magic Night Stakes - the last chance for juveniles to rack up enough prizemoney for a shot at the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes. His Group 3-winning son Ducasse resumed with a win this autumn and heads to the G2 Ajax Stakes on Saturday as well.
Widden Stud return to Adelaide this week with five offspring of Trapeze Artist, highlighted by Lot 368, a filly out of Listed Cap d’Antibes Stakes winner Fox Swift (Foxwedge).
Lot 368 - Trapeze Artist x Fox Swift | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Stormland thunders home to give Hello Youmzain fourth Southern Hemisphere winner
A new winner for Hello Youmzain (Fr) launched on Thursday with the victory of his son Stormland (NZ) in the juvenile colts and geldings race at Kensington.
A $325,000 purchase for Darby Racing and deBurgh Equine at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Cambridge Stud, Stormland was sent out by Ciaron Maher off of the back of one public trial late in February and settled midfield for Jason Collett in the 1000-metre contest. Once early leader My Mate Elvis (Time To Reign) started to tire, Stormland was able to slide past him and let down for a 0.44l win over a very fast-finishing Grand Prairie (Written Tycoon), a fellow debutante.
It’s not surprising that Darby Racing would fork out for a close relation - via third dam Legally Bay (Snippets) - to Group 1 stars Merchant Navy and Joliestar (Zoustar). TAB Racing Club saw the same depth, outlaying NZ$180,000 for his half-sister by fellow Cambridge Stud resident Sword Of State at this year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
The colt is Hello Youmzain’s fourth winner from his first Southern Hemisphere-bred crop, bred from a NZ$30,000 service fee (plus GST) that is likely to see a rise across the next few seasons if his Northern Hemisphere performance can be repeated. The Haras d’Etreham-based stallion has taken a bump to his fee up north in 2025, jumping from €22,500 ($38,763) to €40,000 ($68,912) following the exploits of his first Northern Hemisphere crop, which include G3 Prix Eclipse winner Electrolyte (Ire) and G3 Prix des Chenes winner Misunderstood (Ire).
The fourth highest-priced offspring to date by Hello Youmzain in the Southern Hemisphere, Stormland was both the third runner and second winner for his sire in Australia, which makes for good statistics; his other two winners and a total of nine runners have been in New Zealand. He is the only first season sire to have more than one winner in New Zealand, although he sits third by prizemoney behind Lucky Vega (Ire) and Bivouac. His offspring have had a few cracks at stakes level, with his daughter Hello My Dear (NZ) running fourth in the Listed Wellesley Stakes in January.
Hello Youmzain (Fr) | Standing at Cambridge Stud
Cambridge Stud’s Sale and Nominations Manager Scott Calder is encouraged by the response that breeders have had to their shuttle stallion, telling The Thoroughbred Report, “Hello Youmzain bred 126 mares last year, which was up from the previous season. He had a good level of support on the back of some positive results with his first yearlings, but he definitely picked up momentum through the season as his European 2-year-olds started to perform well. We saw them really progress through the season, so I think that bodes well for the rest of the season down here.
“Stormland, Remala, and Lucy In The Sky (his New Zealand winners) are all horses to follow, and what we find most encouraging is his progeny seem to be taking after their sire’s racing characteristics. They generally show good tactical speed, and really pin their ears back and try hard in the finish.”
Cambridge Stud offer one of two offspring of the sire at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale; Lot 192 out of Steer By The Stars (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) replicates the sireline’s existing success with the dam, as her stakes-winning son Never Back Down (Ire) is by Hello Youmzain’s sire Kodiac (GB). A dual winner herself, Steer By The Stars is a close relation to G1 Spinster Stakes winner Aruna (USA) (Mr Greeley {USA}).
An interesting parallel between the two stallions: both from the Danehill (USA) sireline, they were both Group stakes winners as juveniles, and trained on to perform into their 4-year-old season; in fact, they were both Group 1 winners at three and four, both over sprinting distances - all of Hello Youmzain’s wins came over six furlongs, or 1200 metres, whereas Trapeze Artist stretched a little further to 1400 metres. It is not easy for a stallion to remain a sprinter as they age and testosterone increasingly makes weight a battle, but Danehill’s influence wouldn’t perpetuate to this day if his stock didn’t produce top quality race horses.
