Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Race-day Recap
Sale topping filly Signature Scent (Written Tycoon) stayed unbeaten in winning her second start at Caulfield for trainer Ciaron Maher and owners Yulong. She will likely head to the G3 Quezette Stakes next.
Too Darn Hot (GB) filly Tomato Toastie made it two wins in succession with a strong victory at Randwick on Saturday for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and jockey Regan Bayliss.
Lockyer (I Am Invincible) won his second race in succession when flying home late to win at Doomben for trainer Tony Gollan and apprentice jockey Emily Lang.
In New Zealand, Donna Logan-trained gelding Yokozuna (Fierce Impact {Jpn}) became his first season sire’s second winner with a strong debut performance.
Signature Scent stays unbeaten
Signature Scent (Written Tycoon), a winner on debut for trainer Ciaron Maher, stayed unbeaten with a one length victory at Caulfield for jockey Craig Williams over 1100 metres. Thanks Gorgeous (Peltzer) led for jockey Fred Kersley but couldn’t hold off the fast finishing glamour filly with Signature Scent breezing past for the victory. Thanks Gorgeous held on for second for trainers Mark and Levi Kavanagh, with Luke Oliver-trained Teine Aulelei (Tagaloa) a half-length back in third.
She will be pushed up the grades into stakes company next. “There is the Quezette Stakes here in a month, but we'll have a look to see what else is around for her as a 3-year-old, but at this stage it is likely to be the Quezette,” said stable representative Leigh Allen.
“Her physique herself, her mannerisms, she’s quite relaxed, she covers the ground really well, she feels very robust,” Williams said when asked what makes her special.
“Her (Signature Scent) physique herself, her mannerisms, she’s quite relaxed, she covers the ground really well, she feels very robust.” - Craig Williams
“Today, you saw a bit more of an option where, if she leads, she can break them in my opinion, and today, she was very relaxed off the speed. It gives them potential options for going out (longer in distance) if they choose to because she relaxed really well today.”
She made history as the first seven figure sale at the Inglis Ready-To-Race Sale, purchased by Yulong from Baystone Farm’s draft for $1 million, and is a daughter of dual Group 1 winner Soriano (NZ) (Savabeel), Champion Middle Distance Horse in NZ in 2014-15. Signature Scent was bred by Yulong and was sold by them for $200,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to Baystone Farm.
Signature Scent winning the Handicap at Caulfield | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Soriano has produced four other winners including stakes placed Alsonso (Zoustar), and recent 3-year-old winning filly Therapist (Grunt {NZ}) who won at Seymour two weeks ago. Soriano is out of Group 3 winner Call Me Lily (NZ) (Just A Dancer {NZ}) who also produced Group 3 winner Kaizer Franz (NZ) (Savabeel) and stakes placed Affairoftheheart (NZ) (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}).
Two in a row for Tomato Toastie at Randwick
Tomato Toastie (Too Darn Hot {GB}) will be given a nice long break after making it two wins in succession at Randwick on Saturday and will be set for the autumn carnival. Coming off a Wednesday win at Warwick Farm, Tomato Toastie is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, and was ridden by Regan Bayliss in the 1400 metre event. The 2-year-old filly just nosed in front of Chris Waller-trained gelding Crossbow (Better Than Ready) with Crossbow’s stablemate gelding Kokatahi (NZ) (Farnan) 1.5l back in third.
Video: Watch race replay of Tomato Toastie, video courtesy of Racing NSW
“We made the call to come here today. We thought we'd go one more run while we can now then we can give her the good break she deserves. Rushing her around for the spring isn't going to be the right thing to do just yet, so that might set us up nicely for a good autumn campaign in time,” Bott said.
“I'm so proud of her today. It was a tough effort off a relatively quick turnaround, a quick back-up off a heavy ten track and coming to a nice testing trip early in her career. She was out on her feet late. She isn't an overly big filly but she has got a stack of improvement to come.”
“I'm so proud of her today...She (Tomato Toastie) was out on her feet late. She isn't an overly big filly but she has got a stack of improvement to come.” - Adrian Bott
Purchased by Cunningham Thoroughbreds and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA) for $140,000 from the Segenhoe Stud draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale, she has two wins from three starts and earnings over $123,000. A daughter of Too Darn Hot (GB) who returns to Australia for the upcoming breeding season, standing at a raised fee of $275,000 (inc GST) at Darley, thanks to 24 stakes winners with his oldest crop only just turned four in the Northern Hemisphere and 3-year-olds down under.
Tomato Toastie winning the Handicap at Randwick | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Tomato Toastie’s dam, Al Naifa (Redoute’s Choice), was a smart juvenile herself and placed in the Listed Dequetteville Stakes and has three winners from as many to race. Al Naifa is a half-sister to the outstanding English (Encosta De Lago), a champion 2- and 3-year-old filly and a dual Group 1 winner who earnt just under $3.5 million in prizemoney.
Lockyer impressive at Doomben
Tony Gollan-trained 2-year-old colt Lockyer (I Am Invincible) was doing his best work late over 1350 metres at Doomben to close on the front-running Toby Edmonds-trained filly Cool Moon (Cool Aza Beel {NZ}) to win by 0.24l. Ridden by apprentice Emily Lang, the victory closed the gap in the Brisbane Jockey’s Premiership with Lang only two wins behind leader Angela Jones.
Raced by Rosemont Stud and partners, Lockyer was purchased by Rosemont Stud, Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA), and Gollan Racing for $800,000 from Yarraman Park Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft. He debuted before Christmas, running second, then had a flat patch, before his recent run of form has resulted in two wins in succession.
A full brother to G2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner and young sire Strasbourg, Lockyer is the fourth winner for G2 Queen of the South Stakes-placed Danish Spy (Dane Shadow). She is a half-sister to Listed winner Forest Spy (Shinko Forest {Ire}), and is a daughter of Listed winner Super Snooper (Zeditave) who is one of three stakes winners for G2 Maribyrnong Plate winner Peeping (Todman).
Fierce Impact juvenile wins in New Zealand
Jockey Vinnie Colgan combined with trainer Donna Logan to win Saturday’s juvenile race at Ruakaka with debutant gelding Yokozuna (Fierce Impact {Jpn}) by 1.5l from the favourite 2-year-old colt Moretothinkabout (So You Think {NZ}), who was also on debut for the Stephen Marsh stable, and is a son of Group 1 winner More Joyous (More Than Ready {USA}).
The racetrack is a great leveller, as they say, and Yokozuna becomes the second winner for his first season sire Fierce Impact (Jpn) who stands at Victoria’s Lovatsville. In a weird quirk, both his winners have been in New Zealand, with the other being Listed-placed Zelia.
“That was a really nice win by Yokozuna today, I think he’s got the makings of a good horse,” Logan said. “The phone’s ringing already with people interested in buying him, which isn’t surprising after a performance like that. We’ll wait and see what we do with him from here, but he’s shown that he likes the track here, so we might be bringing him back to Ruakaka.” The G3 Cambridge Stud Northland Breeders’ Stakes for 3-year-olds is run at the track in mid-August.
Originally sold by Bombora Downs at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale for $16,000 to Hallmark Stud, Yokozuna was on-sold by Hallmark Stud at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$40,000 to Donna Logan Racing.
Yokozuna winning the Waipu 2YO at Ruakaka | Image courtesy of Race Images
Yokozuna’s dam, Misstiflying (Flying Spur) has been an excellent broodmare with five winners from five to race and her only unraced foal is a yearling colt by I Am Immortal. A winner of 1200 metres, Misstiflying is a daughter of Listed winner Miss Pageantry (Viscount) who is a half-sister to G2 Alister Clarke Stakes winner Speedy King (Hennessy {USA}). Misstiflying’s first, second, and third dams are all stakes winners, being Miss Pageantry, Rich Pageantry (Rubiton) and Tempestuous (Bletchingly).
