Cover image courtesy of Peter Rubery (Race Images)
Race-Day Recap
New Zealand’s Listed Ryder Stakes was won by Platinum Diamond (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) who was a last start stakes winner and has won three in succession for trainer Lisa Latta.
Farnan’s great start continued with Nashville Jack winning at Randwick for trainer Brad Widdup and Mulberry Racing. The first season sire now has 14 winners with three Group 3 winners.
Unbeaten filly Ole Dancer extended Ole Kirk’s lead on the First Season Sire’s table with a strong win at Caulfield for trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.
Godolphin’s James Cummings signed off with nicely bred gelding Tong Ho (Exceed And Excel) winning at Kembla Grange.
Three in a row for Platinum Diamond
Juvenile filly Platinum Diamond (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) came into the Listed Ryder Stakes as a well deserved favourite, having won the Listed Castletown Stakes the start prior, and was headed to three in a row for trainer Lisa Latta. Ridden by Bruno Queiroz, she stretched out to win by three-quarters of a length from Kurtis Pertab-trained filly Luminance (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) with the winner’s stablemate Brutiful Lass (Brutal {NZ}) six lengths away in third.
“Bruno got right hard against that rail and got into a good part of the track. She does (continue to improve). She’s got her summer coat on, keeps herself like a good filly, and keeps herself well in herself, really exciting,” Latta said.
“She (Platinum Diamond) does (continue to improve). She’s got her summer coat on, keeps herself like a good filly, and keeps herself well in herself, really exciting.” - Lisa Latta
“I don’t think she’s just a wet tracker at all. We’re going to give her two or three weeks as a freshener and she is going to the paddock at a good time.” Platinum Diamond has won three of her four starts, having run fourth on debut.
Sale: Platinum Diamond was sold by Beaufort Downs at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$90,000 to her trainer, and has earnings over NZ$112,000.
Platinum Diamond as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Pedigree Notes: One of two Southern Hemisphere first crop stakes winners for Cambridge Stud’s Hello Youmzain (Fr) who also has three Northern Hemisphere stakes winners, Platinum Diamond is the second foal for winning mare Spritz (NZ) (Thorn Park), whose first foal is Healthy Healthy (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) who has won five races in Hong Kong. Spritz has a Too Darn Hot (GB) weanling colt.
There is a fair amount of juvenile form in the pedigree with Spritz being a half-sister to Corsage (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) who was the Joint second filly on 2008-09 NZ 2YO Free Handicap thanks to running third in the G1 Diamond Stakes and is the dam of G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes winner Aotea Lad (NZ) (Savabeel). Platinum Diamond’s third dam is Group 1 winner Seamist (NZ) (Beaufort Sea {USA}).
Nashville Jack continues Farnan’s great start
First season sire Farnan added winner number 14 when Brad Widdup-trained promising 2-year-old colt Nashville Jack won the opening race at Randwick by nearly two lengths for jockey Jason Collett. The colt, whose first two runs were in Group company, will be aimed at the early spring 3-year-old majors.
“He has run in the Silver Slipper and his run was very good in the (Black) Opal when he came in with a shoe sticking halfway up his foot,” Widdup said.
“It's not easy to do, to come to Randwick against a couple of nice horses today. I had him in on Wednesday in a maiden and I was 'umming and ahhing' until the last minute this morning. It's just great to see him come back and return like that.”
Lindsay Park’s consistent gelding Hello Romeo (NZ) (Hello Youmzain {Fr}) ran second to almost give his sire a trans-Tasman double for the day, while third went to Kris Lees-trained filly Wisnierska (Anders).
“The (Rosebud) is the obvious, so we will have a look at it for sure and then see what happens from there. There are a lot of nice races ahead of us and we'll just try to pick and choose.”
Gallery: Images courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Sale: Owned by Mulberry Racing, Nashville Jack was purchased by his trainer at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $225,000 from Riversdale’s draft. Mulberry also purchased his Snitzel yearling half-brother this year for $300,000 from the same vendor and sale.
Pedigree notes: Nashville Jack is the third foal and third city winner for Dixie Chick (Star Witness) who won twice including once in Sydney, and is a half-sister to winning mare Dixie’s Comet (Northern Meteor), dam of Champion 3YO and 4YO in Singapore and four-time Listed winner Golden Monkey (Star Turn).
Nashville Jack as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Unbeaten Ole Dancer extends Ole Kirk’s dominance
Vinery Stud’s dual Group 1 winner Ole Kirk is about to be crowned Champion First Season Sire for 2024/25 and at Caulfield, his filly Ole Dancer extended her unbeaten streak to two with a 1l victory for trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman. Ridden by Blake Shinn, she won from Mark and Levi Kavanagh-trained 2-year-old filly Thanks Gorgeous (Peltzer) with Phillip Stokes-trained filly Shystar (Cosmic Force) in third.
“I think she's a lovely filly and I think she's got the ability to be running in Spring races but whether she has the maturity will probably be the question mark,” Moody said.
“If she got to a race like the Thousand Guineas she'd probably get there on one run. She's that type of filly, she won't need a lot of racing due to lack of maturity. So, she's still got a lot of growth ahead of her, but you're only a 3-year-old filly in the Spring once.”
“She's still got a lot of growth ahead of her, but you're only a 3-year-old filly in the Spring once.” - Peter Moody
Ole Kirk has sired 14 winners and four stakes winners with his first crop of 2-year-olds, and more should be expected, given that he was a better 3-year-old himself.
Sale: Ole Dancer was sold by North Bloodstock to Moody Racing for $350,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Ole Dancer as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Pedigree notes: The third runner and third winner for Dancers (Husson {Arg}), Ole Dancer’s 2024 full sister sadly died. Dancers, who won twice, is from the family of Snitzel with her dam, unraced Viennese Lass (Redoute’s Choice) being his three-quarter-sister. Group 1 winners Rediener (Redoute’s Choice) and Private Eye (Al Maher) also feature in this family, as does this season’s G3 Black Opal Stakes winner King Of Pop (Farnan).
Nicely bred juvenile gives Cummings a tidy sign off
Godolphin’s Exceed And Excel 2-year-old gelding Tong Ho broke through at Kembla Grange, winning at his fourth start over 1300 metres against the older maidens. Ridden by Mitchell Bell, he will be one of the final winners for James Cummings in the famed royal blue colours.
Exceed And Excel retired before the start of the 2024 breeding season has 55 foals in his third-last crop, of which Tong Ho is one of six juvenile winners this season for his sire who was Champion Sire of 2YOs in both 2012/13 and 2014/15, and Australian Champion Sire in 2012/13. Tong Ho is a homebred for Godophin.
Video: Watch race replay of Tong Ho, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Pedigree Notes: The second foal, and first winner, for Crown Daisy (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}), Tong Ho is a half-brother to a yearling filly by Kermadec and a weanling colt by Too Darn Hot (GB).
Crown Daisy is a daughter of G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Danelagh (Danehill {USA}), making her an unraced half-sister to three stakes winners being dual Champion Stayer in Hong Kong Vengeance Of Rain (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), G1 Australian Oaks winner Dizelle (Zabeel {NZ}), dam of G1 Victoria Oaks winner Pinot (Pierro) and Listed winner Dizlago (Encosta De Lago), and also to Listed winner Bernica (Elusive Quality {USA}), the dam of G2 Tulloch Stakes winner Old North (Lonhro). Listed winner Athelric (Exceed And Excel), a close relative to Tong Ho, is also a descendant of Danelagh.
