Cover image courtesy of Racing Victoria
Race-Day Recap
Snitzel added a new group winner when 3-year-old filly Bridal Waltz on the G3 Bletchingly Stakes at Caulfield for trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman.
The Listed Lightning Stakes went to unbeaten 3-year-old filly Cicala, who is the first stakes winner for her sire Tamasa, and will be the final stakes winner for the training partnership of Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea. The win was one of four on the day for Premiership winning jockey Rochelle Milnes.
In a match race between two last start stakes winners, it was Peters Investments-owned Arcadia Park (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) who added the Listed Belmont Classic to his impressive season for trainer Michael Grantham.
A scary fall at Te Rapa had a miraculous result with all four horses walking away with minor injuries, and all four jockeys transported to hospital with a range of injuries. The winner, stakes placed 3-year-old filly Ortega (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), will carry on to the better spring races.
Bridal Waltz dances again with second stakes win
A last start stakes winner in the Listed AR Creswick Stakes, Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained 3-year-old filly Bridal Waltz (Snitzel) took on the older horses in the time-honoured G3 Bletchingly Stakes and shifting into equal favourite after the favourite Baraqiel (Snitzel) was scratched behind the barriers.
Ridden by Ben Melham, she won by 0.35l from James Cummings-trained 5-year-old mare Kin (Impending) with Lindsey Smith-trained 5-year-old mare Yellow Sam (Ready For Victory) picking up black type in third place.
Peter Moody became the first trainer to win the Bletchingly Stakes three times, and Bridal Waltz has won five of her 12 stakes with earnings over $470,000. “I was very pleased with where she was in the run, Recommendation took her to the right part of the track and carted her well up to the straight,” Moody said.
“As we’ve seen, she can make all if she needs to, but it’s hard when you’re off the fence. Good tough effort. Congratulations to Des Pope and his family, they bred this filly, and they’ve retained her, and now she’s made herself a valuable little girl. She’s a multiple stakes winner and stakes placed, well deserved I think.
“She’s (Bridal Waltz) made herself a valuable little girl. She’s a multiple stakes winner and stakes placed, well deserved I think.” - Peter Moody
“I’ve thought for the last two runs, she probably goes for a spell, but we’ll probably take her home and rinse and repeat. We’ll give her a week down at the beach… it’d be nice to lift the bar a little bit, do we find a mares' Group 2 or something like that, now we’re a Group 3 winner? Or we have a few weeks off and come back at Flemington in November and chase a little stakes race there away from the A-Graders. But you never know – she might become an A-Grader one day, the way she’s going.”
Pedigree Notes: A half-sister to G3 Northwood Plume Stakes winner She Dances (Street Boss {USA}), Bridal Waltz is the second foal and second Group 3 winner for winning mare Charleston Dancer (Lonhro) who has unraced 2-year-old filly Eyes Of Blue (Snitzel) and a yearling filly by Street Boss (USA).
Peter Moody | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Charleston Dancer is a daughter of G2 Ascot Vale Stakes winner Innovation Girl (Rubiton), who won the race only four years before it was upgraded to the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, and Innovation Girl was a wonderful racemare winning 10 of her 15 starts and nearly $1 million.
She has been a fantastic broodmare, leaving Charleston Dancer’s R.Listed Inglis Banner 2YO Stakes winning half-brother Ideas Man (Brazen Beau) and Listed winning half-sister Chloe In Paris (Exceed And Excel), the dam of R.Listed Inglis Banner 2YO Stakes winner Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau). Innovation Girl is also the granddam of Listed winner Larimer Street (Brazen Beau).
Milnes dominates Morphettville led by unbeaten stakes winner
Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea might be dissolving their training partnership on Thursday, but they went out with a bang when 3-year-old filly Cicala (Tamasa) won the Listed Lightning Stakes for two and 3-year-olds by 0.16l for jockey Rochelle Milnes from the race favourite Toby Lake-trained 3-year-old filly Fieldelo (Deep Field) with Darryl Hewitt-trained 3-year-old gelding Sir Now (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) in third.
Rochelle Milnes wrapped up the South Australian Jockeys’ Premiership as well as the Metro title, winning four races on the day. As well as Cicala, she won on 3-year-old colt Sav On Ice (Puissance De Lune {Ire}), 7-year-old gelding Big Sue (Pellizotti), and 5-year-old mare Silent Emmy (So You Think {NZ}).
Unbeaten in three starts, Cicala became the first stakes winner for her second season sire Tamasa, a Group 3-placed son of So You Think (NZ), whose first crop of 3-year-olds consists of just two foals with the other being the 3-year-old gelding Tamwood who placed during the spring. He served no mares the following season, so has no 2-year-olds, then has one yearling from his next crop.
Bred by Mr G Davies in Victoria, who also raced Tamasa, Cicala didn’t go to auction.
Pedigree notes: Cicala is the third winner for G3 Dark Jewel Classic winner Divertire (Econsul), who has a Royal Meeting (Ire) weanling colt. This is the family of Champion Sire Sharpen Up (GB), and Divertire’s dam Paris Sweep (End Sweep {USA}) is a half-sister to Champion 2YO Male in South Africa and G1 Greyville Premier's Champion Stakes winner Rarotonga Treaty (Geiger Counter {USA}).
Arcadia Park continues his merry win in Belmont Classic
The Listed Belmont Classic was billed as a match race between last-start Listed Aquanita Stakes winner Arcadia Park (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) and Listed Belmont Oaks winner Fancy Red (Aus) (Sessions), and it delivered - just not in the order punters expected.
Despite starting favourite, Fancy Red was outstayed by Arcadia Park for trainer Michael Grantham and jockey Clint Johnston-Porter. Front-runner Royal Trooper (Aus) (King’s Troop) held on gamely for third.
“Once he felt the other horse coming, he found another gear and his stamina kicked in, he’s bred to do this and it’s nice to see him do it,” owner Bob Peters said.
“He’ll go out for a month. We’ll build him up to staying again and see how he goes.” An option is the Perth Cup in the summer.
Pedigree Notes: Arcadia Park’s dam, Arcadia Dream (Domesday) won the G2 WA Derby for owner-breeder Bob Peters. Her five wins earned over $600,000 and she’s been a successful producer with four runners for four winners, with Arcadia Park being her first stakes winner. Peters has replicated the mating, and Arcadia Dream has a 2-year-old gelding, yearling filly and weanling colt all by Ocean Park.
Arcadia Park (NZ) winning the Listed Belmont Classic | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Arcadia Dream is one of four stakes winners for winning mare Arcadia (Redoute’s Choice), headlined by triple Group 1 winner and Champion Female Sprinter in Australia in 2019/20 Arcadia Queen (Pierro) who Peters sold to Arrowfield Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $3.2 million.
Arcadia Queen’s first foal is 2-year-old colt and $1 million yearling Federalist (I Am Invincible) who had three starts this season, running mid-field in both the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes and G1 Champagne Stakes, and she has a yearling full brother to Federalist who sold for $440,000 this year at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Arcadia Dream is also a half-sister to Group 3 winner Arcadia Prince (Pierro) and Listed winner Arcadia Rose (Kheleyf {USA}). This is also the family of dual Group 1 winner Regal Power (Pierro).
Connections of Arcadia Park (NZ) after winning the Listed Belmont Classic | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Ortega wins race marred by a serious incident
It’s the moment that no one in racing wants to see. At the 800 metre mark in race four at Te Rapa, jockey Yuga Okubo on the favourite Ribkraka (NZ) (Ribchester {Ire}) crossed in front of Illuminated Miss (NZ) (Sweynesse) who clipped heels and fell, causing Gina Rosa (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}), Gracetheace (NZ) (Ace High) and I Park (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) to also fall.
Stephen Marsh-trained 3-year-old filly Ortega (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) won the race from Ribkraka, who became only the second horse in New Zealand history to be disqualified for causing severe interference and Okubo was given a five-week suspension.
Incredibly and thankfully, all four horses got up and returned to scale with only minor injuries.
All four jockeys, Hayley Hassman, Rihaan Goyaram, Ashlee Strawbridge and Ace Lawson-Carroll, were transported to hospital with “a variety of injuries, although all were said to be conscious and speaking to Ambulance personnel,” reported Loveracing.nz.
Ortega (NZ) winning the Taumarunui 3YO at Te Rapa | Image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
“She was very good and very tough today,” Marsh said. “She was a while in between runs last time and got taken on at Rotorua which caused her downfall. We wanted to back her up and she showed the benefit of that decision today.
“She (Ortega) was very good and very tough today, We wanted to back her up and she showed the benefit of that decision today.” - Stephen Marsh
“Young Jack Taplin couldn’t believe how she stayed on her feet as he said she had to hurdle one of the fallen runners. It was very nice to get the win but you never want to see a fall like that as that is not what racing is all about and I just hope everyone involved is okay.
“She probably doesn’t really like that deep ground now and enjoyed the Te Rapa surface which is never like a bog winter track. With her going so well now and being rock hard fit I can see her picking up some good money over the next few months as she gets footing to suit.”
Ortega took her record to three wins from 12 starts with earnings and she was placed in last season’s Listed Ryder Stakes on this day 12 months ago.
Stephen Marsh | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Pedigree Notes: The second foal of Group 3-placed winner of four races Rayas (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), whose first foal is a winning full brother to Ortega, Rayas has a yearling colt and weanling colt both by Captivant. Rayas is a full sister to G2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes winner Lasarla (NZ), and a half-sister to Listed winner Changing Eyes (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe {USA}).
