Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Race-day Recap
Randwick was abandoned before race one, but with some races being rescheduled, questions were asked about the G2 Missile Stakes.
Group 1 winner Queman (Mint Lane {USA}) returned to the races with a stunning win in the G3 Behemoth Stakes for trainers Shane and Cassie Oxlade.
Phanta (Gingerbread Man) won his second Listed Belmont Newmarket in Western Australia for trainers Chris and Michael Gangemi. Gingerbread Man sired the quinella.
Lindsay Park’s Oak Hill was impressive at Moonee Valley and will be set for the G1 AJ Moir Stakes.
There will be no G2 Missile Stakes in 2025 after rain washes out Randwick
Randwick was abandoned on Saturday after the track had over 40mm of rain overnight, but it was the decision by Racing NSW to postpone some races and not the G2 Missile Stakes that left trainers confused. The Premier’s Cup Prelude will be run on Wednesday as it is a key led up for the G3 Premier’s Cup on August 23. Several other races have shifted to next Saturday.
“It has me beat why they can run the Prelude on Wednesday and not the Missile Stakes. We will probably have to go to the Show County Quality (August 23) with General Salute now,” co-trainer Gerald Ryan told racenet.com.au of race favourite General Salute (Russian Revolution).
The reasoning behind the decision to not reschedule the race was reported to be based on the presence of a strong sprint program on August 23, in a fortnight’s time.
Queman returns off a long break in style
Shane and Cassie Oxlade-trained Group 1 winning 7-year-old gelding Queman (Mint Lane {USA}) hadn’t raced for 16 months, but the long break didn’t show on Saturday as he returned to win the G3 Behemoth Stakes at Morphettville in fine fashion.
The 2024 G1 Oakleigh Plate winner hadn’t raced since April 2024, with injury keeping him away from racing. Ridden by Connor Murtagh, Queman won by 0.26l from Ciaron Maher-trained Recommendation (Shalaa {Ire}) with Peter & Belinda Blanch-trained Lingani (America) in third. Previously unbeaten Cicala (Tamasa) ran fifth.
“Twelve-hundred metres, I was worried, because he just likes to get up and get going – any other horse would have done more than enough to get 1200 metres,” Oxlade said post-race.
“He had four 1000 metres jumpouts and trials, but I just thought he might get up and trucking, but he settled beautifully. I said to Connor, ‘don’t chase him out the gates – just leave him alone, he’ll get up, he’ll get travelling’. He looked vulnerable, but geez he’s a tough bugger. It’s been a long time, 69 weeks, been in work a long time. I’m just proud of the horse.”
“He (Queman) looked vulnerable, but geez he’s a tough bugger. It’s been a long time, I’m just proud of the horse.” - Shane Oxlade
On the next step, Oxlade was very relaxed, and willing to wait for better weather. “Originally the plan was to go to the Heath probably at the end of the month, 1100 metres at Caulfield. I don’t care now – I’m happy to wait for the good tracks to be honest. I might give him a couple of weeks and just wait for the weather to turn. He’s certainly a better horse on top of the ground.”
Sale: Queman is raced by his breeder FJ Smith and partners. The winner of 10 of his 24 starts took his earnings over $1 million.
Pedigree information: Mint Lane (USA) has four stakes winners, and Queman is his only Group 1 winner. Queman is the first stakes winner in his family since fourth dam Fashion Fun (Arch Sculptor {GB}) won the Listed VATC Jewel Handicap. His dam, Langreen (Clangalang) won over 1100 metres, and Queman is her first live foal. She has an unraced 3-year-old filly Tinkatron (Denman) and a weanling colt by Peltzer. She wasn’t served in 2024.
Listed quinella for Gingerbread Man
It was a day for older geldings with the two stakes races across Australia going the way of horses who hadn’t won in a long time. Chris and Michael Gangemi-trained 8-year-old gelding Phanta (Gingerbread Man) hadn’t been in the winner’s circle since he won the 2023 Listed Belmont Newmarket, and he put any criticism behind him when given a front-running ride by birthday boy Brad Parnham to win the race for a second time, this time at Pinjarra, with the Belmont track out of commission.
Phanta won by half-a-length from Grant and Alana Williams-trained Fluro Neuro (Gingerbread Man), giving the quinella to Gingerbread Man who has been a good sire for Western Australia with eight stakes winners. Luke Fernie-trained Stormchaser (Impending) was third
“He’s been a champion for us. He hasn’t won a race for a couple of years. We raced him at Ascot a few times but it doesn’t suit him at all. We timed it perfectly this winter finally, because we got it wrong last winter. He’s been building to this, and the track might have helped him a touch being on pace. He fought on super, we are really happy with him,” Chris Gangemi said.
Phanta took his record to eight wins and nine placings from 29 starts with earnings over $580,000.
Gallery: Images courtesy of Western Racepix
Sales: Sold by Scenic Lodge at the 2019 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale to Justin Warwick for $5000.
Pedigree information: Phanta’s unraced dam Dubi Dubi Do (Dubai Destination {USA}) has produced one other winner, Phanta’s full sister Ginger Flyer, who won eight races and was fourth in the Listed Idyllic Prince Stakes. Phanta’s toughness likely comes from his third dam, Not Related (Family Ties {USA}), who won 12 races including the G1 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes.
Oak Hill locks in G1 AJ Moir date
The Hayes brothers of Lindsay Park have locked in a Group 1 target for impressive Mooney Valley winner Oak Hill (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) after he dominated the 1000 metre sprint race winning by 1.5 lengths as the $2.70 favourite.
Previously trained by Glen Thompson and the late Mike Moroney, Oak Hill now has two wins from as many starts for Lindsay Park, and took his record to seven wins and two seconds from 14 starts with earnings over $470,000.
“The next two starts are set in stone. Back here in two weeks for the Carlyon and then another two weeks to the G1 Moir Stakes,” Ben Hayes said.
“We will work out what to do after that. He’s matured. He’s getting better and better. He’s just learnt to relax in his races. He had a short holiday. We put him away early, he came back, he had one trial and a good gallop. I love the way he quickened and put them away early and he kind of coasted to the line. He’s got very good improvement to come.”
Ben Hayes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sales: Sold by Little Avondale Stud at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$180,000 to Paul Moroney Bloodstock and Ballymore Stables.
Pedigree information: Oak Hill’s year older half-brother is G1 Captain Cook Stakes winner Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai), while his 4-year-old full brother Achilles Pegasus (NZ) has won twice in Malaysia. His dam, unraced Isstoora (High Chaparral {Ire}) has a 2-year-old full sister to Oak Hill called Sihaya (NZ) and a yearling full sister.
Oak Hill winning the Bm100 at Moonee Valley | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
Isstoora is a daughter of G3 SAJC Breeders' Stakes winner Murjana (Giant’s Causeway) and this is a branch of the Redoute’s Choice family with Isstoora’s third dam being Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky {Can}), who is the dam of Shantha’s Choice (Canny Lad), the dam of Redoute’s Choice. Other Group 1 winners in this branch of the family are Gathering (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), In Italian (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), You Wahng (So You Think {NZ}), and Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}).
