Juvenile Summary: Golden Slipper picture blurrier than before

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Paradoxium is the new Slipper favourite

With multiple form lines converging into the upcoming G1 Golden Slipper, it was Bjorn Baker-trained 2-year-old colt Paradoxium (Extreme Choice) who has most impressed punters, shortening to $5 favouritism for the Slipper after an impressive G2 Todman Stakes victory.

“Full credit to all my team, particularly my vet, Allan Frogley, and the vets who looked after him up in Queensland,” Baker said, referring to Paradoxium’s bout of pneumonia that prevented him from running in the R.Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January.

“He got very, very sick, very fast and for him to get back here and do that is pretty special. I think he is going to improve a heap out of this. He'd only had the one trial, and he's got a good two weeks' into the Slipper now, and he's in.”

Now the winner of two of his three starts including a last start win in the R.Listed Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic, Paradoxium won by 1.4 lengths from last start G2 Silver Slipper Stakes winner Stretan Ruler (Wild Ruler) with Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Wolf Gap (Palace Pier {GB}) in third.

“Speed, speed, speed. That's what we breed for in Australia. Fast, strong, tough horses,” Baker said. “I'll tell you what, he's fast and tough and hopefully we'll find out how strong he is in a couple of weeks.”

Sales: Sold by Silverdale Farm for $400,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Bjorn Baker, Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA), and Ridgmont. Silverdale Farm will offer Paradoxium’s half-sister by Zoustar as Lot 9 at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Pedigree: One of 18 stakes winners for Extreme Choice, Paradoxium is the first foal of Listed Mode Stakes-placed Paredo (Better Than Ready) who has the aforementioned Zoustar yearling filly and a filly foal by I Am Invincible.

Paredo is a half-sister to stakes placed Snipzu (Snippetson) as well as to Happy Pilgrim (Congrats {USA}), the dam of G1 Galaxy Handicap victor Private Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}). Snipzu is the dam of two stakes placed winners including G1 Blue Diamond Stakes-placed and G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes-placed Don Corleone, who is a young son of Extreme Choice standing at Eureka Stud in Queensland.

Victorian form to the fore again in Sydney

All the chatter around the Victorian juvenile form this season paid out again when last start G1 Blue Diamond Stakes runner Chayan (I Am Invincible) bolted home with ease in the G2 Reisling Stakes. Trained by Annabel and Rob Archibald, she won by 3 lengths from Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained pair of Agrarian Girl (Tassort) and Miss Chanel (Tagaloa).

“She had no luck from the draw in the Blue Diamond, she was five-wide all the way. So, to come here today and win a Group 2 is very satisfying,” said Annabel Archibald.

“We thought there would be a bit of speed and James (McDonald) said he just wanted to blend in and find some cover. I was happy when he got in and she was very strong late. It was a big win.”

Archibald won this race in 2023 with Learning To Fly (Justify {USA}) who fell in the G1 Golden Slipper, returning after a long break to run second in the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes before her retirement to stud. The race has a big history as one that finds good horses with last year’s winner Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) now a Group 1 winner, while Estijaab (Snitzel) went on to win the G1 Golden Slipper.

“We won this race with Learning to Fly a couple of years ago and that ended up a disaster. But she is very tough. She had a tough run in the Blue Diamond and a trip in between so that was my only concern but she is very exciting.”

Sales: Sold by Longwood Thoroughbred Farm for $250,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Eric Koh and Falcon Racing.

Pedigree: Chayan becomes the 123rd stakes winner for I Am Invincible. She is the fourth foal and fourth winner for G3 Tesio Stakes winner Lubiton (Snitzel) whose yearling filly by Zoustar topped the recent Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale at $525,000 to Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA).

Luiton is the only runner for unraced Rosa Stellata (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), a daughter of G1 Coolmore Classic winner Camino Rose (Sea Road) who won nine times and earned over $1 million.

More Group 1s on the cards for unbeaten Lara

The G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes in the spring is beckoning on the long term horizon for unbeaten 2-year-old filly Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution) who dominated Saturday’s G1 Sistema Stakes. Ridden by Mick Dee for the powerful Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson stable, Lara Antipova won by 1.75 lengths from Lance Noble-trained filly Liguria (NZ) (Snitzel) with Chad Ormsby-trained State Of Valour (NZ) (Sword Of State) in third.

“We think she is up to Australian class and we look forward to getting her to Melbourne,” Walker said. She might run in the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes at Flemington next.

“There’s a race down the straight, it will either be that at the end of this month or maybe the Percy Sykes in Sydney. It will be good to give her a look at the Melbourne stable with a view to the Coolmore in the spring. Her form stacks up with Bellatrix Star, who John and Jessica (Galvin, Fortuna Racing) raced.

“Well done to David Ellis, that’s the seventh winner of the race that he has bought, that’s an incredible record.”

Galvin’s Fortuna Racing owns Lara Antipova who took her unbeaten streak to four, including two Group 2 victories to go with the G1 Sistema Stakes, with earnings over NZ$550,000. Bellatrix Star (Star Witness), who won the G2 Eclipse Stakes at two, ran second in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at three.

Sales: Sold by Vinery Stud, who also bred her sire, for $100,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to David Ellis and Fortuna Racing.

Pedigree: One of 14 stakes winners for Russian Revolution, Lara Antipova becomes his third Group 1 winner. She also becomes the first Group 1 winner for Myboycharlie (Ire) as a damsire.

The fifth foal, fourth winner, and only stakes winner for Artistic Lass (Myboycharlie {Ire}) whose yearling colt by In The Congo was purchased by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott and Kestrel Thoroughbreds from Vinery at the recent Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. Artistic Lass had a Stay Inside colt this spring.

Artistic Lass was a tough race mare winning five races from 1800 metres to 2200 metres including two in Sydney, and she is a half-sister to Group 2 winner and G1 Robert Sangster Stakes-placed Sistine Angel (Testa Rossa), Group 3 winner Sistine Demon (Excites) and stakes placed pair of Scully (Shooting To Win) and Themoonlitegambler (Good Journey {USA}).

Big hearted Grinzinger Heart wins the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes

Prominent owner John Wheeler celebrated a big win in Saturday’s G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes with 2-year-old filly Grinzinger Heart (Toronado {Ire}) who was overlooked by punters at $41. Trained by Ben Brisbourne, she came into the race having run fourth on debut in the Listed Talindert Stakes.

With a beautifully judged rails ride by Craig Williams, Grinzinger Heart had to show all her heart to cling on to victory from the fast finishing Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Zambales (Pinatubo {Ire}). Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Expensive Taste (North Pacific) picked up valuable black type in third over a length behind the quinella.

“Unbelievable. I'm very grateful to John (Wheeler). He's been so loyal to me the last three or four years. He's been a real help. He appeared when we needed someone to step up and put a better stamp of horse into the stable,” said Brisbourne.

“This filly, he bought himself on his own back at Gold Coast last year and I was very grateful for her to come to my system. We've always liked the filly and we were happy to have a go at the stars and bring her down here, she’s a nice, beautiful filly.”

The stable are planning for the long term with Grinzinger Heart, who was initially pegged as an Oaks type filly.

“Craig got it right. He sat on this filly five weeks ago now in a jump out or trial at Caulfield. Told me he was going to win the Oaks on her in the Spring. And look, she's a Group 2 winner now, so there's only one way to go.”

Craig Williams made it a race to race double, winning the G1 All-Star Mile on Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) in the following race, but he gave all the credit to Grinzinger Heart’s owner.

“Obviously John (Wheeler) is a great contributor to racing, his health’s not always the greatest and it’s great that he’s going to the sales now buying more horses, they’re very famous colours in our racing and he’s put in for so long, it’s great to win in his colours,” said Williams.

Sale: Bred and sold by Lustre Lodge at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to John Wheeler for $110,000.

Pedigree: Grinzinger Heart becomes the 49th stakes winner for Toronado (Ire). She is the fifth foal of dual winner Veravarti (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) who has produced two other winners. She has a yearling colt by Russian Revolution and a filly foal by Capitalist.

Veravarti is a daughter of Listed Hawke’s Bay Guineas victrix and G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas-placed Vedodara (NZ) (Kreisler {Ire}), making Veravarti a half-sister to G1 Avondale Gold Cup winner Sharvasti (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}), G3 Hawke’s Bay Guineas winner Shastri (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) and dual Group 3 winner Bhandara (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).

Medicinal darts clear to add Ottawa Stakes

Godolphin’s 2-year-old filly Medicinal (Brazen Beau) added her name to a very open looking G1 Golden Slipper when she dashed home to win the G3 Ottawa Stakes on Saturday. Ridden by Jamie Melham, she sat in the centre of the track for the 1000 metre dash down the Flemington straight, pulling clear with a furlong to go to win by three-quarters of a length.

Chasing hard in second was Grahame Begg-trained debutant filly Jadzia (Ole Kirk) with John O'Shea and Tom Charlton-trained Scintillation (I Am Invincible) in third. Medicinal adds her name to an honour’s board that includes Group 1 winner Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) in recent years.

“She was professional today. In the Ballarat win she did a lot wrong and still won by a big margin, whereas today she jumped straight to the front, she looked to be really travelling the whole way and just late she was having a bit of a look around,” said co-trainer Ben Hayes.

“The stable has always had a very high opinion of her and it’s really nice to get a Group 3 for Godolphin. We ran her in a good race on debut, and she just got a little bit wrong. Again, she built again and she just kept improving in track work. If you look at her, she doesn't look like a 2-year-old, she's powerful, she's got deep girth, she's really strong.”

Medicinal is the winner of two of her three starts with earnings over $168,000. She debuted in the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (f) won by future G1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner Streisand (Magnus).

“She's really exciting and we're going to have a bit of a fun discussion with team Godolphin to see where we go next. So hopefully we can head up Sydney way. She eats and she does everything right. She's a very straightforward 2-year-old and I do think, in an open (Golden) Slipper, this year she'll be right in it and can run very well.”

Sales: A homebred for Godolphin.

Pedigree: Medicinal becomes the 30th stakes winner for Brazen Beau, who has three Group 1 winners. She is the second foal of Tisane (Hallowed Crown) who won once over 1900 metres, and is closely inbred to Danehill {USA}). Tisane’s first foal is Barley, an unraced 3-year-old full brother to Medicinal who is also in work with Lindsay Park. Following Medicinal, Tisane has a yearling Blue Point (Ire) colt and a colt foal by Native Trail (GB).

Tisane is a daughter of G1 Queensland Oaks winner Camarena (Danehill {USA}), making her a half-sister to G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Camarilla (Elusive Quality {USA}), dam of four-time Group 1 winner Guelph (Exceed And Excel) and G2 Todman Stakes winner and sire Ghibellines. Guelph is the dam of stakes winners Encryption and Emanate (Lonhro).

Another half-sibling to Tisane is G1 Victoria Derby-placed Listed winner Induna (Elusive Quality {USA}), while Bivouac also features in this family.