Cover image courtesy of Hawkesbury Racing Club
Narbold too strong in the Rowley Mile
The Chris Waller-trained Narbold (Churchill {Ire}) has been a consistent performer for many a year for Rosemont Stud and he had his biggest day in the sun with a dominant win in the Listed Hawkesbury Rowley Mile.
Tommy Berry rode a canny race as he slotted Narbold into clear running in second from a wide gate after Tim Clark jumped the race favourite Punch Lane (So You Think {NZ}) into the lead, with Nellie Leylax (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) and Soul Of Spain (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) also reasonably prominent in running just behind the leaders.
Clark gave Punch Lane a lovely run up front, keeping him in lovely rhythm, and he kicked strongly at the top of the straight and looked likely. But when Berry asked Narbold to take chase, chase he did, and he levelled up at about the 200 metre-mark and ran away for a convincing win by just under a length and a half from Punch Lane, who was game.
The Ciaron Maher-trained pair of Juja Kibo (Ire) (Belardo {Ire}) and Mr Monaco (GB) (Territories {Ire}) ran third and fourth, with both running on strongly, which sets them up for potential spring staying races.
Sales info: Narbold was bred and is raced by Rosemont Stud.
Pedigree info: Narbold is one of two stakes winners from only three to race for the winning Pivotal (GB) mare Noblest (GB), who has also left the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (fillies) and Listed Merson Cooper Stakes winner Palm Angel (Starspangledbanner).
Noblest is a full-sister to the G1 Sun Chariot Stakes and G1 Lockinge Stakes winner Peeress (GB) (Pivotal {GB}). Peeress has also made a significant impact at stud as the dam of the Listed winner Ladyship (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), herself the dam of the G1 Lockinge Stakes winning gelding Audience (GB) (Iffraaj {GB}).
Noblest in recent times has left a 2-year-old filly by Starspangledbanner, a yearling colt by Churchill (Ire) and missed last season, so will be ready for a nice early service next month.
Sparkling Fire gains deserved maiden success
No one could begrudge the David Pfieffer-trained 4-year-old gelding Sparkling Fire (Trapeze Artist) tasting maiden success at Hawkesbury at start number three, particularly after he had run second in his previous two career starts at Gosford and Newcastle.
But he gained his maiden in style as Tommy Berry partnered him in what ended up being a reasonably soft victory by just under two lengths.
It was Rachel King aboard the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Fastnet Rock filly Roebuck Plane that took up the running as Berry slotted the warm favourite straight to her outside, while Esquire (Exceedance) slotted into a lovely spot in the one-one.
The filly travelled well and gave a good kick at the top of the straight, but when the much bigger gelding Sparkling Fire levelled up the result looked ominous and so it proved as Sparkling Fire was too strong for Spud Gun (Zousain), who ran on well to just pip Roebuck Plane for second.
"We're still learning, he’s still learning, but when he flattened out and got into his job he sort of went away from them and did a good job,” Winning trainer David Pfieffer explained about his winning gelding.
David Pfieffer | Image courtesy of Monarch Racing Syndications
“He is raw, he’s not immature, just a bit of a slow learner. He has improved this prep from last prep, so it will be interesting to see how far he takes us.”
“He is raw, he’s not immature, just a bit of a slow learner, he has improved this prep from last prep, so it will be interesting to see how far he takes us.” - David Pfieffer
Sales info: Sparkling Fire was originally purchased by Blake Ryan Racing for $90,000 from the Widden Stud draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale Book 2. Ryan then successfully re-offered him through his own draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Horses In Training Sale where Oliver Koolman and Augustine Wong picked him up for $230,000.
Pedigree info: Sparkling Fire is one of two winners out of the winning Sepoy mare Duenna. With her other winner being the six-time winner Zealously (Harry Angel {Ire}) who won the Hawkesbury Gold Rush and also placed in the G2 Caulfield Sprint.
Sparkling Fire as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Duenna is a half-sister to the Group 3-placed Almanzora (Lonhro) and a three-quarter-sister to the Listed-winner Pandemic (Sepoy). Other family members include the Group 1-winning 2-year-old Earthquake (Exceed And Excel) and the G1 Thousand Guineas winner Madame Pommery (No Nay Never {USA}).
Duenna in recent times has left a 3-year-old colt and a yearling filly both by Trapeze Artist before she sadly died in August last year.
The famous cerise colours to the fore with My Charm
It was the Ingham cerise colours first past the post in the BM64 Handicap over 1800 metres as the Chris Waller-trained and James McDonald ridden My Charm (Capitalist) that dominated late in a brutally hard run race at Hawkesbury.
It was My Charm’s stablemate Ivy Legend (NZ) (Savabeel) that took up the running under Tommy Berry, before Winona Costin on Cha Cha Cha (Churchill {Ire}) matched motors on the outside making a speed battle, before eventually taking over. Throughout the back straight there was up to six lengths to the rest of the pack as the speed stayed on, with My Charm settled third to last and the race favourite Highborn Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}) following.
Video: Watch race replay of My Charm winning at Hawkesbury, video courtesy of Racing NSW
McDonald, being located on the outer, started to creep closer before turning and it was evident he was travelling well as he turned, hitting the front and running away to eventually score by just under two and a half lengths from Binkou (Outreach), with Ivy Legend holding third in a brave run considering being involved in that battle, with Highborn Harry disappointing another half a length behind in fourth.
But all honours go to the well-bred Capitalist 4-year-old mare who was putting together her third win from only eight starts after previously picking up a maiden win and a BM60 victory both at Ipswich last summer.
Sales info: My Charm was bred and is raced by Ingham Racing.
Pedigree info: My Charm is one of two winners out of the G3 Sapphire Stakes winning mare Sure Knee (Snitzel) who won seven races in total.
Sure Knee is well-bred being a half-sister to the G1 Queensland Oaks placegetter Oklahoma Girl (Fastnet Rock), herself the dam of the Group 3-winning 2-year-old colt Tornado Valley (Too Darn Hot {GB}) who also placed in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic last season behind his stable mate Unit Five (Supido).
Some other extended family members include the Group 1 winner Palaispan (So You Think {NZ}), the Group 1-winning colt and stallion Northern Meteor and the Group 2 inner and stallion Smart Missile.
Sure Knee in recent years has left a 3-year-old gelding named Darn Sure (Too Darn Hot {GB}), a 2-year-old filly by Churchill (Ire), a yearling colt by St Mark’s Basilica (Fr) and is due to foal to Castelvecchio in October.
Moscow Maid shows great speed to deliver first-up
Things didn’t work out for the sharp 3-year-old filly Moscow Maid (Russian Revolution) on debut on the Kensington track back in late March as a 2-year-old where she ran a long last, but after a break and preparatory trial, she showed her true form with an impressive first-up win by just over two lengths over the short course 1000 metres at Hawkesbury in the hands of Tyler Schiller.
Schiller jumped Moscow Maid out quickly from her outside barrier and led with ease with Rattle The Stars (Cosmic Force) sitting in second for Brodie Loy and the well-backed favourite Lava Flow (Too Darn Hot {GB}) settling in the trail for Chad Schofield after jumping quickly from an inside gate.
Video: Watch race replay of Moscow Maid winning at Hawkesbury, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Not a lot changed throughout, simply Moscow Maid was too quick and never in doubt. Rattle The Stars chased hard as did Lava Flow once he shouldered out into the clear, but all honours go with the excitng filly who could easily progress onto bigger things.
Sales info: Moscow Maid was passed in short of her $60,000 reserve at the 2025 Inglis Classic yearling Sale and is now raced by her breeder Julia Ritchie under her Bangaloe Stud banner.
Pedigree info: Moscow Maid is one of four winners out of the winning Fastnet Rock mare Lady Sharapova who also placed in the G3 Ming Dynasty Handicap, the Listed Talindert Stakes and the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas.
Moscow Maid as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Lady Sharapova is a half-sister to the stakes placed duo of Perfect Proposal (Russian Revolution) and Papillon (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and to the dam of the Listed winner Eternal Warrior (Extreme Warrior).
This is also the extended family of the four-time Group 1 winner Alinghi (Encosta De Lago) and the G1 Stradbroke Handicap winner Spicy Martini (Justify {USA}).
Lady Sharapova in recent times has left a 2-year-old filly by Justify (USA) and is due to foal to Bivouac late next month.
