Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Sing Your Song scores in style
On form, it looked like a two-horse race between the Chris Waller-trained Sing Your Song (Snitzel) and the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Noverre (NZ) filly Waiheke Rose (NZ), and the punters thought so too, with the pair the only 3-year-olds in single figures in the maiden handicap over 1400 metres.
That proved to be the case on the track, with Sing Your Song narrowly too good for Waiheke Rose.
There was a good tempo early as Moonlit Wings (Maurice {Jpn}) took up the running, while McDonald gradually worked Sing Your Song across to sit outside the leader from the wide gate.
Video: Watch Sing Your Song in Race 2 at Warwick Farm, video courtesy of Racing NSW
Conversely, Clark aboard Waiheke Rose had to urge his filly slightly to hold a prominent spot from the inside draw, with her settling in the trail behind the leader and Wonka (Snitzel) enjoying the one-one position.
At the top of the straight, McDonald took control of the race and burst to the lead. Clark struggled to find clear running early in the straight aboard Waiheke Rose, but once in the clear she stormed home to just miss by just under half a length, while Wonka stuck on well for third.
It was a tenacious win from Sing Your Song and an eye-catching run by the runner-up, with both 3-year-old fillies looking like horses worth following, particularly as their pedigrees suggest they will get better with more distance.
Sing Your Song | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“She hasn't had much luck so far (in her career) and it was a day to probably ask the question,” Waller said about the filly he rates highly enough to have nominated her for the G1 Cox Plate as a maiden 3-year-old filly.
“She (Sing You Song) hasn't had much luck so far (in her career) and it was a day to probably ask the question.” - Chris Waller
“She was probably a little bit lost there but she's a very nice filly. Class horse. I was hoping she could be a Flight Stakes filly.
“Obviously, there's still a long way to go but we've probably got a little bit of time now to back off, regroup and time our run.”
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sales info: Sing Your Song was purchased for $450,000 by Calico Bloodstock from the Davali Thoroughbreds draft at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Pedigree info: Sing Your Song is one of two winners out of the dual winner Never Listen (Trusting) who also ran second in the G1 Victorian Oaks. Her other winner is the smart dual Group 3-winner Matias (Snitzel).
Sing You Song’s pedigree has plenty of depth with her grandam Rose O’ War (Danehill {USA}) winning four stakes races and being placed in the G1 Victorian Oaks and she also left the Listed winner Rose Of Peace (Hussonet {USA}).
Sing You Song as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Another top class performer in the pedigree is the Group 2 and dual Group 3-winner Coeur Volante (NZ) (Proisir) who also has been in great form through the winter and is destined for a date with Zoustar this spring for her owners Widden Stud and Julia Ritchie’s Bangaloe Stud.
Never Listen in recent times has left a 2-year-old colt named Scornful (Snitzel), a yearling colt by Hitotsu and is due to foal to The Autumn Sun in early November.
Bivouac’s half-sister goes back-to-back
It was the Chris Waller-trained and Godolphin-owned 3-year-old filly Sequinned (Pinatubo {Ire}) who prevailed in a strong little BM64 3-year-old Handicap at Warwick Farm on Wednesday in the hands of Zac Lloyd.
The Pinatubo (Ire) half-sister to the exciting young Darley Stud sire Bivouac took her record to two wins from only four starts after winning her maiden on the Kensington impressively last time out.
The race favourite Blessed Eagle (Farnan) took up the running clearly, with Bring Me Chocolate (Wotton Bassett {GB}) settling on the outside in second and Siena Grima trailing on the maidener Saffron Veil (Wild Ruler).
It was all a bit congested just behind the leaders, and Zac Lloyd aboard Sequinned decided to use his filly’s fitness, moving up three-wide before straightening to force the issue off the muddling pace. He eventually ended up outside Blessed Eagle, who kicked, but it soon became apparent that Lloyd had Sequinned going better and he shot to the lead.
Meanwhile, Grima couldn't get clear at the top of the straight aboard Saffron Veil and, once clear, made ground, but too late, finishing half a length behind, with Blessed Eagle a nose behind in third.
Katoto (Wootton Bassett {GB}) made nice late ground to finish fourth in a black-booker for a future assignment over further.
Sequinned | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
“It was a very even race and the market suggested the same,” said winning trainer Chris Waller.
“There was no real pressure for us, so Zac just had to find a rhythm and keep her comfortable knowing that the Waterhouse/Bott horse (Blessed Eagle) was the one to beat and to keep him in our sights.”
“It was a very even race and the market suggested the same.” - Chris Waller
Zac Lloyd seems to have the key to Sequinned, who will be looking to add black type to her resume which stands at two wins from four starts.
“It always looked like it might be a hard set up in this race for a horse like her, so when she wanted to go a bit quicker I allowed her to and I must say she tries very hard which is a good attribute,” he said.
“If they had gone at a good gallop like a normal race I think she would have settled really well. She ran the 1200 out well so every start she is learning and you can’t ask for much more.”
Sales info: Sequinned was bred and is raced by Godolphin.
Pedigree info: Sequinned is one of seven winners out of the dual juvenile winner Dazzler (More Than Ready {USA}). Among those winners is the outstanding three-time Group 1 winner and exciting sire Bivouac and the dual Listed winner Coruscate (Exceed And Excel).
Dazzler is also a half-sister to the four-time Group 1 winner Guelph (Exceed And Excel), the dam of the Group winners Amanate (Lonhro) and Encryption, and also to Ghibbelines, who was a Group 2 winner on the track and a successful sire in New Zealand.
Sequinned's second dam Camarilla (Elusive Quality {USA}) and third dam Camarena (NZ) (Danehill {USA}) were also Group 1 winners on the track and both successful broodmares.
Since producing Sequinned, Dazzler has produced a 2-year-old filly by Anamoe named Tucana, a yearling filly by Cylinder, and was left empty last season.
Boys Bounce to the lead and dominates
It was a simple formula that Jye McNeil used with the well-bred Boys Bounce (Wootton Bassett {GB}) at Sandown on Wednesday.
He jumped from the inside gate, controlled proceedings, kicked hard and scored in style aboard the Tony and Calvin McEvoy galloper, in what was a very professional win at only his second start over 1500 metres.
He made use of the inside gate to hold that spot, while Scarole (Ole Kirk) was forced to work from a wide gate before eventually settling second. Fine Sierra (Pinatubo {Ire}) enjoyed a nice spot in the one-one.
Not a lot changed throughout, apart from Zahra making a bit of a wide run on Zoucity (Zousain), but in the end it was plain sailing for Boys Bounce as he scored by a length and a half in the famous John Singleton colours.
There was only a head between second, third and fourth, with the order coming up as Scarole, who was brave, Fine Sierra and Zoucity in a frantic finish for the placegetters.
“Jye did a great job and it was a comfortable watch,” said the Team McEvoy stable representative Mitchell Whelan.
“He has a great group of owners and hopefully he can be a player in the spring.”
“He (Boys Bounce) has a great group of owners and hopefully he can be a player in the spring.” - Mitchell Whelan
Winning jockey Jye McNeil believes a lot more is to come for the promising galloper.
“He’s a talent and probably realistically should have won first up, but he just flat spotted around the tight lakeside track, but with the extra ground today the team had him well placed,” he said.
Boys Bounce | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“Today we took luck out of the equation and he has improved a lot out of his first run. He feels a much sharper version of a horse now and hopefully the future is bright for him.”
“He (Boys Bounce) feels a much sharper version of a horse now and hopefully the future is bright for him.” - Jye McNeil
Sales info: Boys Bounce was purchased for $400,000 by McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) from the Coolmore Stud draft at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Pedigree info: Boys Bounce is out of the dual-winning Vancouver mare Montia who also ran fourth in the Listed Valley Pearl Stakes.
She has a very strong pedigree being a half-sister to the G1 Randwick Guineas winner and stallion Inference, the three-time Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Dragon Leap (Pierro) the dual Listed-winner Illation, and to the dam of the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes and G1 CF Orr stakes winner Jacquinot.
Boys Bounce as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
This is also the extended family of the Group-winners Ranier (Lonhro) and Kanzan (Commands) and the Listed winners Liberty Rose (Royal Academy {USA}) and Grand Jardin (Redoute’s Choice).
Montia in recent times has left a yearling filly by Pierro and foaled a Home Affairs colt late last month.
Smoky Kitchen cooks up a win on debut
It’s always a lovely combination when you have a filly that is bred on the cross of the Champion sire I Am Invincible over a Group-winning daughter of New Zealand’s Champion sire Savabeel, with the added fact that she comes from one of the best farms around in Gilgai Farm.
So it proved as the Ciaron Maher-trained Smoky Kitchen (I Am Invincible) delivered on debut in style in the hands of Thomas Stockdale at Sandown on Wednesday afternoon over 1000 metres as a well-backed favourite.
There was a bit of pace early as Epponnee Rae (Hanseatic) took up the running on the outer, but the Ben Allen-ridden Superbec (Kingman {GB}) held her spot closer to the rail to pretty much share the lead.
It was a very even contest throughout and, at about the 300-metre mark, Superbec was battling hard, but Stockdale aboard Smoky Kitchen had come off her back and laid out his challenge. She looked likely to go straight past, but Superbec fought, and in a tight battle the Maher-trained runner just prevailed.
Superbec was very brave, a head back, with Tuzemak (Prague) solid in third, but the action was close to the rails.
Jack Turnbull | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Big congrats to Gilgai, Rick, Kelly and the team, we have taken our time with her but she has always shown nice ability, we had her up and ready to go, but Ciaron elected to back off and give her more time.
“She has only had the one jump-out off a three week break and she was really good,” Jack Turnbull, Ciaron Maher’s National Assistant Trainer, commented.
“She (Smoky Kitchen) has only had the one jump-out off a three week break and she was really good.” - Jack Turnbull
“She stepped a bit average but she did muster and did everything quite professionally after. We have a fair bit of time for her, so the fact that she has won today sets us up to go down stronger avenues.”
Sales info: Smoky Kitchen was purchased for $300,000 by Baystone, Malua Bloodstock and M Houldsworth from the Gilgai Farm draft at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Smoky Kitchen as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Pedigree info: Smoky Kitchen is the third winner out of the G2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic and G3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes winner My Emotion (NZ) (Savabeel).
My Emotion is also well-related being a half-sister to the dam of the Group 1-winning 2-year-old Seabrook (Hinchinbrook). This is also the extended family of the G1 Coolmore Classic winner Aloha (Encosta De lago) and her three-time Group 2 winning daughter Libertini (I Am Invincible) and her dual Group 3-winning and Group 1-placed son and stallion Hawaii Five Oh.
My Emotion in recent times has left a yearling filly by Ole Kirk and missed to the same stallion last season.
