The TBV Summoned Stakes provided the fairer sex another chance at valuable black-type on the Sandown Classic card and the Guy Walter-trained, Bernicia gave her owner Sheik Mohammed the final leg of a stakes treble for the day.

The stable had enjoyed success earlier in the day with progressive three-year olds Yesterday in the Listed Le Pine Funerals (registered name: Twilight Glow) Stakes (1400m) and Caymans in the Group 2 Sandown Guineas (1600m).

Ridden for Darley by the retained Kerrin McEvoy in the $100,000 Listed event, Bernicia was able to get into a good spot as Surfside Christmas took them along at an even speed. 

Rounding the home turn Frisco Jess and Jacqueline Rouge were the first to go out and challenge Surfside Christmas while the race favourite Absolutelyfabulous was working home well wider out. Just as Absolutelyfabulous (Craig Williams) reached the front inside the last 100m, Bernicia, who had tracked her into the event, got into stride and proved too strong to claim her second stakes success and fourth win at just her ninth start.

Speaking to TVN's Bruce Clark trainer Guy Walter said “She’s just a terrific mare, she’s only had the nine runs but won four of them, including two black type races,” 

“I was a bit concerned in the straight but I was really happy with the way she attacked the line late.

“In my opinion, she’s a high-quality mare.

“We’ll stay a bit conservative with her, we’ll aim at something like the Emancipation Stakes on Easter Monday.

“You never know, we might get a bit ambitious with her depending on how she spells in Victoria,” Walter concluded.

While McEvoy told Clark, "I was following Craig (Williams) and I thought she had me beaten at the 300 metres, but to my mare's credit she really found the line." 

Previously the winner of the Listed Keith Nolan Classic at Kembla Grange, Bernicia was the only stakes-winner in son of Gone West's second crop in Australia when they only earned a million dollars. In his debut season Elusive Quality had the group one winning Camarilla and the SAJC Listed Cinderella Stakes winner, Listen Here give him a huge lift.

So far Elusive Quality's third crop has revealed 17 individual winners from 52 starters, Bernicia's stakes victory along with black-type placing's by Melpomene (ex Bulla Borghese by Belong to Me), on the same day as Bernicia's win in the Listed Summoned Stakes when third in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes behind Yesterday (Red Ransom - Donna Cara), Cardinal Virtue and Viking Turf Belle.

Elusive Quality has achieved results in both hemispheres this year as he's the sire of the Breeders Cup winner, Raven's Pass, along with the leading British 2,000 Guineas fancy, Evasive. 

Bernicia will be very valuable girl in the breeding barn for the stud as she is a half-sister to Hong Kong’s Horse Of The Year Vengeance of Rain (Zabeel) and the AJC Australian Oaks (G1) winner Dizelle (Zabeel). Her dam the Group I Blue Diamond Stakes winner Danelagh (Danehill), was exported to America carrying a foal by Reset in 2005

October 26th, 2008

Raven's Pass led the charge as Darley-sired runners scooped up four Breeders' Cup titles during two thrilling days of action at Santa Anita.

The G1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes winner lined up against Curlin in the championship finale, the G1 Classic, and, under a superb ride from Frankie Dettori, the Elusive Quality colt stalked the horse who has won more prize-money than any other in the world and pounced in the stretch for a memorable victory.

Raven's Pass is trained in the UK by John Gosden who teamed up with Dettori to provide HRH Princess Haya of Jordan with two winners on the night, the other being the Tattersalls Million victor Donativum, by Cadeaux Genereux, who landed the G1 Juvenile Turf.

Earlier on the card, Desert Code came with a well-timed strike to flash home for victory in the Turf Sprint. The four-year-old colt is by E Dubai, whose dam Words Of War is a full-sister to the dam of Raven's Pass.

The brilliant, unbeatean Zenyatta set the ball rolling when recording a facile last-to-first win in the Ladies' Classic on the first day of the meeting. The daughter of Street Cry now has nine wins to her name, four of which are at Grade One level. Street Cry was also represented by Street Boss and Street Hero, both of whom placed third in their respective engagements: the G1 Sprint and the G1 Juvenile.

October 5th, 2008

Elusive Quality continues to have a superb season and on Friday in the US his son, Roi Maudit won the Listed Eillo Stakes at Meadowlands.   A Listed winner last season, he was recording his first win of the year after contesting Stakes races at Monmouth and Gulfstream.

Bred by Haras Santa Maria de Araras S. A., he is one of six winners from the Deputy Minister mare Captivant, herself a Stakes performer, and a half-brother to G3 winner, Noisette. 

Elusive Quality's juveniles continue to be in tremendous form and on Friday, two gained valuable places in top G1 events. At Newmarket his colt, Huntdown was third in the Middle Park Stakes and in the US, his filly Devotee, ran third in the Alcibiades Stakes.

September 28th, 2008

This season, the rear view of superstar miler Henrythenavigator has become a familiar sight for Raven’s Pass but the thoroughly consistent Elusive Quality colt exacted revenge on Saturday with a superb run in the Group I Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Royal Ascot.

This was his first win at the highest level but Raven’s Pass’ career has been marked by utter genuineness in outstanding company with four of his five victories at stakes level with his first Group win, in the Solario Stakes at Sandown as a two-year-old, being a track record-breaking performance.

Strongly fancied French raider Tamayuz, himself a dual G1 winner, got the better of Raven’s Pass in the Prix Jean Prat back in July, but neither he nor Henrythenavigator could peg him back and while ‘Henry’ finished second, Sabana Perdida, a Group Two winner by Cape Cross, ran on past Tamayuz to take third.

Sporting the green-and-black colours of HRH Princess Haya of Jordan, which were carried to victory by New Approach in the Derby at Epsom, Raven’s Pass is now on course for a trip to Santa Anita to run in the Grade I Breeders’ Cup, with his options being either the Mile or the Classic.

July 1st, 2007

The high class stallion, Elusive Quality (USA) posted his seventh individual Australian winner this season when the David Hayes trained filly Annamarie scored at Sandown Hillside on Saturday in the open juvenile event over 1000 metres.

Resuming from a spell the filly, Annamarie, had shown natural improvement on the training tracks and with the addition of winkers to her gear she proved too strong over the final stages and was drawing right away on the line to win by a length-and-a-half over Pennycome Quick (Dash For Cash - Miss Kpps by Scenic) with Voire (Bureaucracy - Palette by Drawn) another 2-1/4 lengths away in third.

Annamarie was a $200,000 purchase for Japanese owner breeder Katsumi Yoshida at the 2006 Inglis Australian Yearling Sale, she was bred and offered for sale by Darley.  She is the second foal of the Sadler’s Wells mare Ancelin (IRE), a stakes-placed three-quarter sister to Group Two winning stayer Annaaba from a prolific European Black Type family.  

Darley sold the current yearling colt by Reset from Ancelin (IRE) under the Swettenham as agent banner at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $25,000 and after having a year off in 2005, Ancelin (IRE) is due to foal to Annamarie’s sire Elusive Quality (USA) this spring.

Elusive Quality (USA) enjoyed a sensational season in the sale ring with 40 yearlings selling at ‘the Majors’ at an average of $331,250, the best of any of the sires whose oldest stock are two year olds.  His best result was a $2million Inglis Easter colt from Group One winner Republic Lass that was bred and offered for sale by Tyreel Stud with Woodlands Stud the successful bidder.  Elusive Quality (USA) returns to Darley this spring as their most expensive sire at a fee of $137,500.

June 29th, 2007

News from the track on Friday at the Randwick barrier trials was that several juveniles by Elusive Quality impressed on lookers. 

The Graeme Rogerson trained Thunderer, a half-brother by Elusive Quality former top class racemare Lotteria and Group One placed Rose of Sharon, was stepping out in public for the first time and scored by a length from another Elusive Quality (USA) in Tyrolese, trained by Bart Cummings.  Bred and offered for sale by Gerry Harvey’s Baramul Stud, Thunderer fetched $440,000 at the 2006 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.  

Earlier on the program Graeme Rogerson produced another smart type by Elusive Quality (USA) in Azzollini who bolted in by six lengths.  A $320,000 purchase from the Darley draft at Magic Millions, Azzollini is the first foal of Group Three placed Dubai Ice, a three-quarter sister to this season’s top class juvenile Murtajill being by Danehill (USA) from Skating.

April 7th, 2007

Alan Porter looks at the pedigree of the Group I AJC Sires' Produce winner, Camarilla.

Given the dominance of Danehill, and the subsequent success of his stallion sons, the search has been on for sires which can cross successfully with Danehill line mares. Zabeel and Quest For Fame were two sires to strike early success, and More Than Ready has two first southern hemisphere group one winners out of Danehill mares. Another horse who has always looked like to cross well with Danehill mares is Darley’s shuttle sire, Elusive Quality. 

That expectation has come to fruition in the shape of Camarilla, who after skipping the Golden Slipper (G1), delivered a last-to-first finishing burst to captured the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (G1). Camarilla and the SAJC Cinderella Stakes victor, Listen Here are members of the first southern hemisphere crop of Elusive Quality, and Camarilla is his only runner to date out of a Danehill mare. 

It’s very encouraging that Elusive Quality should already be represented by two juvenile stakes winners in the southern hemisphere, as he himself didn’t race at two. He actually broke his maiden over 8½ furlongs at three, and also took an allowance race at that distance, but soon reverted to shorter trips. Although he didn’t capture a stakes event at three or four, he did show exceptional speed, running Honour and Glory to a nose in the seven furlong King’s Bishop Stakes (G2) (with Distorted Humor in third) at three, and setting a new track record of 1:20.0 for seven furlongs at Gulfstream Park at four. However, it wasn’t until he was tried on grass as a five-year-old that Elusive Quality was able to win a black-type event, winning the Jaipur Handicap (G3) Poker Handicap (G3), the latter while running a mile a world-record time of 1:31.3.

Elusive Quality retired to stand at the relatively modest fee of US$10,000, but that didn’t prevent him from making a sensational start to his stud career, his first crop producing no less than 11 stakes winners, headed by French Champion Two-Year-Old Colt Elusive City; graded stakes winners Omega Code and Chimichurri; and Great Notion, who was also only narrowly defeated in the King’s Bishop Stakes (G1). From his second crop came another nine stakes winners, headed by Champion Three-Year-Old Colt Smarty Jones, winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1); Girl Warrior, successful in the El Encino Stakes (G2); Elusive Diva, winner of the Railbird Stakes (G3); Elusive Jazz, successful in the Phoenix Breeders’ Cup Stakes (G3); and Maryfield, who took this year’s Distaff Breeder’s Cup Handicap (G2). Typically, for a stallion whose career starts at the lower end of the price range, Elusive Quality’s performance has tailed off a little with his third and fourth crops, which have produced only four more stakes winners, but the first crop sired after his first runners hit the ground are now three, and with the “post Smarty Jones” crops to run in the coming years, his record is likely to significantly improve again. 

Of course, Elusive Quality had already had that exciting first U.S. crop to run when he arrived in Australia, and he natural received mares commensurate with his standing. One of the best of these as a runner was Camarilla’s dam, Camarena. One of the most talented of Danehill’s daughters, she numbered a victory over colt’s in the Queensland Derby (G1), and win in the Queensland Guineas (G2), as well as five group one places, on her resume. 

The Golden Slipper (G1) winner Forensics is from the family of one exceptional native-bred sire, Snippets, Camarilla is from the family of another, as her grandam, Canny Miss is a three-parts-sister to Canny Lad (also a Golden Slipper (G1) winner). By Marscay – like Canny Lad’s sire, Bletchingly – Canny Miss is also three-parts-sister to Canny Lad’s sisters, Canny Lass – heroine of the Marlboro Cup (G1), William Reid Stakes (G1), Elders Mile (G1) and Veuve Clicquot Classic (G2) – and Sister Canny, a multiple listed winner. Canny Lass has gone on to enhance the family’s reputation, as she is dam of the listed winners Astute Angel and Causeway Lass, and grandam of black-type winning and group one placed Al Jameel.

We mentioned at the start of the article, that Elusive Quality always looked likely to cross well with Danehill. 

So, what are our reasons for that statement? To start with, at the most basic level, Elusive Quality is by Gone West, and in general, Gone West and his sons have crossed well with Danzig line mares, this cross producing at least 20 stakes winners. Elusive Quality himself has already sired two stakes winners out of mares by Danzig’s son, Dayjur (a mating which gives 3 x 4 inbreeding to Mr. Prospector), the grade one winning Elusive City and grade one placed Great Notion. With Danehill, he is particularly interesting, as Elusive Quality’s broodmare sire, Hero’s Honor, is by Northern Dancer out of a mare by Graustark. This means that he is essentially bred on the same cross as Danehill, who is by a son of Northern Dancer out of a mare by His Majesty (brother to Graustark).

March 28th, 2007

Maryfield, a five-year-old daughter of Darley stallion Elusive Quality, gained her first group win and third stakes victory last Saturday in America when she flew down Aqueduct's home stretch to land the G2 Distaff Breeders' Cup.

Slowly away under Jorge Chavez, Maryfield was more than six lengths adrift with just 400m left to run. An explosive turn of foot saw her pass early pacesetter and eventual runner-up Candy Box and taking command over the final furlong, she stormed to a convincing two-and-a-quarter length victory.

Winner of the Very Subtle Stakes and Flower Girl Handicap last year, Maryfield has now amassed over half a million US dollars in prize money.

Bred by Mike Carroll & John C Harvey Jr, she is out of the Stakes-placed mare Sly Maid and is from the family of G1 winner La Zanzara.

Her win comes just a day after Camarilla, also by Elusive Quality, put up another strong performance when just beaten in the Magic Night Stakes on Guineas day at Rosehill.

February 11th, 2007

Darley Stud’s champion sire Elusive Quality had the perfect start to his southern hemisphere crop when his daughter, Camarilla, proved too strong and fast for the fillies in the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (1100m) at Caulfield on Saturday.

The race was full of drama when the heavily backed favourite Press The Button (Encosta de Lago - Clouding Over by Thunder Gulch) had a bad hair day and refused to be loaded into the barriers.  The stewards had no option but to scratch her after many attempts to get her in to the barrier stalls. 

Blake Shinn rode the John Hawkes prepared Camarilla (ex Camarena by Danehill) and after jumping had her positioned mid-field as the speedball Miss Lucille (Rory’s Jester) carved took the field along at a solid tempo.  Camarilla tracked up into a winning position on the turn and she pricked ears to come away in the straight to defeat Belcentra (Bel Esprit) by one-and-a-half lengths with Behind (General Nediym) a head away in third. 

Woodlands Stud paid $900,000 for Camarilla from the Darley Stud consignment at the 2006 William Inglis & Son Easter Yearling Sale. 
She is the third foal of the Danehill mare Camarena whose nine wins include the Group 1 Queensland Derby.  A sister to the Group 2 placed Untouchable, Camarena is out of a half sister to Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad and multiple Group 1 winner Canny Lass. 

After missing to Reset in 2004, Camarena produced a full brother to Camarilla last year and was again served by Elusive Quality.  The sire of the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes hero Smarty Jones, Elusive Quality (Gone West).

September 6th, 2005

Nick Hodges, the horse manager at his parents, Peter and Alison Hodges, prominent agistment complex Riversdale Farm, Scone, could be forgiven for predicting that an athletic looking spirited colt he oversaw delivery of last week could be a new Tie the Knot.

The foal is the first from the outstanding Australian sprinter Spinning Hill, a mare bred and raced by her owners Sandy Tait of Coolac and his sister Jill Nivison of Walcha. They also bred and raced Tie the Knot, a great racehorse who earned over $6.2million.

Like the new foal, he was also produced at Scone but just up the road from Riversdale Farm, seeing light of day at Kingdon Farm, one then owned by Cliff and Jennifer Ellis.

The Tait-Nivison partnership regularly send their mares that are booked into Hunter Valley sires to Scone agistment farms and now entrust them to the care of the Hodges.

The foal by Elusive Quality out of Spinning Hill, herself a winner of 14 races including three Group1's, the VRC Lightning Stakes and two renewals of the MVRC Manikato Stakes, and a second placegetter in another attempt at the Lightning Stakes and also in the Doomben 10,000, continues the Tait's celebrated Dark Jewel family.

Spinning Hill is by the French bred Dolphin Street, a son of Bluebird standing at the Independent Stallions Stud at Euroa in Victoria, and from the unraced Century mare Incline.

The next dam Rise was a smart Kaoru Star Sydney two-year-old from another brilliant performer for the Taits in Blue Mountain. This winner of the AJC Widden Stakes and runner up in the Gimcrack Stakes was from the Rego filly Heirloom, one which won nine races including the Caulfield Thousand Guineas and the VRC Maribyrnong Plate for the parents of the breeders and owners of Spinning Hill, Griff and Daisy Tait.

Heirloom was sister to a horse who brought greater glory to the Taits as breeders and owners, the mighty two-year-old and sprinter Baguette. He won seven of 15 starts including the Golden Slipper, AJC Sires' Produce Stakes, Champagne Stakes, Doomben 10,000 and VRC Newmarket Handicap.

They were among eight winners including four successful in stakes races from Dark Jewel, a Star Kingdom mare which theTaits put to stud after she had won three minor races in Sydney.

The Scone Race Club conducts a very popular Listed stakes carrying more than $100,000 in prize money under the name of Dark Jewel at their half million dollar one day carnival held in mid May each year.

August 2nd, 2004

Elusive Quality, the current leading sire in North America, has arrived safely in Australia and is now in quarantine in Sydney, together with stud companions Street Cry and E Dubai.

After completing quarantine, the trio will move to Darley’s base at Aberdeen to commence their southern hemisphere season, where Elusive Quality will stand at a fee of $55,000.

Elusive Quality’s first Australian-bred foal has also arrived – a colt out of On Centre Court, the dam of Group One winner Miss Kournikova. The bay colt was bred by David Moodies Contract Racing and was foaled at his farm in Victoria.

July 28th, 2004

BRIS.net reports, trainer John Servis confirmed during a national teleconference that SMARTY JONES will not run in the G2 Pennsylvania Derby on Labor Day at Philadelphia Park. He said a bruise was cut away from the colt's left foot about two weeks ago and that "he hasn't come back as well as I would have liked." 

"He's not 100 percent yet," Servis said, "and I'm not ready to breeze him until he is." 

Servis said Smarty Jones remains on course for the October 30 G1 Breeders' Cup Classic at Lone Star Park. He said the chestnut would probably have one start before the 1 1/4-mile (2000m) Classic and mentioned the Pegasus H. (G2) at the Meadowlands and the Super Derby (G2) on September 25 at Louisiana Downs as possibilities. 

"I think we'll see him run again," he said. 

Smarty Jones was denied racing's 12th Triple Crown and suffered his first career defeat when finishing second to BIRDSTONE (Grindstone) in the June 5 Belmont S. (G1).  Since then, an interest in Smarty Jones was sold to Three Chimneys Farm near Midway, Kentucky, where he will stand upon the completion of his racing career. 

July 21st, 2004

After coming up big with Smarty Jones on the track this year, third-crop sire Elusive Quality enjoyed a big day on Tuesday at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July selected yearling sale when John Ferguson Bloodstock purchased one of his sons for $950,000 almost as the second session reached its midpoint.

Ferguson, primary agent for Godolphin Racing and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, said he had been scouting the dark bay or brown colt for some time.

"I saw him in the spring and I loved him, and since then he has done nothing but thrive," Ferguson said. 

The colt is out of the stakes-winning Copelan mare Cercida and is a half brother to stakes-placed winner Skipping Stone. Consigned by Dromoland Farm, agent, the colt was bred in Kentucky by Santa Rosa Partners.

In large part thanks to Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1) winner Smarty Jones, Elusive Quality sits atop the North American general sire list with progeny earnings of $9,370,336 through Monday.

Ferguson said the colt’s appearance matches his breeding. "He’s by the most exciting young stallion in America, maybe the world," Ferguson said. "Not only is [the $950,000 yearling] very strong but he’s very athletic with a lot of presence about him."

May 16th, 2004

Smarty Jones kept his Triple Crown hopes alive with an 11 1/2-length romp in the $1-million Preakness Stakes (G1) at Pimlico race course on Saturday. 

Before a record crowd of 112,668 Smarty Jones stalked the pacesetting Lion Heart (Tale Of The Cat) before unleashing a paralyzing finishing sprint to set a new record margin of victory in the Preakness.

May 2nd, 2004

DARLEY'S Elusive Quality headed a trifecta for shuttle sires when his unbeaten son Smarty Jones took the Kentucky Derby at Louisville on May 1 from Lion Heart (by Coolmore's Tale of the Cat) and Imperialism (by Vinery's Langfuhr). 

Smarty Jones, who earned a $5m bonus for completing the Rebel Stakes-Arkansas Derby-Kentucky Derby treble, scored an easy victory (2.75 lengths) in the sloppy conditions and became the first unbeaten Derby winner since Seattle Slew in 1977. Trained by John Servis and bred in Pennsylvania, Smarty Jones is out of the Smile mare I'll Get Along. 

Elusive Quality (Gone West-Touch of Greatness by hero's Honor) won nine of his 20 startys and ran a world record 1:31.63 for a mile on turf when he won the Poker Stakes-Gr.3 at Belmont. He is regarded as one of the world's best young sires and his runners include the Prix Morny-Gr.1 winner Elusive City. 

April 14th, 2004

The very fast unbeaten colt Smarty Jones is racing towards a $US5 million bonus payday after he wrapped up the first two legs, the Rebel Stakes and the Arkansas Derby, and is off to Churchill Downs for what will be racing's biggest payout if he wins the G1 Kentucky Derby on May 1st.

The huge bonus was initiated to tie in with the centennial year of Oaklawn Park racetrack, where Smarty Jones landed the first leg, the Rebel Stakes by 3-1/4 lengths on March 20.  

On Saturday, again at Oaklawn Park, he won the 68th G2 Arkansas Derby from 10 other three-year-olds under set weight conditions.  Smarty Jones (ex I'll Get Along by Smile) beat Borrego (El Prado - Mamma's Pro) by 1-1/2 lengths with the same margin again back to Pro Prado (El Prado - Mamma's Pro).   

Smarty Jones is raced by his breeders Roy and Pat Chapman and is trained by John Servis.  A chestnut colt by Gone West horse Elusive Quality. 

March 21st, 2004

Three-year-old chestnut colt, Smarty Jones won the Rebel Stakes by an impressive 3-1/4 lengths at Oaklawn Park in America on Saturday.

Prepared by John Servis, Smarty Jones kept his perfect race record in tact by winning his fifth race and collected his fourth stakes victory in the 1-1/16 mile event. 

Smarty Jones is now eligible for the $5 million dollar bonus offered to any horse who can sweep the Rebel, Arkansas Derby (G2) and Kentucky Derby (G1). 

Purge (Pulpit - Copelan's Bid Gal by Copelan) finished 3-3/4 lengths clear of Pro Prado (El Prado - Mama's Pro by Proper Reality) in third.  

Bred in Pennsylvania, Smarty Jones has also captured the Southwest Stakes, Count Fleet Stakes and Pennsylvania Nursery Stakes. Out of multiple stakes heroine I'll Get Along (Smile), Smarty Jones has an unnamed yearling half-brother by Hennessy.

November 24, 2003

Darley Stud’s Elusive Quality (Gone West) had an impressive juvenile stakes winner in the US on Saturday, 2-year old colt Smarty Jones, remained unbeaten in two runs when he came out of the barriers second last in the 11-horse field before putting on the afterburners for a 15-length romp in the Listed Pennsylvania Stakes (7f).

Trained by John Service, Smarty Jones broke his maiden on the same track by 7 ¾-lengths a fortnight back.

A son of the smart stakes winning Smile mare I’ll Get By, the winner of 12 of her 39 starts for earnings of US$277,008, Smarty Jones comes from the second crop of world record mile holder Elusive Quality and is his 13th stakes-winner.