Date posted February 15, 2010 | Posted by Michele Cullen | Filed under
Flying Spur,
Premium Updates,
Racing and Breeding,
Staff FavouritesMelbourne, Vic (Feb 15th, 2010) - It was all Flying Spur on Saturday with a number of his progeny underlining, yet again, the versatility of this champion stallion. The Paul Messara trained Alverta (ex Grilse by Rahy) and the Gai Waterhouse trained Montana Flyer (ex Montana Downs by Bluebird) provided an impressive quinella in the Group 2 Breeders Classic, the win taking Alverta’s prizemoney to almost $600,000.
This season the 6YO mare has rarely been out of black type, her win on Saturday adding to a win in the Listed QTC Just Now Fillies and Mares Hcp, runner-up in the Listed BTC Bernborough Hcp and third in the Listed QTC Gold Nudgee Fillies & Mares Hcp.
Georgette Silk gives Flying Spur another stakes winner
The performance of juvenile filly Georgette Silk ( ex Apparel by Barathea) had observers abuzz.
Trainer Clarry Conners holds legitimate Group 1 aspirations for her after claiming Saturday’s Listed Widden Stakes winner is the equal of his four previous Slipper winners.
“She is a really good horse and the best two-year-old I’ve had in a long time,” Conners said after the race. “She’s up there with my Slipper winners.”
Georgette Silk, a $730,000 De Burgh Equine purchase from Inglis Easter, also drew praise from her jockey Blake Shinn
“Once she began like that and travelled as easily as she did, she was never going to get beaten. She’s a very nice filly.”
Georgette Silk has raced only twice – her first start seeing her finish second in a 1000m maiden at Randwick to the ruling Blue Diamond favourite Beneteau (by Redoute’s Choice ex Slice of Paradise by Encosta de Lago).
Beneteau has graduated from this first meeting to run the two-year-old performance of the season when he broke the race record in the G3 Arrowfield Stud Blue Diamond Prelude.
A week earlier, another of ‘Flying Spur’s progeny sprinter Griffon (ex Jeune Girl by Jeune) franked Flying Spur’s ability to produce sprinters of note when the 4YO made it two in a row on a heavy Randwick track.
Just two weeks prior Griffon had established a new record time for 1100m on Randwick’s Kensington track when he won the Festival Of Sydney Benchmark 70 Handicap. Griffon clocked 1.02.34 - more than half a second quicker than the previous best for 1100m. Trained at Randwick by Bart Cummings the gelding was having just his second career start after returning from a 15-month break.
Globally, Flying Spur is responsible for six stakeswinners and six stakesperformers to date this season including the Listed MVRC St Albans Stakes winner Roulettes (ex Discretion by Canny Lad), G2 AJC Premiere Stakes winner Mentality (ex Synaesthesia by Quiet American), HK-G3 HKJC Premier Bowl winner Inspiration (ex La Bamba, by Last Tycoon).
Flying Spur is fast gaining a reputation as a tip-top broodmare sire. As he’s the sire of the dam of Magic Millions 2YO winner Military Rose and G1 Coolmore Stakes winner, Headway (by Charge Forward ex Chatelaine by Flying Spur). He is also the broodmare sire of 2008 Golden Slipper winner, Sebring.
Flying Spur stands at Arrowfield Stud in Scone and is represented by 13 yearlings at the upcoming Melbourne Premier Sale, which includes a beautiful filly out of the stakes winning Lake Susannah (by Filante) to be offered by Burnewang North Pastoral as lot 213 during the second session on Tuesday March 2nd, and 55 yearlings at the forthcoming Inglis Easter Yearling Sale (April 6-8th).
