European-based Darley stallion Kheleyf (Green Desert - Society Lady, by Mr Prospector) earned his first Australian winner when Praise Be (Kheleyf - Grateful Thanks, by Bering) won the Richmond Club Handicap (2000m) at Hawkesbury.

Praise Be started his career in Ireland before clients of the Chris Waller stable purchased the mare to race in Australia. The four-year-old recorded a comfortable 2-1/2 length win to record her first win from seven starts for the Rosehill stable.

Kheleyf won the Group 3 Jersey Stakes (7f) in the UK in 2004. The stallion has produced stakes winners in France, Britain, Ireland, Italy and the US.

The local Darley sires produced four winners of their own on a profitable day. Elusive Quality (Gone West - Touch Of Greatness, by Hero’s Honor) sired the first winner for dual Group 1 winner Fashions Afield (Redoute’s Choice - Attire, by Wild Again) when Turn On Sixpence (Elusive Quality - Fashions Afield, by Redoute’s Choice) won the Aruze Gaming Maiden (1000m) at Hawkesbury.

Darley veteran Canny Lad (Bletchingly - Jesmond Lass, by Lunchtime) got on the board when Ever The Same (Canny Lad - Jamil, by Giant’s Causeway) won the Aristocrat Maiden (1300m). Bound To Blush (Strategic - Run For Roses, by Danehill) claimed the Hawkesbury Living Handicap (1200m) while Taxee (Street Cry - Helaura Miss, by Helissio) completed Darley’s winning day in the Harris Scarfe Maiden (1200m) at Ballarat.

An Exceed And Excel (Danehill - Patrona, by Lomond) double has underpinned a quartet of successes for Darley sires on Friday.

Exceed And Excel produced winners at the Geelong Synthetic and Ipswich meetings. The Liam Birchley-trained Liesele (Exceed And Excel - Love’s Here, by Dehere) won the Optus Handicap (1015m) at Ipswich before Exceed And Excite (Exceed And Excel - Ladidi, by Palace Music) posted a comfortable win in the Geelong Hospital Appeal Handicap (1000m) at Geelong.

Darley sires produced a double at the Taree fixture in NSW. Streets Apart (Street Cry - Rickenbacker, by Voodoo Rhythm) won the Killy & Floral Dynamite Handicap (1606m) before Now Who’s Cautious claimed the Super Jet Handicap (1250m).

Exceed And Excel’s dual success to his season’s tally to 16 while Street Cry has produced 14 winners. Canny Lad’s win on Friday brought up the veteran sire’s 10^th win for the season.

Meanwhile, Coolmore’s former shuttle stallion Catcher In The Rye (Danehill - Truly A Dream, by Darshaan) produced a double at the Ipswich and Taree meetings.

Catch As Catch Can (Catcher In The Rye - Casella, by Sri Pekan) won the Simplot Handicap (1000m) at Taree before Tizzy Lizzy (Catcher In The Rye - Bella Odessa, by Brocco) took out the XXXX Handicap (1690m) at Ipswich.

Australian-bred Blue Tosca continued his outstanding form in Malaysian features when he landed Sunday’s Group One Sultan Gold Vase over 1100m at Ipoh.

Prepared at the track by Steve Cook, Blue Tosca (Canny Lad - Desert Bride, by Desert King) was sent out one of the fancied runners after his last start dead heat success in the Penang Sprint Trophy - another Group One feature in Malaysia.

Blue Tosca got home to beat Bintang Terang by a half length, while Fighter Jet was another neck back in third place - a breath ahead of Good Judgement.

A 5yo gelded son of Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad, Blue Tosca now boasts the impressive race record of eight wins and nine minor placings from just 23 starts and earnings of 766,892 Rgt.

He has turned out an astute purchase for Cook - who went to $20,000 to secure him at the 2007 Magic Millions National Horses in Training Sale at the Gold Coast.

“He’s turned out a great value buy,” Cook said of Blue Tosca. ”I’m as proud as punch of him - his second Group One win in just two weeks - lovely days,” he added.

Canny Lad is the sire of Group One winners He’s No Pie Eater, Calveen, Accomplice, Dodge, Republic Lass, Cannsea, Preserve, Ancient Song and Small Minds.

Australian-breds Eagle (4 g Clangalang – Unbeatable, by Casual Lies) and Blue Tosca (5 g Canny Lad – Desert Bride, by Desert King) dead-heat in the RM500,000 Sprint Trophy over 1400m at Penang last Sunday. Good Judgement (Lonhro – Agile) finished third to make it a 1,2,3 for Australian stallions.

This is the first stakes win for Blue Tosca who has shown big improvement this season with three wins and five placings from nine starts.  For Eagle, it was remarkable effort as the distance was considered too short for the gelding, having finished third to Risky Business in the Yang Di Pertua Negeri Gold Cup last December and second to Good Nature in the Selangor Gold Cup (1600m) in April.

Dubleo (Southern Halo - Secret Red, by Secretariat) and Mossman (Success Express - Lichen Lady, by Twig Moss) fared strongly at Tuesday’s Tamworth meeting with the pair combining for a Vinery Stud double.

Double Fun (Dubleo - Corrofin, by Jade Hunter) began Vinery’s dual success with his win in the Bath Stewart Associates Handicap (1200m). Rhyolite (Mossman - Shadedah, by Danewin) completed the operation’s double with his victory in Tooheys Handicap (1200m).

Meanwhile, Darley’s veteran stallion Canny Lad (Bletchingly - Jesmond Lass, by Lunchtime) had a hand in the pedigrees of the first two winners at Tamworth. Canny Lad’s son King Of The Range (Canny Lad - Mashiko San, by Fuji Kiseki) took out the Harvey World Travel Maiden Plate (1000m) before Canny lad sired the dam of Chomp (Flying Spur - Bouchette, by Canny Lad), the winner of the Melville Hill Estate Wines Maiden Plate (1200m).

Taormina (Danzero - Cappucine, by Thunder Gulch) completed an Arrowfield Stud double when the five-year-old posted a comfortable win in the River Sessions 2011 Plate (1250m) at Mackay.

Arrowfield Stud’s Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice - Snippet’s Lass, by Snippets) picked up his third stakes winner when the Bart Cummings-trained Salade (Snitzel - Just As Beautiful, by Beautiful Crown) scored an outstanding debut win in the Group II Pago Pago Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.

The two-year-old colt roared into Group 1 Golden Slipper contention with a stunning 2-1/2

Snitzel in action during his racing days

length debut win. Cummings said Salade would certainly back up in next Saturday’s $3.5 million event.

Salade’s owner Mathew Sandblom paid $65,000 for the colt at last year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale.

Meanwhile, a late flurry has given Arrowfield’s super stallion Redoute’s Choice (Danehill - Shantha’s Choice, by Canny Lad) a late double at the Rosehill meeting.

The $850,000 yearling Bid Spotter (Redoute’s Choice - Isolda, by Sir Tristram) took another big step to repaying his purchase price with his win in the Listed N E Manion Cup (2400m). Bid Spotter posted his third stakes win with his short neck success, taking his earnings to more than $498,000.

Zingaling (Redoute’s Choice - Done That, by Centaine) completed Redoute’s Choice’s double with her success in the Group 3 Birthday Card Stakes (1200m). The Birthday Card Stakes was the Kris Lees-trained mare’s second stakes win after the four-year-old won last season’s Listed P J Bell Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.

Reliable Darley stallion Lonhro (Octagonal - Shadea, by Straight Strike) was among the winners again on  Thursday with a treble, featuring a winning double at the Albury meeting.

Odin’s Hammer (Lonhro - Spring Thaw, by His Majesty) was Lonhro’s first winner of the day when the gelding took out the GPE Electrical & Communications Maiden (1400m). Odin’s Hammer was the eighth and last winner for Spring Thaw (His Majesty - Northern Pine, Far North).

Spring Thaw foaled stakes winners Donar (Canny Lad - Spring Thaw, by His Majesty), The North (Marauding - Spring Thaw, by His Majesty) and Boreale (Octagonal - Spring Thaw, by His Majesty). The mare retired after producing Odin’s Hammer in 2006.

Katisam (Lonhro - Denise’s Diamond, Flying Spur) ended the Albury meeting on a high for Lonhro with her win in the Slickpix Benchmark 50 Handicap (1175m). Rosehill trainer Gerald Ryan prepared Lonhro’s third winner of the day when Lonchero (Lonhro - Cherine, by Robellino) took out the Westaflex Maiden Handicap (1200m) at Wyong.

Caulfield trainer Mick Price will give the impeccably bred Princess Narine (Red Ransom - Monsoon Wedding, by Danehill) a chance at a stakes win after her win in The Cove 0-78 Handicap (1300m) at Wednesday’s Sandown Hillside meeting. (more…)

You’re Canny continued the great run of success for Darley stallions when the son of Canny Lad upset the long odds-on favourite Karuta Queen in yesterday’s $25o,o00 Kamberra Wine Company Black Opal Stakes (Listed) at Canberra.

Karuta Queen missed running in Saturday’s Sweet Embrace Stakes at Warwick Farm in preference to the softer option at Canberra and was sent out the $1.20 favourite  but after leading into the straight was down in the straight by You’re Canny who gave trainer Gratz Vella his biggest moment in racing.

You’re Canny defeated Karuta Queen (Not A Single Doubt) by one and a half lengths with Bright Heart (Dane Shadow) two and a half lengths away in third.

Vella has been training for 30 years and was understandably ecstatic to have won on his home track. “The horse has always showed me a bit of promise and I knew we were against the odds today but I had the horse super fit.”

“My first starter in the Black Opal was Royal Lot in 1981, he won the start before and ran fourth that day. Ever since then I’ve just been dying for this occasion.”

Although he is not entered in the Golden Slipper Vella said that he is considering heading to Sydney for the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes with You’re Canny (2 g Canny Lad – Techniques, by Palace Music)  who was purchased from the Guntawang Stud draft at the 2010 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $40,000 and after his victory yesterday has earned $197,050. He is the 49th stakeswinner for his sire.

A post-race veterinary examination found Karuta Queen to be lame in her near foreleg. Chief steward Craig Yeo said although it was a minor lameness the filly would need a veterinary clearance before racing again.

Trainer Neville Layt said he didn’t foresee any problem with her getting clearance to the Golden Slipper. “She was first-up for 10 weeks and she’s gone down by a length and a half, that other horse was rock hard fit and had raced two weeks ago.

“She’ll be right. She has got herself into the Golden Slipper and she’ll be there when they’ve got to run in the Slipper. It was only in the last 50 metres that he got the better of her. I’d rather this happen in a $250,000 race than in a $3.5 million race in about two and a half weeks.”

Canny Lad

A colt by freshman sire Flying Pegasus topped the fourth and final session of the 2011 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale at Belmont on the final day of selling. (more…)

The Group 1 Blue Diamond field went one hoof step closer to completion with the running of the Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude for both of the fillies and colts on C.F. Orr Stakes day at Caulfield on Saturday. (more…)

The Peter Snowden-trained Parables looks to be yet another potential star for her sire Lonhro after (more…)

Stradbroke Handicap plans are on the agenda for Graceful Anna after she recorded a stylish win in the listed Silk Stocking Handicap (1200m) at the Gold Coast on Saturday. (more…)

Melbourne, Vic (March 22nd, 2010) - Bart Cummings’ apprentice, John Thompson came of age last Saturday when he celebrated his first Group I win as a trainer, since being appointed head of Nathan Tinkler’s Patinack Farm team, when Small Minds won the Group I Australasian Oaks (2006m). (more…)

Gold Coast, Qld (Jan 10th, 2010) - Graceful Anna’s remarkable rise through racing’s ranks peaked at the Gold Coast on Saturday when she triumphed in the $1 million Queensland Racing Magic Millions 3YO Trophy (1400m). (more…)

TWO tried and true families were behind Graceful Anna and Military Rose, the two big winners at the Magic Millions race day at the Gold Coast on Saturday. (more…)

A year to the day since winning the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, the Mark Kavanagh-trained (more…)

    Canny Lad’s son Sharks Bay took out the Group Two Post Merchants Stakes in South Africa on (more…)