Category Archives: Staff Favourites

Grand producer passes away at 29

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Darara (Top Ville – Delsy, by Adbos), the dam of four individual Group 1 winners, passed away in the UK last week aged 29.

The Aga Khan-bred mare was a Group 1 winner herself in the 1986 Prix Vermeille in France before the prominent owner sold Darara at a dispersal sale in 1994. The mare proceeded to continue her breeding career at Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber’s Watership Down Stud.

Darara was the dam of the 1999 Group 1 Ranvet Stakes winner Darazari (Sadler’s Wells – Darara, by Top Ville), who remained in Australia after failing in the 1998 Melbourne Cup.

Darara also produced Darazari’s brother Diaghilev (Sadler’s Wells – Darara, by Top Ville). Diaghilev fetched 3.4 million guineas as a yearling before he won the QEII under his Hong Kong racing name River Dancer in 2004.

The top broodmare also produced Dar Re Mi (Singspiel – Darara, by Top Ville). Dar Re Mi won the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes and Yorkshire Oaks in 2001 before she returned in 2010 to take out the Group 1 Sheema Classic in Dubai.

Rewilding was Darara’s last foal. Sheik Mohammed’s bloodstock buyer John Ferguson bought Rewilding to race as part of the Godolphin team. Rewilding upset dual Cox Plate winner So You Think (High Chaparral – Triassic, by Tights) in the Group 1 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes at the 2011 Royal Ascot carnival, which followed his win in the Dubai Sheema Classic earlier that year.

“Andrew and I feel grateful and honoured to have owned such a world-class foundation mare in Darara,” Madeleine Lloyd-Webber told TDN. “It is difficult to quantify how important her contribution has been to Watership Down Stud.

“Luckily we own her two daughters [Evita and Dar Re Mi], so that her outstanding bloodline will continue.

However, it was a very sad day for Watership Down Stud.”

French success for Redoute’s Choice

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Arrowfield’s champion stallion Redoute’s Choice (Danehill – Shantha’s Choice, by Canny Lad) had success in France on Tuesday when Night Garden (Redoute’s Choice – Wild Queen, by Loup Sauvage) prevailed at Compiegne.

Night Garden raced in the famous maroon and white colours of Darley during the 24,000 euro event. The filly settled behind the leader before getting the upper hand over the concluding stages to win by a head.

The win was Night Garden’s second, with two second placings, from four starts.

The Darley-bred three-year-old’s dam Wild Queen (Loup Sauvage – Crowning Jewel, by Bletchingly) won 10 races during her 21-start career. Gai Waterhouse trained Wild Queen to win the Group 3 Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) as well as three other Listed races.

Wild Queen is a half-sister to the Group 2 winner So Gorgeous (Brief Truce – Crowning Jewel, by Bletchingly) and Group 3 victor Cumbria (Lake Coniston – Crowning Jewel, by Bletchingly).

 

Deep Impact sires Grade 3 quinella in Tokyo

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Japan’s leading stallion Deep Impact (Sunday Silence – Wind In Her Hair, by Alzao) had just two runners in Sunday’s Grade 3 Epsom Cup (1600m) at Tokyo but Tosen Reve (Deep Impact – Biwa Heidi, by Caerleon) led home a quinella sired by the former champion racehorse.

Danon Shark (Deep Impact – Carla Power, by Caerleon) completed Deep Impact’s quinella. The first two home in the ¥76.9 million race both carried the Deep Impact / Caerleon (Nijinsky – Foreseer, by Round Table) cross, which has yielded two Stakes winners and seven individual winners.

Australian rider Craig Williams was aboard Tosen Reve, who settled third behind a hot speed before getting the upper hand over Danon Shark in the final 100 metres to win by a neck.

Deep Impact’s Epsom Cup quinella was the highlight of the Shadai Stallion Station resident’s winning treble at Sunday’s Tokyo meeting.

Decipher (Deep Impact – Mizna, by Dubai Millennium) won a 2000-metre maiden while Deep Impact also sired the quinella an open-age allowance race over 1600 metres. Final Form (Deep Impact – Final Destination, by O’Reilly) defeated Hiraboku Impact (Deep Impact – Dream Come Come, by Mejiro Ryan).

Deep Impact has sired the winners of 105 races this season from 212 runners. His progeny has earned more than ¥2.4 billion this season, which is more than ¥400 million ahead of his nearest rival King Kamehameha (Kingmambo – Manfath, by Last Tycoon).

Union Rags wins Belmont Stakes

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The US Triple Crown has already provided a kaleidoscope of emotions for trainer Michael Matz but Union Rags (Dixie Union – Tempo, Gone West) turned his fortunes for the better with his win in the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes (1-1/2m) in New York.

Matz trained Barbaro (Dynaformer – La Ville Rouge, by Carson City), who won the 2006 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby before a shattered leg sustained in the Grade 1 Preakness Stakes ultimately claimed the horse’s life after a battle that attracted worldwide attention.

Union Rags finished an unlucky seventh in the Kentucky Derby before Matz decided to skip the Preakness Stakes, leaving the three-year-old primed for the Belmont Stakes.

The scratching of pre-post favourite, the Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner I’ll Have Another, made Union Rags’s job easier but jockey John Velazquez still had to produce a wonderful ride to get the son of Dixie Union home by a head over Paynter (Awesome Again – Tizso, by Cee’s Tizzy).

Velazquez let Union Rags travel comfortably in fifth spot until the home turn before the jockey saved ground by sticking to the rails on the home turn. The run came at the furlong pole and Velazquez drove Union Rags up on the inside of Paynter to seize the win in the final 20 yards.

“We always thought this horse had Triple Crown potential,” Matz said. “We gave him four races as a two-year-old and gave him a rest, and had a good plan and never missed a beat.

“We did think this horse could win the Triple Crown, but we got sidetracked a little bit.

“I do really think this horse, when he has a clean trip and can show himself, he is one of the best 3-year-olds of this crop. Whether he could have done something against I’ll Have Another, I don’t know, but it sure would have been fun to see.”

Atigun (Istan – Rimini Road, by Dynaformer) finished third while the favourite Dullahan (Even The Score – Mining My Own, by Smart Strike) failed to see out the trip, finishing seventh.

Waikato sires provide Queensland Derby quinella

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Waikato Stud stallions provided the quinella to Saturday’s Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) when Brambles (Savabeel – Prickle, by Pins) led home Quintessential (Fast ‘N’ Famous – Florette, by Sword Dance) in the $500,000 feature.

Brambles took all honours in the 2012 renewal of the Queensland Derby. Jockey Brad Rawiller sent the gelding to the front straight after the start and the son of Savabeel (Zabeel – Savannah Success, by Zabeel) set a tempo that gave all runners their chance to overhaul him.

Brambles understandably looked wobbly over the concluding stages but Quintessential could get no closer than 1-1/4 lengths to the winner on the line. Westsouthwest (Darci Brahma – Southern Sunset, by Polish

“What a great ride by Brad (Rawiller) it was,” Moody said. “I left it up to him and didn’t tie him down with instructions and he rode him a treat.

“This horse is a tough, no-frills stayer. He’s climbed another mountain by winning this race.

“He was getting tired near the line but he was entitled to and the others were all off the bit chasing him.”

Precedent) completed a trifecta for New Zealand-bred three-year-olds with his second Derby placing of the season after the gelding finished third in the Group 1 South Australian Derby last month.

Savabeel also sired the winner of the Group 1 Victoria Derby when Sangster (Savabeel – Quinta Special, by Spectrum) won the famous Flemington event.

Huge Inglis bonus on offer at Swan Hill

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The Inglis Race Series features on Friday’s first day of the historic Swan Hill three-day Carnival for the first time with a rich $50,000 Inglis Bonus is on offer for two-year-olds.

Inglis  will pay a $50,000 bonus to connections should the winner of the  Elvstroem Classic – Inglis Bonus (2YO, 1300m) be nominated to the Inglis Race Series. The bonus will boost the winner’s cheque to $68,000 if the juvenile is eligible to compete in the Inglis Race Series.

All but one horse in the field of 11 are eligible to receive the $50,000 Inglis Bonus in Friday’s race, and will be identified by wearing an Inglis blue saddlecloth.

Caulfield trainer Tony Vasil, who has trained three progeny of Circles of Gold in Elvstroem, Haradasun and Altius, to win this race at their first start, has Under The Leaner set for this year’s event. The Strada gelding goes into the race second-up following a second placing behind the unbeaten Clinton Affair at Donald, who will run in the Elvstroem Classic after his smart Caulfield win last month.

Also vying for the cash is Churchill Downs filly Clinking. From the stable of Anthony Cummings, the filly was ultra-impressive scoring by four lengths at Sandown last Saturday.

Horses eligible to receive the $50,000 Inglis Bonus and their sale price information are listed below.

FRIDAY 8 JUNE 2012: SWAN HILL

RACE 5 – ELVSTROEM CLASSIC – INGLIS BONUS AT 1.54PM (2YO OPEN, 1300M)

No Horse Sale Sold Vendor Price
1 CLINTON AFFAIR 2011 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale Torryburn Stud $80,000
2 CLINKING 2011 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale Makybe $70,000
3 SHAMBLES STREET 2011 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale Kornong Stud Farm $45,000
4 UNDER THE LEANER 2011 Sydney Classic Yearling Sale Wimmera Park Stud $27,000
5 MAGNUS REIGN 2011 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale Eliza Park $52,500
6 GENGHIS 2011 Sydney Classic Yearling Sale Guntawang Stud $45,000
7 RECRIMINATE 2011 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale Bellerive Stud $70,000
8 RIPPING YARN 2011 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale Kia Ora Stud $55,000
9 NISOS 2011 Sydney Classic Yearling Sale Jomar Park Stud $30,000
10 MAGNAVITA 2011 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale Yallambee Stud $60,000

For further information on the Inglis Race Series please visit www.inglis.com.au/races or email raceseries@inglis.com.au.

Lonhro filly tops second session of MM National Yearling Sale

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A Lonhro filly topped the second session of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale

A filly by Darley’s champion stallion Lonhro (Octagonal – Shadea, by Straight Strike) fetched the highest amount at Wednesday’s second session of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast.

A Lonhro filly topped the second session of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale

Tyreel Stud provided the sale-topper on Tuesday’s opening day when New Zealander David Ellis paid $230,000 for a Sebring (More Than Ready – Purespeed, by Flying Spur) colt and the Agnes Banks-based operation also consigned the Lonhro filly, who is out of Paris Tryst (Fusaichi Pegasus – Let’s Elope, by Nassipour).

Paris Tryst is an unraced daughter of the champion racemare Let’s Elope (Nassipour – Sharon Jane, by Blushing Groom) and is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Ustinov (Seeking The Gold – Let’s Elope, by Nassipour). Macau-based brothers Nicholas and James Moore paid $160,000 for the filly on behalf of Chinese interests.

Warwick Farm trainer Gary Portelli paid $150,000 for a Redoute’s Choice colt out of the Nassipour mare Platonic (Nassipour – Startling Lass, by Luskin Star), who is a half-brother to the Group 3 winner Carnegie House.

Caulfield trainer Mick Price outlaid $150,000 of his total spend of $297,000 for a son of boom Coolmore sire Fastnet Rock (Danehill – Piccadilly Circus, by Royal Academy) out of My Dream Girl (King Ivor – St Klaire, by Bletchingly).

The clearance rate for the Select section of the National Weanling Sale closed at 74 percent, four percent higher than last year’s figure while at sale grossed more than $7.7 million on 241 lots sold at an average of $32,012.

“It was a satisfying day’s selling and sale,” Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said. “Results across the board are in the same line as last year and that is positive.

“The most pleasing aspect of the past couple of days had been the spread of buyers – both domestic and international.”

Click here for the full results of the Select session of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.

 

 

New Approach gets first Stakes winner in Ireland

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Darley stallion New Approach earned his first Stakes victory in Ireland - Photo courtesy Darley

 

Young Darley stallion New Approach (Galileo – Park Express, by Ahonoora) earned the first Stakes success of his short career when Dawn Approach (New Approach – Hymn Of The Dawn, by Phone Trick) in the Listed Rochestown Stakes (6f) at Naas.

New Approach claimed the 2008 Group 1 Epsom Derby (12f) among his five successes at the highest level. Jim Bolger prepared New Approach throughout his 11-start career and is the trainer and breeder of Dawn Approach.

Dawn Approach on the speed but did not have everything his own way for most of the race as the runner-up Mister Marc provided tough competition for the unbeaten juvenile until the last half-furlong, where the winner drew away to score by 2-3/4 lengths.

UK bookmakers have cut Dawn Approach’s quote for the Group 2 Coventry Stakes during the Royal Ascot carnival but Bolger could decide to step the colt up to seven furlongs in the Listed Chesham Stakes, which will also take place during the famous June racing festival.

New Approach has covered three books of mares at Darley’s Victorian property at Northwood Park. The stallion will return to Australia for the 2012 season to stand at a fee of $33,000, which includes GST.

 

Sebring colt tops opening day of MM National Yearling Sale

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A New Zealand buyer paid $230,000 for a colt by Golden Slipper winner Sebring (More Than Ready – Purespeed, by Flying Spur) to top Tuesday’s first session of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast.

Top Kiwi bloodstock agent David Ellis purchased the chestnut, who is a son of the Group 1 winner Bramble Rose (Shinko King – Images, by Gleam Machine). Bramble Rose won the New Zealand Oaks as a three-year-old in 2003 before she was placed in the Arrowfield Stud Stakes as well as the AJC Australian Oaks in the same year.

Interestingly, the colt failed to reach a $150,000 reserve when he passed through the sales ring at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale earlier this year.

Tyreel Stud offered the yearling, who is a half-brother to the Patinack Farm-owned Stakes winner Maules Creek (Redoute’s Choice – Bramble Rose, by Shinko King), who fetched $400,000 as a yearling himself in 2009.

Hong Kong-based Magus Equine went to $190,000 to secure a son of Encosta De Lago (Fairy King – Shoal Creek, by Star Way) out of Slip Sliding (Thunder Gulch – Sister Dot, by Secretariat). Magic Millions managing director Vin Cox said the purchases were an indication of the strength of the overseas buying bench, which contributed to a gross of more than $3.9 million, an average of $33,647 and a 70 percent clearance rate.

“It was a good even sale today,” Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said.

“We’re very happy with the attendance from around Australia and all corners of the globe – they are here to buy.”

“The internationals were very strong today – purchasing no fewer than 34 lots.”

Click here for the full first day’s results of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale.

Body suit for Black Caviar for UK flight

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Black Caviar (Bel Esprit – Helsinge, by Desert Sun) has vanquished powerhouse speedster Hay List (Statue Of Liberty – Sing Hallelujah, by Is It True) on multiple occasions but the super mare’s trainer Peter Moody has borrowed an idea from her rival’s trainer for the champion sprinter’s trip to the UK to run in the Group I Golden Jubilee Stakes (6f) at Royal Ascot.

Black Caviar will don a bodysuit for her plane trip to England - Photo TurfPressBlack Caviar (left) left Australian late on Tuesday night for her English challenge, which will be the five-year-old’s first test outside her home country. Black Caviar paraded in front of the media at Moody’s Caulfield stables on Tuesday morning wearing a  bodysuit reminiscent of Cathy Freeman’s famous ensemble she wore to victory at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Moody said Hay List’s trainer John McNair had a bodysuit made for the hulking sprinter last year. Moody said he had one constructed for Black Caviar in a bid to aid the mare’s circulation during her marathon flight to England, which will include stops in Singapore and Sharjah.

“We thought if it was good enough for Sally Pearson, it would be good enough for Black Caviar,” Moody said. “Taking advice from the vet and the chiropractor, this mare has always been quite susceptible to soft tissue injuries, muscle tears and the like.

We thought it might aid her in that way and the fact she is going to be standing in a horse box for 30-odd hours en route (to England).

“It seems to be the done thing these days where they wear skins and tights to create blood flow whilst travelling.

“When we are travelling, we have got the option of getting up and having a walk around. She is going to be stuck in a box for 30 hours and not going to have that opportunity to exercise so anything that can aid her in the travel, we are going to throw at her.”

The Group I Diamond Jubilee Stakes will be run on June 23.