25 for Caravaggio
New winners
Caravaggio (pictured) – One-season Coolmore shuttler Caravaggio (Scat Daddy) picked up his 25th individual winner of his first northern hemisphere crop when Tiber Flow (2 c ex Malabar by Raven’s Pass) secured a promising victory on debut at Newcastle on Friday evening. The William Haggas-trained juvenile won by a length under Tom Marquand in defeating his better fancied stablemate Pink Crystal (Shamardal), while Macchiavello (No Nay Never) finished third in the Coolmore silks, five and a half lengths behind the winner. Caravaggio’s first crop has included Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) winner Tenebrism and Debutante Stakes (Gr 2, 7f) scorer Agartha. He stands at Coolmoore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky for a 2022 fee of US$35,000 (approx. AU$50,000).
Invader – Aquis Farm’s Group 1-winning stallion Invader (Snitzel) sired his first winner on Thursday after his promising juvenile Sweet Fantasy (2 f ex Fantasy Quest by Starcraft) overcame a slow start to win on debut. Trainer Kevin Hansen, who remained calm despite Sweet Fantasy’s slow getaway under jockey Justin Stanley, was on course at Townsville in north Queensland to see the Evergreen Stud-bred filly sustain a long run to take out the two-year-old maiden handicap (1000m) by a nose from Go Getaboy (Stratum Star) with Altar Boy (The Mission) back in third. Hansen did not hide his opinion of the filly, immediately outlining plans to aim Sweet Fantasy at the Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) in January. The filly, whose third dam Sneetch (Grosvenor) was a Group 3 winner and Group 1 placegetter in New Zealand and would go on to produce US Grade 1 winner Black Mamba (Black Minnaloushe), was bought by Queensland owners Ken and Michelle Walker for $35,000 from Evergreen Stud’s Magic Millions National Yearling Sale draft earlier this year. Invader, who won the 2017 ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), stands at Aquis Farm in Queensland for a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).
New Group/Grade 1 winners
Sinister Minister – T O Keynes (4 c ex Maxim Cafe by Manhattan Cafe) became the first elite-level winner for his sire Sinister Minister (Old Trieste) when winning the Champions Cup (Gr 1, 1800m) at Chukyo on Sunday. The Daisuke Takayanagi-trained four-year-old dominated his rivals to win by six lengths, crossing the line ahead of Chuwa Wizard (King Kamehameha) and Another Truth (I’ll Have Another), who was a further three-quarters of a length adrift in third. The entire won the Antares Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) at Hanshin earlier this year, while in his only other appearance at the elite level he ran sixth to Omega Perfume (Swept Overboard) in the Tokyo Daishoten (Gr 1, 2000m). A rising 19-year-old, Sinister Minister stands at Arrow Stud and is the sire of 11 individual stakes winners.
New stakes winners
Exceed And Excel – Exceed And Excel (Danehill) moved to within ten individual stakes winners of a double century after his juvenile son Vincere Insieme (2 c ex Loritania by Teofilo) struck for victory in the Criterium Di Pisa (Listed, 1500m). The Alduino Botti-trained Irish bred won his first two career starts before finishing fourth in the Gran Criterium (Gr 2, 1600m) at Rome in October. Vincere Insieme beat Sunny River (No Nay Never), with Alsini (Bastiani) in third. The colt is out of Italian Group 2 winner Loritania (Teofilo).
Ghibellines – White Robe Lodge’s Ghibellines (Shamardal) brought up his third individual stakes winner, his first in Australia, when Smokin’ Romans (5 g ex Inferno by Yamanin Vital) took out Saturday’s Pakenham Cup (Listed, 2500m) in grand style. Ridden by comeback jockey Jamie Kah, Smokin’ Romans burst clear to score by two lengths over Good Idea (So You Think) with the same margin further back to Team Captain (Galileo) in third. A NZ$52,500 purchase for Darren Weir Racing at the 2018 Karaka Premier Yearling Sale, Smokin’ Romans took his earnings to $531,415 after his first stakes win at his 18th start. Ghibellines stood at the South Island stud for NZ$5,000 (plus GST) in 2021.
Night Of Thunder – Garden Paradise (4 f ex Coral Garden by Halling) ran out a comfortable winner of the Wild Flower Stakes (Listed, 1m 4f) at Kempton on Wednesday to give her sire Night Of Thunder (Dubawi) a 26th individual stakes winner. Trained by James Tate, the four-year-old made all to beat the odds-on Godolphin favourite Siskany (Dubawi) by three and a quarter lengths with a further two lengths back to the Irish raider Tartlette (Champs Elysees) in third. The Saeed Manana homebred is the first foal out of the once-raced Juddmonte bred Coral Garden (Halling). The mare is a sister to the Group 2 winner Coastal Path, and a half-sister to Group 1 winner Reefscape (Linamix) and Group 2 winner Martaline (Linamix), being out of a winning half-sister to the Irish Oaks (Gr 1, 1m 4f) winner Wemyss Bight (Dancing Brave). Rabbah Bloodstock purchased Coral Garden for 160,000 gns (approx. AU$316,839) at the Tattersalls mares sale in December 2015 and sold her at the same auction this week to Dee Ex Bee at Arctic Tack Stud for 40,000 gns (approx. AU$42,000). Night Of Thunder stands at Kildangan Stud for a fee of €75,000 (approx. AU$119,300).
Orfevre – Shadai Stallion Station resident Orfevre (Stay Gold) sired his 16th individual stakes winner when favourite So Valiant (3 c ex So Magic by Symboli Kris S) had little trouble in accounting for his rivals in Saturday’s Challenge Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) at Hanshin. Trained by Masahiro Otake, the three-year-old posted his fifth win in nine starts when he came home three and a half lengths clear of Heat On Beat (King Kamehameha). Persian Knight (Harbinger) was another head away in third. So Valiant in the sixth foal out of the Japanese 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) third So Magic (Symboli Kris S). Orfevre stood for a fee of ¥3,500,000 (approx. AU$44,330) in 2021.
Proisir – Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir (Choisir) recorded his seventh individual stakes winner on Saturday when Dark Destroyer (3 g ex All Can Party by All American) ploughed through a deteriorating track at Matamata to take the Bonecrusher Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m). Trained by Andrew Scott and Lance O’Sullivan, who famously partnered Our Waverley Star (Star Way) into second behind Bonecrusher (Pag Asa) in the 1986 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m), Dark Destroyer was sent out as even-money favourite following a number of late scratchings. Ridden by Sam Weatherley, it took almost the entire length of the straight for the gelding to overhaul Whiskey (Burgundy) to score by a long neck, with La Bella Beals (Star Turn) a further length and a quarter behind the runner-up in third. Dark Destroyer, who was passed in for $30,000 at last year’s Karaka Premier Yearling Sale, became the second Bonecrusher winner in three years for Prosir, following the 2019 victory of subsequent George Main Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) placegetter Riodini. A year-younger brother to Dark Destroyer, who hails from the family of Group 1 winners Masked Party (Marscay), Festal (Vain), Inspiration (Flying Spur), Wandjina (Snitzel), Dracula (Quest For Fame) and Complacent (Authorized), sold for $180,000 this year. Proisir stood for $12,500 (plus GST) in 2021.
Spirit Of Boom – It was only fitting that Eureka Stud’s Spirit Of Boom (Sequalo) brought up his 15th individual stakes winner in the Eureka Stud Classic (Listed, 1200m) at Doomben on Saturday as Miami Fleiss (4 m ex Madame Fly by Excites) took the prize for Tony Gollan, Stephanie Thornton and Black Soil Bloodstock. Sent out as the $2.90 favourite, even despite the awkward draw of 14 in the 16-runner field, Miami Fleiss was not for catching, defeating old sparring partner Eloquently (Poet’s Voice) by three-quarters of a length with a further neck to Kisukano (Bel Esprit) back in third. Miami Fleiss has now won five of her seven starts. The ever-popular Spirit Of Boom stood for $33,000 (inc GST) this season.
Workforce – Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) winner Workforce (King’s Best) sired his second individual stakes winner when his son Divine Force (5 h ex Tsukuba Beauty by Zenno Rob Roy) showed his liking for a marathon trip by taking out the Sports Nippon Sho Stayers Stakes (Gr 2, 3600m) at Nakayama on Saturday. The Ryo Terashima-trained five-year-old was winning for the fourth time in 23 starts as he defeated Iron Barows (Orfevre) by half a length. Silver Sonic (Orfevre) finished two lengths behind the winner in third. Divine Force is the second foal out of Tsukuba Beauty (Zenno Rob Roy) who herself is closely related to the Group 2 winner Look Twice (Stay Gold).