Hail storm
Volatile spring weather which included a sharp hail storm severely affected the final day of Riccarton’s annual Cups-Guineas carnival. People were scurrying for cover, slipping, sliding and falling due to the ice. This was unique for practically everyone in attendance.
Remarkably, the show carried on. Centimetres deep hail fell between races four and five. Officials met, jockeys inspected the track and agreed to continue. The track rating was downgraded slightly but the heavy 9 surface threw much of the form out the window affecting the New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) which was run about four or five seconds slower than might normally be expected.
In a mild upset Romanoff (Belardo) defeated his stablemate Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes) by the narrowest of margins, the judge needing several minutes to reach his decision. Trainer of the pair, Pam Gerard, was not bothered who won. It was her second 2000 Guineas win having trained Savaglee (Savabeel) to a much easier victory in 2024.
Given the perfect ride by Bruno Queiroz, sitting a handy fourth two lanes out to the top of the straight, Romanoff took over the lead before the 300 metres but was challenged by Affirmative Action soon after. These two settled down for a great duel over the final 200 metres and at the line commentator Matt Cross called Affirmative Action the winner but was deceived by the head bob which saw Romanoff prevail. There really was nothing between them.
Romanoff has been handled patiently, the Guineas just his seventh start. At two he broke his maiden on his second start and was tried at Group 2 level in Ellerslie’s Eclipse Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) where he beat one home. His stake earnings, however, gained him a start in the NZB Karaka Millions 2YO (RL, 1200m) where he again beat one home.
This season he resumed with a third at Rotorua in mid-October and followed that with another third, finishing strongly in the delayed November 1st James & Annie Sarten Memorial (Gr 2, 1400m) at Tauranga, beaten a length and a half.
A win at Tauranga would have been highly appropriate because Romanoff was bred by Marie Leicester, James’ and Annie’s daughter. The 2000 Guineas is, no doubt, a more than worthwhile trade.
The progeny of Belardo (Lope De Vega) improve when the tracks are wet yet Romanoff has performed well when conditions are firmer. It will be interesting to look back at his season to see if he can maintain form on top of the ground.
Romanoff represents the second last of six crops sired by Belardo who shuttled to Haunui Farm. When just 13 mares visited the stallion in 2022, his last visit, the writing was on the wall. As is often the case, his stock have ignored the breeders’ shun and he is siring winners by the bucket load including ex-NZ performed Skippers Canyon, a Benchmark 74 winner at Caulfield on Saturday. Romanoff marks Belardo’s 18th individual stakes winner and third to succeed at Group 1 level.
The $402,500 winner’s stakes shot Belardo from fourth to the top of the New Zealand sire premiership ahead of Proisir (Choisir), El Roca (Fastnet Rock) and Time Test (Dubawi). Time Test (Dubawi), sire of Saturday’s How Now Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Proven, and both he and Belardo have been sold and stand in Turkey.
Beaus and belles
The Sartens have bred from this line since 1939 when James and Annie borrowed a mare from a neighbour to send to Foxbridge (Foxlaw). The result was Belle Fox, the foundation for a wonderful history. The “Belle” family has been nothing short of magnificent throughout the following decades and consistently produces top performers.
Arion Pedigrees reveals that in nine generations Bell Fox is responsible for more than 2000 individual winners, 125 of which are stakes winners. Romanoff is one of 27 individual Group 1 winners which includes his close relative, champion mare Melody Belle (Commands) whose dam Meleka Belle (Iffraaj) is a half-sister to Romanoff’s dam Tsarina Belle (Stravinsky).
Even more recent is nine-times Group 1 champion Anamoe (Street Boss) who descends from Bell Fox’s daughter Belle Time (Summertime), the three-quarter sister to champion filly Star Belle (Summertime). Why mention Star Belle? On day one of the Riccarton carnival Just Charlie (Zed) took out the Metropolitan Handicap (Listed, 2600m). He is a direct descendant of Star Belle, his fourth dam.
Romanoff was found for $75,000 in Book 2 at the 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sales by Paul Moroney in conjunction with Catheryn Bruggerman. His dam Tsarina Belle has foaled five winners, earlier producing Wanganui Cup (Listed, 2040m) winner La Flora Belle (Iffraaj). Tsarina Belle had sufficient quality to place third in the New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and is one of four stakes performers and 11 winners from Empress Belle (Sir Tristram).
Just keep winning
A different drama struck at Tauranga when a burst water main flooded the start area of the 1600m chute as the club was preparing to run the Tauranga Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m). After a delay the race was run over a slightly shorter 1530 metres and the result may have differed but Agera (Complacent) continues to make his name as an up-and-comer.
Agera never left the fence throughout, improved to third rounding into the straight then drove along the inner from the 300 metres. With 150 metres remaining the race looked in safe keeping except that Meaningful Star (Pivotal) came at him with a strong run but the post arrived in time. We will never know if the extra 70 metres might have been a factor.
Now a six-year-old, Agera is in the best form of his life, the Group 2 his eighth career win but more importantly his sixth in his last eight starts. Two starts back he nabbed the Matamata Cup (Listed, 1600m) and in between knocked over the Feilding Cup (2050m) so to win again over 500 metres less is a notable training effort.
His sire Complacent (Authorized) no longer stands at Mapperley Stud and instead is now based in France. Agera is one of four stakes winners for the sire. Like Belardo (Lope De Vega), he stood six seasons here but breeders lost interest. Meanwhile, his daughter Hi Yo Sass Bomb has recently struck gold with back-to-back Group 3 victories.
Agera is one of six winners including two stakes winners from his dam Shelly Bee (Pentire), the other being Listed winner Ima Roca Bee (El Roca). Shelly Bee’s half-brother is Herculian Prince (Yaminan Vital) the winner of nine races including Sydney’s Metropolitan Handicap (Gr 1, 2400m). Their dam is a half-sister to Group 3 and Listed winner Sleeping Beauty (Rip Van Winkle).
Available
Happily, the sires of the remaining Kiwi-bred stakes winners on Saturday are still available. Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact), Ace High (High Chaparral) and Ghibellines (Shamardal) are still in New Zealand.
Bozo (Satono Aladdin) broke through at start 30 to land the New Zealand Cup (Gr 3, 3200m) in a slog. When the rain arrived her starting price continued to fall. Her record on rain affected ground is pretty good as five of her previous six wins were logged on heavy tracks.
The Stewards’ Stakes (Listed, 1200m) fell to Wingatui six-year-old Inflamed (Ghibellines) who relished the track conditions taking out her maiden stakes win. Last at the junction as well as at the top of the straight, she was pulled widest and kept up a strong run down the outer to claim her sixth win. She will be a welcome addition to the White Robe Lodge broodmare ranks.
Drakaina (Ace High) added her first stakes win since her export to Australia in April 2024, Ascot’s Jungle Mist Classic (Listed, 1200m). She had two wins including the NZB Air Freight Stakes (Listed, 1400m) by more than six lengths here and the Jungle Mist was her fifth win in 12 starts. Her strong straight run was the feature of the race as she had plenty of ground to make up from the 250 metres.
Proved
Six wins in seven starts is the burgeoning record of Proved (Time Test) who had to dive along the inner late in the piece for a convincing win, her first stakes in the How Now Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield on Saturday. The mare never saw the racetrack at two or three and won on debut a year ago at Moe followed by a Class 1 win at Moonee Valley. Benchmark wins at Sale and Pakenham preceded win five at Sandown in March to remain unbeaten. She arrived at Caulfield after a fresh up fifth at Benchmark 78 level.
As mentioned above, her sire Time Test (Dubawi) has been banished to Turkey and like Belardo (Lope De Vega) is siring plenty of winners since his departure but the winners were too late to save their New Zealand careers.
An $11,000 outlay secured the filly at the Windsor Park Rugby, Racing and Beer sale. She has earned $244,575 and is the only foal her dam, Out To Impress (Shamexpress), herself a half-sister to Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) and Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Monaco Consul (High Chaparral). Another half-sister is Group 3-placed So Divine (High Chaparral), granddam of last month’s War Decree Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) so the family is cooking.
Karaka wrap
On the back of a record-breaking Ready To Run Sale, New Zealand Bloodstock now turns their attention to January and the 100th New Zealand National Yearling Sale. The company will be buoyed by these results, grossing $41.4 million over the two days, providing a head of steam for the yearling sale.
More than 70 of the 114 sires represented last week stand in Australia and four of the top five by average are/were Australian-based. By aggregate, Little Avondale Stud’s Per Incanto (Street Cry) headed the list with $2.03 million, aided by two lots which fetched $750,000 and $700,000.
Per Incanto jumped to third in the Australian Sire premiership when Jimmysstar (Per Incanto) took out the Group 1 CF Orr Stakes (1400m), his third Group 1, in brilliant fashion, earning $602,500 and taking his career earnings to $6.68 million. Evaporate (Per Incanto) chipped in with $90,000 in the same race when finishing third.
From a New Zealand perspective it was pleasing to see young sires such as Armory (Galileo), Hello Youmzain (Kodiac), Noverre (Savabeel), Super Seth (Dundeel) and Sword Of State (Snitzel) make an impact.