Fillies in charge
Fillies took charge at Trentham on Saturday. Of course, two of the five stakes races, the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) and the Cuddle Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) were confined to fillies and mares yet two of the remaining three races not only went their way, the Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m), open to both genders, saw fillies fill the first four placings. The Lightning Stakes (Listed, 1200m) also fell to a mare, Maria Farina (Contributer).
Trentham’s Group 1 features resulted in clear cut wins by Pennyweka (Satono Aladdin) and Romancing The Moon (El Roca). Their successes added to the fortunes of Rich Hill Stud as well as Westbury Stud, both on recent highs due to the exploits of Proisir (Choisir) and Redwood (High Chaparral) respectively.
For Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact) it was his second Group 1 on successive Saturdays, following Tokyo Tycoon’s Sistema Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Ellerslie on March 11. For El Roca (Fastnet Rock), it was his second Levin Classic, having sired the 2020 winner, Travelling Light.
Pennyweka’s decisive victory in the New Zealand Oaks became a heart-warming story for the Wallace family. Trainer, Jim Wallace, was, understandably, quite emotional immediately following his charge’s deserved win given that he lost his mother just two days prior to the race. The day before he was heavily involved with a family memorial for his daughter-in-law.
Present for the race were several family members, including from the US. They were among a 70-strong syndicate which owns the filly. Not only was Pennyweka trained to the minute, the timing of her win was exactly the lift the family needed.
“That is just really special as it has been a very rough week,” said the winning trainer. “For this to happen is right up there. There’s a few of the syndicate here today and about 25 of my own family as well, the first time we have all been together in years.”
Previously three-times stakes-placed Pennyweka finally got the breaks this time around, and when clear, ran away for a big win, her career second, and a maiden stakes success from nine starts.
She was in the back third of the field (rails) with a circuit to run and no closer starting the back straight, nor at the end of the back straight. Ryan Elliot urged her along from the 800 metres then moved out at the 600 metres as the field compacted. She was behind a wall upon straightening, but moving further out found a run. She kept improving to be fourth at the 300 metres, drove on to take over at the 200 metres and then booted clear. From the 100 metres she was in total control to score easily by three lengths.
Kiwi Chronicles spoke with Wallace at the recent NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, the day after Pennyweka had finished second in the Desert Gold Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m).
“She was a little unlucky, losing momentum when going for a run at the 300 metres but was cut off,” he said at the time. “The Oaks distance will be right up her alley.”
In the meantime, the filly finished strongly for third in the Lowland Stakes (Gr 2, 2100m), flattening out nicely over the last 100 metres after the first two had broken away in the straight. She was travelling best of all at the finish, underlining Wallace’s belief that the 2400 metres would be no problem.
A home-bred, Pennyweka represents a family that the Wallaces have been involved with for several decades. Not only did Jim and brother Les breed Pennyweka, Jim bred her dam Threepence (Pentire) while their father bred and owned the grandam, Our Sophie (Kaapstad).
The family connection does not end there. Third dam, Skip, also bred by Wallace Snr, is by English Harbour (Mill Reef), who stood at the family’s Ardsley Stud from 1979. English Harbour won three of his ten starts, including at two. His claim to fame was in beating the champion, Ile De Bourbon (Nijinsky) in the 1978 Predominate Stakes (1m 3f) at Goodwood the year before the race was promoted to Listed status. The 1979 running was won by that year’s English Derby champion Troy (Petingo). However, English Harbour did achieve black type when finishing third in Goodwood’s Group 3 Gordon Stakes (1m 4f) that same year.
Although siring just two stakes winners, English Harbour’s strike–rate of winners to starters was an impressive 63 per cent (84 winners from 133 runners). His daughters did much better, four times better (8) including Trompeur, the dam of dual South African Group 1 winner Clifton King (Volksraad).
Another daughter was Pennyweka’s third dam Skip, whose three wins included two at Flemington. Skip’s half-brother Kip (Forty Winks) won eight including the Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m) and another half-brother, Boktisan (Roi Lear), won the South Australian St Leger (Gr 3, 2600m).
Retained after being withdrawn from the 2021 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, Pennyweka’s staying blood is clear. Her dam Threepence is a half-sister to Auckland Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Titch (Lord Ballina). Although unraced, Threepence is by Pentire (Be My Guest) who could throw sprinters and stayers, the best known of the latter being 2015 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) victor Prince Of Penzance. By some coincidence, Pentire, like English Harbour, also won the Predominate Stakes in 1995.
Titch’s sister Soph (Lord Ballina), a Group 3–placed winner of ten races, is the dam of current stayer The Mayor (Rock ‘N’ Pop), a seven-time winner who has recorded seven stakes placings with earnings in excess of $800,000.
As to what’s next for Pennyweka, Wallace will turn her out. “I’ve virtually retired from training but this filly has rekindled the interest and it is great to win a Group 1,” he said. “I’d like to put her in the paddock now as I’m old school and she can do some maturing. I’d like to give her every opportunity to fulfil her potential.”
Back from the south
Trentham’s co-feature, the Levin Classic, was won in fighting style by Romancing The Moon who crossed Cook Strait via ferry on Thursday, returning to the north after a successful raid on Wingatui, bolting away with the Otago Breeder’s NZB Insurance Stakes (Listed, 1400m) on March 4.
Bolting away with the Levin Classic was unlikely when she was headed by stablemate Skew Wiff (Savabeel) inside the 200 metres and a win looked anything but decisive. However, she refused to be beaten.
From the jump, she was quickly into stride and was a clear second at the 1200 metres, maintaining her position past the 800 metres. She pressured the leader at the 600 metres and rounding into the straight was ready to pounce. She led at the 300 metres, was headed inside the 200 metres, but came back strongly to regain the lead at the 100 metres before coming away for a convincing win, her second stakes success and career fourth in eleven starts.
Proving to be an honest filly, Romancing The Moon took four starts to break her maiden before running second to Legarto (Proisir) and heading Prowess (Proisir) in the Soliloquy Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m). That prompted her trainer, Mark Walker, to attempt the New Zealand One Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) in which she ran fourth, again to Legarto.
After a short break she scored easily over 1200 metres at Matamata in January, ran sixth in the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m), before another trip south for two starts at Wingatui, the second resulting in a five-length win in the Otago Breeders’ Stakes.
Hardened from that experience, she showed real courage in Saturday’s feature. Her sixth in the Wellington Guineas is the only time she has finished out of the first four.
Originally passed in at $45,000, David Ellis purchased Romancing The Moon outside the ring shortly after for $50,000 from the 2021 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale. She is the first foal of Group 2 winner Underthemoonlight (El Hermano), who has an interesting background.
Underthemoonlight was bred from Midnight Dip (O’Reilly) ‘on the cheap’, her breeder wishing to use Waikato Stud’s Pins (Snippets) but lacking the capital to do so, therefore opting for his son El Hermano. That is the story as told by the late Steve Brem.
Midnight Dip was purchased by Brem who was looking for a mare to send to Reliable Man (Dalakhani). The deal was completed by popular agent Robt Dawe who takes up the story: “The mare was in the care of Philip Brown of Ancroft Stud in Matamata and, yes, Steve was looking for a mare. I quoted her and he jumped on her pretty quickly.”
At that time Underthemoonlight was a yearling while Midnight Dip was in foal to Captain Rio (Pivotal). She had previously foaled Rotorua Cup (Gr 3, 2200m) winner, Storming The Tower (Storm Creek) but his Group 3 win did not take place until 2016, some three years after the sale of Midnight Dip.
El Hermano never raced but is well related. His brother is the four-time Group 1 winner and 2007 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) victor El Segundo, a $3.8 million earner.
Midnight Dip did, after all, get to visit Pins, for three consecutive years, producing two fillies and a colt, but the mating with El Hermano has proved the most successful, Underthemoonlight winning six times, including the Foxbridge Plate (Gr 2, 1200m), two further stakes races and a Group 1 third in the Tarzino Trophy (1400m).
Midnight Dip’s dam, Midnight Assembly (Night Shift) never raced and was imported as a two-year-old by Ra Ora Stud in 1995. She was a direct descendant of US Broodmare of the Year Knight’s Daughter (Sir Cosmo), the dam of multiple champion Round Table (Princequillo) who won a staggering 43 races in 66 starts.
One of Midnight Assembly’s foals is Midnight Kiss (Groom Dancer) whose premier performance was in running third in the New Zealand Oaks. She was subsequently exported to the US where she foaled Santa Anita Derby (Gr 1, 9f) winner Midnight Interlude (War Chant).
Winning never gets old
Sir Peter Vela has a good one in Pearl Of Alsace (Tavistock). The four-year-old has progressed quickly through the grades, from her maiden win over 1400 metres last November to Saturday’s Cuddle Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) with wins at Trentham (twice) and Awapuni in between to remain unbeaten in five starts. Track conditions do not matter. She has wins on a Heavy 8 as well as a Soft 5, carving out 1400 metres in a sharp 1:23.45.
In her first attempt at stakes level she was away well but soon drifted to fifth, then further, to be worse than midfield (two out) at the 1000 metres. From the 800 metres she improved, went four wide from the 600 metres, but had a clear view from the top of the straight. She took some time to wind up, flattened out at the 200 metres to be third, co-led at the 100 metres then stuck to her guns to the line to keep her nose in front.
Whether she is kept in training for a tilt at, perhaps, the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Pukekohe on April 8, is yet to be determined. The distance appears to be her favourite.
For her dam, Irion (Danroad), the last few weeks have been very fruitful. Irion herself was well above average on the track, winning four times, including in Melbourne, and recording two Group placings. One of those, coincidentally, was in the Cuddle Stakes.
Irion has had three to the races, all fillies, and all have won. Just a few weeks ago her two-year-old, Zourion (Zoustar), took out the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m). She, too, remains unbeaten in her two starts.
Irion’s 2021 foal, another filly, by Super Seth (Dundeel), was recently offered at Karaka from Pencarrow Stud’s draft, realising $260,000, purchased by Pearl Of Alsace’s co-trainer, Shaune Ritchie.
They all represent a branch of the very successful Foxona (Foxbridge) family, which has been managed by Haunui Farm and the Chittys for eight generations. Haunui Farm’s Super Seth filly from Valpolicella (Red Ransom), who is from a half-sister to Irion, realised $625,000 at the same sale. A prolific family.
Another mare whose stocks have risen quickly this season is La Vitesse (Darci Brahma). Her 2017 foal, Maria Farina (Contributer), broke through for her maiden stakes win in the Lightning Handicap (Listed, 1200m), saved for the last run then piercing through at the very last opportunity.
Maria Farina’s younger half-brother is Pier (Prowess), winner of the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) last November. Two stakes winners in the same season is not common, so, like Irion, La Vitesse is a special broodmare.
Sydney bound
Rags-to-riches five-year-old gelding, New Zealand-bred Mr Brightside (Bullbars), will head to Sydney in search of a back-to-back double. Last year’s Doncaster Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) winner will join a rare group should he succeed in defending his title.
The feat has been achieved three times in the last 50 years. Super Impose (Imposing) won the 1990 and 1991 contests, Pharoah (Sackford) in ’94 and ’95 and Sacred Falls (O’Reilly) in ’13 and ’14. The great mare Sunline won it twice but hers were three years apart, in ’99 and ’02.
Did you spot the connection? All four are Kiwis so Mr Brightside has something to strive for.
Certainly, he is in the right form, judging from his decisive victory in Saturday’s rich All–Star Mile (1600m). Against a Group 1 field he was fourth (two out) when they settled, lost a couple of spots to be sixth at the 1000 metres and then another at the 600 metres when still holding the rail. He got out near the 400 metres, went five deep and at the top of the straight and shared third. Driving forward he disputed the lead short of the 100 metres then took over, travelling too well to hold off a late challenge from the 2020 Doncaster winner Cascadian (New Approach).
His connections were full of praise for the gelding who took his record to ten wins in 22 starts and his earnings beyond $5.8 million.
“The horse has shown great tenacity from day dot. His tenacity to attack the line is just ultra-competitive,” said co-trainer JD Hayes. “They are things in champions you can’t measure and luckily for us he’s just boasting a lot of those qualities.”