Lost charm

What are the chances that Charm Spirit (Invincible Spirit) might get a reprieve and return to New Zealand? Is that something that a New Zealand stud might even ponder? Likely not but he does deserve more than a passing mention.

What is clear, is that he lost his charm, and, as is often the case, the stallion is kicking goals while having the last laugh.

At least he is not in Morocco, the fate beset Scissor Kick (Redoute’s Choice), sire of the exciting Australian sprinter Giga Kick.

The fat winner’s prize of $1.15 million earned by Charm Spirit’s Kirwan’s Lane in the renamed (formerly the Villiers Stakes) The Ingham (Gr 2, 1600m) saw the banished stallion into the top 50 on the Australian Sire List, a leap of 90 places from the previous week.

For Kirwan’s Lane, it was his second stakes win this season. Two starts back he landed the Ladies Day Vase (Listed, 1600m) at Hawkesbury, the site of his maiden stakes success, the Hawkesbury Gold Cup (Gr 3, 1600m) in April of this year.

He was always handy, fourth into the straight, got out of a potentially tight spot from the 300 metres and up to third approaching the 200 metres. Travelling well, he took over the lead inside the 100 metres then held on well from stablemate Lion’s Roar (Contributer), who put up his best performance since bagging the Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at three, in the autumn of 2021. Atishu (Savabeel) ran a bold third to make the finish an all Kiwi-bred affair.

Six-year-old Kirwan’s Lane is enjoying his career-best form this preparation beginning with a fresh up fourth in the Shannon Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) at Rosehill in late September. Another fourth was followed by the Listed win at Hawkesbury, a solid third in the Festival Stakes (Gr 3, 1500m) and Saturday’s bumper prize, taking his earnings to $1.82 million from 11 wins in 38 starts. Not bad for a horse that took eight starts to break his maiden, back in March of 2020.

Representing Charm Spirit’s first crop, he was sourced from the NZB Karaka Yearling Sale of 2018 (Book 1), sold by Little Avondale Stud on behalf of breeder Chris Grace for $170,000 to John O’Shea Racing.

“Kirwan’s Lane was actually one of the first horses I bought as a yearling in New Zealand when I first came back training and he’s the most-winningest horse I’ve ever trained. I’ve never had a horse win 11 races before,” said O’Shea.

At the time of his sale his main claim was being from a winning Savabeel (Zabeel) sister to three stakes winners, including Flemington Group 1 winner Shillelagh and Brisbane Cup (Gr 2, 2400m) winner Tullamore. Subsequently, Shillelagh would add a second Flemington Group 1 triumph, the 2018 running of the Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).

In the meantime, Kirwan’s Lane’s year younger brother, Johny Johny, secured a Listed sprint at Hastings last autumn, they being two of three winners from their dam Galway.

Galway’s third winner, Spirit Of Galway (Rip Van Winkle), will be represented by her first foal, an Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) colt, at next month’s Karaka yearling sale.

Grandam Trocair (Flying Spur) is a half-sister to Our Nautique (Pins) who won twice in New Zealand, was placed in Australia then exported to the US where he scored a further eight wins including two Group 3s and a Listed race in California.

Gone forever?

Now based at Haras du Logis, Ferme St Germain, about 30 kilometres west of Paris, Charm Spirit stands for a fee of €5,000 (approx. AU$7,775), which looks like excellent value now.

In nine starts, Charm Spirit won six and his three year-old season was outstanding, scoring three Group 1s and twice gaining the scalp of Night Of Thunder (Dubawi), in the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at Ascot as well as the Prix du Moulin (Gr 1, 1600m) at Longchamp in which Toronado (High Chaparral) was second and Night Of Thunder third.

Kirwan’s Lane is one of 15 stakes winners by Charm Spirit whose winners-to-runners ratio is a very healthy 59 per cent. Night Of Thunder’s is 69 per cent but he has sired 32 stakes winners and stands at €100,000 (approx. AU$155,460). Toronado’s is 62 per cent with 28 stakes winners and attracts a fee of AU$88,000. There is no doubting Charm Spirit’s value but the one thing missing is a Group 1 winner. It will be no surprise when he gets one, or maybe more.

He was off to a flying start with his initial northern and southern hemisphere crops attracting 123 mares in his first season (2015) in New Zealand. That number fell away, then resurged in 2018 (to 114) but steadily dropped away to 57 in 2020, his last year at Windsor Park Stud.

Along the way, he has also added 21 black-type performers and in the last month sired the Werribee Cup (2000m) winner Vardani, Moonee Valley winner Platinum Spirit plus winners at Chantilly and Singapore.

From his final 57 New Zealand matings there are 33 foals, eight of which will be offered next month at Karaka (two in Book 1 and six in Book 2).

No more

The last three, all colts, by Tavistock (Montjeu) through the ring was last month, at the NZB Ready To Run Sale but his stock are far from finished.

This past week, he has taken his total stakes winners from 39 to 41, getting the Pakenham Cup (Listed, 2500m) winner, Kissinger, a week ago, London Banker to his second stakes in Doomben’s Brisbane Handicap (Listed, 1640m) on Friday, then wrapping up a splendid eight days with the runaway win by Viktor Vegas in the Waikato Cup (Gr 3, 2400m).

For his maiden stakes win, nine-year-old Viktor Vegas was having his 35th start but was close to winning form having finished a close third in the Counties Cup (Gr 3, 2100m) as a lead up.

In Saturday’s race he dropped out to last early, improved between runners down the back and was much handier leaving the back straight. Continuing to improve, he was right in behind the leaders from the 600 metres and shot to the lead at the top of the straight. He put two lengths on them at the 300 metres and kept adding to his lead, racing clear well clear from the 100 metres to be five lengths up at the line.

The track deteriorated throughout the day but Viktor Vegas relished the wet conditions and ran the 2400 metres in a very respectable 2:32.41.

He is the second Tavistock stakes winner from his dam Purnima (Dubai Destination). The first, Tomelilla, a Group 3 and dual Listed winner, won eight times. She and Viktor Vegas are two of five winners from six to race and yearling buyers will have an opportunity to purchase their half-brother by Super Seth (Dundeel) next month.

Grandam, Andrella (Dehere) won the Anniversary Handicap (Listed, 1600m) at Trentham and she was from a half-sister to the top class sprinter-miler Planet Kingdom (Kaoru Star) who won 17 races including five at Group 1 level.

Although not a stakes race, the sixth on the card at Sandown, a Benchmark 78 for fillies and mares over 1400 metres, went the way of Tavistock’s Life Lessons, winning so well that an attempt at stakes class is on the horizon. Life Lessons was one of four New Zealand-breds on the program.

The mare showed a nice turn of foot from the 300 metres, had the race under control over the final 100 metres and was not ridden out, her third successive win (second at Sandown) in five starts.

Winning trainer Peter Moody believes she has stakes potential. “I think she’s a low-grade stakes filly, at worst,” he said. “We’ve just got to assess where we’re at in terms of the time of the year. She probably has one more run in her, and then we’ll ease up a bit and try to target a nice race in the autumn somewhere.”

Her dam, Brockman’s Lass (Encosta De Lago), was a Group 3 and three-time Listed winner whose fourth dam is a sister to the great Gunsynd (Sunset Hue).

Mum to be

In foal to Tarzino (Tavistock) and therefore winding down her first-rate race career, Sinarahma (Darci Brahma) was in a class of her own when adding her fifth and most valuable stakes success, the Cal Isuzu Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m).

She was handy early but was shuffled back to share fourth starting the bend and fifth at the 600 metres. Craig Grylls angled her away from the fence near the last corner and went wider still starting the run home. She had three to beat at the 300 metres, took over second inside the 200 metres and then cruised into the lead. To the line she was in no danger, away by four lengths.

“That was a top effort as she jumped really good and found the trail,” said Grylls. “It worked out well as I was able to peel out wider and get to the better ground and once she was out there she just did the rest as she is a top mare”.

Racing rules are that in-foal mares can race within 120 days of last service which means that Sinarahma will be allowed her chance to snare a Group 1, the Zabeel Classic (2000m), before her racing career comes to close, going one better than her dam, Shez Sinsational (Ekraar), who was second in the corresponding race in 2012.

By some coincidence, Shez Sinsational’s last two races were a victory in the 2012 edition of the Cal Isuzu Stakes before her finale, second in the Zabeel Classic.

Shez Sinsational, however, won four Group 1s and 12 races in total from the same Allan Sharrock stable and, apart from Sinarahma, has also foaled House Of Cartier (Alamosa), a Group 3 and Listed winner who finished third in Morphettville’s Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m).

Rich Hill Stud will offer an Almanzor half-sister at next month’s NZB Karaka Yearling Sale. Her residual value alone should ensure considerable attention.

Tough draw, tough win

Faithful Feat (Per Incanto) had every reason to be beaten in Saturday’s J Swap Sprint Handicap (Gr 3, 1400m) but defied both the draw and her chasers with a gutsy victory, her seventh career win, but most importantly, her maiden stakes win, at start 15.

Drawing 16 of 16, she co-led three deep early but took over before reaching the first bend. She was challenged from the 600 metres but rounding into the straight edged clear and on straightening slipped away by a length. The lead was two lengths inside the 200 metres then a length at the 100 metres and, although she was all out, held on gamely by a head at the line.

“She was tough man, when they came at her I thought she might lie down, but she just dug deep,” said winning rider Sam Spratt. “I think if she had had a better draw she would have won by even further. She is just gutsy and she had every opportunity to fold and she didn’t.”

Her victory brought up stakes winner 27 for Per Incanto (Street Cry) and the first stakes winner for her dam, On Yer Feet (Snitzel), a Hastings winner at two. On Yer Feet ranks as a half-sister to Hiflyer (Tavistock), a nine-time winner, including Group 3s at Ellerslie and Trentham, as well as twice Group 1 placed.

Their grandam, Miss Powerbird (Mukaddamah), was a Caulfield Listed winner of five races and was a half-sister to Champion Hong Kong miler Lucky Owners (Danehill). The next dam, Miss Priority (Kaapstad) won in Sydney and is a half-sister to seven-time Group 1 winner and Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) hero Might And Power (Zabeel).

Same pattern?

When pulling up a 5×5 pedigree of Sky Command (Deep Field), winner of the Razor Sharp Handicap (Listed, 1200m) at Randwick on Saturday, the first thought was how similar her bloodlines are to Verry Elleegant’s.

It is well known that Verry Elleegant’s breeder, Don Goodwin, purposely matched her sire Zed (Zabeel) with Opulence (Danroad) in order to double up the bottom lines of their respective pedigrees.

Zed’s grandam Theme Song (Sackford) and Opulence’s grandam Chalet Girl (Imposing), are half-sisters. Their third dams are the same mare, Cotehele House (My Swanee), the first foal out of the incomparable Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight).

Sky Command does not trace, tail-female, directly to Eight Carat but does have the same double up to Cotehele House.

She is by Deep Field (Northern Meteor) whose fourth dam is Cotehele House. Her dam, Love Commands, is by Commands (Danehill) who is a son of Cotehele House.

Adding another twist is that Sky Command’s grandam, Sky Love, is a daughter of Octagonal (Zabeel), who is a son of Eight Carat.

Real wild

Last week, Kiwi Chronicles ended with a prediction that Shamus (Shamexpress), the winner of five of his seven career starts, was in for a very good season.

Without attempting to be a tipping sheet, this week the win by Wild Night (Vanbrugh) on Saturday suggests that he too is headed for bigger things.

Impressive in the James & Annie Sarten Memorial (Gr 2, 1400m) in late October, Wild Night returned to Te Rapa for his fourth win on the trot from five starts.

He had four behind him starting the run home, found a gap and charged into contention. With three or four huge bounds he took over at the 100 metres and Opie Bosson was able to drop his hands from the 50 metres, cruising to the line with plenty in hand. This guy has a great future.

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