Nine for Almanzor
New winners
Almanzor (pictured above) – Almanera (2 c ex La Pedrera by Danehill Dancer) became the ninth individual winner for Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) when striking at Dundalk on Friday evening. The Joseph O’Brien-trained juvenile got off the mark at the third time of asking as he beat favourite Together Aclaim (Aclaim) by half a length. Spirit And Glory (Cotai Glory) was the same margin away in third. Almanera is the fourth foal out of La Pedrera (Danehill Dancer) who herself is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Naaqoos (Oasis Dream). Almanzor stood at Cambridge Stud for a fee of $30,000 (plus GST) in 2021.
Invader – Battledance (2 c ex Fasinatin’Rhythm by More Than Ready) provided Invader (Snitzel) with a third winner from as many runners when he scored at the fourth time of asking in the QTIS Handicap (1050m) at Rockhampton. The Kacy Fogden-trained colt, who had finished third on a heavy track at Ipswich on his previous outing, beat previous winner Princess Marian (Better Than Ready) by three-quarters of a length with trial winner Bonaugura (Better Than Ready) a further one and a quarter length back in third. A homebred for Fung Family Racing, Battledance is the second named foal and first winner for the three-time stakes-winner Fascinatin’ Rhythm (More Than Ready), who herself won seven races in North America and was Grade 2 placed. Invader joins his fellow Queenslander Heroic Valour on top of the first season sire chart for the number of winners. Invader stands at Aquis Farm for a fee of $22,000 (inc. GST).
Russian Revolution – Newgate Farm’s first season sire Russian Revolution (Snitzel) recorded a third individual winner when the A List Stud-owned Russian Warrior (2 f ex French Fern by Lope De Vega) struck at the Gold Coast for Allan Chau. The filly, who finished fourth on debut earlier this month, represented a first winner as a trainer for the former jockey, who is supported by A List Stud. Russian Warrior defeated the Kacy Fogden-trained Aquis-owned duo Floral Oasis (Not A Single Doubt) and Affogato Girl (Not A Single Doubt) by a head and the same in the QTIS 2YO Maiden Plate (1200m). Russian Warrior was purchased for $425,000 from the Sledmere Stud draft, before passing in at November’s two-year-old sale. The second foal out of Reisling Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner French Fern, Russian Warrior’s half-brother by Exceed And Excel (Danehill) is consigned as Lot 63 at next month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The colt joins Russian Conquest and Rise Of The Masses as winners for Russian Revolution, who stands for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST).
New Group/Grade 1 winners
Heart’s Cry – A win in the Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Hanshin confirmed Do Deuce’s (2 c ex Dust And Diamonds by Vindication) status as Japan’s champion two-year-old miler as the promising colt became the 11th elite-level scorer for Heart’s Cry (Sunday Silence). Now unbeaten in three starts, the Yasuo Tomomichi-trained Do Deuce shook off the stubborn challenge of the favourite Serifos (Daiwa Major) in the final strides to win by half a length. Danon Scorpion (Lord Kanaloa) was the same margin away in third. “We were able to run in a good position and in good rhythm while observing the others,” said winning jockey Yutaka Take. “He responded well going into the straight and although the favorite was hard to beat, he dug in remarkably all the way to the line. He’s getting stronger by every race—we can look forward to the Spring Classics next year.” Do Deuce is out of the US Grade 2 winner Dust And Diamonds (Vindication) who was purchased by Katsumi Yoshida for US$1,000,000 at the 2016 Keeneland November Mares and Foals Sale, making him a half-brother to Much Better (Pioneerof The Nile), a graded-placed juvenile in the US for Bob Baffert. Heart’s Cry stands at Shadai Stallion Station for a private fee.
Twice Over – A surprise victory by Double Superlative (3 c ex Come Fly With Me by Jet Master) in the Cape Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at Kenilworth provided Twice Over (Observatory) with a third individual elite-level winner. The Justin Snaith-trained colt headed into the race with just a maiden success to his name but he left his previous form well behind as he beat stablemate Pomp And Power (Vercingetorix). Cosmic Highway (Gimmethegreenlight) filled third spot, with favourite Trip Of Fortune (Trippi) finishing well down the field. Twice Over, a four-time Group 1 winner in Europe, stands at Klawervlei Stud in South Africa for a fee of ZAR10,000 (approx. AU$880).
New stakes winners
Flower Alley – Travers Stakes (Gr 1, 10f)-winning stallion Flower Alley (Distorted Humor) moved onto 29 individual stakes winners courtesy of a victory for Firealley (4 g ex Fire Spinner by Galileo) in Kenilworth’s Peninsula Handicap (Gr 2, 1600m). The four-year-old has now won four of his 19 starts after beating Rockin’ Ringo (Rock Of Rochelle) and Super Silvano (Bold Silvano).
Giant’s Causeway – An all the way win from Doswell (6 g ex Ballet Pacifica by Minardi) in Saturday’s Ft. Lauderdale Stakes (Gr 2, 9f) on the Gulfstream turf provided the late Giant’s Causeway (Storm Cat) with his 194th individual stakes winner. The lightly raced six-year-old was winning for the third time in 12 starts as he beat Atone (Into Mischief) by a length and a half to put himself firmly in the picture for a tilt at next year’s Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational (Gr 1, 9f). Joseph Allen’s home-bred is out of the Minardi (Boundary) mare Ballet Pacifica, a stakes winner in France for Allen. Ballet Pacifica is also the dam of the stakes winner Secretary At War (War Front) as well as the stakes-placed Entrechat (Giant’s Causeway). Her latest foal is a yearling Into Mischief filly named You’re The Top and she was last bred to War Front (Danzig) for 2022.
Helmet – Former Darley stallion Helmet (Exceed And Excel) sired his 14th individual stakes winner, seven of which are from his southern hemisphere crops, when Beret (5 m ex Irish Hut by Quest For Fame) won the Starstruck Classic (Listed, 1600m) at Ascot. The Adam Durrant-trained Beret, who was winning her third consecutive race, defeated Playing Marika (Playing God) by three-quarters of a length, with La Farola (Deep Field) third, a further half a length in arrears. A homebred for Oakland Park Stud, Beret is out of the unplaced Quest For Fame (Rainbow Quest) mare Irish Hut, a half-sister to Group 2 winner Heather (Grand Lodge) and Group 3 winner Peat Bog (Canny Lad). Helmet stands in Italy at the Allevamento Il Grifone in Vigone for a fee of €5,000 (approx. AU$7,885).
Into Mischief – Center Aisle (4 f ex Specification by Empire Maker) came out on top in a duel with her nemesis Frank’s Rockette (Into Mischief) to take out Saturday’s Sugar Swirl Stakes (Gr 3, 6f) at Gulfstream Park and in the process became the 105th individual stakes winner for her sire Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday). Trained by Paulo Lobo, Center Aisle was winning for the third successive time, and fourth in total, as she hit the line a length in front of the favourite Frank’s Rockette. There was a gap of a further five lengths back to Bronx Beauty (Liaison), who finished third. Bred in Kentucky by Breffni Farm, Center Aisle is out of the Empire Maker (Unbridled) mare Specification, who herself is a half-sister to two-time Pacific Classic Stakes (Gr 1, 10f) winner Skimming (Nureyev). Specification is the dam of five winners from six foals to race and delivered a colt by Goldencents (Into Mischief) this year. She was bred to Vino Rosso (Curlin) for 2022. Into Mischief stands at Spendthrift Farm in Kentucky for a 2022 fee of US$250,000 (approx. AU$350,875).
King’s Best – The late King’s Best (Kingmambo) sired his 68th individual stakes winner when his daughter Miss New York (4 m ex Manhattan Mito by Manhattan Cafe) struck in the Turquoise Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) at Nakayama. Trained by Haruki Sugiyama, the four-year-old was winning for the fifth time in 17 starts as she beat Andraste (Orfevre) by a length and a quarter. Gilded Mirror (Orfevre) was another half a length away in third.
Not A Single Doubt – The Annabel Neasham-trained Soaring Ambition (2 f ex Tango by Starcraft) put in a smart debut performance to win the Magic Millions Wyong 2YO Classic (RL, 1100m) and in so doing became the 79th stakes winner for the now pensioned Arrowfield Stud stallion Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice). The two-year-old filly produced a late charge under Tommy Berry, who did well to re-organise the horse after the interference, to grab Miss Hellfire (Hellbent) close to home to win by a neck with Wealthy Investor (Capitalist) another short-head back in third in what looked a competitive renewal. Purchased by Zhongli Thoroughbreds for $270,000 from the Arrowfield Stud consignment at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale earlier this year, the filly is the fifth foal out of Starcraft (Soviet Star) mare Tango and is a sister to Hong Kong winner Sky Forever.
Oxbow – Preakness Stakes (Gr 1, 9.5f) winner Oxbow (Awesome Again) sired his ninth individual stakes winner when his son Tuz (4 g ex Suede Shoe by Pulpit) ran out a surprise winner of the Dubai Creek Mile (Listed, 1600m) at Meydan on Thursday. The Bhupat Seemar-trained four-year-old, who previously raced in Russia, was scoring for the first time since moving to the UAE as he beat Eastern World (Dubawi) by a length and a quarter. Thegreatcollection (Saint Anddan) was a neck further away in third. Bred by Calumet Farm, Tuz is a graduate of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale and is a half-brother to four winners in the US and Mexico. Oxbow stands at Calumet Farm for a fee of US$7,500 (Approx. AU$10,475).
Star Turn – Vinery Stud stallion Star Turn (Star Witness) recorded a second individual stakes winner when Me Me Lagarde (3 f ex Roedean by Flying Spur) struck for victory in the Gold Edition Plate (Listed, 1200m) at Eagle Farm. Adding to the juvenile Listed success for Star Turn’s Miss Hipstar, Me Me Lagarde defeated Far Too Easy (All Too Hard) by a length and three-quarters, with Release The Beans (Spill The Beans) a head further back in third. A homebred for Gerry Harvey, Me Me Lagarde is a half-sister to Group 3 runner-up Hoylonny (Lonhro), being out of the Blue Diamond Preview (f) (Gr 3, 1000m) runner-up Roedean (Flying Spur). Star Turn stood this season for a fee of $16,500 (inc GST).
Tarzino – Westbury Stud’s Tarzino (Tavistock) got off the mark at stakes level with exciting first-crop filly Gypsy Goddess (3 f ex Invisible Coin by Redoute’s Choice), who presented herself as a serious Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) contender after comfortably winning the Ascot Green Grand Prix (Gr 3, 2100m) at Eagle Farm. One of four individual winners for Rosehill Guineas (Gr 1, 2000m) and VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Tarzino, the David Vandyke-trained Gypsy Goddess romped away by three and three-quarter lengths as the $1.24 favourite, defeating Balmaurice (Maurice) in second and Ironic Miss (Press Statement), who was all of eight and a quarter lengths behind the winner in third. Out of the Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Invisible Coin, a sister to Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Cheeky Choice, Gypsy Goddess is a owned by a syndicate led by breeder Chris Lawler, with the filly having passed in at last year’s NZB Karaka Book 2 Yearling Sale. A half-sister to Gypsy Goddess by Belardo (Lope De Vega) will be offered at March’s NZB Karaka Book 2 Yearling Sale. Tarzino stands at Westbury Stud for a fee of $12,000 (plus GST).
Thewayyouare – The Way Of Bonnie (6 g ex Eyrecourt by Efisio) supplied his sire Thewayyouare (Kingmambo) with an 11th individual stakes winner when he won the Prix Arcangues (Listed, 2500m) at Deauville. Trained by Guillermo Arizkorreta Elosegui and ridden by Vaclav Janacek, the six-year-old gelding managed to get the better of Coeur Marcen (Siyouni) by a short-head with a neck back to the British raider Sleeping Lion (Teofilo) in third. The gelding has been sold for small amounts on three separate occasions, most recently to Kurt Fekonja for €6,500 at the 2017 Baden-Baden May Sale. The seventh foal out of Efisio (Formidable I) mare Eyrecourt, who herself is a sister to the Prix Vermeille (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Pearly Shells, The Way Of Bonnie is a half-brother to useful winner Saved By The Bell (Teofilo).
Whittington – Grandview Stud’s Whittington (Tale Of The Cat) sired his first stakes winner when Stampe (5 g ex Envelope by Monashee Mountain) led from start to finish to take out the Lough Neagh Stakes (Listed, 1400m) at Eagle Farm. Twice placed at stakes level previously, including on his previous start in the George Moore Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), Stampe took his record to seven wins from 34 starts. A homebred for Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m)- winning jockey Mel Schumacher and Phillip Getzke, the Chris Munce-trained Stampe is one of two winners by Whittington from the now deceased mare Envelope (Monashee Mountain), who is a daughter of the stakes-placed Monica (Touching Wood). Whittington stood the 2021 season for a fee of $3,300 (inc GST).