Smaller numbers, same quality
We’re into the last month of the season and Saturday saw a surprisingly large nine stakes races run, all in Australia, however, the New Zealand Stud Book was mostly left out of proceedings.
The New Zealand name cropped up in connection with Winx Guineas (Gr 3, 1600m) winner The Three Hundred (I Am Invincible), whose dam Sassy ‘N’ Smart (Smart Missile) was a Listed winner at two at Riccarton. Beyond her, the family is all American.
Glasshouse Handicap (Listed, 1400m) winner Fortunate Kiss (Divine Prophet) is from a Savabeel (Zabeel) mare but her family is essentially Australian.
Marble Nine (Kobayashi), winner of the Santa Ana Lane Final (Listed, 1200m), is from an O’Reilly (Last Tycoon) three-quarter sister to Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) second Rathsallagh (O’Reilly). His family, imported by Ra Ora Stud, has been in New Zealand for 30 years but has its foundations in the USA.
Turning to the metropolitan undercards proved a little more fruitful where two of the Flemington races and a further two of Rosehill’s races were won by New Zealand-breds.
Good Banter (Tavistock) returned to winning form in the Benchmark 78 Catanach’s Jewellers’ Handicap (2000m). Last year she scored a strong win, her second in seven starts, in the Adrian Knox Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m). That was in April but she found the step up to stronger company too stiff. Brisbane last winter then spring in Sydney yielded poor results. This preparation began promisingly but it took another three starts to gain an overdue third win.
Good Banter, who sold at the Inglis Premier Sale in 2022 for $280,000, was bred by Blandford Lodge’s Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax. She ranks as a three-quarter sister to Blandford-bred Listed winner Le Gai Soleil (Tavistock) and is from a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman). Blandford Lodge Stud and the Bax family have bred from the line for several generations, beginning with Polly Soleil (Roi Soleil), a mare imported to New Zealand in 1985. The most famous member of the family is triple Group 1 winner Lucia Valentina (Savabeel) whose premier performance was a stunning win in the 2016 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
Tragically, Good Banter’s sire Tavistock (Montjeu) was lost to the industry part way through the 2019 breeding season. From a total of 45 2020 foals, 29 have raced, 17 have been winners and four are stakes winners. Four from 29 translates to 13.8 per cent stakes winners to runners, however, Tavistock’s career stats are 54 stakes winners from 775 runners, or 6.97 per cent. Re winners to starters, the last crop is currently running at 58.6 per cent but with 573 career winners, overall his winners/runners ratio is an impressive 73.9 per cent. Significantly, 15 mares covered from the last partial season were exported to Australia where Tavistock’s reputation was strong.
That last crop features Ceolwulf who signalled a first rate career when twice finishing second behind Riff Rocket (American Pharoah) in the both the Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) and the Rosehill Guineas (Gr 1, 2000m). Last spring Ceolwulf was a star when landing back-to-back Group 1s in the Epsom Handicap (1600m) and the King Charles III Stakes (1600m) and whose earnings stand at $5.9 million.
The third stakes winner from the final crop is Outovstock, winner of the Manawatu Classic (Gr 3, 2100m) while the fourth is recent Sandown Cup (Listed, 3200m) victor Diwali. The latter jumped from a Benchmark 58 level win when securing an easy Cup win last month.
Also among the last crop is Rosehill Benchmark 72 winner Unique Ambition but in New Zealand War Of Succession might be the next to achieve black-type success. In eight starts War Of Succession has scored three times including his last two starts, both at Ellerslie. From the powerful Te Akau Racing Stable, he looks like a Cups horse.
Succession
Maintaining the Tavistock theme, his son, Champion Australian 3YO Tarzino sired Miss Tarzy, winner of the Leilani Series Final (1400m), at Flemington. Westbury Stud’s Tarzino, one of 12 Group 1 winners by Tavistock, is enjoying his best season since 2021-22 when Gypsy Goddess bagged the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) and Jungle Magnate scored the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m). They represented Tarzino’s initial crop.
This season he has New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) Willydoit flying the flag and to him you can add Group 3 winners Torranzino and Tomodachi plus Listed winner Kadavar.
Miss Tarzy won fresh-up on Saturday and judging from her outside odds was not expected to perform as she did. Once the field straightened she shared last and was no better placed with 350 metres to run. Threading between runners she launched from the 200 metres yet still had two to pass at the 100 metres. Inside the 50 metres it was all over and she took her win column to five and her bank beyond $300,000. The five-year-old mare has also recorded seven placings from just 19 starts.
Her racing debut as a three-year-old resulted in a win at Mornington followed by several placings. At four she came out firing to land three on the trot including two at Moonee Valley. This season has been mixed with three placings in six runs before she was spelled. No doubt her owners will be hoping to add some black-type to her page.
Racing in the red Rosemount Stud colours, Miss Tarzy was purchased out of the Mapperley Stud draft of the 2023 NZB Ready To Run Sale for $50,000 and is the third winner from four to race from her French-bred dam, Grise Leigh (Green Tune).
This is a nice international family as Grise Leigh ranks as a half-sister to the French juvenile Group 1 winner Morandi (Holy Roman Emperor), a mottled grey whose four wins as a juvenile included the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m). Yes, you read that correctly. The Criterium is run over 2000 metres for two-year-olds.
Miss Tarzy’s grandam is a half-sister to Marie Glitters (Crystal Glitters), grandam of the modern day wonder galloper Lord Glitters (Whipper). The latter won 11 races including the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 1m) at six, the Meydan Jebel Hatta (Gr 1, 1800m) as an eight-year-old and back-to-back Singspiel Stakes (Gr 2, 1800m) at Meydan as an eight and nine-year-old.
Aced
Westbury Stud’s Swiss Ace (Secret Savings) is getting on but every now and then pumps out another good sort and to that list you can include the lightly raced six-year-old Cloudland whose seventh win from just 23 starts took place in Rosehill’s Benchmark 88 Foundation Female Member Handicap (1200m). He was giving the leaders three or four lengths at the 400 metres but steadily gained to assume the lead at the 100 metres before going clear by a length, taking his earnings past $430,000.
The grey began his race career from the stable of Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray and was a trial winner at Cambridge before his sale to Australian connections, joining Kris Lees’ stable. He won his sole start at three and at four took his provincial record to three from three before several placings, returning at five to score two Randwick (Kensington) wins as a spring five-year-old. This season has been his busiest with nine starts but they include a Benchmark 90 (1400m) win at Flemington last November.
Cloudland wasn’t the only metropolitan class winner for Swiss Ace on Saturday. In Hong Kong, Mr Energia took out the Wong Cup (1200m), the four-year-old’s third win at Sha Tin. On the same card, and therefore a winning double, was Gimme Five who recorded his maiden win in the Swaine Cup (1200m).
Hong Kong’s Sha Tin track has been good to Swiss Ace recently as Amazing Galaxy also scored his maiden success on July 1 while Harold Win won for the second time on June 14.
Cloudland is the best of three winners from four to race out of stakes placed Commiserate (Congrats) whose grandam, St Bridget’s Well, was by Three Legs (Petingo). She took out a Listed race in Sydney and foaled a Group 2 winner, Sarson Trail (Royal Academy). The best performer in the family, 1983 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Brave Show (Without Fear), appears another two generations back.
No shock
The writer is prepared to go out on a limb and predict that the next stakes winner for Shocking (Street Cry) will be his daughter Shockletz. This is a good filly and she wants to run. In only eight starts she has won four including two of her last three, both of which were at headquarters, Flemington. Her best quality is her determination as she keeps giving all the way to the line, exemplified by her strong finish over 2000 metres in early June. Second looked like her lot at the 100 metres but she was relentless.
She was off the mark quickly, breaking her maiden impressively at Bendigo at start two and returned to Bendigo fresh up at start four to score narrowly but well. Since then she has raced in town for the two Flemington wins and two placings. She can only improve with another year under her belt.
Shockletz was not offered for sale and is winner number seven from ten to race from her dam, twice winner Zelt (Red Ransom). Her older half-brother is Wanted Payout-Golden Payout (Mal), a Listed winner in Malaysia. Her older brother is Group 3-placed Horrifying whose seven wins include five at Flemington. He has banked in excess of $700,000.
A staying future looks likely for the rising four-year-old as Saturday’s win, in the Mahogany Series Final (2500m), was her first beyond 2000 metres. Horrifying scored at 2800 metres and her grandam is a Danehill (Danzig) three-quarter sister to Dame Claire (Danehill Dancer), winner of Flemington’s 3200-metre Andrew Ramsden Stakes (Listed).