It's In The Blood

Roch ’N’ Horse

There are some extraordinary figures behind Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Roch ’N’ Horse (Per Incanto), and we don’t just mean her breeders, Little Avondale Stud’s Sam and Catriona Williams. For a starting point there’s the starting price – the classic hundred-to-one in the old school, making the five-year-old daughter of Per Incanto (Street... Read More

Forbidden Love

With a second Group 1 in Saturday’s Canterbury Stakes (Gr 1, 1300m), outstanding mare Forbidden Love (All Too Hard) added another highlight to a twisting, multi-national breeding tale which has taken in England, Argentina, the USA – and even a dash of Scandinavia. The four-year-old, who broke through at the top level a year ago... Read More

Fireburn

As many maths nerds or dodgy politicians know, you can have some great fun with statistics. Have a look at these: Rebel Dane, as a sire, has a stakes-winners-to-runners ratio of 15.4 per cent. In fact, that’s Group winners to runners, since he hasn’t bothered stooping to Listed level. That’s Extreme Choice-esque. Better in fact.... Read More

Corner Pocket

In snooker, it’s all about precision. And in the making of picket fence builder Corner Pocket, one of two new stakes winners for surging stallion Toronado (High Chaparral) last weekend, Swettenham Stud played all the angles with consummate skill before putting their queue in the rack. The mare Baize (Commands), from which the Lindsey Smith-trained... Read More

Mumbai Jewel

A well-known set of a black and lime colours carried with distinction in Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, several other Group 1s and – very importantly – a Woodend Cup (1850m), are set to fly high again. When two-year-old filly Mumbai Jewel (I Am Invincible) stormed home to take out Saturday’s Pierro Plate (1100m) at Randwick,... Read More

Sebonack

Sebonack (Capitalist) showed some blistering speed to grab second-favouritism for the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) with his slashing debut win over 1000 metres at Caulfield last Saturday. But there’s a diamond in his bloodlines – from a female family dripping with quality – including an Irish Classic performer, who later pulled off a... Read More