Colette’s Oaks a dream result for Twin Hills
After relocating to Twin Hills Stud only a couple of weeks ago, Hallowed Crown (Street Sense) sired his first Group 1 winner courtesy of Colette’s runaway victory in the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) in a dream result for the Cootamundra farm.
Trained by James Cummings, Colette solidified her Oaks credentials a week earlier when winning the Adrian Knox Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m) by two and three-quarter lengths, leaving the Godolphin trainer confident in her chances in the fillies’ staying feature.
The three-year-old settled in fourth under Glen Boss for most of the trip before peeling out four-wide around the bend.
She showcased her trademark turn of foot with 300 metres to go, powering home to score by two and a half lengths ahead of the Chris Waller-trained Toffee Tongue (Tavistock) with Quintessa (Pierro) a further three lengths back in third.
“She’s a beauty,” Cummings said.
“She did her early education at Crown Lodge, she went down to Flemington and Reg (Fleming) and I discussed her being a potential Oaks filly. I said yes, she is one of two fillies I’ve got in the Oaks.
“We brought her back up to Sydney to get her up to speed for the Adrian Knox, it was what we thought would be the best entry for her into the Oaks.
“It is particularly satisfying given the plan had to unfold perfectly over a long period of time.
“It was sweet, not only to see her win but she’s turned up favourite on the day because she’s in such good form.”
The win was Boss’ fourth victory in the Australian Oaks and he credited Cummings and his team for presenting the filly in superb order.
“She’s not big but she doesn’t ride like a little horse,” Boss said.
“She’s got a big action and she was able to put herself in the right spot.
“That was pretty simple. It was relatively easy, a bit of point and shoot stuff really.”
Hallowed Crown’s 2014 Golden Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) win was James Cummings’ first Group 1 winner as a trainer when in partnership with his late grandfather Bart Cummings.
“We won the Golden Rose together and he (Hallowed Crown) came back to win the Randwick Guineas,” Cummings said.
“I’m only still young and hopefully I’ve got a few Group 1s left in me.
“But she is the first Group 1 winner I’ve trained by a Group 1 winner I’ve trained, so it’s pretty special.”
After retiring to stud in 2015, Hallowed Crown spent five years standing at Darley’s Kelvinside farm, and two shuttling to their Kildangan Stud in Ireland, but it was announced on March 25 that he was to join the roster at Twin Hills Stud in 2020.
“Ollly Tait was on the ball, it looks like a smart move for him to acquire that horse for Twin Hills,” Cummings said.
A homebred for Godolphin, Colette (3 f Hallowed Crown – Libretto by Singspiel) has now had seven starts for four wins and two placings, earning $569,580 in prize-money.
She is one of six winners out of the unraced mare Libretto (Singspiel) who also produced MRC Chairman’s Stakes (Listed, 1100m) winner Metastasio (Street Cry) as well as Librettista (Elusive Quality), who is responsible for stakes winner and Group 1 placegetter Frenzified (Yeats).
Colette’s second dam, Group 3-winning French mare Truly Special (Caerleon) produced Group 2 winners Wareed (Sadler’s Wells) and Truly A Dream (Darshaan), who in turn produced Group 2 winner Dream Peace (Dansili).
Further down the page is dual stakes-winner Theanswermyfriend (High Chaparral) as well as last year’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) fourth Master Of Reality (Frankel).
Hallowed Crown is a half brother to Tasmanian-based sire Needs Further whose progeny are headed by Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and All-Star Mile winner Mystic Journey.
He will stand at Twin Hills for a fee of $11,000 (inc GST) in 2020.
Addeybb flies British flag in Queen Elizabeth victory
English raider Addeybb (Pivotal) backed up his impressive Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) win as he cruised to victory in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), flying the flag for British racing that remains on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The race, which was to be run without champion mare Winx (Street Cry) for the first time since 2016, shaped up as a hot contest between Addeybb and Japanese raider Danon Premium (Deep Impact) and as the pair loomed up next to each around the final bend, the son of Pivotal (Polar Falcon) found a second wind, scooting away to win by two and three-quarter lengths.
Tancred Stakes (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Verry Elleegant (Zed) was second with Danon Premium half a length back in third.
It was a long range plan by Newmarket trainer William Haggas to send his soft ground-loving Addeybb down for Sydney’s autumn and he was delighted with the result.
“That was fantastic,” Haggas said from England. “I’ve only seen it once and I was jumping up and down so I need to reassess it but it looked really good and he looked pretty dominant today.”
“They had quite a bit of rain yesterday and then they had a sunny, breezy day today and it became very holding, it was really hard work. But he doesn’t mind that.
“Tom (Marquand, jockey) gave him a lovely ride. He just didn’t go too early and when he went, he went properly and put the race to bed, which was great. It’s a great thrill for him to get a couple of Group 1s on the board, especially while everything is so quiet over here.”
“It’s been a stroke of luck.
“He was the right horse and conditions fell in his favour. It was a gamble and it’s paid off, which doesn’t happen very often.”
While the next obvious target for Addeybb would be the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m), Haggas said he wants to get the gelding home for the English autumn.
“My intention has always been to bring Addeybb home and that remains,” he said.
“I do want to run him in the Champion Stakes in our autumn, your spring, and then who knows we might well come down to Sydney again next year.”
Fellow British raider Tom Marquand has enjoyed a fruitful stint riding in Australia and despite landing his maiden elite level victory aboard the six-year-old three weeks earlier, the now dual Group 1-winning jockey said yesterday was just as good.
“I think a lot of people are underestimating how much this means to me,” he said.
“I’m very young (22) and hopefully have quite a long time ahead of me in the saddle, but to come down here and win a Queen Elizabeth on an English horse, for someone who has given me a lot of support, at a time that has been tough for English racing, it could not mean any more.”
A 200,000gns (approximately $415,000) purchase by Shadwell Stud at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, Addeybb (6 g Pivotal – Bush Cat by Kingmambo) has now won nine times from 17 starts and placed on a further four occasions, earning a total of $2,741,718 in prize-money.
One of six winners out of Bush Cat (Kingmambo), he is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Meer Kat (Red Ransom). His second dam, Arbusha (Danzig), also produced dual stakes winner Busha’ (Mercer Mill) and Listed scorer Rip N’ Run (Mercer Mill).
Further down the page is Irish St Leger (Gr 1, 14f) and Gran Premio di Milano (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Strategic Choice (Alleged).
Addeybb joins Godolphin’s Avilius as the only Group 1 winners in Australia for Cheveley Park Stud resident Pivotal.
Waterhouse and Bott’s golden autumn continues in Legacy
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott continued their stellar autumn at Randwick yesterday as Con Te Partiro (Scat Daddy) landed her second Group 1 in four weeks when taking out the Coolmore Legacy Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
Backing up from last week’s Doncaster Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) where she finished sixth, Con Te Partiro had the perfect run in the race under Tim Clark, settling on off the fence in fourth.
Peeling out around the turn, the six-year-old mare never looked like she was going to get beat in the straight as she hit the front with 300 metres to go and scooted home to win by a length and three-quarters ahead of the fast-finishing three-year-old Funstar (Adelaide).
Former New Zealand mare Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman) was a further two lengths back in third.
“She has been fabulous for the stable,” Bott said.
“She has been in a great frame of mind since she has come back this campaign. She’s been much better to deal with and she’s just had that time to acclimatise.
“She seems a happy mare. She’s putting herself in the race and she travelled beautifully. This was always the plan to come here off the back of the Doncaster.
“She’s had a nice week and it’s been executed well.”
Con Te Partiro had been sent to stud last year but after failing to get in foal, Waterhouse, along with co-owners Newgate Farm, opted to bring her back into work. A decision which has paid dividends as the mare is now a very valuable dual Group 1-winner.
With no future plans in place for the daughter of Scat Daddy (Johannesburg), Bott said it’s possible we might have seen her at the races for the last time.
“I haven’t had a good chat to (Newgate Farm’s) Henry Field yet and the owners as to what’s in store for her now,” the co-trainer said.
“It’s hard to see what’s there now.
“I guess she needs that time to let down to become a broodmare this season.
“Whether that’s her last run or not, we’ll see. If it is she’s gone out in style.”
Con Te Partiro (6 m Scat Daddy – Temple Street by Street Cry) began her career in America and took out the Bolton Landing Stakes (Listed, 5.5f) at Saratoga at her third start before winning the Sandringham Stakes (Listed, 1m) at Royal Ascot and finishing fourth in the Del Mar Oaks (Gr 1, 9f) the following year.
Purchased by Newgate Farm and SF Bloodstock for US$575,000 at the 2018 Fasig-Tipton November Sale, the daughter of Scat Daddy’s record now sits at six wins and three placings from 24 starts with prize-money earnings of $1,225,319.
She is out of the Grade 1-placed mare Temple Street (Street Cry), making her a half-sister to stakes winner Donworth (Tiznow), and she is also from the family of Grade 1 winners A Phenomenon (Tentam) and Seattle Meteor (Seattle Slew).
The ill-fated Scat Daddy had four sons covering mares at Coolmore Stud in 2019, led by the Triple Crown champion Justify, alongside Mendelssohn, No Nay Never, and Sioux Nation.
Etah James lands Sydney Cup for Maher and Eustace
Returning from an Auckland Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) tilt and joining the stable of Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, New Zealand-bred mare Etah James (Raise The Flag) took out the Sydney Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) under a near-perfect ride by Glen Boss.
Trained by Matt Cumani for most of her career, the reigning Pakenham Cup (Listed, 2500m) winner settled midfield during the run before looming up to the front runners approaching the final turn.
She was three-wide around the bend and hit the front with 200 metres to go, battling home to defeat fellow Kiwi The Chosen One (Savabeel) by a neck with Kris Lees’ British import Raheen House (Sea The Stars) closing off well to finish half-a-length back in third.
“I’ve been riding it work and I trialled her here in a very fast trial and I said, ‘this is just flying this thing’,” Boss said.
“Its work on Tuesday was exceptional actually and I said to Ciaron this morning, this will be the best 30-1 shot I’ll ever ride in a Group 1 race.
“I wasn’t expecting to beat the English horse to be really honest but I was expecting to run one, two, three.”
“Most of them were off the bridle and chasing at the 600 and mine was still coming up underneath me and I thought, I’m going to run very well.
“It’s testing conditions. I don’t think we broke 39 for the last 600, it was very slow.”
Maher, who was unable to attend the meeting in Sydney, said: “She is a genuine two-miler.”
“When they get down to those weights over trips like that, anything is possible.
“Glen is in elite form and gave her a peach of a ride, and it came down to a head margin
“She was ridden perfectly and everything panned out the right way.”
Etah James’ (7 m Raise The Flag – Etah by Danasinga) record now sits at 30 starts for eight wins and three placings with prize-money earnings of $1,226,494.
She is the best performed of four foals out of the winning Danasinga (Danehill) mare Etah, who herself is a sister to three-time stakes winner Tickle. Etah has a two-year-old colt by Alamosa (O’Reilly) and a filly foal by Raise The Flag (Sadler’s Wells). She was covered by US Navy Flag (War Front) last spring.
Etah James is the first elite level winner for her White Robe Lodge-based sire Raise The Flag who stood at the New Zealand farm for a fee of NZ$6,000 (plus GST) in 2019.
Century up for Snitzel in 3YO Sprint
It was a milestone day at Randwick for champion Arrowfield Stud sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) as he landed his 100th individual stakes winner courtesy of Splintex’s narrow victory in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (Gr 2, 1200m).
The Mark Newnham-trained colt was fast out of the gates and sat in second throughout the run before hitting the front with 300 metres to go.
Godolphin filly Flit (Medaglia d’Oro) charred home late but Splintex managed to hold on and win by a whisker over the Group 1-winning filly with Peter and Paul Snowden’s Anaheed (Fastnet Rock) a length and a quarter back in third.
“That was terrific,” Newnham said.
“He hadn’t been and won at the 1200 (metres) yet so I had my heart in my mouth the last few strides, but he’s just a really good genuine horse and I think he has been a bit underestimated.
“His four wins before today had all come in Saturday company, we tested him a little bit stronger in Melbourne and it all went wrong.
“They had a lot of rain on the day, but we freshened him up and looked at this race and now he is a Group 2 winner and he’s still a colt.”
Splintex was partnered by apprentice Robbie Dolan who admitted he thought he had been beaten on the line.
“I have ridden him since he was a very young horse and I have always believed in him along the way,” Dolan said.
“It’s just unbelievable to ride him in a big race like this today, and then to win it is a fairytale.
“Flit is very long. That is one thing I noticed just after the line, I thought, gee, she is longer than I am, but thankfully my fella just stuck his nose out in the right spot.”
Bred and raced by Geoff Grimish, Splintex (3 c Snitzel – Acquired by O’Reilly) has won five times from nine starts and has placed a further three times, amassing $754,250 in prize-money.
He is the third winner from as many to race out of the top-class mare Acquired (O’Reilly) who also produced the stakes-placed Invictus Salute (Exceed and Excel) and Acqume (Sepoy).
Acquired is a half-sister to three-time stakes winner Hips Don’t Lie (Stravinsky), who herself is the dam of talented juveniles Ennis Hill (Fastnet Rock), Lake Geneva (Fastnet Rock) and Memphis Rock (Fastnet Rock).
She was sold to Highgrove Stud for $450,000 at last year’s Chairman’s Sale when carrying a filly by Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) who died after birth before being bred back to The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) last spring.
Snitzel is currently the leading sire in Australia by earnings and the leading two-year-old sire by earnings and winners.
Standing at Arrowfield for a fee of $220,000 (inc GST), the son of Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) has now sired 100 individual stakes winners, 14 of those at Group 1 level.