First for Contributer
New winners
Contributer – Mapperley Stud resident Contributer (High Chaparral) landed his first winner on Thursday when Lion’s Roar (2 g ex Minnaleo by Black Minnaloushe) took out the two-year-old handicap (1200m) at Wagga. Lion’s Roar was purchased for $65,000 by Champion Thoroughbreds out of the Wellfield Lodge draft at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale and is the second winner from three to race out of four-time winner Minnaleo. His second dam is Avondale Gold Cup (Gr 1, 2200m) winner The Mighty Lions (Grosvenor), who also produced Group 3 winner Vaquera (High Chaparral). Contributer won the Chipping Norton Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and Ranvet Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) in 2015 and was crowned Champion Miler in Australia in 2014-15. He stood at Mapperley Stud in New Zealand for NZ$12,500 (plus GST) in 2019.
Double for Night Of Thunder – Former Darley shuttler Night Of Thunder (Dubawi) on Tuesday sired his fifth individual Australian-bred first crop winner when Irish Thunder (2 g ex Tiger’s Girl by Tiger Hill) won the Kennards Hire Taree Maiden handicap (1000m) at Taree on debut. He then recorded his sixth individual winner when Coup De Tonnerre (2 c ex Sea Terrace by Authorized) broke through at his fifth start yesterday. Night Of Thunder shuttled to Darley’s Northwood Park in Victoria for just one season, covering 86 mares in 2016. From that crop, Group 3 winner A Beautiful Night and Listed winner River Night have emerged among his six winners. Darley will this year have another son of Dubawi (Dubai Millennium), champion European two-year-old Too Darn Hot, shuttling to Australia at an introductory fee of $44,000 (inc GST).
Office Bearer – Listed winner Office Bearer (Officer) celebrated his first winner on Friday when the appropriately-named One To Remember (2 g ex Belle Laude by Summa Cum Laude) took the Magic Millions 2YO Maiden Handicap (900m) at Muswellbrook. Standing at Murrulla Stud for $2,200 in 2019, Office Bearer covered only two mares last year.
Rich Enuff – Woodside Park’s first season sire Rich Enuff (Written Tycoon) chalked up his fourth individual winner on Wednesday when debutant Riched (2 g ex Edikeni by Johannesburg) took a 1050-metre maiden at Balaklava. Purchased for $60,000 from the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Riched’s dam Edikeni (Johannesburg) is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Churchill Downs (Danehill). Rich Enuff stood for $12,100 (inc GST) at Woodside Park last year.
Super One – Former Singapore sensation Super One (I Am Invincible) scored his fourth individual winner yesterday when Bedazzle (2 f ex Crystal Diamonds by Commands) won an 1100-metre two-year-old handicap at Dubbo. Super One stands at Newgate Farm, where last year he commanded a fee of $11,000 (inc GST).
New Group / Grade 1 winners
Blame – Trainer Bob Baffert, the only handler to prepare a Triple Crown winner in the modern era, swept both divisions of the Arkansas Derby when Nadal (3 c ex Ascending Angel by Pulpit) took the second division of the three-year-old feature, giving his sire Blame (Arch) a fifth Grade 1 winner. Blame, best known for inflicting the first defeat of champion mare Zenyatta (Street Cry) at her final start in the 2010 Breeders’ Cup Classic (Gr 1, 10f), stands at Claiborne Farm for US$35,000 ($54,500).
Commands – The late Commands (Danehill) landed his 13th Group 1 winner on Saturday when Bella Vella (5 m ex Forget the Weather by Stormy Atlantic) landed the TAB Classic (registered as Robert Sangster Stakes) (Gr 1, 1200m). Bella Vella joins the likes of Melody Belle and Commanding Jewel as elite level-winning mares for the former Darley sire who died in 2014 at the age of 17.
Speightstown – Consistent stallion Speightstown (Gone West) produced his 18th Grade 1 winner and his 112th individual stakes winner yesterday when impressive three-year-old Charlatan (3 c ex Authenticity by Quiet American) took out the first division of the Arkansas Derby (Gr 1, 9f) at Oaklawn Park. Speightstown stands at WinStar Farm at a fee of US$70,000 (AUD$109,000) this season.
Tavistock – Tavistock (Montjeu) registered his fifth individual Group 1 winner on Saturday when Toffee Tongue (3 f ex Bagalollies by Zabeel) took out the Schweppes Oaks (registered as the Australasian Oaks) (Gr 1, 2000m). Toffee Tongue was bought at the Karaka Yearling Sales by Dean Hawthorne for NZ$500,000. She is a sister to Hong Kong Champion Werther, Group 3 winner Gobstopper and Group 1-placed Milseain. Toffee Tongue joins Volkstok’n’barrell, Werther, Tavago and young stallion Tarzino as Tavistock’s top-level winners. Tavistock sadly passed away in December, 2019; his son Tarzino stands at Westbury Stud.
New stakes winners
Alamosa – Wellfield Lodge’s Alamosa (O’Reilly) recorded his 18th stakes winner on Friday when House Of Cartier (4 m ex Shez Sinsational by Ekraar) took out the Wagga Wagga Gold Cup (Listed, 2000m). House Of Cartier, who races in the same colours as her sire, was Group 1-placed last year when third to Princess Jenni (High Chaparral) in the Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m). Alamosa served 16 mares last year at a fee of NZ$5,000 (plus GST).
Deep Impact – The late Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) continues to leave his mark on Japanese racing and he looks to have another promising filly in the form of blueblood Des Ailes (3 f ex Avenir Certain by Le Havre), his 157th individual stakes winner yesterday. Des Ailes, who is out of the dual French Classic winner Avenir Certain (Le Havre), remained unbeaten with her win in the Sweetpea Stakes (Listed, 1800m) at Tokyo, showing a sparkling turn of foot after a top ride from Damian Lane.
Exceed And Excel – Darley’s Exceed And Excel (Danehill) added two more individual stakes winners at Morphettville on Saturday to take his overall figure to 169. The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained Forever Free (2 f ex Soaressa by Twining) made it three from three when she took the Queen Adelaide Stakes (Listed, 1050m), her first stakes victory. A David Moodie homebred, under his Hesket Bloodstock banner, Forever Free is a sister to five-time stakes winner Thermal Current. Exceed And Excel will stand for $132,000 (inc GST) at Darley’s Kelvinside property this year.
Orfevre – Orfevre (Stay Gold) registered his seventh individual stakes winner when Authority (3 c ex Rosalind by Symboli Kris S) landed the Aoba Sho (Gr 2, 2400m), the Japanese Derby Trial. Authority is the second foal of Rosalind, a sibling to Group 1 winners Epiphaneia (Symboli Kris S), Leontes (King Kamehmeha) and Saturnalia (Lord Kanaloa), out of top race mare and Japanese blue hen Cesario (Special Week). He is the second winner from Rosalind, who also has an unnamed yearling by Screen Hero (Grass Wonder). The Aoba Sho is recognised as one of the leading trials for the Tokyo Yushun (Gr 1, 2400m), scheduled for May 31 at Tokyo.
Silvano – Champion South African-based stallion Silvano (Lomitas) registered a 96th individual stakes winner yesterday when Chefano (5 g ex Valdovino by Al Mufti) took the Queen Mother Memorial Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) at Sha Tin. Silvano, who was one of the first true globetrotters when representing Germany and trainer Andreas Wohler on the world stage, including in the 2001 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m), stands at Andreas Jacobs’ Maine Chance Farms, east of Cape Town. The 24-year-old secured his fourth General Sires Title last year and stood for ZAR250,000 (AUD$20,700) in 2019.