First Group 1 winners for Epiphaneia, Hallowed Crown and Raise The Flag
New Group 1 winners
Epiphaneia – Japan Cup winner Epiphaneia (Symboli Kris S) produced his first Group 1 winner when Daring Tact (3 f ex Daring Bird by King Kamehameha) won the Oka Sho (Gr 1, 1600m), the Japanese 1,000 Guineas, at Hanshin on Sunday. The Haruki Sugiyama-trained Daring Tact, who was bought for ¥12 million ($175,000) as a yearling, is now three from three after her victory over favourite and champion two-year-old filly Resistencia (Daiwa Major). Epiphaneia stands at Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido.
Hallowed Crown – A week after Colette (3 f ex Libretto by Singspiel) became Hallowed Crown’s (Street Sense) first stakes winner, she became his first Group 1 winner with her victory in the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m). The former Darley stallion has been relocated to Twin Hills Stud for the upcoming breeding season, where he will stand for a fee of $11,000 (inc GST).
Raise The Flag – Etah James (7 m ex Etah by Danasinga) gave her sire Raise The Flag (Sadler’s Wells) a first Group 1 winner when she caused an upset in the Sydney Cup (Gr 1, 3200m). A resident stallion at White Robe Lodge on New Zealand’s South Island and a half-brother to Group 1-producing stallions Dansili (Danehill), Cacique (Danehill) and Champs Elysees (Danehill), Raise The Flag stood last season for NZ$6,000 (plus GST).
New stakes winners
Commands – The late Commands (Danehill) proved yesterday that he could still be a potent source of classy horses, even six years after his death, when Bella Vella (5 m ex Forget The Weather by Stormy Atlantic) became his 80th individual stakes winner on Saturday. Bella Vella won the Furphy Stakes (registered as Hills Railway Stakes) (Listed, 1000m) on the Morphettville Parks circuit yesterday, defeating Kabini (Written Tycoon) by a length and three-quarters with Equal Love (Equiano) a length away in third. Purchased by Paul Moroney Bloodstock for $100,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Bella Vella joined her current ownership group – headed by trainer Will Clarken – in mid-2019. Bella Vella comes from Commands’ final crop, in which the Arrowfield Stud stallion produced 116 live foals; among them was 10-time Group 1 winner Melody Belle. It was also a first stakes win for apprentice rider Lachlan Neindorf.
Daiwa Major – Evergreen Japanese stallion Daiwa Major (Sunday Silence) produced his 36th stakes winner on Sunday when Loving Answer (6 h ex Love Letter by Rock Of Gibraltar) took the Shunrai Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Nakayama. Sent off as ninth favourite in the field of 16, Loving Answer defied expectations to defeat Maria’s Heart (Shanghai Bobby) by a nose with Taisei Avenir (Behkabad) a half-length away in third. Now 19, Daiwa Major continues to stand at Shadai Stallion Station in Hokkaido.
Gold Ship – Enigmatic grey Gold Ship (Stay Gold) registered his second stakes winner from his first crop of three-year-olds when Win Mighty (3 f ex Aoba Colline by Cacoethes) won the Wasurenagusa Sho (Listed, 2000m) at Hanshin yesterday. It was Win Mighty’s third win from six starts and it is likely to see her aimed at the Yushun Himba (Gr 1, 2400m), the Japanese Oaks, next month. The Tadao Igarashi-trained Win Mighty, under Mirco Demuro, defeated Izu Jo No Kiseki (Epiphaneia) by a length, with a neck back to favourite Lily Pure Heart (Deep Impact) back in third.
Helmet – Helmet (Exceed And Excel) registered his 12th individual stakes winner and his sixth overall when Royal Crown (3 g ex Princess Regina by Zabeel) took the Galilee Series Final (Listed, 2400m) at Caulfield. Bred by Illowra Stud, whose principals Nigel and Meredith Berry manage the ownership group, Royal Crown produced a strong staying performance to defeat Bellx (Rock Hero) by a length and a quarter with Coin Collector (All Too Hard) back in third. Helmet stood his last season in Australia in 2017 with 28 live foals in 2018. He is now based at Gestut Fahrhof in northern Germany at a fee of €8,000.
Kinshasa No Kiseki – Japanese stallion Kinshasa No Kiseki (Fuji Kiseki) has been a mainstay of the stallion ranks over the last decade, but it looks as though he might have produced his best one yet after Luftstrom (3 c ex Hawaiian Wind by King Kamehameha) made it three from three in the New Zealand Trophy (Gr 2, 1600m), the NHK Mile Cup Trial, at Nakayama yesterday. The Noriyuki Hori-trained Luftstrom is Kinshasa No Kiseki’s eighth individual stakes winner. Yesterday, he came from a long way back under Shu Ishibashi to score by a half-length over Season’s Gift (Epiphaneia) with Win Greatest (Screen Hero) third. He is likely to progress to the NHK Mile Cup (Gr 1, 1600m) next month.
Orfevre – Shadai Stallion Station-based sire Orfevre (Stay Gold) landed his sixth individual stakes winner on Wednesday when Justin (4 c ex Synesthesia by Gone West) took out the Tokyo Sprint (Listed, 1200m) at Ohi. The four-year-old defeated Sabuno Junior (South Vigorous) with Candle Glass (South Vigorous) in third. Orfevre stands for a fee of ¥3,000,000 (approx AUD$44,000).
Pierro – Coolmore Stud’s Pierro (Lonhro) produced his 22nd individual stakes winner when Untamed (2 c ex She’s A Wildcat by Fastnet Rock) took the Fernhill Handicap (Listed, 1600m) in the China Horse Club colours. Untamed got up in the final few bounds to defeat Wheelhouse (Pierro) by a half-head, with Fayerra (Valentia) a further head away in third. Bred by a consortium including Luskin Park Stud, Ascot Bloodstock, David Carter and Conrad Staff, Untamed fetched $450,000 when he went through the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale ring last year. His dam, She’s A Wildcat, is an unraced sister to Foxwedge. This season, Pierro stood for $88,000 (inc GST), serving 217 mares.
Sebring – The late Sebring (More Than Ready) continues to produce winner upon winner with Indy Car (3 g ex Zulia by Hussonet) his 59th individual stakes winner after his South Pacific Classic (Listed, 1400m) success. Indy Car held off the luckless Icebath (Sacred Falls) by a length and a half, with a length and three-quarters back to Hilo (Lonhro) in third. Bred by Gerry Harvey, Indy Car was offered for sale at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale but was passed in $5,000 short of his $125,000 reserve. He met a similar fate at the Magic Millions 2YOs In Training Sale that year, passing in for $70,000 on a $75,000 reserve, and was retained by Harvey to race. Indy Car comes from the Skating (At Talaq) family that includes speedsters Murtajill (Rock Of Gibraltar), Bradbury’s Luck (Redoute’s Choice), Juste Momente (Giant’s Causeway) and Vancouver (Medaglia d’Oro). Widden Stud stalwart Sebring died in February last year, having served his final crop in 2018 producing 150 foals.
Snitzel – Arrowfield Stud’s champion stallion Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) recorded a new milestone on Saturday when Splintex (3 c ex Acquired by O’Reilly) became his 100th individual stakes winner with a fitting victory in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick. Godolphin filly Flit (Medaglia d’Oro) charged 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. Snitzel this season stood for $220,000 (inc GST), serving 141 mares.
Universal Ruler – Western Australian stallion Universal Ruler (Scenic) celebrated his ninth individual stakes winner when Bam’s On Fire (4 m ex Im Your Fire by Holy Roman Emperor) won the Elvis Thurgood 40th Anniversary Cup (registered as the Victoria Handicap) (Gr 3, 1400m) at Caulfield. Bam’s On Fire defeated Seabrook (Hinchinbrook) by a length and a quarter with Sircconi (Nicconi) a length and three quarters away in third. The mare, who hails from the family of stakes winners Shovhog (Danehill) and Shovoff (Danehill), was bred by Ken Nightingale and was sourced by bloodstock agent Mark Pilkington on behalf of Seymour Bloodstock’s Darren Thomas. Universal Ruler, who stands at Scenic Lodge Thoroughbred Stud, served 117 mares last year at a fee of $6,600 (inc GST).