Scandal spoils Time party in Hawkesbury Crown
After knocking on the door for a black-type victory for the last year, Sweet Scandal (Sepoy) broke through in yesterday’s Hawkesbury Crown (Gr 3, 1300m) at Rosehill, spoiling the party for dual Group 1 winner In Her Time (Time Thief) at her final start before heading through the virtual sales ring.
Drawing the outside barrier (14), the five-year-old mare settled three-wide with cover towards the tail end of the field with Glen Boss on board, and was still fourth last with 300 metres to run as In Her Time began to let down at the front of the pack.
In the last furlong, Sweet Scandal found another gear and motored past her rivals, edging out In Her Time in the final strides to score by a long neck with the Brent Stanley-trained Dyslexic (Foxwedge) a further neck away back in third.
“She has gone through her career, and in particular this preparation, and she’s had bad barriers one after another,” trainer Chris Waller said.
“Even today wasn’t much better but good jockey, good horse, good result.”
Waller said Sweet Scandal was likely to progress to the transferred Scone meeting in three weeks, which will be held at Rosehill due to coronavirus restrictions.
Boss rode the mare in a recent barrier trial and was confident she could run well with even luck.
“She has been dying to win a race. She is better than this class, she has just been one of those horses unlucky with draws and unlucky again today,” Boss said.
“But she trialled up really well on Monday, I got the opportunity to ride her in a trial and I was just begging to be on her. She deserved that win.”
Kris Lees, who trained In Her Time to one of her two Group 1 victories, was proud of his mare in defeat.
“She has run super,” Lees said. “But today’s race proves it is the right time to retire her.
“I think 12 months ago she would have found the length she needed to win.
“At least she goes out on a good performance. She has been a wonderful mare.”
In Her Time will be offered at next month’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale as Lot 42 on behalf of Yarraman Park Stud.
She retires as a winner of nine races, six at stakes level, from 31 starts, while she was placed at Group 1 level eight times and amassed $3,772,725 in prize-money.
Sweet Scandal (5 m Sepoy – Bacchanal Woman by Encosta de Lago) was purchased by Laurel Oak Bloodstock at the 2016 Inglis Australian Yearling Sale for $230,000 from the draft of Widden Stud.
She has now won seven times and placed on five occasions from 22 starts, earning a total of $486,480 in prize-money.
One of three winners out of the stakes scorer Bacchanal Woman (Encosta de Lago), the daughter of Sepoy (Elusive Quality) is a half-sister to the stakes-placed Sir Bacchus (Sebring).
Widden Stud consigned Bacchanal Woman to the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale where she was purchased by Goldin Farms for $340,000 when carrying Sweet Scandal’s four-time winning sister Bayou.
Her yearling colt by Akeed Mofeed (Dubawi) was purchased by Graebar Park for $80,000 out of the Goldin Farms draft at this year’s Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
After foaling a Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) filly last spring, Bacchanal Woman was again covered by Akeed Mofeed.
Sweet Scandal is the 16th stakes-winner for Sepoy who stands at Darley’s Northwood Park for a fee of $7,700 in 2020.
Dalasan back on track ahead of Derby
It might have been a disappointing trip across the border for the Melbourne autumn for connections of Dalasan (Dalakhani), but the sometimes wayward colt seems to have returned to form back home in Adelaide, winning his second start in a row in the Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 2035m) at Morphettville yesterday.
Trained by Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas and ridden by Jason Holder, Dalasan had the perfect run midfield and off the rails.
He eased out approaching the final bend and scooted past frontrunner Themoonlitegambler (Good Journey) with 200 metres to go, winning by a length and a quarter as Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Warning (Declaration Of War) flashed home to finish three-quarters of a length back in third.
“He looked good in the run,” Macdonald said. “He did have to chase the leader but it was pretty comfortable in the end.
“He stayed very well today and he’s very fit so he will have a few easy days.
“He’s been very good and very happy since he came back from Melbourne.”
Dalasan and Warning will now head to the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) in two weeks’ time where they are among the favourites, with doubts over market leader Russian Camelot (Camelot) who was scratched from Flemington with a throat issue.
A winner of seven of his 14 starts for $2,051,295 in prize-money, Dalasan (3 c Dalakhani – Khandallah by Kitten’s Joy) is the second named foal from Khandallah (Kitten’s Joy). He was purchased by Macdonald for $80,000 at the 2018 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale from the draft of Mill Park Stud.
Macdonald went back to the same sale last year and went to $110,000 to secure Khandallah’s fourth foal by Newgate Farm’s exciting young sire Dissident (Sebring), who is now named Ichibansan and is unplaced from four starts.
Khandallah was a two-time winner at 1600 metres and twice placed at Listed level in Tasmania. She has a weanling filly by So You Think (High Chaparral) and was covered by American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) last spring.
Dalakhani (Darshaan) was a champion racehorse in Europe, only tasting defeat once in a nine-start career when second in the Irish Derby (Gr 1, 1m4f). He retired to stud in 2004 and has forged an accomplished stallion record, producing ten Group 1 winners worldwide, including the 2013 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Reliable Man – now standing at Westbury Stud in New Zealand.
St Leger hat-trick for Waterhouse and Bott
The autumn might be drawing to a close but Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s dream run has continued, as they took out yesterday’s VRC St Leger Stakes (Listed, 2800m) at Flemington for the third year in a row with Sacramento (Pierro).
The training pair’s streak began with subsequent Geelong Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) winner Runaway (Manhattan Rain) followed by Transact (Dundeel) landing the race last year. Waterhouse has also won five of the last eight editions of the classic staying race for three-year-olds.
Ridden by Ben Melham, Sacramento settled midfield on the rails during the run before being edged off the fence approaching the home turn.
Melham steered the gelding to the outside in the straight to find clear running and the pair motored home to defeat Saint Eustace (Tavistock) by a nose with a neck back to Wahine Toa (Dalakhani) in third.
However, there was an anxious wait for connections of Sacramento after the race as Michael Walker, who was aboard Saint Eustace, lodged a protest for interference over the last 100 metres. After a short deliberation, the protest was dismissed, providing Melham his first win in the Classic.
Stable representative Beau Dunn said he was overwhelmed with the narrow victory.
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to pick up the phone when he came back,” Dunn said.
“Ben explained after the last two rides that he had for us (Scholarly and The Lifeline) that there was a breeze down the back and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to face the breeze.
“So Gai said, ‘I’ll leave it up to him, he’s the professional.’
“He just got held up from the 1000 (metres) to the top of the straight and I thought that maybe he wouldn’t get there in time, but with vigorous riding, that’s why Ben Melham was on, and he out-punched them late.”
Having led on the Waterhouse and Bott gallopers earlier in the day, Melham wanted to find some cover on Sacramento, a horse that had led in three of his four lead-up races.
“I thought that breeze was pretty strong around the circle, especially the second half of it,” Melham said.
“He looked the leader in a race of nice speed, but he just stepped a bit awkwardly which worked well as I was always looking for one to cover him up.
“In the end it was a strong staying performance and he was too good.”
Sacramento (3 g Pierro – Alzora by Redoute’s Choice), who was fifth in the Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) last start, has now had 12 starts for three wins and two placings, bringing his prize-money earnings to $168,655.
A $160,000 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale purchase from the Supreme Thoroughbreds draft for Paul Moroney Bloodstock, Sacramento was bred by successful Victorian breeder Robert Crabtree.
He is the second foal and first winner out of Vanity Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) and Ethereal Stakes (Listed, 2000m) winner Alzora (Redoute’s Choice). Her second dam is by Sadler’s Wells (Northern Dancer), giving Sacramento a four by four double cross of the legendary sire.
Alzora has a weanling colt by French sire Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) and was covered last spring by Impending (Lonhro).
Sacramento is the 23rd stakes winner for Coolmore’s Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m)-winning sire Pierro (Lonhro).
He is also the ninth stakes-winner for Pierro bred from daughters of Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) from just 39 runners. The nick now runs at 23 per cent stakes winners to runners and 74 per cent winners to runners.