Seven Veils tears up script in Reisling
The Mark Newnham-trained Seven Veils (2 f Shalaa – Mesmereyeser by Redoute’s Choice) burst a couple of high-profile bubbles when scooting clear in the Reisling Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick yesterday.
Going off at $7.50, the Kerrin McEvoy-ridden filly had been expected by many to play second fiddle to at least one of the well-touted duo Russian Conquest (Russian Revolution), who went off the $2.15 favourite after finishing second behind Coolangatta (Written Tycoon) in the Magic Million 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m), and the I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) newcomer Greece ($3.50), who cost a cool $1.2 million at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale last year.
However, Seven Veils had clearly forgotten to read the script. Having been a solid second on debut at Kensington in the Schweppes Plate (1100m) behind the Chris Waller-trained Conqueror (Churchill), the filly was sent straight to the lead by her three-time Melbourne Cup-winning jockey.
Setting leisurely fractions on the front end, the two-year-old had all her rivals off the bridle entering the final 300 metres, staying on resolutely for an all-the-way success on the rain-affected Heavy 10 track to throw her hat into the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) ring, being cut to a general $26 chance for the juvenile feature in a fortnight’s time. The success also provided Arrowfield Stud stallion Shalaa (Invincible Spirit) with a fifth individual stakes winner.
“She has always had above-average ability. She had a couple of early trials and pulled up shin sore after her second one, but she has come back in really good shape,” Newnham said.
“She made a few mistakes on debut and it just cost her the win. It was our plan to come here if she had won that mid-week maiden and I was buoyed by the fact the form out of the race has been quite strong and she has shown good natural improvement from her first-up run.
“Kerrin took control of the race. All I’d said to him was don’t hunt her forward, don’t drag her back, just let her be comfortable. She looked comfortable in front, and she was really strong to the line.
“She has ticked that (heavy track) box. Sydney autumns, they can remain pretty wet at times but look, she is a nice filly.
“Paul Hughes and Chris Rogers who own and bred her, I’m thankful to them because we’ve had a couple of previous ones out of the mare that haven’t quite reached this level, so I’m pleased they’ve stuck with me and we’ve got a nice filly.”
Seven Veils is one of three winners from as many to race out of the late three-time winning Redoute’s Choice (Danehill) mare Mesmereyeser who died in January.
From the impressive family of the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Copperama (Comeram) and Sweet Embrace Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Postage Due (Luskin Star), Mesmereyeser has a yearling colt by Kermadec (Teofilo) and a weanling full-sister to Seven Veils.
The filly is the third stakes winner in Australia for the dual Group 1-winning stallion Shalaa, who stands for a fee of $44,000 (inc. GST).
Sejardan proves the ‘real deal’ in Todman
A Heavy 10 track proved to be no obstacle for Sejardan (2 c Sebring – Miss Amajardan by Hinchinbrook) as he got his Golden Slipper mojo back yesterday when winning the Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Randwick, much to the delight of his trainer Gary Portelli.
The son of late Widden Stud stallion Sebring (More Than Ready), Sejardan lost his unblemished record when finishing third in the Inglis Millenium (RL, 1100m) on his previous outing but bounced back to the winners’ enclosure to record the biggest success of his career to date, reaffirming himself as a leading protagonist for the upcoming Golden Slipper on March 19, for which he is the general $7 second favourite behind the unbeaten $5 favourite Coolangatta.
Ridden by Jason Collett, as had been the case in all three of the colt’s previous starts, the two-year-old produced a sweeping late run, coming from last place, to overhaul the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained Boyfriend (Snitzel) as the $2.50 favourite, running out a rather comfortable half-length winner at the line to silence any fears that the rain-affected track may scupper his finishing prowess.
“I had this bad feeling he was going to get beaten today because the track was so ‘gluey’,” Portelli said.
“I watched the previous race when the backmarkers didn’t come into it, so I was mentally prepared for him to plod into third or fourth spot and then bounce into the Slipper.
“But what he has done today shows me he is the real deal.”
Portelli also has last weekend’s Sweet Embrace Stakes winner Fireburn (Rebel Dane) for the Golden Slipper, leaving jockey Collett with a difficult choice on his hands, although he admitted post-race that he would lean towards sticking with Sejardan.
“I’ve loved him from day dot. He is a raw type with a good head on him and he makes the job easy. It was a good effort today,” Collett said.
“He probably wasn’t overly keen on that part of the track to be there and he had to do a little bit of work to get into the race, but he toughed it out late.”
“They are both good chances and I will talk it over with Gary.
“I did love the filly’s win last week, but this colt keeps stepping up.”
Bred by Dalrhon Investments, Sejardan was a $160,000 purchase for his trainer out of the Middlebrook Valley Lodge consignment at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale last year.
The colt is the second foal and first winner out of the two-time winning Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock) mare Miss Amajardan, herself a half-sister to the sprint stakes pair Blazing Miss (Sizzling) and Tristate (Headwater).
Sejardan is a half-brother to the placed filly Crystal’s Legacy (Dissident), as well as to unraced colts by Capitalist (Written Tycoon) and Trapeze Artist (Snitzel), with the son of the latter set to be offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds as Lot 288 at the upcoming Inglis Australia Easter Yearling Sale. Miss Amajardan is now back in foal to Trapeze Artist.
Day to remember for Victorian Stallion Alliance
The Victorian Stallion Alliance partners had plenty to celebrate last night as their expensive Zoustar (Northern Meteor) purchase Millane (2 c Zoustar – Fireworks by Snitzel) made a winning debut in the opening Foundation Plate (Listed, 1000m) at Flemington.
Trained by Peter Moody, the two-year-old colt had previously shown plenty of ability when second under Luke Nolen in a 800-metre Cranbourne trial on September 13 behind the subsequent stakes-placed Rampant Lion (Frankel).
Jumping from barrier three as the $6 co-third favourite under Nolen, Millane made his challenge between horses inside the final 200 metres and surged clear towards the line to win by one and a quarter lengths from the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained $3 favourite Wee Nessy (Snitzel).
Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds and consigned by Segenhoe Stud, the colt was purchased for a whopping $1.15 million by Moody Racing, Rosemont Victorian Alliance, Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) and David Redvers Bloodstock at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale last year.
“It’s great that we’ve been able to pull the partners together that we have. We have outstanding success in Victoria and to have had success with Brereton before Christmas and to get Hafey into the Blue Diamond, to now get a stakes race with two weeks to the Golden Slipper, I dare not say that!,” Anthony Mithen of Rosemont Victorian Alliance said.
“You’ve got to live the dream and thankfully our team is seeing them really well.
“Suman Hedge has put so much time and effort into selecting these horses and is an integral part of the team, so it’s nice that he has a share in this colt as well.”
Millane is the second foal and second winner out of the Group 3-winning Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) mare Fireworks, herself a half-sister to Easter Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Calveen (Canny Lad), Emancipation Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Kosi Bay (Spinning World) and the stakes-winning Striker (Van Nistelrooy).
Fireworks was sent to the UK last year after missing the previous season to Written Tycoon (Iglesia), and Segenhoe Stud will offer a yearling colt out of the mare by I Am Invincible as Lot 169 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Millane’s victory was the 27th individual stakes success for Widden Stud’s champion sire Zoustar, who had three colts sell for $1 million or more in 2021, with all three of them now winners after Millane joined the stakes-winning Brereton and recent debut winner Zamborghini.