Three for Winning Rupert
New first season sire winners
Winning Rupert
Keith (2 c ex Tweet by Magic Albert), who won his first start at Canberra on Wednesday, became his Newgate Farm-based first season sire Winning Rupert’s (Written Tycoon) third first crop juvenile winner. The Bjorn Baker-trained Keith, who was purchased for $90,000 by his trainer and agent Jim Clarke at last year’s Inglis Classic Sale from Attunga Stud, won the Rob Potter Racing Plate (1000m) against older horses by two lengths over Sifu (The Brothers War) and Grand Lusitano (Benfica) who was another one and three-quarter lengths away in third. His dam, Tweet, who is owned by Matthew Sandblom’s Kingstar Farm, has a Hellbent (I Am Invincible) colt at foot and was covered by Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) last November. Keith was initially a $35,000 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale purchase by Attunga Stud in 2019. Winning Rupert, who covered 79 mares in 2020 at a fee of $16,500 (inc GST), is also the sire of Canterbury winner Hi Hi Hi, Vienna Cruise, the stakes-placed Bolsonaro and the promising Matt Laurie-trained colt Ranveer.
New Group/Grade 1 winners
Savabeel
Amarelinha (3 f ex Hopscotch by O’Reilly) took out the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) at Trentham on Saturday to earn Savabeel (Zabeel) his 22nd individual elite-level winner. The Jamie Richards-trained filly defeated Charms Star (Per Incanto) by a length, with Llanacord (Contributer) a further long neck behind in third. Amarelinha was a $300,000 buy at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale. She is the first foal out of the unraced Hopscotch (O’Reilly), who has three fillies, all by Savabeel, to follow and she is back in foal to him this year. Waikato Stud stallion Savabeel stood for a stud fee of $100,000 last year.
Toronado
Swettenham Stud’s Toronado (High Chaparral) earned a first Group 1 success as a stallion thanks to Masked Crusader (4 g Toronado – She’s Got Gears by Invincible Spirit) unleashing a brilliant turn of foot to land the William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night. The Team Hawkes-trained galloper surged late when jockey William Pike angled off the fence and burst through a narrow gap to land a breakthrough Group 1 by two and a half lengths. Masked Crusader was a $340,000 Hawkes Racing/Cameron Cooke Bloodstock buy out of the 2018 Melbourne Yearling Sale, offered by Gilgai Farm. Toronado has sired ten stakes winners among his 216 total winners from 375 runners. He stands the northern hemisphere season at Haras de Bouquetot in France.
New stakes winners
Deep Field
Newgate Stud’s Deep Field (Northern Meteor) earned his eighth stakes winner thanks to Quantum Mechanic (4 m ex Life In A Metro by Fastnet Rock) in the Sunline Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night. The Mick Price and Michael Kent jr-trained four-year-old filly landed her first Group race success under Michael Walker, defeating Grand De Flora (Savabeel) by a short head. Scarlet Dream (Sebring) was a length behind the winner in third. Quantum Mechanic was bought out of the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for $180,000 by M G Price Racing and Breeding Pty Ltd, having been offered by Milburn Creek Stud.
Galiway
Galik (3 g ex Revedargent by Kendargent) became the fifth individual stakes winner for Galiway (Galileo) when taking out the Prix Omnium II (Listed, 1600m) at Saint-Cloud on Sunday. Trained by Christophe Ferland for owner breeder Guy Pariente, the gelding was recording his fourth win on his seventh start when accounting for the Fabrice Chapppet-trained favourite Easter (Exosphere) by a length and a half who in turn was a further two and a quarter lengths clear of Perseverants (Zoffany) in third. Galiway stands at Haras de Colleville for a fee of €12,000 (approx. AUD$18,530) and Galik is bred on the same cross as the sire’s Group winners Sealiway and Kenway, out of mares by his barn mate Kendargent (Kendor).
Heart’s Cry
Victipharus (3 c ex Virginia by Galileo) went one better than his last-start second in the Kyodo News Hai (Gr 3, 1800m) when landing Sunday’s Sho Spring Stakes (Gr 2, 1800m) at Nakayama, providing Heart’s Cry (Sunday Silence) with his 51st individual stakes winner. The Manabu Ikezoe-trained colt defeated Asamano Itazura (Victoire Pisa) by a head, with favourite Boden (Harbinger) finishing two lengths behind the winner in third. Heart’s Cry, the sire of ten individual elite-level winners, stood at Shadai Stallion Station for a stud fee of ¥10,000,000 (approx. AUD$118,700) last year.
Into Mischief
Chess Chief (5 h ex Un Blessed by Mineshaft) got off the mark at Graded level when landing the New Orleans Classic Stakes (Gr 2, 9f) at Fair Grounds on Saturday, earning Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) his 92nd individual stakes winner. Trained by Dallas Stewart, Chess Chief, who had previously placed three-times in Graded company, notched his fourth win in 23 starts with a head victory over favourite Owendale (Into Mischief). Enforceable (Tapit) was half a length further back in third. Into Mischief, the sire of eight individual elite-level winners, stands at Spendthrift Farm’s US base for $225,000 (approx. AUD$290,850).
Longma
Mount Hallowell Stud homebred Hoi An (2 f ex M’lady Hallowell by Wanted) took out the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Ascot on Saturday to provide late stallion Longma (Sebring) with his first stakes winner. Trained by Roy Rogers and ridden by Shaun O’Donnell, Hoi An came with a late burst inside the final 150 metres to defeat Policiere (Safeguard) by half a length, with Pat’s Got Sass (Patronize) another length further behind in third. Longma, the sire of only five named foals, has produced two winners from his two to race. Hoi An is the first foal out of three-time winner M’lady Hallowell (Wanted).
Lope De Vega
Sweet Lady (3 f ex High Heel Sneakers by Dansili) bounced back from a sixth place finish in the Criterium de Saint-Cloud (Gr 1, 2000m) in October to claim her first stakes success on Sunday in the Prix la Camargo (Listed, 1600m) at Saint-Cloud. The Francis-Henri Graffard-trained three-year-old became the 78th individual stakes winner for her sire Lope De Vega (Shamardal). Ridden by Mickael Barzalona, she was an impressive winner in the heavy ground, scoring by six lengths from the Prix Marcel Boussac (Gr 1, 1600m) heroine and favourite Tiger Tanaka (Clodovil). Lubertine (Dark Angel) was another head away in third. Lope De Vega stands at Ballylinch Stud in Ireland where his fee is €125,000 (approx. AUS$193,000).
Maurice
Rooks Nest (3 c ex Villa by Deep Impact) took out the Falcon Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Chukyo on Saturday, earning Maurice (Screen Hero) his third individual stakes winner. Rooks Nest went one better than his runner-up effort in Shinzan Kinen (Gr 3, 1600m) last time out, defeating strong favourite Grenadier Guards (Frankel) by a head, with Mondreise (Daiwa Major) two and a half lengths further away in third. A winner of six elite-level contests in his 18-start race career, Maurice stands at Shadai Stallion Station in Japan. He stood for a stud fee of ¥4,000,000 (approx. AUD$47,500) last year.
Oxbow
Hot Rod Charlie (3 c ex Indian Miss by Indian Charlie) took out the Louisiana Derby (Gr 2, 9.5f) at Fair Grounds on Saturday to provide Oxbow (Awesome Again) with his sixth individual stakes winner. Hot Rod Charlie finished runner-up at long odds in November’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (Gr 1, 8.5f) and followed that up with a third-placed finish in the Robert B Lewis Stakes (Gr 3, 8.5f) in January. The three-year-old colt has since switched from Doug O’Neill to Leandro Mora and got off the mark in stakes company as he won in track record time with a two length defeat of Midnight Bourbon (Tiznow). O Besos (Orb) was a further head behind in third. Oxbow, the winner of the 2013 Preakness Stakes (Gr 1, 9.5f), stands at Calumet Farm in Kentucky for a 2021 stud fee of $7,500 (approx. AUD$9,700).
Pioneerof The Nile
The late Pioneerof The Nile (Empire Maker) sired his 36th individual stakes winner when Irish Freedom (7 g ex Island Striker by Smart Strike) ran on well to take out Sunday’s Abu Dhabi Championship (Gr 3, 2200m). The Satish Seemar-trained gelding was winning for the fourth time in 22 starts as he beat Majestic Mambo (Mabo In Seattle) by two and a quarter lengths. Aydon Castle (Teofilo) was another half a length away in third.
Rogano
He’s Gold (2 g ex Rue De Marengo by General Nediym) took out the Perth Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Ascot on Saturday to provide Rogano (Redoute’s Choice) with his second individual stakes winner. The Ted Martinovich-trained gelding led all the way along the inside rail and battled well to hold off Storm Whisper (Snippetson) by a short head, with Diamond Blue (Awesome Rock) half a length further behind in third. Rogano was relocated to Boallia Farm in 2018 but only covered five mares in the 2019 breeding season, followed by six in 2020.
Rulership
Last-start Fairy Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) runner-up Ho O Ixelles (3 f ex Mejiro Audrey by Special Week) got off the mark in stakes company when landing the Flower Cup (Gr 3, 1800m) at Nakayama on Saturday. The win provided Shadai Stallion Station’s Rulership (King Kamehameha) with his 18th individual stakes winner. The Mizuki Takayanagi-trained filly got the better of Enthusiasm (Deep Impact) by one and a quarter lengths, with Uberleben (Gold Ship) a further nose behind in third. Rulership stood for a fee of ¥6,000,000 (approx. AUD$71,200) last year.
Sea The Moon
Lanwades Stud resident Sea The Moon (Sea The Stars) sired his 12th individual stakes winner when his son Pretty Tiger (3 c ex Fast And Pretty by Zamindar) relished the testing conditions to take out the Prix Francois Mathet (Listed, 2100m) at Saint-Cloud on Sunday. Trained by Fabrice Vermeulen, Pretty Tiger was winning for the third time in four starts as he beat Cash Equity (Toronado) by four lengths. Media Stream (Frankel) was another three lengths away in third in a well stretched out field. Sea The Moon, sire of Group 1 winner Alpine Star, stands for a fee of £22,500 (approx. AUD$40,340).
Skitt Skizzle
Tropic Sun (4 m ex Caribbean Dream by Captain Al) provided Skitt Skizzle (Jet Master) with his second individual stakes winner when taking out Saturday’s Sycamore Sprint (Gr 3, 1200m) at Turffontein. Tropic Sun defeated Rio’s Winter (Oratorio) by two lengths, with Winter Smoke (What A Winter) the same distance further behind in third. Skitt Skizzle’s other stakes victor is Listed winner Cordillera.
Toronado
Laverrod (4 g ex Demasheen by Fastnet Rock) continued Toronado’s (High Chaparral) fine run of form when taking out the Hareeba Stakes (Listed, 1200m) at Mornington on Saturday. The win provided the Swettenham shuttler with his 11th individual stakes winner a day after Masked Crusader got him off the mark at Group 1 level. Trained by Sean and Jake Casey, Laverrod defeated How Womantic (The Wow Signal) by three-quarters of a length under William Pike, with Hightail (Written Tycoon) two lengths behind the winner in third. Out of Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Demasheen, Laverrod was scoring his sixth career win in 21 starts and broke his duck at stakes level having placed in five Listed contests previously. Toronado stood at Swettenham Stud for $25,000 last year and is currently spending the northern hemisphere season at Haras de Bouquetot in France.
Vercingetorix
Seehaam (4 m ex Alderry by Al Mufti) justified favouritism in the Jacaranda Handicap (Listed, 1800m) at Turffontein on Saturday, running out a comfortable five-length winner to take Vercingetorix (Silvano) into double figures for individual stakes winners. The Sean Tarry-trained Seehaam finished unplaced in the Acacia Handicap (Gr 3, 1600m) on her previous start but bounced back in style with an easy victory over Sparkling Water (Silvano). Fort Anne (Elusive Fort) was a neck further behind in third. Vercingetorix, who has one elite-level victor to his name courtesy of last year’s Allan Robertson Championship (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Vernichey, stands at Maine Chance Farms.
Vital Equine
Bella’s Idol (7 g ex Bella Contessa by Bel Esprit) got off the mark in stakes company on his 42nd career start when landing Sunday’s South West Autumn Cup (Listed, 2219m) at Bunbury. The win earned Vital Equine (Danetime) his fifth individual stakes winner. Trained by Summer Dickson, Bella’s Idol improved on his third-placed effort behind Paddy’s Shadow (Dane Shadow) in the Bunbury Cup (Listed, 2000m) last-start to turn the tables and defeat that rival by a length, with Utgard Loki (Frost Giant) a further head behind in third. Vital Equine, whose best performer is Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1 placed Material Man, stood at Roselee Park last year for a stud fee of $3,300.