Vinery Stud’s first season sire Press Statement landed his third winner yesterday
New winners
Press Statement – Vinery Stud’s first season sire Press Statement (Hinchinbrook) landed his third winner yesterday courtesy of Major Murphy’s (2 c ex Night War by General Nediym) debut win at Wyong in the 2YO Maiden Plate (1200m). Trained by Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, the two-year-old colt defeated Princess Betty (Smart Missile) by three-quarters of a length with O’Tartan Lass (Press Statement) a further half a length back in third. Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Press Statement stood at Vinery Stud for a fee of $16,500 (inc GST) in 2019.
New Group / Grade 1 winners
Not A Single Doubt – One week on from siring Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) hero Farnan, former Arrowfield Stud stallion Not A Single Doubt (Redoute’s Choice) produced his 13th individual Group 1 winner on Saturday when Shout The Bar (3 f ex Drinks All Round by O’Reilly) landed the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Rosehill. Six of Not A Single Doubt’s elite-level winning progeny have been fillies or mares, including last season’s Group 1 winners Kenedna and Qafila, while he produced the 2016 Vinery Stud Stakes winner Single Gaze. Not A Single Doubt was retired from stud duties on veterinary advice in January; he is set to be represented by 17 lots at the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Speightstown – Mozu Superflare (5 m ex Christies Treasure by Belong to Me), who finished down the field in last year’s renewal of the Takamatsunomiya Kinen (Gr 1, 1200m), gained redemption in the 2020 renewal of the Chukyo feature on Sunday, but only following a dramatic protest after a blanket could have been thrown over the first four runners home. Mozu Superflare, a $41 chance, hit the line together with Kurino Gaudi (Screen Hero), but stewards immediately reviewed the finish and possible interference over the final 200 metres. Following deliberations, Mozu Superflare was declared the winner by a nose, with Kurino Gaudi demoted to fourth. Race-favourite Gran Alegria (Deep Impact) was promoted to second, with Diatonic (Lord Kanaloa) a further head back in third. In winning, the Hidetaka Otonashi-trained Mozu Superflare became the 17th elite-level victor for WinStar Farm resident Speightstown (Gone West), who is currently standing for a fee of US$70,000.
New stakes winners
Creative Cause – Airdrie Stud sire Creative Cause (Giant’s Causeway) sired his 15th individual stakes winner on Saturday when Identifier (4 c ex Can’t Catch Kate by Shakespeare) pulled one length clear of the Hal’s Hope Stakes (Gr 3, 9f) field at Gulfstream. Trained by Oscar Gonzalez, Identifier ran on strongly to defeat runner-up Just Whistle (Pioneerof The Nile), while Bodexpress (Bodemeister) was a further half-length back in third. Creative Cause is best known as the sire of Grade 1 winner Pavel and he is currently standing for a fee of US$15,000.
Daredevil – Former WinStar Farm resident Daredevil (More Than Ready), who relocated to Turkey towards the end of 2019, sired his third individual stakes winner on Saturday when Swiss Skydiver (3 f ex Expo Gold by Johannesburg) ran out a dominant winner of the Gulfstream Park Oaks (Gr 2, 8.5f). Third in a Fair Grounds Grade 2 on February 15, the Ken McPeek-trained Swiss Skydiver continued on her upward curve by pulling three and a quarter-lengths clear of Lucrezia (Into Mischief) in second. Lake Avenue (Tapit) was a further nose adrift in third. Swiss Skydiver joins Shedaresthedevil and Deviant as stakes winner for the sire, while she is a general 16/1 chance for the rearranged Kentucky Oaks (Gr 1, 9f), which is set to be run on September 5.
Deep Field – Newgate Farm resident Deep Field (Northern Meteor) was handed his fourth individual stakes winner on Saturday when Riddle Me That (3 g ex Justine Coup by Entrepreneur) landed the Bendigo Guineas (Listed, 1400m). Making his first outing in Listed company, the Matt Laurie-trained gelding fended off the John Sadler-trained Score (Written Tycoon) by the narrowest of margins. In what proved a thrilling finish in which a blanket could have been thrown over the first four home, Zousonic (Zoustar) was a further nose back in third, while the same margin separated her from the fourth-placed Spend (Snitzel). Deep Field covered 256 mares at a fee of $44,000 in 2019 and his other stakes winners are Cosmic Force, Dig Deep and Xilong. He will be represented by a Torryburn Stud-consigned colt at next week’s Inglis Easter.
Deep Impact – The late Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) sired his 155th individual stakes winner when Satono Impresa (3 c ex Sahpresa by Sahm) extended his unbeaten run to three in the Mainishi Hai (Gr 3, 1800m) at Hanshin on Saturday. The Yoshito Yahagi-trained three-year-old beat favourite Al Jannah (Deep Impact) by three-quarters of a length, with Danon Aller (Deep Impact) another two and a half lengths away in third. Deep Impact will have three representatives at next week’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Holy Roman Emperor – Coolmore’s durable stallion Holy Roman Emperor (Danehill) sired his 86th individual stakes winner on Monday when Numerian (4 g ex Delicate Charm by High Chaparral) took the Devoy Stakes (Listed, 1m 2f) at Naas. The Joseph O’Brien-trained Numerian had twice been placed in stakes races as a three-year-old, but a gelding operation has brought out his best and he looks bound for Group races. He defeated last season’s Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f) favourite Sir Dragonet (Camelot) by almost three lengths, with Halimi (Teofilo) back in third. Holy Roman Emperor stands for €15,000 ($27,525) (inc GST) at Coolmore’s Castlehyde Stud.
I Am Invincible – The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Holyfield (2 c ex Hurtle Myrtle by Dane Shadow) took his record to three wins from four starts when delivering a knockout blow under Tom Marquand in Saturday’s The Schweppervescence (Gr 3, 1400m) at Rosehill. In doing so, the upwardly-mobile juvenile became the 55th individual stakes winner for Yarraman Park Stud’s flagbearer I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), whose stellar recent run included a second Group 1 success for Holyfield’s stable companion Loving Gaby in last week’s William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Moonee Valley. After current withdrawals, I Am Invincible has 44 lots catalogued for Inglis Easter.
Into Mischief – Spendthrift Farm stallion Into Mischief (Harlan’s Holiday) sired his 69th individual stakes winner on Saturday when Bemma’s Boy (5 h ex Arcing by Arch) landed the Pan American Stakes (Gr 2, 12f) on the turf at Gulfstream. Making a deserved breakthrough in Graded company having been Grade 3-placed on his last outing in January, Bemma’s Boy showed a good attitude under Florent Geroux, getting the better of Zulu Alpha (Street Cry) by a neck. Current (Curlin) was a further head away in third in what proved a dramatic finish to the staying contest. Into Mischief, who is currently standing for a career-high fee of US$175,000, is also the sire of dual Breeders’ Cup winner Goldencents. Into Mischief has two yearlings catalogued for next week’s Inglis Easter.
Lope De Vega – Ballylinch Stud’s Lope De Vega (Shamardal) enjoyed more success in the southern hemisphere when Vegadaze (4 g ex Rainy Daze by Commands) landed the Star Kingdom Handicap (Gr 3, 1200m) at Rosehill to become the stallion’s 67th individual stakes winner worldwide. Famed as the producer of star sprinter Santa Ana Lane and last month’s Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) winner Gytrash, Lope De Vega unearthed another high-quality performer when the Anthony Cummings-trained Vegadaze fended off a duo of representatives from James Cummings’ operation. Manicure (Exceed And Excel) ran second, beaten a neck, with a further half-length back to Kementari (Lonhro) in third.
New Approach – Cascadian (4 g ex Falls of Lora by Street Cry) secured the Doncaster Prelude (Gr 3, 1500m), in the process providing Darley stallion New Approach (Galileo) with his 52nd individual stakes winner. Mask Of Time (Holy Roman Emperor) ran second, beaten a neck, with Gaulois (Street Cry) another length and a quarter adrift in third. Cascadian, a French import who was beaten a neck in Group 1 company when trained by Andre Fabre, has now won five of his 15 outings having also been placed in elite company in Australia, running third in the Cantala Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) last November.
Raven’s Pass – Darley stallion Raven’s Pass (Elusive Quality) produced his 35th individual stakes winner at Naas on Monday when Lemista (3 f ex Shortmile Lady by Arcano) took the first Group race of the Irish flat season, the Park Express Stakes (Gr 3, 1m). The Ger Lyons-trained filly, a maiden winner as a two-year-old, stuck on gamely to hold off the classy Hamariyna (Sea The Moon) by three-quarters of a length, with the winner’s stablemate Even So (Camelot) another neck back in third. Raven’s Pass stands at Kildangan Stud in Ireland for a fee of €10,000 ($18,350) (inc GST).
Red Hot Choice – Late stallion Red Hot Choice (Redoute’s Choice) sired his second stakes winner on Saturday when Red Hot Tip (3 g ex Zedlink by Zedrich) took out the Melvista Stakes (Listed, 2200m) at Ascot. Midnight Blue (So You Think) finished second, beaten three-quarters of a length, while Criminal Code (Maschino) was a further length and a quarter adrift in third. Former Mungrup Stud resident Red Hot Choice spent five seasons at stud, covering a career-high book of 23 mares – at a fee of $3,300 in – in 2015. He died in 2017, while his other stakes winner is the Listed scorer, and Group 3-placed, Sanabreanna. Red Hot Tip is now a dual winner from six starts, with yesterday being his first foray into black-type company.
Stratum – Late Widden Stud resident Stratum (Redoute’s Choice), who died aged 14 following a heart attack in 2016, sired his 45th individual stakes winner yesterday as Positive Peace (4 m ex Warpath by Reset) took out the Emancipation Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) at Rosehill. Trained by Bjorn Baker, the progressive mare was extending her winning streak to five on her first outing in Group company, pulling a length and a quarter clear of Noire (Foxwedge), with a further half-length back to Amangiri (All Too Hard) in third. Stratum served his last book in 2016, covering 22 mares at a fee of $22,000, and his roll of honour includes Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) heroine Streama and crack sprinter Takedown.