Caulfield, Listed Arrowfield Redoute’s Choice S., $150,000, 1000m
Race summary:
Rider Damian Lane sent River Night (Night of Thunder {Ire}) straight to the lead in the early stages of Caulfield’s Listed sprint for 2-year-olds, and her four rivals never had a chance from there.
River Night cruised down the side of the track and into the straight, then kicked away and put herself out of reach of the others.
Masseuse (Rubick) tried hard down the straight and got the closest, but River Night kept going strongly to the line and scored by a length.
Masseuse was second, 1.25l ahead of Celestial Sol (Fighting Sun).
Trained by Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra for owner-breeders Contract Racing Pty Ltd, River Night has now had four starts for a win, two placings and $138,300 in stakes.
Pedigree notes:
River Night is by the English 2000 Guineas winner Night of Thunder (Ire), who shuttled to Darley in 2016.
He is the sire of 36 winners from 60 runners, including 10 individual stakes winners. His Australian-conceived progeny have contributed three winners from six runners, with River Night the second at stakes level – following on from G3 Blue Diamond Preview winner A Beautiful Night.
River Night’s dam is River Pearl (Helmet), a half-sister to G3 RN Irwin S. winner Kulgrinda (Exceed And Excel) and Listed Black Pearl Classic winner River Delta (Al Maher). Kulgrinda is also the dam of G3 Vain S. placegetter Poseidon’s Pool (Pierro).
River Pearl is out of the stakes-placed River Crossing (Bellotto {USA}), whose half-sister River Dove (Hurricane Sky) won the G1 Oakleigh P. and produced G2 Silver Slipper winner and sire Headwater (Exceed And Excel).
Another of her siblings is River Express (Blazing Sword), dam of dual Listed winner Cross Current (Keltrice) and granddam of G1 New Zealand Derby winner Crown Prosecutor (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).
River Night is River Pearl’s first named foal. She had a filly by Bobby’s Kitten (USA) in 2018, and a colt by Frosted (USA) in 2019.
Caulfield, Listed Neds Mornington Cup Prelude, $150,000, 2000m
Race summary:
Aided by a well-timed ride by Michael Dee, Inverloch (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) dominated the race from the front.
The 6-year-old showed good speed to take up the running, then Dee subtly put the brakes on down the side of the track and got away with some easy sectionals.
He lifted the tempo again coming into the home straight, and the chasers were left with too much to do against a horse who was still full of running.
Inverloch kept going strongly all the way down the straight to win by a length and a half from the favourite Secret Blaze (Sizzling), with Odeon (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) another three-quarters of a length away in third.
Inverloch races in the colours of OTI Racing and is trained by Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. He has now had 20 starts for six wins and four placings, earning $319,726 in stakes.
Pedigree notes:
By the globally influential sire Fastnet Rock, Inverloch is out of the blue-blooded mare Ideal (GB) (Galileo {Ire}).
By the legendary Galileo, Ideal is a half-sister to Camelot (GB) (Montjeu {Ire}), who won the G1 English Derby, Irish Derby, English 2000 Guineas and Racing Post Trophy and has been a successful sire in both hemispheres.
Ideal herself was a winner, and she is the dam of four winners from four foals to race.
Aveiro (Ire) (Declaration of War {USA}) and The Corporal (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) won two races each in France and the UK, while Ideal’s final foal Harpocrates (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was a winner at 2 and placed in the G3 Acomb S., Listed Caravaggio S. and Listed Marble Hill S.
Caulfield, Listed Neds Anniversary Vase, $150,000, 1600m
Race summary:
After placings in Germany and in this season’s G3 TS Carlyon Cup and Listed Chester Manifold S., Guizot (Ire) (Tertullian {USA}) broke through for his first black-type win.
Veteran Tasmanian raider Hellova Street (Helike {USA}) set a strong pace and provided plenty of fight in the straight, but he was swallowed up in the last 150 metres and had to settle for a commendable third.
Guizot swept past on his outside, then was challenged through the inner by Scarlet Dream (Sebring). The two back markers went a length clear of Hellova Street to fight out the finish, and it was Guizot who prevailed in a photo.
Trained by Aaron Purcell for a big group of owners, Guizot has had 52 starts for nine wins, 19 placings and $659,320 in stakes.
Pedigree notes:
Guizot is by Tertullian (USA), who is the sire of 229 winners from 349 runners worldwide including 18 individual stakes winners. He has had three winners from five runners in Australia, with Guizot becoming the second at stakes level. The first was Mawingo (Ger), who won the G1 Doomben Cup and placed in the G1 CF Orr S., G2 Hollindale S. and G2 Brisbane Cup.
Guizot is out of Guantana (Ger) (Dynaformer {USA}), who won the Listed Siemens Rennen at Hamburg. She is a sister to G1 Dallmayr Preis winner Guiliani (Ire) (Tertullian {USA}) and a half-sister to three-time Group 1 winner Guignol (Ger) (Cape Cross {Ire}).
Their dam is Guadalupe (GB) (Unfuwain {USA}), who won the G1 Oaks d’Italia and placed in three other Group 1 events.
Guantana is the dam of five foals, all winners. Guizot is the third to win at stakes level, following on from G2 Gerling Preis, G3 Prix du Lys and G3 JRA P. winner Guardini (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}), and Listed winner Gouache (Ger) (Shamardal {USA}).
Trentham, G1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand Oaks, NZ$400,000, 2400m
Race summary:
The lead-up to the fillies’ feature was dominated by Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}), who had strung together impressive Group 2 victories in the Eight Carat Classic, David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic and Lowland S.
Her hopes were dented midweek when she drew the extreme outside gate in the field of 18, but jockey Jason Waddell played his part to perfection and had her one off the rail in midfield within the first 300 metres of the race.
Jennifer Eccles settled into a smooth rhythm behind a strong pace set by Nothing Compares (NZ) (Jakkalberry {Ire}), and she began to improve her position coming down the side of the track.
A group of fillies in front of her tired quickly approaching the home turn, and Jennifer Eccles clipped a heel and briefly stumbled. But Waddell extricated her from that pocket and got her into clear air, and she quickly balanced up and regained her momentum.
Jennifer Eccles powered to the lead 300 metres from the finish and opened up a clear lead, and despite tiring in the last 100 metres she raced to an emphatic victory by 1.5l.
Last-start maiden winner Vancooga (NZ) (Proisir) came from second-last with a huge finish to run second at odds of 50-to-one, with a long neck back to Feel the Rush (NZ) (Proisir) in third.
Trained by Shaune Ritchie, Jennifer Eccles has now had 11 starts for four wins, six placings and NZ$499,650 in stakes for owners the Challenge No.10 Syndicate.
Syndicator Adrian Clark paid just $5000 to buy Jennifer Eccles from the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling Sale.
Pedigree notes:
Jennifer Eccles was bred by the Westend Partnership.
She is by Rip Van Winkle (Ire), who shuttled to Windsor Park Stud before becoming a permanent resident there in 2017. He is the sire of 400 winners from 693 runners worldwide, with 31 individual stakes winners.
His Southern Hemisphere progeny have combined for 166 winners from 277 runners, including 16 at black-type level. The last two months have produced his first two Group 1 winners in the Southern Hemisphere, with Jennifer Eccles following on from the BCD Group Sprint and Chipping Norton S. winner Te Akau Shark (NZ).
The dam of Jennifer Eccles is Platinum Elle (NZ) (Elnadim {USA}), who won four races and placed in the Listed Canterbury Breeders’ S.
Platinum Elle is out of the G3 Eulogy S. placegetter Lady Tee (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), who is a daughter of four-time Group winner Waikiki (NZ) (Crested Wave {USA}).
Platinum Elle’s third dam Dancing Maid (NZ) (Sovereign Edition {Ire}) is also the granddam of Hong Kong Horse of the Year and three-time Group 1 winner Sacred Kingdom (Encosta De Lago).
Jennifer Eccles is Platinum Elle’s fourth foal to race and second winner. She produced a colt by Sweynesse in 2017, and a filly by What’s The Story (NZ) in 2019, then returned to Rip Van Winkle.
It was also a big result for Rich Hill Stud’s second-season stallion Proisir, who sired the second and third placegetters.
Trentham, G2 carfinance.co.nz Wellington Guineas, NZ$100,000, 1400m
Race summary:
Through the early part of the Trentham program, a number of races were run at only moderate tempo and horses racing close to the pace were extremely difficult to catch in the straight.
The Wellington Guineas was a different story, with Our Alley Cat (NZ) (Atlante), Woodcote Lass (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}) and Callsign Mav (NZ) (Atlante) all going forward and setting up a strong pace.
That played into the hands of improving filly Gold Bracelet (NZ) (Pins), who enjoyed a perfect run in fifth along the rail. Rider Lisa Allpress moved her off the fence coming up to the home turn, then asked her to quicken down the centre of the track.
Gold Bracelet worked through her gears and charged to the lead halfway down the straight, then kept lifting when challenged by Levante (NZ) (Proisir) in the last 50 metres. She held on to win by a long neck, with Levante finishing 0.75l ahead of the third-placed Lightning Jack (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}).
Levante was the beaten favourite and tasted defeat for the first time in her five-start career, but her performance was remarkable after missing the start by more than 6l and weaving through narrow gaps in the straight.
But all honours were with Gold Bracelet, who is trained by Johno Benner and Hollie Wynyard for owner Jen Campin Bloodstock.
Gold Bracelet was a NZ$25,000 purchase at the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, and she has now won three of her four starts and NZ$81,750 in stakes. She finished fourth on debut in November and has won all of her three starts since.
Pedigree notes:
Gold Bracelet was bred by W I Chun Heng.
She is by the late Pins, who also sired last year’s Wellington Guineas winner Emily Margaret (NZ).
In a highly successful career at Waikato Stud, Pins has sired 776 winners from 1126 runners. Gold Bracelet became his 84th individual stakes winner, joining a list headed by nine Group 1 winners such as Cox Plate hero El Segundo (NZ) and champion Hong Kong sprinter Aerovelocity (NZ).
The dam of Gold Bracelet is Miss Bling (NZ) (Golan {Ire}), a full-sister to the G1 Hong Kong Mile winner Beauty Flash (NZ) (Golan {Ire}), who was Hong Kong’s champion miler in 2011 and won 10 races and more than HK$30 million.
Miss Bling’s granddam Wychwood Lass (NZ) (Clay Hero) was stakes-placed and is a full-sister to the G1 Goodwood H. runner-up Czar Hero (NZ) (Clay Hero).
Other siblings to Wychwood Lass include the dams of Group 1 winner Maroofity (NZ) (Maroof {USA}) and G3 WJ Healy S. winner Into The Red (Not A Single Doubt).
Gold Bracelet is Miss Bling’s first winner from three foals to race. The mare returned to Pins and produced a colt in 2018, then had a filly by Sacred Falls (NZ) in 2019
Trentham, G3 Wentwood Grange Cuddle S., NZ$70,000, 1600m
Race summary :
Tinkalicious (NZ) (Nadeem) took 300 metres to get to the lead, but once there she travelled comfortably to the top of the straight.
She was then asked for an effort and responded positively to dash clear and held on well to add a stakes win to a couple of black type placings.
Yearn (NZ) (Savabeel) fought on gamely along the fence to take second and Aridity (NZ) (Mastercraftsman) closed well for third.
Pedigree notes :
Tinkalicious, who took her sire Nadeem’s tally of individual Group winners to a dozen, is a daughter of Tinkermia (NZ) (Johar {USA}).
She is out of the G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Twafeaj (USA) (Topsider {USA}) and the second dam Billy Sue’s Rib (USA) (Al Hattab {USA}) was also successful at stakes level.
Further back in the pedigree is the multiple Group 1 winner and sire Mikki Isle (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and the G1 Tokyo Mile Cup winner Aerolithe (Jpn) (Kurofone {USA}) and his stakes winning half-sister Akari (Snitzel).
Aquis Park Gold Coast, Listed TAB Goldmarket, $125,000, 1300m
Race summary:
Snitch (Lope De Vega {Ire}) came here as a last-start winner, but still went out at odds of 20-1 and duly delivered for his loyal supporters.
He settled well back in the field from a wide gate and was bought with a storming late finish by apprentice Baylee Nothdurft, who also partnered him in his lead-up win.
Grey Missile (Red Element) also jumped from an outside gate but went forward to lead and kicked on gamely with In His Stride (Rothesay) coming on generously from off the pace for third.
Pedigree notes:
The winner is a half-brother to the multiple Singapore stake winner and sire Gingerbread Man with their dam Quaffle (Hurricane Sky).
She is a half-sister to the Listed Lightning H. winner Golden Snitch (Unbridled’s Song {USA}) with the second dam the dual Group 1 winner Spyglass (NZ) (Sir Sian {NZ}).
She left the G1 Epsom H. winner Iron Horse (Zephyr Zip {NZ}) and it’s also the family of the Listed Adelaide Guineas winner Booklet (Tale Of The Cat {USA}).
