Cover image courtesy of Race Images
Riccarton, Listed NZB Airfreight S., NZ$50,000, 1600m
Race summary
Stakes-placed in the spring, Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) has taken the next step in highly impressive style.
Ridden by leading apprentice Kozzi Asano, the Stephen Marsh-trained filly dropped well back in the early stages of the 3-year-old fillies’ race and still had only a couple of rivals behind her as the field rounded the home turn.
Asano brought the favourite to the extreme outside to make her run, and she blew her dozen rivals away with an incredible finishing burst.
Atishu burst to the lead and blazed clear down the straight, opening up a winning margin of 7l over the placegetters Exquisite Pearl (NZ) (Power {GB}) and Lelawala (NZ) (Niagara).
This was the first black-type win for Atishu, who has now had eight starts for three wins, two seconds and two thirds, earning more than NZ$62,000 for owners the Go Racing Ring a Ring Syndicate.
Atishu went winless in her first preparation in the spring, but placed in three of her four starts including the Listed Wanganui Guineas.
She resumed in February with a third placing over 1200 metres behind the stakes-performed Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard) at Ellerslie, and now Atishu has put together three consecutive wins.
Pedigree notes
Atishu was bred by Waikato Stud, who sold her to Go Racing for NZ$260,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale at Karaka.
She became the 113th individual stakes winner for Waikato Stud’s dominant sire Savabeel, who stood for NZ$100,000 (plus GST) and whose fee for 2021 will be announced in due course. Savabeel has been champion New Zealand sire in all of the last six seasons, and he again has a commanding lead in 2020/21.
The dam of Atishu is Posy (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}), who won two races and, more importantly, is a sister to Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed {GB}).
Named New Zealand’s Champion 3-Year-Old in 2008/09, Daffodil won the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and Australian Oaks, and added the G1 Windsor Park Plate as an older mare.
Daffodil is the dam of three stakes placegetters – Grand De Flora (NZ) (Savabeel), Grand Bouquet (NZ) (Savabeel) and Snowdrop (NZ) (Pins).
Posy’s grandam Head Of The River (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}) produced the Group 1 winner Good Faith (NZ) (Straight Strike {USA}), and there have been more than half a dozen other stakes performers descending from this mare including G2 Sweet Embrace S. winner Believe Yourself (Sebring) and New Zealand’s star 3-year-old of this season, Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}).
Posy is the dam of two winners from three foals to race. Since producing Atishu in 2017, she returned to Savabeel to produce a colt in 2018 and fillies in 2019 and 2020.
Riccarton, Listed Christchurch Casino Easter Cup, NZ$50,000, 1600m
Race summary
A calculated gamble by apprentice jockey Wiremu Pinn helped Whale Song (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) claim the first black-type win of his career.
The 5-year-old gelding broke from gate two and soon took up a comfortable position in midfield on the road. While every other runner came wide around the home turn in search of better footing, Pinn stayed closer to the inside.
Whale Song surged through to challenge for the lead 200 metres from home, and after a fierce battle with Belle Fascino (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) and the late-finishing Lightning Jack (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), Whale Song lunged for the line and scored by a nose. Lightning Jack got up for second, with Belle Fascino another short head away in third.
Whale Song is trained by leading local stable Michael and Matthew Pitman, and Michael Pitman shares ownership with three others. Whale Song has now had 23 starts for five wins, nine placings and more than NZ$114,000 in stakes.
Pedigree notes
Whale Song was bred by Waikato Stud, who celebrated a black-type double at Riccarton on Saturday after also breeding the dominant Listed NZB Airfreight S. winner Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel).
Offered by Waikato Stud at the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, Whale Song was bought by Michael Pitman for just NZ$10,000.
Whale Song is by the Cox Plate winner Ocean Park (NZ), who stands at Waikato Stud for a fee in 2020 of NZ$20,000 (plus GST). Ocean Park is the sire of 177 winners from 294 runners, 17 of those at stakes level including Kolding (NZ), Tofane (NZ) and Ocean Billy (NZ), who between them have scored Group 1 victories over distances ranging from 1400 to 3200 metres.
The dam of Whale Song is the unraced Nadel Dame (NZ) (Pins), who is a half-sister to the Singapore Horse of the Year Currency (NZ) (Spinning World {USA}). Currency won 10 races, four of them at stakes level including the Raffles Cup and Singapore Guineas.
Nadel Dame has had three named foals, all of them winners. Whale Song has become the second stakes performer, with Ladynadel (NZ) (Savabeel) having previously placed in the Listed Mufhasa S.
Morphettville, Listed Port Adelaide Guineas, $107,250, 1800m
Race summary
Rising apprentice Jacob Opperman remained in a rich vein of form, notching up his second winner on the day aboard Royal Mile (Danerich).
The Lee Creek-trained galloper continued on his winning ways, adding a third consecutive victory to his resume with a dominant 2.5l triumph here. Opperman decided to run the gauntlet from barrier two, opting to pursue a rails run from the back in the field prior to presenting his mount through the gap at the top of the straight.
From there Royal Mile levelled up alongside subsequent third placegetter Casino Seventeen (Casino Prince). Victorian raider Let’s Karaka Deel (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) finished well for second under Ben Allen, while Dalasan’s (Dalakhani {Ire}) half-brother and stablemate Ichibansan (Dissident) found the line in fourth.
Pedigree notes
Bred by Mornington-based trainer David Brideoake, Royal Mile was a $26,000 2019 Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale purchase by Lee Creek from the draft of Wellington Park.
He is second progeny of unraced galloper Street Blaze (Street Sense {USA}), who herself is out of three-time Listed winner Raven Protector (Hector Protector). Royal Mile’s sire Danerich was $500,000 2004 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase, who claimed the G3 McNeil S. His dam Millrich (Rubiton) is a half-sister to the dam to triple Group 1 winner and dual The Everest winner Redzel (Snitzel).
Caulfield, Listed Lamaro’s Hotel Galilee Series Final, $150,000, 2400m
Race summary
Liqueuro (Fiorente {Ire}) continued on his winning ways, accounting for a fast finishing Through Irish Eye’s (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
The lightly raced Cindy Alderson-trained prospect was taken forward from barrier six by star jockey Jye McNeil. They dictated the tempo, rolling along at an even gallop before Liqueuro responded when asked in the straight.
Stablemate Reuber (Dissident) found the line with intent after being produced in a six-wide position to run third.
Pedigree notes
Liqueuro was passed in for $26,000 after failing to meet his reserve of $30,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
He is the only winner out of $16,000 2006 Adelaide Magic Millions purchase Little Darring (Galileo {Ire}), who herself hails from the extended family of dual Group 1 winner and triple Group 1-placed sire Prince Salieri and G3 Bagot H. winner Cate’s Mill (Water Mill {GB}).
Little Darring’s most recent offspring is a colt by Free Eagle (Ire), she hasn’t been served since missing to Inference in 2019.
Liqueuro’s sire Fiorente (Ire) was a champion stayer, winning the 2013 G1 Melbourne Cup for trainer Gai Waterhouse.
