Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
G2 Yulong Craven Plate, $750,000, 2000m
Too strong as an odds-on favourite, Think It Over (So You Think {NZ}) became the first horse since Yippyio (Interstellar {NZ}) to claim two runnings of this historic race which was first contested in 1867. And the first since Hayai (NZ) (Skyhawk {GB}) to win it in consecutive years.
Bylong Park's homebred is one of Coolmore Stud's dual G1 W.S Cox Plate winner So You Think's (NZ) 36 stakes winners and the second of his stakes winners (Nimalee the other) out of a Zabeel (NZ) mare.
His dam is the unraced Personal Service, half-sister to Scenic's (Ire) Group 1 siblings Universal Prince and Universal Queen from the immediate family of fellow Scenic big race winner Blevic.
Personal Service was not served last spring having sadly lost an Exosphere colt in early December.
Think It Over boasts crosses of the influential mares Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), Perfume II (GB) (Badruddin {Fr}) and Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) and is also line-bred to the great stallions Northern Dancer (Can), Mill Reef (USA) and Round Table (USA). He is a descendant of Perfume II's prolific third dam Marchetta (GB) (Marco {GB}).
G3 Moet & Chandon Sydney S., $500,000, 1200m
Running up to his good looks in the yard, Big Parade (Deep Field) enhanced upon his already impressive record; his eighth success from just 15 starts being his first at stakes level.
A $160,000 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale graduate bred by Mr D Metcalfe, Big Parade is the 12th stakes winner for Newgate Farm's fast Group 2 winner Deep Field, a fast son of the late Northern Meteor.
Bred on the same Deep Field/Fastnet Rock cross as the G2 Sunline S. winner Quantum Mechanic, he is the third foal and second winner for the winner Crystal Rock (Fastnet Rock) whose dam is the stakes-placed multiple city winner Natural Is My Name (Naturalism).
Dam of the Listed winning G1 Golden Slipper S. runner-up Zizou (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}), Natural Is My Name is a half-sister to the dual Listed-winning successful stallion Not A Single Doubt (Redoute's Choice) from the prolific Easy Date (Grand Chaudiere {Can}) family that brought us Snippets (Lunchtime {GB}).
Bred on a 5 X 6 cross of Sir Tristram (Ire) (Sir Ivor {USA}), Big Parade has a 2-year-old half-sister by Hellbent coming through; a $300,000 purchase for Star Thoroughbreds at this year's Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. His dam had multiple coverings last spring, missing the season before to Deep Field.
Listed Bisley Reginald Allen Quality, $140,000, 1400m
Showing good heart taking the split, Fangirl (Sebring) was terrific stepping up quickly in class off a Goulburn maiden victory.
Aa homebred for the Ingham family racing in their famous cerise silks, Fangirl made it two stakes winners within 15 minutes for her late sire - and she is his 73rd stakes winner overall.
One of four winners for her triple Listed-winning dam Little Surfer Girl, a $1.5 million yearling by Encosta De Lago, Fangirl is a granddaughter of the wonderful mare Special Harmony (Spinning World {USA}) who won 10 races, three of those at Group 1 level.
Special Harmony's dam Marooned Lady (Marooned {GB}) was also classy, that G2 WA Sires' Produce S. winner producing 10 winners including the G2 Perth Cup winner King Canute (King Of Kings {Ire}) and the G2 Karrakatta Plate winner Redwoldt (King Of Kings {Ire}).
Fangirl is the sixth Sebring stakes winner out of an Encosta De Lago mare, a cross that provides for a 4 X 4 duplication of Rolls (USA) (Mr Prospector {USA}), dam of Sebring's dam sire Flying Spur and grandam of Encosta De Lago.
Further back this is the family of the high-class stallions Red Ransom (USA) and Showdown (GB).
The TAB Everest, $15,000,000, 1200m
It was a deserved The Everest breakthrough for this grand sprinter at his third attempt and it was Nature Strip's (Nicconi) usual fast and brave performance.
The 18th success of his 33-start career, The Everest took the handsome chestnut's prize money tally to beyond $14.9 million.
One of the 23 stakes winners sired by Widden Victoria's dual Group 1-winning sprinter Nicconi, Nature Strip was bred by Golden Grove, purchased privately after being passed in for $90,000 at the 2016 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Bred on a 3 X 4 cross of Danzig (USA) and a 7 X 7 cross of the Kentucky Oaks heroine Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) via her outstanding sons Bold Reason (USA) (Hail To Reason {USA}) and Never Bend (USA) (Nasrullah {Ire}), he is a descendant of the wonderful broodmare Friar's Daughter (GB) (Friar Marcus {GB}), dam of the Classic winners Bahram (GB) (Blandford {Ire}) and Dastur (GB) (Solario {GB}).
Nature Strip is a son of the Group 3-winning mare Strikeline (Desert Sun {GB}) (served last spring by Shamus Award) who has also produced the Listed Fernhill H. winner The Barrister (Star Witness). His grandam is the Listed-winning stayer Strike High (Pre Emptive Strike {Can}).
The Kosciuszko, $1,300,000, 1200m
Art Cadeau (Artie Schiller {USA}) sure knows how to find the line, getting up right in last stride to record his sixth win from just 12 starts - and doing so at his first run since April.
By Stockwell Stud's high achieving, but somewhat underrated, G1 Breeders' Cup Mile winner Artie Schiller (USA) (sire of 31 stakes winners), Art Cadeau is a homebred for the Lill family out of their Listed-winning mare Jewelled Gate (Hurricane Sky).
Served last spring by Astern having foaled a colt by Odyssey Moon last September, Jewelled Gate has also produced the city winners Beckoning Light (Sebring) and Lord Desanimaux (Dalakhani {Ire}).
Jewelled Gate is a granddaughter of the stakes winner Signal To Noise (Baguette), dam of the G3 Queen's Cup winner Maestro's Mischief (Salieri {USA}), in turn dam of the Listed Kalgoorlie Cup winner Master Vision (Scenic {Ire}).
