Cover image courtesy of Michael McInally
Caulfield: G3 Neds Sir John Monash S., $200,000, 1100m
A horse who really knows how to find the line - this success her seventh from 15 starts - Mileva (Headwater) did a great job at her first run since early March.
Bred by the Tucker family, the already three-time Listed winner is one of five stakes winners (and the third Group winner) for her Vinery Stud-based G2 Silver Slipper S. winning sire.
Headwater, sire of Mileva | Standing at Vinery Stud
Purchased by Oopy MacGillivray for $42,000 from the draft of Little Hills Pastoral at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Mileva is the first foal for the two time-winner Lady Einstein (Magic Albert).
A half-sister to the Group winners Second Effort and Diamond Effort (both by Mossman), Lady Einstein (who raced just five times) was again served by Headwater last spring. Her yearling is a colt by Showtime whilst her only other foal is the yet to race Hans Albert (Nicconi), a 3-year-old who has jumped out well for the Symon Wilde stable.
Lady Einstein’s dam Relativity (Geiger Counter {USA}), who died last year, is a daughter of the Listed WATC Gimcrack S. winner Western Zip (Zephyr Zip {NZ}) from the family of the 1963 G1 Golden Slipper S. hero Pago Pago (Matrice).
Royal Randwick: Listed Furphy Winter S., $160,000, 1400m
Withstanding a protest having held on gamely when challenged, Taksu (Equiano {Fr}) was tough winning his second Listed win in a row - two weeks ago taking out the Listed Civic S.; also over the Randwick 1400 metres.
Displaying showing versatility by winning his two stakes races on differing surfaces - Good and Heavy, Taksu has amassed over $574,000 in stakes which is good news for his owner/breeders Troy Mobbs and Tony McGrath (who bred him with John Voitin) who passed him in for $75,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Taksu as a yearling, when was passed in for $75,000 at the 2017 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Taksu is one of the 19 stakes winners for his sire, a former Swettenham Stud shuttler whose only other Australian bred stakes winner is the G3 Blue Diamond Preview winner Lady Horseowner.
Taksu is the third stakes winner for his dam Raining (Hurricane Sky), a Doomben winning half-sister to the stakes-placed Deutzia (NZ) (Chem {USA}) who produced the Listed winner Portofino Bay (NZ) (McGinty {NZ}).
Dying two years ago with her final foal being the unraced Written Tycoon mare Sprinkle, Raining is also dam of the South African Group 3 winner Rain Gal (Galileo {Ire}) and the G1 Stradbroke H. and G1 Tattersall's Tiara winner Srikandi (Dubawi {Ire}) whose promising 3-year-old daughter Billiondollarbaby (I Am Invincible) won at Randwick-Kensington a couple of weeks ago.
Taksu boasts crosses of three successful broodmares within seven generations - Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}), Madonna (GB) (Donatello II {Fr}) and Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}).
Doomben: G3 Magic Millions Pam O'Neill S., $150,000, 1600m
Off a run of bad luck stories, it was a deserved stakes victory for Tycoon Evie (Written Tycoon) who was able to enjoy a nice run from a good gate.
Part of a successful day for the Rex Lipp and Nicholas Hahn stable, the tough 4-year-old had been stakes placed on two occasions with her overall record reading very well - six wins from 20 starts with over $389,000 in stakes.
A homebred for Jeff Cullen, Tycoon Evie, with her stakes success coming over the mile, is a different sort of horse to her talented full brother - Grandview’s very fast dual Group winner Winning Rupert.
Jeff Cullen’s Wicklow Lodge has batted above average by breeding stakes winners with a small group of mares, another of his success stories being Aquis’ G1 Manikato S. winner Jonker (Spirit Of Boom) who is a likely future mate for Tycoon Evie.
Tycoon Evie is one of five winners for the multiple city winner Winaura (Show A Heart) who died a few years ago. Her dam Miss Bonnie Can (In The Slot) was also a metropolitan winner and she too fared well at stud with seven winners though not of the quality of Winning Rupert and Tycoon Evie.
Winaura’s final foal is the lightly raced Celtic Empress, a Capitalist three-quarter sister to Tycoon Evie and Winning Rupert and she too has been retained to race by Cullen.
It was a significant win for Written Tycoon - Tycoon Evie being the Yulong-based reigning Australian Champion Sire's 50th stakes winner.
Listed XXXX Chief De Beers, $130,000, 1110m
The good run being enjoyed by Eureka Stud’s Spirit Of Boom continued with a determined victory by his talented daughter Simply Fly.
The 18th stakes winner for her sire, Simply Fly was bred by Eureka Cambooya Thoroughbreds, Boucher Family Trust, Paul Kirkwood, Peter Mahony and Rex Lipp. She races in the distinctive gold, black and red colours of Eureka Stud who race her with trainer Rex Lipp and Peter Mahony.
Simply Fly is one of four winners for the G2 Queensland Guineas winner Express Air (Piccolo {GB}), also dam of the metropolitan winners Gorokan Express (Spirit Of Boom) and Turbulent Air (So You Think {NZ}). And her 2-year-old Billionair Baby (Winning Rupert) is showing ability having run metropolitan seconds at his first two outings (and is due to race at Doomben on Wednesday).
Having last spring paid a return visit to Spirit Of Boom, Express Air has a filly foal by fellow Eureka stallion Encryption.
This is a family enjoying a stellar period - Simply Fly able to boast amongst her close relations this season’s feature race winners Incentivise (Shamus Award) and Prince Of Boom (Spirit Of Boom).
Belmont: Listed Beaufine S., $125,000, 1000m
Giving a good kick in the run home, Nerodio (Playing God) having only his second start at the 1400 metres was a game victor.
A homebred for Divtini Racing, the 10-time winner (from 25 starts) is the ninth stakes winner for his Darling View Thoroughbreds-based, two-time G1 Kingston Town Classic-winning sire.
He is the third foal for the city winner Black Carat (Lonhro) who was also bred and raced by Divtini - winning three of her 13 starts. Last spring paying a return visit to Playing God, she has also produced the dual city winner Ghobella (Blackfriars).
Her third foal is the yet to race 2-year-old Magnificent Carat (Magnus) who has trialled well for the Adam Durrant stable, whilst her fourth is a yearling colt by Maschino.
Black Carat’s unraced dam, Bloomy (Dehere {USA}), did a good job at stud, being well represented by eight winners including the Listed Tattersall’s Cup winner Doyoudare (Langfuhr {Can}) and the stakes placed metropolitan winners Jetoomy (Reset) and Just Marika (Grandera {Ire}) who is in turn dam of the stakes placed multiple city winner Playing Marika (Playing God).
