Cover image courtesy of Darren Tindale
Flemington: G1 Coolmore Stud S., $2,000,000, 1200m
Treating the boys to a galloping lesson, In Secret (I Am Invincible) continued the great spring carnival run for Godolphin and James Cummings.
Bred by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds Australia and Saconi Thoroughbreds and purchased by Godolphin from the Segenhoe draft for $900,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, she is one of the 83 stakes winners for her Yarraman Park-based sire - and his 14th individual Group 1 winner.
She is the second foal and second winner for the dual Group 3 winner Eloping (Choisir) whose three-quarter brother, Of The Brave (Starspangledbanner), won a G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Colts and Geldings).
In September foaling a full sister to In Secret, Eloping has fillies coming through by Trapeze Artist (a $200,000 purchase for Price Racing and Breeding at this year's Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale) and Snitzel.
In Secret boasts an interesting pedigree with her sire bred on a Danzig (USA)/Sharpen Up (GB)/Biscay/Lunchtime (GB) cross whilst her damsire Choisir is Danzig/Sharpen Up/Lunchtime/Biscay.
Choisir is a nice link to the name of the race having spent his very successful life as a stallion at Coolmore - and In Secret is his sixth Group 1 winner as a broodmare sire.
G1 Victoria Derby, $2,000,000, 2500m
Turning the tables on Sharp 'N' Smart (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) to whom he finished eighth in last weekend's G1 Spring Champion S., Manzoice (Almanzor {Fr}) ran out the 2500 metres better than his rivals!
Bred by Stephanie Hole and sold for $340,000 through the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale to Waller Racing/Mulcaster Bloodstock, Manzoice is the sixth stakes winner and first Group 1 winner for his multiple Group 1-winning, Cambridge Stud-based shuttler.
Last spring paying a return visit to Almanzor (Fr) after foaling a Too Darn Hot (GB) filly, Manzoice's G3 Eulogy S.-winning dam Choice (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) is also dam of the winner Regal Ruby (NZ) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}).
Manzoice boasts strains of Nureyev (USA), Sadler's Wells (USA) and Fairy King (USA) - the latter two being full brothers and three-quarter brothers to the former.
And he hails from an outstanding international family, his sixth dam Derna (Fr) (Sunny Boy {Fr}) also ancestress of the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winners Detroit (Fr) (Riverman {USA}) and Carnegie (Ire), the G1 Melbourne Cup winner Twilight Payment (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}), the dual Group 1-winning sprinter Viddora (I Am Invincible) and the great stallion Zabeel (NZ).
Manzoice is the second Group 1 winner for Mastercraftsman (Ire) as a broodmare sire and the fifth Group 1 winner to have Encosta De Lago as a second damsire.
G1 Empire Rose S., $1,000,000, 1600m
On the back of 12 placings at stakes level (five of those in Group 1 races) it was a well-deserved breakthrough for Icebath (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}) who was so game scooting up along the rails.
Increasing her impressive prizemoney tally to beyond $5.2 million, Icebath was bred by Waikato Stud which was home to her four-time Group 1-winning sire who died three years ago.
Her sire's sixth stakes winner and second Group 1 winner, Icebath was purchased for $100,000 by Jadeskye Racing, Brad Widdup Racing and Samaco Racing from the Sledmere Stud draft at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
She is the third stakes winner for the dual city winner Fabulist (NZ) (Savabeel), also dam of the G3 Sha Tin Vase winner Courier Wonder (NZ) (also by Sacred Falls {NZ}), the Listed Singapore New Year Cup winner Nowyousee (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) and the stakes-placed Just Fabulous (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}).
Also bred by Waikato, Fabulist (daughter of the stakes-placed Fontaine {NZ} by Centaine) was served last spring by Super Seth after foaling a filly (already named Superfabulistic {NZ} by Waikato) by that same stallion.
Icebath is the second stakes winner (the other being her brother) and first Group 1 winner line-bred to Centaine and she carries another strain of his outstanding sire Century.
G2 Linlithgow S., $500,000, 1400m
Old Flame (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) pranced around the yard prior to the running of this historic sprint and he was still happily on his toes as he returned the winner.
The 145th stakes winner for his Irish National Stud-based sire, Old Flame was purchased by Snowden Racing and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) for 250,000gns (AU$480,000) at the 2021 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
Part of a great day for his breeder Juddmonte Stud, Old Flame is the third foal and third stakes performer (her first two both stakes-placed in the Northern Hemisphere) for the Ascot juvenile winner Lilyfire (USA) (First Defence {USA}).
Her dam is the G2 Dahlia H. winner Didina (GB) (Nashwan {USA}) whose seven winners include the Listed winners Colonialism (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}) and Tantina (USA) (Distant View {USA}).
Didina is grandam of another eight stakes winners including the G1 Dubai Duty Free winner Cityscape (GB) (Selkirk {USA}) and the G1 St Leger winner Logician (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
Ancestress of this family is the wonderful Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}) to whom Old Flame's dam is line-bred.
G2 Wakeful S., $300,000, 2000m
It is not often that Pakenham synthetic maiden form is the point to next start Group 2 success but that is the case for Zennzella (Snitzel) who relished stepping up to 2000 metres for the first time.
Bred by Gerry Harvey and purchased by her original trainer Kennewell Racing with Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) for $350,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Zennzella is the 128th stakes winner for her Arrowfield Stud-based star sire.
She is the first live foal for the classy mare Zennista (NZ) (Zenno Rob Roy {Jpn}) - a triple Group 3 and dual Listed winner in New Zealand who travelled to Australia to win the Listed Caloundra Cup.
Paying a return visit last spring to Snitzel having produced another filly by him, Zennista is out of a winning half-sister to the Listed winner Chartreuse (NZ) (St Petersburg) whose daughter Platinum Witness (California Dane) won the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas.
Bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Danzig (USA), Zennzella hails from the same branch of the Democratie (Fr) (Epinard {Fr}) family as the champion stallion Showdown (GB).
G3 Carbine Club S., $500,000, 1600m
Coolmore Stud's superstar So You Think (NZ) kicked off Cup week in style with this dominant performance by his lightly raced and promising son, Perfect Thought.
Double-figure odds and up in class, the John Sargent-trained colt races in the famous colours of his sire (also donned by Saintly by Sky Chase {NZ}), who won this race back in 1995); providing him with his 46th stakes winner.
Bred by Wallings Bloodstock and Anthony Hatzopoulos and sold through their Tyreel Stud draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Perfect Thought was purchased by DGR Thoroughbred Services for $120,000.
He is the second foal produced by the juvenile metropolitan winner Perfectly Safe (Exceed And Excel) whose first foal is the lightly raced and promising Sargent-trained Nyota (Teofilo {Ire}) who has won two of her first five starts. Missing two years in a row, she foaled an All Too Hard colt in late August.
Perfectly Safe is one of the eight winners for the unraced Refuge (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}) whose dam is the G3 Princess Royal S. winner Narwala (Ire) (Darshaan {GB}). She was a high-class broodmare, her eight winners including the stakes winners Affidavit (USA) (Affirmed {USA}), Tea Garden (Ire) (Barathea {Ire}), Altamura (USA) (El Gran Senor {USA}) and Nalani (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}).
Perfect Thought is the first (from 71 runners) So You Think stakes winner line-bred to Sadler's Wells (USA).
G3 Archer S., $300,000, 2500m
It was another string to Coolmore Stud's Fastnet Rock's bow, a Cup week Group winner with a suffix - his imported son Surefire (GB) outstanding his rivals in this last minute G1 Melbourne Cup qualifier.
A homebred for Juddmonte - and racing in their famous turquoise and pink silks - Surefire is the 190th stakes winner for his sire and the third for his dam, the Listed Lady Godiva S. winner Modesta (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}).
Modesta has done a great job with her progeny successful at stakes level in three different countries - her daughter Button Down (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) taking out the G3 Cardinal H. at Churchill Downs whilst her son Platitude (GB) (Dansili {GB}) won at Listed level at Goodwood.
Also dam of the Group 3-placed Model Pupil (GB) (Sinndar {Ire}), Modesta is out of the remarkable broodmare Modena (USA) (Roberto {USA}) - dam of seven stakes winners including the G1 Epsom Oaks heroine Reams Of Verse (USA) (Nureyev {USA}) and the dual Group 1 winner Elmaamul (USA) (Diesis {GB}).
Modena has a host of stakes-winning descendants including her multiple Group 1-winning granddaughter Midday (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and her New Zealand-based, Group 1-winning great, great-grandaughter Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}).
Surefire is the 93rd stakes winner whose pedigree brings together Fastnet Rock and Sadler's Wells (USA).
G3 Rising Fast S., $200,000, 1200m
It seems that barely a major race meeting passes by anywhere in the world without a stakes winner by the mighty Frankel (GB) and he was nicely represented at Flemington on Derby Day by his regally bred daughter Argentia.
One of her Juddmonte-based sire's 105 stakes winners, Argentia is the second stakes winner (the Hong Kong Champion Griffin Thewizardofoz by Redoute's Choice the first) for the terrific mare Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago).
The winner of 12 of her 33 starts, she was successful at Group 1 level on four occasions - taking out two runnings of the Kelt Capital as well as the New Zealand Oaks and the Stoney Bridge S.
Nine days ago foaling a Snitzel colt, Princess Coup has a Dundeel (NZ) yearling colt and a yet to be named I Am Invincible filly who was purchased by Rosemont Stud and David Revers Bloodstock for $650,000 at Inglis Easter this year. Her 3-year-old Golden Passport (Sebring) has been in the placings at two of his first four starts for the Waterhouse/Bott stable.
Bred by Evergreen Rich and purchased by James Harron Bloodstock for $670,000 on behalf of Winx's (Street Cry {Ire}) breeder John Camilleri at the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Argentia is a granddaughter of the triple Listed winner Stoneyfell Road (Sovereign Red {NZ}) - also grandam of the G2 Bill Stutt S. winner Sovereign Nation (Encosta De Lago).
A descendant of the acclaimed matriarch Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}), Argentia is bred on a 4 X 4 cross of the terrific mare Fairy Bridge (USA) (Bold Reason {USA}) via her high-achieving Northern Dancer (Can) sons Sadler's Wells (USA) and Fairy King (USA).
G3 Furphy Sprint, $200,000, 1100m
Sent out favourite on the back of her very easy G2 Caulfield Sprint victory, Asfoora (Flying Artie) was again too good - recording the sixth win of her eight-start career.
A homebred for Noor Elaine Farm who took her home from the 2020 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale where she was passed in for $24,000, Asfoora is one of the four stakes winner for her Newgate Farm-based sire who won the G1 Coolmore Stud S. at this meeting six years ago.
She is the first foal produced by the lightly raced Mornington placegetter Golden Child (I Am Invincible) whose multiple city-winning dam Predestined (King's Best {USA}) is a half-sister to the stakes winners Big Chill (Artie Schiller {USA}), Hard Stride (Street Sense {USA}) and Utah Saints (God's Own).
Golden Child was served last spring by Dirty Work with her previous foals being colts by Akeed Mofeed (GB) and Noor Elaine's Ilovethiscity.
Asfoora is first stakes winner for reigning Champion Sire I Am Invincible as a broodmare sire and it is interesting to note that his sire Invincible Spirit (Ire) hails from the same prolific Gibside Fairy (GB) (Hermes {GB}) family as Flying Artie.
Rosehill: Golden Eagle, $10,000,000, 1500m
Bouncing back from his G1 Toorak H. fifth as favourite, I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) furthered his position as a poster boy for owners of crooked-legged foals with this gutsy performance.
Famously not making his way through the sales ring due to the issues he had as a youngster, I Wish I Win has proven a great horse for Waikato Stud's Mark Chittick (who races him with trainer Peter Moody) to hold onto!
One of the 127 stakes winner for Waikato's stalwart Savabeel, I Wish I Win is a half-brother to the G3 BRC Premier's Cup and Listed Gosford Gold Cup-winning, Group 1-placed Another Dollar (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) out of the metropolitan-placed two-time winner Make A Wish (NZ) (Pins) whose dam Starcent (NZ) (Centaine) was twice successful at Group level.
Of Starcent's 12 foals to race, 11 were winners including the Group 1-placed Ambitious (NZ) (Last Tycoon {Ire}), dam of the G3 Gloaming S. winner Strike The Stars (NZ) (Savabeel) and grandam of Savabeel's G1 Livamol Classic winner Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) and his G2 Autumn Classic winner Adelaide Ace (NZ).
Missing upon a couple of return visits to Savabeel after producing I Wish I Win, Make A Wish was served by Super Seth last spring having foaled a colt by Ocean Park (NZ).
Bred on a 3 X 4 cross of Sir Tristram (Ire), I Wish I Win is one of Savabeel's 18 stakes winners line-bred to the champion Todman, noting that Savabeel's G3 Adrian Knox S.-winning grandam Alma Mater (Semipalatinsk {USA}) is bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Todman's wonderful dam Oceana (Ire) (Colombo {GB}) with her second strain being Noholme II.
Ascot: G3 Prince of Wales S., $150,000, 1000m
Having already won three Listed races, Miss Conteki (Eurozone) was well-fancied and she was again too strong, doing a great job recording her 11th win from 16 starts.
Bred by Lynch Bages Limited and purchased by Amelia Park for $55,000 at the 2017 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, she is one of the four stakes winners for her Hillview Stud-based, G2 Stan Fox S.-winning sire.
Her unraced dam Tipsy Moment (Redoute's Choice) is doing a good job at stud, this mare her second stakes winner - her first being the G3 Gunsynd Classic and Listed Gold Coast Cup winner Dreams Aplenty (Dream Ahead {USA}).
Also dam of the city winners Bootlegging (Charge Forward) and Always In Moment (No Nay Never {USA}), Tipsy Moment missed last spring after foaling a colt by Magna Grecia (Ire). Her previous foal is the yet to race 3-year-old Under Influence (Caravaggio {USA}) who has been in the placings in a couple of recent Lark Hill trials.
Tipsy Moment is a daughter of the Listed Sky High winner For The Moment (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) whose grandam is the G2 WA Champions Fillies S. winner Frivolous Miss (NZ) (In The Purple {Fr}) whose other descendants include the Group 1 gallopers Niconero (Danzero), Nicconi and Zip Zip Aray (Bellotto {USA}).
This is the prolific Froth (NZ) (Faux Tirage {GB}) family that has also produced such outstanding gallopers as Horlicks (NZ) (Three Legs {GB}), Brew (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and General Nediym.
Miss Conteki boasts a 6 X 6 cross of the aptly named mare Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) via her grandson Fairy King (USA) and son Nureyev (USA).
G3 Asian Beau S., $150,000, 1400m
Boasting a terrific record that now reads four wins from seven starts with two at stakes level, Treasured Star (Toronado {Ire}) showed plenty of heart over the final stages.
One of the 27 stakes winners for her Swettenham Stud-based sire, she is a homebred for Bob and Sandra Peters who also bred her unraced dam Treasured Gift (Big Brown {USA}) - also dam of the lightly raced city-placed winner Treasured Prize (Pierro).
Sadly her dam, a half-sister to the dual Group 3 winner Battle Hero (Stratum), died last year with her final foal being the yet to race 3-year-old Best Present (Pierro), also a member of the Adam Durrant stable.
Hailing from the family of the Group 1 mares Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel), Treasured Star (as can be expected of the horses racing in the pink and white) boasts a lovely pedigree inclusive of a 5 X 5 cross of Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) and a 6 X 6 cross of Sex Appeal (USA) (Buckpasser {USA}).
A descendant of the influential Gibside Fairy (GB) (Hermes {GB}), Treasured Star has now won three of her five starts. It was a good finish for the Peters family with their gelding Devoted (Xtravagant {NZ}) finishing off well for third.
Morphettville: Listed John Letts Cup, $100,000, 1800m
A consistent performer deserving of this black-type breakthrough, Morty (Bull Point) is the second stakes winner (the first in Australia) for his Kingstar Farm-based sire. Bred by B.A Holland and sold as a weanling at the Magic Millions National Sale for $10,000 from the Barador Stud draft to Sheamus Mills Bloodstock, he was later passed in for $12,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. He is the final foal (and one of five winners) produced by the unraced Daguetta (Fuji Kiseki {Jpn}) whose grandam is the French Group 2 winner Robertet (USA) (Roberto).
Riccarton Park: Listed Feilding Gold Cup, NZ$65,000, 2100m
It is not often we see a 9-year-old in the winner's stall at stakes level for the first time but that is just what Pep Torque (NZ) (Nadeem) did with this easy win. He is the 20th stakes winner for his G1 Blue Diamond S.-winning sire who died a few months ago having called Little Avondale Stud home. Bred by Tullycrine Ltd, Pep Torque is a half-brother to the stakes-placed Love On The Rocks (NZ) (Diamond Express {NZ}) out the two-time winner Cosmic Flight (NZ) (Star Way {GB}), full sister to the triple Group winner Cog Hill (NZ).
