Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Morphettville: G1 South Australian Derby, $502,250, 2500m
Dunkel (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) added a second Derby to his record, adding this Group 1 version to his success in the Listed Tasmanian Derby in February.
One of the 24 stakes winners for his Arrowfield Stud-based multiple Group 1-winning sire, Dunkel was bred by Pencarrow Thoroughbreds and sold by them for NZ$40,000 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock (NZB) Yearling Sale, again making his way through the ring at the NZB Ready to Run Sale - fetching NZ$100,000.
His stakes-placed dam Kudamm (Cape Cross {Ire}) has produced another four winners (all at metropolitan level) and has now been retired, Dunkel her final foal.
Kudamm's unraced dam Shopping Spree (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}) is out of a full sister to the dual Group 1 winner Zoman (USA) (Affirmed {USA}) from a high-class US family which has as its ancestress the famed matriarch La Troienne (Fr) (Teddy {Fr}).
Other members of this branch of the family include the Group winners Yellowstone (Ire) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Adore The Gold (USA) (Formal Gold {Can}).
Bred on a 3 X 3 Sadler's Wells (USA) cross, Dunkel also carries a strain of that great stallion's three-quarter brother Nureyev (USA).
G3 South Australian Sires' Produce S., $127,250, 1400m
Gamely holding off a charge from the odds-on favourite Nodachi (No Nay Never {USA}), Air Assault (Justify {USA}) broke his maiden in determined fashion at her fifth start.
Raced by a group led by his breeder Harry Perks who passed him in for $100,000 at the 2022 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Air Assault is the 10th stakes winner for his Coolmore Stud-based shuttling sire and his third from his debut local crop.
He is the third stakes winner for the dual city winner Elegant Eagle (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who has also produced the G1 Champagne S. winner Go Indy Go (Bernardini {USA}) and the G3 DC McKay S. winner Essay Raider (Bernardini {USA}) as well as the Group 3 placegetter Battle Brewing (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}).
Retired after foaling an Omaha Beach (USA) colt last spring, Elegant Eagle hails from a terrific local family, one which has produced the big-race winners Southern Speed (Southern Image {USA}), Ha Ha (Danehill {USA) and Rory's Jester.
One of the strengths of Justify's (USA) pedigree is his 5 X 5 cross of Narrate (USA) (Honest Pleasure {USA}) who hails from the same family as Round Table (USA), dam sire of Sir Tristram (Ire). Air Assault is his second stakes winner (Learning To Fly the other) out of a mare carrying a Sir Tristram strain.
Listed Adelaide Guineas, $107,250, 1600m
Appreciating a drop back in distance off her unplaced run in the G1 Australasian Oaks, Party Princess (So You Think {NZ}) looked pretty good putting three-lengths on her rivals.
Bred by The Toorak Thoroughbred Breeding Trust and sold by Mill Park Stud to Macdonald Gluyas Racing for $300,000 at the 20201 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, she is the 52nd stakes winner for her high-achieving Coolmore Stud-based sire.
And she is the second stakes winner for her two-times stakes-placed dam Khandallah (Kitten's Joy {USA}) whose son is the recently retired (to Riverbank Farm) four times Group winner Dalasan, a son of Dalakhani {Ire}.
Served last spring by The Autumn Sun after foaling a filly by Ghaiyyath (Ire), Khandallah has a yearling colt by Vino Rosso (USA) and a yet-to-be-named 2-year-old filly by American Pharoah (USA).
Party Princess' sire and dam are both members of the Sadler's Wells (USA) sireline, her sire via High Chaparral (Ire) and her dam via El Prado (Ire).
Scone: G3 Dark Jewel Classic, $200,000, 1400m
She'd been out of the winner's circle for a while and had even been to stud (served by Pierro last spring) but More Prophets (Smart Missile) looked her old self racing clear to an easy win, her second at stakes level.
Also winner of the Listed Mona Lisa S. in September 2021, the 6-year-old was bred by her part-owners Bell River Thoroughbreds and Bob Hogno who are known for also breeding the superb young stallion Extreme Choice.
Passed in for $100,000 at the 2018 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, More Prophets is one of the 23 stakes winners for her dual Group winning Twin Hills Stud-based sire.
Her Moonee Valley maiden winning dam Set To Skelter (Reset) (also bred by Bell River) is doing a fine job at stud with all four of her named foals being winners including the G2 Rubiton S. winner Prophet's Thumb (I Am Invincible).
Served last spring by Farnan after foaling a Bivouac filly, Set To Skelter has a yearling filly by Brazen Beau.
Her dam is the Listed Breeders Classic winner Miss Helterskelter (Brocco {USA}) whose son Module (Reset) won the Listed Bagot H.
Listed Woodlands S., $160,000, 1100m
An exciting finish to kick off the day with the photo required to determine the result - Hip Hip Hurrah (Snitzel) getting up by the barest of margins.
A homebred for Sir Owen Glenn's Go Bloodstock, she is now two for two having won the Miss Finland at her Muswellbrook debut... coincidentally that race was named after the multiple Group 1-winning dam of Miracle Of Love (Dundeel {NZ}) who was a debut third in this race.
The 135th stakes winner for her Arrowfield Stud-based Champion Sire, she is out of the dual Group 2 winner Pure Elation (I Am Invincible) who was exported to Great Britain in the winter of 2011... sadly dying foaling to Frankel (GB) last year.
Pure Elation's dam is the Listed-winning sprinter Members Joy (Hussonet {USA}) whose dam Rosa's Spur (Flying Spur) won the G3 Dane Ripper Plate and whose grandam Rosa's Joy (Rory's Jester) won the G3 Merson Cooper S.
Listed Ortensia S., $160,000, 1100m
Holding on gamely as he was challenged late, Athelric (Exceed And Excel) was tough to the line winning his second race at Listed level.
Last year's Listed Queensland Day S. winner, Athelric is one of the 209 stakes winners for his sire, a Darley and Australian breeding stalwart.
He is out of the Gosford maiden winner Ida (Lonhro) whose dual Listed-winning dam Bernicia (Elusive Quality {USA}) also produced the G2 Tulloch S. winner Old North (Lonhro).
Bernicia's dam is the G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Danelagh (Danehill {USA}) whose dam Palatious (Semipalatinsk {USA}) won the G2 Perth Cup and the G2 C.B Cox S.
What a great family this is, its other members include the big-race winners Vengeance Of Rain (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), Dizelle (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Pinot (Pierro). Ida was served last spring by Street Boss (USA) after foaling a King's Legacy filly in September. Her yearling is a colt by Sidestep.
Athelric is one of Exceed And Excel's six stakes winners out of Lonhro mares and the reverse cross has produced another six stakes winners.
Listed Denise's Joy S., $160,000, 1100m
Well, this was an apt victory - a descendant of the wonderful mare Denise's Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}) winning the race named in her honour!
Godolphin's third stakes winner for the day, Red Card (Ribchester {Ire}) is building an imposing record, this win - her first at stakes level - her fourth from nine starts.
She is the first Australian bred (and seventh overall) stakes winner for her multiple Group 1 winning sire who did not capture the attention of local breeders, his two local crops yielding only 72 live foals.
Red Card is the first foal for the Yarra Valley maiden winner Penalty (Street Cry {Ire}) whose Group 2-placed dam Forfeiture (Commands) is also the dam of the G3 Widden S. winner Amercement (Lonhro).
Served last spring by Tagaloa having foaled a filly to him in August, Penalty (who has Denise's Joy as her fifth dam) also has a yet-to-be-named 2-year-old by Exosphere.
Listed Luskin Star S., $160,000, 1300m
The only filly in the field, Opal Ridge (Rubick) treated her older male rivals to a galloping lesson with this dominant performance - her sixth win from 10 starts and her second at stakes level.
Also winner of the Listed Darby Munro S. in March, the locally trained 3-year-old was bred by the Alchin family and sold by Carramar Park to Ryan Hunt for $20,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
One of the nine stakes winners for her regally bred Swettenham Stud-based sire, Opal Ridge is the first foal for the city placed three times winner dam Chadana (Myboycharlie {Ire}) whose second foal - also trained by Luke Pepper - is the yet to race 2-year-old Diamond Ridge (Outreach) who was placed in a Scone trial in February.
Slipping last year having had the previous season off, Chadana has a yearling colt by Headwater. She is a half-sister to the G3 Adrian Knox S. winner Candelera (Real Saga) out of the city placed three times winner Jadana (Jade Hunter {USA}), a daughter of the G3 Emancipation S. winner Star County (County).
A descendant of the famed matriarch Cinna (GB) (Polymelus {GB}), Opal Ridge boasts duplications of four fine mares with seven generations - Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}), River Lady (USA) (Prince John {USA}), Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}) and Thong (USA) (Nantallah {USA}).
Arawa: G3 Rotorua ITM S., NZ$85,000, 1400m
Leading throughout to record a deserved stakes victory on the back of a Group 3 and a Listed placing amongst her first 10 starts Wessex (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) became her Windsor Park Stud-based triple Group 1-winning sire's seventh stakes winner.
Bred by Windsor Park, she was sold by them to C.W Kwok and Andrew Forsman for NZ$150,000 at the 2021 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
She is out of the five times stakes placed (two at Group 1 level) mare Trepidation (NZ) (Falkirk {NZ}) whose Group 2 placed half-sister Fairy Tipsy (NZ) (Casual Lies {USA}) is the dam of the G1 Levin Classic winner Distill (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) and the dual Listed winner Mr Tipsy (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}).
Fairy Tipsy is also the grandam of last weekend's G3 Gold Coast Guineas winner Yellow Brick (NZ) (The Mission) and this is a prolific branch of the Entreaty (NZ) (Winkie {GB}) family with Wessex's G1 Goodwood H. winning third dam Boardwalk Angel (Bletchingly) having as her sixth dam Raphis (NZ) (Night Raid {GB}) - full sister to Phar Lap (NZ).
Other members of this family include the G3 Rough Habit Plate winner Ballistic Boy (Smart Missile), the G3 Premier's Cup winner Splendiferous (Pride Of Dubai), the G1 Railway H. winner Coogee Walk (NZ) (Success Express {USA}) and the G3 Coongy H. winner Activation (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Trepidation was served by Vanbrugh last spring having foaled, in late October, a colt by Circus Maximus (Ire). She also has a Rageese colt and a yet-to-be-named full sister to Wessex.
Listed Rotorua Cup, NZ$85,000, 2200m
Sustaining a long run before engaging in a two-horse war over the final stages, Poser (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) was tough to the line recording the fourth win of her 16-start career and her first at stakes level.
Bred by Mary Chittick, Poser is stakes winner number 20 for her Waikato Stud-based G1 W.S Cox Plate-winning sire and his first line-bred to Hunza (NZ) (Pakistan {GB}) - Ocean Park's (NZ) fourth dam and the grandam of Power's (GB) second dam sire O'Reilly (NZ); a cross which has yielded five stakes placegetters.
Poser is the first named foal for the metropolitan winner Wannabe (NZ) (Pins), half-sister to the stakes-placed Gold Spice (NZ) (Rock 'N' Pop) out of the city winner Zoe Spice (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) whose dam is the G3 Lowland S. winner Sahrhys (NZ) (Oak Ridge {Fr}).
Served last spring by Banquo, Wannabe foaled an Ardrossan filly last spring and her yearling filly - already named Rhythm 'N' Spice (NZ) - is also by that stallion. Along with her Hunza cross, Poser is also line-bred to the great mare Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}).
