Cover image courtesy of Race Images South
Riccarton: G1 NZ 1000 Guineas, NZ$500,000, 1600m
Coming with a barnstorming run out wide, Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) stamped herself as not only the filly of the day but one of the future - enjoying her Group 1 success at just her fifth start.
Badly hampered when an unlucky fourth in the G2 Soliloquy S. in the lead-up, the Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained bay was bred by Seaton Park and sold by them to Wexford Stakes for NZ$150,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.
She is the first stakes winner from the debut crop (one which has produced another four winners) of her Rich Hill-based, G1 VRC Derby and G1 Spring Champion S.-winning sire, a regally bred High Chaparral (Ire) horse from the family of Danehill (USA) and Northern Dancer (Can).
She is the first foal for the lightly raced Dancilla (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) who won a 2000-metre New Plymouth maiden from just seven starts. Her second foal is a full sister to Molly Bloom but she missed the following season, last year served by Proisir.
Dancilla is out of the stakes-placed, three-time winner Nordic Dancer (NZ) (Generous {Ire}) who produced another four winners including the dual Group 3 winner Decorah (NZ) (Pins).
Nordic Dancer's two-time Moonee Valley-winning dam Danish Habit (Danehill {USA}) is a half-sister to the wonderful galloper Rough Habit (NZ) (Roughcast {USA}) whose 11 Group 1 victories earned him two New Zealand Horse of the Year titles.
His dam Certain Habit (NZ) (Ashabit {GB}) also produced the two-time Group 3 winner Citi Habit (NZ) (Citidancer {Ire}) and the dam of the G1 Livamol Classic winner Addictive Habit (NZ) (Colombia {NZ}) and the G3 Canterbury Gold Cup winner Branson (NZ) (Personal Flag {USA}).
Bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Danehill, Molly Bloom also boasts crosses of that stallion's grandam, third dam and fourth dams - Spring Adieu (Can) (Buckpasser {USA}), Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}) and Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}). As well as duplications of the Canadian Oaks heroine Flaming Page (USA) (Bull Page {USA}) and Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}).
G3 New Zealand Cup, NZ$300,000, 3200m
Holding on so gamely after going for home early in the straight, the imported galloper Mahrajaan (USA) (Kitten's Joy {USA}) recorded his first win at black-type level.
The 118th stakes winner for his late sire, he was purchased by the Shaun Ritchie stable for 75,000gns (AU$150,600) at the 2022 Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
It was the first Southern Hemisphere success for the three-time UK winner who relished stepping up to the 3200 metres.
Bred by Shadwell Farm, he is the the second stakes winner for the USA Champion Turf Female Lahudood (GB) (Singspiel {Ire}), the other being the Listed winner Aghareed (USA) (Kingmambo {USA}).
And that mare has really made a name for herself as a broodmare thanks to the deeds of her outstanding sons Hukum (Ire) and Baaeed (GB), both sons of Sea The Stars (Ire), between them the winners of eight Group 1 races.
A descendant of the influential mare Feola (GB) (Friar Marcus {GB}), Mahrajaan is bred on a 3 X 4 cross of Sadler's Wells (USA), also carrying duplications of the fine mares Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}), Rough Shod II (GB) (Gold Bridge {Fr}) and Banish Fear (USA) (Blue Larkspur {USA}).
Listed Stewards' S., NZ$140,000, 1200m
A mare who knows how to dig deep in a tight finish, Maria Farina (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}) was so game recording her second win at Listed level.
One of the seven stakes winners for her Mapperley Stud-based, dual Group 1-winning sire - a son of High Chaparral (Ire) - she is a homebred for D R and L M Weatherley and B W P Wright.
Her two-time winning, metropolitan placed dam La Vitesse (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) is also the dam of last year's G1 NZ 2000 Guineas winner Pier (NZ) (Proisir).
Served last spring by Proisir after foaling a full sister to Maria Farina, La Vitesse is out of the dual Group winner Naturo (NZ) (Postponed {USA}) whose five foals to race have all been winners including the stakes-placed Orutan (NZ) (Pins) and O'Naturelle (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}).
This is also the family of the Group 1 gallopers Sweet Idea (Snitzel), Booming (NZ) (Don Eduardo {NZ}) and Electronic (NZ) (First Norman {USA}) as well as Arrowfield's promising young stallion Showtime.
Maria Farina boasts a pedigree with considerable female strength - within seven generations line-bred to Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}), Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) and Crimson Saint (USA) (Crimson Satan {USA}).
Tauranga: G2 Tauranga S., NZ$150,000, 1600m
Always travelling well in the lead, giving a good kick in the run home, Gino Severini (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) did a nice job recording his third win at Group level.
Bred by Stonethorn Stud Farms, he made his way through the sales ring on two occasions - fetchings 58,000gns (AU$116,400) to the bidding of De Burgh Equine at the 2015 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale and 200,000gns (AU$401,500) - purchased by Frederico Barberini as agent for Asian Bloodstock at the 2017 Tattersalls July Sale.
Raced by the Wallace family, Gino Severini is one of the 193 stakes winners for his high-class Coolmore Stud-based sire.
His dam is the placed Green Castle (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who has done a stellar job at stud - also producing the European and GB and Ireland Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Millisle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner), the Listed winner Ithoughtitwasover (Ire) (Hurricane Run {Ire}) and the stakes placegetters Glenmayne (Ire) (Duke Of Marmalade {Ire}) and Greenisland (Ire) (Fasliyev {USA}).
The latter is in turn dam of the Listed winners Shamshon (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Boerhan (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) whilst Glenmayne produced the Listed winner Galashiels (Ire) (Australia {GB}).
Bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Nijinsky II (Can), Gino Severini can also count amongst his relations the Group winners Novus (Ire) (Dandy Man {Ire}), Tadwiga (GB) (Fairy King {USA}), Rock Lobster (USA) (Mt. Livermore {USA}), Epos (Jpn) (Just A Way {Jpn}) and Tellina (SAF) (Silvano {Ger}).
Newcastle: G3 Spring S., $250,000, 1600m
Rising through the grades in exciting fashion, Genzano (Maurice {Jpn}) made it three in a row with this victory coming at her first start in stakes company.
A homebred for Arrowfield Stud and the Fraser family (who also raced her dam and grandam), she is the 22nd stakes winner for her Arrowfield-based sire and the first foal for the unraced Infiorata (Dream Ahead {USA}).
Served last spring by Shalaa (Ire) after foaling an Admire Mars (Jpn) filly, with her second foal being a Pariah colt, Infiorata is a daughter of the globe-trotting triple Group 1 winner Ortenisa (Testa Rossa).
Hailing from the same family as the stakes winners Blaze The Turf (Blazing Sword), Intelligent Star (Picnicker) and Soleil (Flying Spur), Genzano has as her sixth dam the influential mare Fille D'Etoile (NZ) (Prince Bright {USA}) - also ancestress of the big-race winners Bint Marscay (Marscay), Bollinger (Dehere {USA}), Benicio (More Than Ready {USA}), Filante (NZ), Kenny's Best Pal, Stella Cadente (Centaine) and Royal Merchant (Merchant Navy).
Bred on a 4 X 4 cross of Sadler's Wells (USA), Genzano also carries a strain of that stallion's three-quarter brother Perugino (USA).
