Written by Keely Mckitterick
Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
There were 12 trials at Kembla Grange in New South Wales on Monday. Among them were two heats for the juveniles, while a daughter of the former star mare Arabain Gold (Dubawi {Ire}) impressed onlookers in Heat 7.
Gold’s daughter catches the eye
Monte Kate, a daughter of Australia’s reigning Champion Sire I Am Invincible, and the second live foal from the bonny mare Arabian Gold (Dubawi {Ire}) caught the eye on Monday morning with a solid display in Heat 7.
Trained by Robert and Luke Price and ridden by Tommy Berry, the filly held the unraced Be Real (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) and Ocean Eyes (Astern) at bay to win the 820-metre event.
Monte Kate as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Monte Kate’s dam, the Dubawi (Ire) mare Arabian Gold, was a popular mare, winning nine races from 1000 to 2000 metres, including the G2 Doomben Roses, the G3 Golden Pendant, and the G3 Adrian Knox S. Arabian Gold also recorded placings in the G1 Queensland Oaks and the G2 Tea Rose S.
Monte Kate was a $400,000 purchase by Roughwood Park from the draft of Fernrigg Farm at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Written By filly Glitters in the opener
On Monday morning, the local training duo Robert and Luke Price unveiled a potentially smart prospect in the 2-year-old filly Glitterscript, a daughter of Widden Stud’s second-season sire Written By.
Glitterscript, ridden by Brock Ryan, in the 820-metre Heat 1, found plenty under Ryan to run to the line, ears pricked from Froebel Star (Zousain) and Yes Arnie (Yes Yes Yes).
The filly is the fourth foal from the More Than Ready (USA) mare Sparkle, who won at Warwick Farm and is a daughter of the brilliant mare Gallica (Redoute’s Choice). Gallica claimed victories in the G1 Thousand Guineas, the G1 Schweppes Oaks, the G2 Edward Manifold and the G2 AV Kewney S.
Glitterscript was a $60,000 purchase by Strong Bloodstock from the draft of Newhaven Park at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Glitterscript as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Finishing second was the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Froebel Star, a daughter of Widden Stud’s first-season sire Zousain. The filly cost Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and David Redvers Bloodstock $320,000 from the draft of Raheen Stud at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Froebel Star’s dam, the Stromberg Carlson mare Germayne Lass, was placed in the Listed Princess S. and is a half-sister to the Listed winner Throssell (Captain Sonador).
Rounding out the places was the Yes Yes Yes gelding Yes Arnie, a son of the Fastnet Rock mare Chatham House. Yes Arnie descends from a fast and precocious family that includes Telemon Stud’s first-season sire, Sun City and the Listed victress Parlophone (I Am Invincible).
Gallery: First-season sires occupied two of the top three spots in Heat 1
Yes Arnie cost his trainer Theresa Bateup $40,000 from the draft of Middlebrook Valley Lodge at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Souad dominates
On Monday, a small field of three contested Heat 2 over 820 metres, which the Joseph Ible-trained Souad (Merchant Navy) won. The 2-year-old filly, under Jean Van Overmeire, found the front and stayed there, posting a 1.8l success over Blenham (Churchill {Ire}) and Jamarni (Pride Of Dubai).
The filly is from the unraced Savabeel mare Rosegarden (NZ), a daughter of the nine-time winner O’Reilly Rose (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}). She posted victories in the G3 White Robe Lodge H. and the Listed Dunedin Guineas.
In addition, O’Reilly Rose was placed in the G1 New Zealand S. and the G2 Avondale Cup and is the dam of the G1 Newmarket H. victor Shamexpress (NZ).
Souad was purchased by Ible Racing for $42,500 when offered by Amarina Farm at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Souad as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Blenham, the second-placed galloper, trained by Robert and Luke Price, is a homebred for Tiree Holdings. The filly’s dam, Calamity (Flying Spur), is a half-sister to the G1 BRC TJ Smith S. winner Sizzling.
Blenham’s stablemate Jamarni rounded out the field. The gelding is related to the Prices’ late galloper Count De Rupee (Real Impact {Jpn}) and the outstanding sprinter Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice). Jamarni was a $80,000 purchase by RJ and PM Price from Bhima Thoroughbreds when offered at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Sassy tenacious to the line
Joseph Ible’s Pretty Sassy (Star Turn), ridden by Louise Day, showed plenty of tenacity to win Heat 8 over 820 metres.
The filly is the fourth foal from Queen Magdalene (More Than Ready {USA}), who is a sister to Vanilla Ice Cream, the dam of the G3 Blue Sapphire S. winner Ranting (Zoustar).
Further on the page, Pretty Sassy is related to Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year Vengeance Of Rain (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), the G1 Australian Oaks victress Dizelle (Zabeel {NZ}) and her G1 Kennedy Oaks-winning daughter Pinot (Pierro).
Pretty Sassy as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Pretty Sassy was a $55,000 purchase by Joseph Ible Racing from the draft of Baramul Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale.
The Ible-trained All Too Lucky (All Too Hard) saluted in the following event, Heat 9. The daughter of All Too Hard is from the Encosta De Lago mare Win The Lottery, who hails from the family of the G1 Coolmore Classic victress Aloha (Encosta De Lago) and her star produce Libertini (I Am Invincible) and Hawaii Five Oh (I Am Invincible).
All Too Lucky, like Pretty Sassy, was offered by Baramul Stud at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale, selling to Joseph Ible Racing for $15,000.
All Too Lucky as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Finishing 1.3l adrift of All Too Lucky in Heat 9 was the blueblood Monte Supreme (I Am Invincible). She is the first foal from the Listed-winning and Group 2-placed Smart Missile mare Sassy ‘N’ Smart.
Monte Supreme is also from the family of the G3 Widden S. victress Mallory (Not A Single Doubt) alongside the G1 Irish Derby winner and the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe placegetter Westover (GB).
She was purchased for $800,000 by Roughwood Park, who also raced Monte Kate. Yarraman Park Stud offered the filly at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
