Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Randwick: G2 The Ingham, $2,000,000, 1600m
It was an apt win by Loch Eagle, son of Lonhro - one of the best and most popular horses raced by the Ingham family.
Successful at stakes level for the first time having been Group 3-placed in the 2022 Gunsynd S., the consistent 5-year-old was coming off a second in The Gong.
The 96th stakes winner for his now retired sire, Loch Eagle is one of the three winners produced by the imported mare Song Street (Ire) (Shamardal {USA}) whose dual Group 1-winning half-brother Laverock (Ire) was the best horse sired by Lonhro's sire Octagonal (NZ) in Europe.
This is a family that has done well with this sireline on another occasion as well - Loch Eagle's dam being a half-sister to the dam of Lonhro's Coolmore Stud-based, five-time Group 1-winning son Pierro.
Song Street has not had much luck at stud of late with her most recent foal being a yet-to-be-named 2-year-old full sister to Loch Eagle.
Bred by Nick Vass, Loch Eagle was sold by Newgate Farm to Bruce Perry Bloodstock (BAFNZ) for $230,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He boasts duplications of the outstanding mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}), Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}) and Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}).
R. Listed Inglis Nursery, $500,000, 1000m
Putting in the big strides to claim victory at just his second outing, Odinson (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) was game claiming the longshot Beer Baron (Cosmic Force) late.
Bred by Qatar Bloodstock, he was sold by Widden Stud to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock for $320,000 at this year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
The 43rd (and seventh in Australia) for his sire who shuttled just the once to Darley, Victoria, Odinson is the first foal for the G3 Cornwallis S. and Listed Marygate S. winner Good Vibes (GB) (Due Diligence {USA}).
Foaling a Zoustar colt in early October - and a full brother to that youngster last year - Good Vibes is a half-sister to the Listed Crocus S. winner Yakushima (GB) (Havana Grey {GB}) from the family of the G3 Ballyogan S. winner Age Of Chivalry (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
Listed Razor Sharp H., $200,000, 1200m
Holding on gamely after getting up along the inside, Recommendation (Shalaa {Ire}) was tough recording the sixth win of his 12-start career - and his second at stakes level on the back of his G3 Zeditave S. success in February.
One of the 15 stakes winners for his Woodside Park-based sire, he was bred by Pacific King and withdrawn from the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
His dam is the unraced Adviso (USA) (Street Cry {Ire}) whose dam is the four-time Group 1 winner Proviso (GB) (Dansili {GB}), also dam of the dual Listed winner Sailing Solo (USA) (Smart Strike {Can}).
Proviso's dam is the wonderful broodmare Binche (USA) (Woodman {USA}), also dam of the G1 Prince Of Wales's S. winner Byword (BG) (Peintre Celebre {USA}), the triple Group winner Finche (GB) (Frankel {GB}) and the Listed winner Baratti (GB) (Frankel {GB}).
Binche is also grandam of Woodside Park's G3 Prix Daphnis winner Delaware (GB) and the Listed Prix de Bagatelle winner Environs (GB) (Dansili {GB}).
Adviso foaled a filly by The Autumn Sun in late September having last year produced a full sister to Recommendation. Her 2-year-old Runjeet - also by Shalaa (Ire) - is a yet-to-race member of the John Sargent stable.
Recommendation, his sire Shalaa and his dam sire Street Cry (Ire), are all descendants of the influential Prunella (GB) (Highflyer {GB}).
Listed Santa Cup, $200,000, 2000m
Baby Rider (Fr) (Gleneagles {Ire}) recorded his first local victory - in the winner's circle for the first time since his G3 Prix Greffulhe success at Saint-Cloud in May 2021.
One of the 30 stakes winners (and the second in Australia) for his Coolmore Ireland-based sire, he is out of the stakes-placed Gyrella (Ire) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a half-sister to the G1 Epsom Derby hero Wings Of Eagles (Fr) and the Listed winner Orendina (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}).
Baby Rider was bred by the Forien family, originally sold as a yearling (2019 Deauville) for €220,000 (AU$360,000).
A descendant of the legendary matriarch Pretty Polly (GB) (Gallinule {GB}), he can count amongst his relations the G1 Prix Saint-Alary winner Belle Et Celebre (Fr) (Peintre Celebre {USA}), the Italian Champion 3-Year-Old Whortleberry (Fr) (Starborough {GB}) and the Scandinavian Champion Appel Au Maitre (Fr) (Starborough {GB}).
Ballarat: Listed Ballarat Cup, $500,000, 2000m
Handling the deteriorating conditions in a somewhat messy race, Captain Envious (NZ) (Savabeel) was somewhat the last man standing in a race in which there were four late scratchings due to the track downgrades.
The 137th stakes winner for his Waikato Stud-based sire, Captain Envious is a homebred for Ultra Racing. His dam is the G3 Balanchine S. winner My Central (Ity) (Central Park {Ire}) who has also produced the metropolitan winners Under Oath (Star Witness) and Winning Faith (Star Witness) as well as the dam of the Group 3-placed dual city winner Umgawa (Shamus Award).
A half-sister to the Italian Champion 2-Year-Old Colt Lui Rei (Ity) (Reinaldo {Fr}) and the Listed winner Ragiam (Ity) (Martino Alonso {Ire}), My Central died in New Zealand a couple of years ago. This is also the family of the Italian Champion Older Female Miler Party Goer (Ire) (Intense Focus {USA}) and the Listed winner Wide Sea (Ire) (The Gurkha {Ire}).
Morphettville: Listed Christmas H., $120,000, 1200m
Recording his first stakes win at three - the Listed Morphettville Guineas - Struck By (Barbados) was able to enhance his record with his second stakes success at the age of six.
Bred by Ducatoon Park's Toole family who stand his sire, a Canterbury maiden-winning son of Redoute's Choice, Struck By was sold by them to trainer Travis Doudle for $26,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
One of his sire's three stakes winners, he is out of the Balaklava maiden winner Cheers Rihanna (General Nediym) who - also by Barbados - has produced the city-placed, two-time winner Tropical Lightning.
Served last spring by Anders having missed the previous year, Cheers Rihanna is out of an imported daughter of the stakes-placed Coragil (USA) (Metfield {USA}) who produced the Group winners Softly (USA) (Binalong {USA}) and Coragil Cat (USA) (Forest Wildcat {USA}).
This is the family of this year's G1 Arkansas Derby winner Angel Of Empire (USA) (Classic Empire {USA}).
Struck By is one of the 19 stakes winners combining Redoute's Choice and General Nediym (who appeared in the pedigrees of another three of today's stakes winners) - noting that Redoute's Choice's damsire Canny Lad has some nice things in common with General Nediym's sire Nediym (Ire) whose fourth dam Diableretta (GB) (Dante {GB}) is the sire of Canny Lad's second damsire Coeur Volant (GB) whilst Canny Lad's third damsire Jambo (GB) Is a half-brother to Diableretta.
