Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
Rosehill: G3 Canonbury S., $250,000, 1100m
Could we have two G1 Golden Slippers in a row won by the same family? Shinzo (Snitzel) did a great job last year and heading that way this year is his three-quarter brother Prost (Snitzel) who was very good breaking through at start number two.
Bred by Gerry Harvey and sold by his Baramul Stud to Kia Ora Stud, TFI and Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing for $650,000 at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, he is the 141st stakes winner for his Arrowfield Stud-based Champion Sire.
He is one of the three winners (from four named foals) for the Sandown winner (at two) Samarmeteors (Northern Meteor) whose dual Group 1-winning half-sister Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}) is the dam of Shinzo... and of the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic/G3 Quezette S. winner Exhilarates (also by Snitzel).
Samarmeteors' city-winning dam Samar (Secret Savings {USA}) also produced the dual Group winner Night War (General Nediym) and her dam Nice Choice (GB) (Touching Wood {USA}) is the dam of the tough triple Group 1-winning stayer County Tyrone (Danewin) - and grandam of the G1 JJ Atkins S. winner Almalad (Al Maher).
Prost is the second Snitzel stakes winner (Highness from the same crop) out of a mare by Northern Meteor; a cross which has had four winners amongst the first five runners.
Samarmeteors foaled a colt last spring (having been served by Extreme Choice and Snitzel) with her previous produce being a colt by Toronado (Ire).
G3 Widden S., $250,000, 1100m
Backed as though unbeatable, Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) looks to have come up much improved having been fourth on debut; this time, the Go Bloodstock homebred treated her rivals to a galloping lesson with a 2.75l victory.
The 60th stakes winner (and the second for the day) for her Yulong-based Champion Sire, Lady Of Camelot is the third stakes winner for the Listed Denise's Joy S. winner Miss Debutante (Fastnet Rock).
A daughter of the G3 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf S. winner More Than Real (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}), he is also dam of the four-time Group 3 winner Queen Of The Ball (I Am Invincible) and the G3 Gimcrack S. winner Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar).
The fifth (from 27 winners/33 runners) Written Tycoon stakes winner out of a mare by Fastnet Rock, Lady Of Camelot is a great-granddaughter of the five-time Listed winner Miss Seffens (USA) (Dehere {USA}) whose dam Noise Enough (Can) (Bold Ruckus {USA}) was also a stakes winner... that's a remarkable five generations of female black type!
Miss Debutante was served last spring by Zoustar having foaled an I Am Invincible filly. Her 2022 foal is a colt by Flying Artie.
G3 Southern Cross S., $250,000, 1200m
Racing in great heart - this win her third in a row - Lady Laguna (Overshare) added a Group 3 to her record which already includes two wins at Listed level.
The sole stakes winner for her Widden Victoria-based, G3 Zeditave S.-winning sire - a son of I Am Invincible - Lady Laguna was bred by Spendthrift Australia.
She is the second of three foals so far for the dual city winner Catalina De Lago (NZ) (Encosta De Lago), half-sister to the G2 Edward Manifold S. winner She Will Be Loved (Strategic) out of the unraced Katie O'Neill (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Katie O'Neill, the half-sister to the dual Group winner Soleil Rouge (NZ) (Red Tempo {NZ}) and the G3 Metric Mile winner Black Sun (NZ) (Otehi Bay), is also grandam of the two-time Group winner Luke's Luck (Show A Heart) and third dam of the Listed Takeover Target H. winner Enchanted Heart (Show A Heart) and the G3 Percy Sykes S. winner Kristilli (Hellbent).
This is also the family of the Group 1 winners All Thrills Too (St Covet), Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Sabaveel) and Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) and of two Group 3 winners currently at stud in Australia - Swear and Extreme Warrior.
Lady Laguna boasts crosses of Fairy Bridge (USA) (Bold Reason {USA}) and her dam Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}) via Sadler's Wells (USA), Fairy King (USA) and Nureyev (USA).
Now a Kingstar Farm mare, Catalina De Lago has not had much luck in recent times - slipping two years running with her latest foal being Lindelago (Bolt D'Oro {USA}) who sadly died having raced just the once; not disgraced in last year's G3 Ottawa S. She was served last spring by State Of Rest (Ire).
Caulfield: G3 Chairman's S., $200,000, 1000m
The G1 Blue Diamond S.-bound Coleman (Pierata) remained undefeated with this impressive performance, part of a good day for his trainer Matt Laurie.
The first stakes winner from the debut crop of his Yulong-based, G1 All Aged S.-winning sire Pierata, Coleman was bred by Kulani Park and was sold by them to Matt Laurie Racing and Justin Bahen for $550,00 at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
He is one of the three winners for the city-placed mare Sboog (Redoute's Choice), also dam of the dual Listed winner Liwa (Mulaazem) and the 10-time winner Exdream (Dream Ahead {USA}).
Paying a return visit to Pierata last spring, Sboog missed to So You Think (NZ) the previous season with her previous foal being a filly by Flying Artie.
She hails from a high-quality local speed family, her dam Schiaparelli (Woodman {USA}) producing the stakes-winning stallions Rothesay (Lyndhurst Stud) and Sensei (Ashmore Downs) as well as the dam of the Listed Mitchell McKenzie S. winner Fast Witness (Star Witness).
Schiapparelli's dam is the triple Group 1-winning sprinter/miler Canny Lass (Bletchingly) - dam of the stakes winners Causeway Lass (Giant's Causeway {USA}) and Astute Angel (Godswalk {USA}) and full sister to the G1 Golden Slipper-winning, high-class stallion Canny Lad.
Coleman is bred on a 4 X 3 cross of Danehill (USA) and is one of the 21 stakes winners whose pedigree combines Flying Spur and Redoute's Choice (son of a Canny Lad mare).
G3 Geoffrey Bellmaine S., $200,000, 1200m
Racing in flying form, this win her third in a row, Vagrant (Pariah) recorded a deserved first win at stakes level.
Bred by Olly Tait and sold by his Twin Hills Stud to trainer Mitch Freedman for $130,000 at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, she is the second stakes winner for her Oaklands Stud-based, dual Group 3-winning sire, a son of Redoute's Choice.
Her dam is the Moonee Valley winner My Obsession (Lonhro) whose half-sister Given (Canny Lad) won this same race 20 years ago.
And she did a good job at stud, producing seven winners including the Listed Strutt S. winner Green Roller (Flying Spur) and the dams of the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas winner Ugo Foscolo (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) and the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S. winner Get In The Spirit (Spirit Of Boom).
My Obsession's dual city-winning dam Mad Desire (Covetous), a three-quarter sister to the Group 1 filly With Me (Covetous) is out of the Group 3-placed, multiple city winner Gypsy Alert (Solitary Hail {USA}) - dam of the Group 3 winners Alert Me (Genghiz {USA}) and Techiques (Palace Music {USA}); the latter dam of the Listed Black Opal S. winner You're Canny (Canny Lad).
Last weekend's G3 Blue Diamond Preview winner Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}) also hails from this family.
Served last spring by Justify (USA), My Obsession missed the previous season with her 2022 colt being by Peltzer. Her latest named foal is the yet-to-race 3-year-old Dhanush (Smart Missile) who ran fourth in a Caulfield trial last week for the Leon and Troy Corstens stable.
