Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Kembla Grange: G3 Kembla Grange Classic, $250,000, 1600m
Stakes placed on two occasions, Queen Of Dragons (Pierro) took the next step in this Group 3 contest, appreciating the step up to the mile at only her second run for the campaign.
Bred by S Wilde, and B Hilton, she was sold by Marquee Stud to Trilogy Racing and CB Bloodstock for $330,000 at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
The 36th stakes winner for her Coolmore Stud-based sire, she is the second foal and second stakes winner for the multiple city winner Entrancing (Exceed And Excel) who also produced by Pierro the G2 Percy Sykes S. winner Paris Dior who Tom Magnier purchased at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale for $1.6 million - sending her to Snitzel.
A $250,000 Inglis Easter graduate, Entrancing's third foal Mayweather (Lonhro) is a yet to race 2-year-old member of the Peter and Paul Snowden stable whilst her yearling colt by Graff was sold to Australian Bloodstock, Bahen Bloodstock and Kris Lees for $200,000 at this year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Served last spring by Pierro and I Am Invincible after foaling a colt by the former, Entrancing is one of the four winners for the stakes-placed Coast To The Post (Anabaa {USA}), also dam of the twice Group-placed Miss West Coast (Safeguard).
Coast To The Post's dam is the four-time Listed winner Nanny Maroon (Alquoz {USA}), dam of another four winners including the G2 Challenge S. winner De Lightning Ridge (Tale Of The Cat {USA}).
Pakenham: Listed Pakenham Cup, $300,000, 2500m
It had been a while between drinks for Ashrun (Fr) (Authorized {Ire}) who last tasted success in the 2020 G3 Hotham H., but the imported galloper ran some great races last spring including a G3 Geelong Cup second and a G1 Melbourne Cup fourth.
One of the 38 stakes winners for his multiple Group 1-winning sire, Ashrun was bred by Hans Wirth out of the Group 3 winner Ashantee (Ger) (Areion {Ger}), also dam of the Group 2 winner Ashiana (Ger) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}).
Line-bred to the Kentucky Oaks heroine Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}) via Bold Reason (USA) and a couple of strains of Never Bend (USA), Ashrun hails from an excellent international family that has as its ancestress the influential mare Premiere Danseuse (GB) (Phalaris {GB}).
