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Rosehill: G1 Coolmore Classic, $1,000,000, 1500m
Having already won a Group 1 race - the Flight S. - and having beaten the subsequent G1 Canterbury S. winner Lady Laguna (Overshare) when winning the G2 Millie Fox S. first-up - Zougotcha (Zoustar) looked the one to beat and so it transpired.
A $500,000 graduate of the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale (purchased by Chris Waller Racing and Mulcaster Bloodstock), she was bred by Widden Stud (home to her sire who has been well-represented by 49 stakes winners) with the RMA Bloodstock Trust.
She is one of three stakes winners for her dam, the stakes-placed, triple city winner Fast Talker (Fastnet Rock) whose dam is the Listed winner Crystal Wit (Distorted Humor {USA}).
Also dam of the Listed winners Persuader (Zoustar) and The Actuary (Sebring) as well as the city winner Campaign (Sebring), Fast Talker was again served last spring by Zoustar having missed to him the previous year. Her yearling - a son of Written Tycoon - is Lot 24 at the upcoming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Fast Talker is a half-sister to the G3 Heath S. winner Crystal Dreamer (Stratum) from the family of the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Crystal Lily (Stratum) and the stakes winners Amaethon (Al Maher), Crystal Web (Hard Spun {USA}) and Carrara.
G2 Phar Lap S., $300,000, 1500m
Back into winning form at only her second run since taking out last spring's G1 VRC Oaks, Zardozi (Kingman {GB}) did a great job against the boys with another filly Makarena (Snitzel) a brave second.
A Godolphin homebred, Zardozi is one of her Juddmonte-based star sire's 75 stakes winners. She is out of the unraced Chanderi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) who made her way to Australia in 2020 in foal with Zardozi.
Served last spring by Anamoe and Exceed And Excel, she has a yearling called Texture by the latter and a 2-year-old Adinath (Lonhro).
Chanderi is a daughter of the G2 Park Hill S. and Listed Chalice S. winner Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}) whose grandam Gossamer (GB) (Sadler's Wells {USA}) earned the title of Irish Champion 3-Year-Old Filly with her four wins including two at Group 1 level - the Irish 1000 Guineas and the Ascot Fillies Mile.
Her dam Brocade (GB) (Habitat {USA}) was also a Group 1 winner (the Prix de la Foret) and she did a great job at stud with her eight winners including the European Horse of the Year Barathea (Ire).
This is a family that has enjoyed big-race success in Australia in the shape of the 2013 G1 Stradbroke H. winner Linton (Galileo {Ire}).
G2 Ajax S., $300,000, 1500m
It was a tight finish but Democracy Manifest (Flying Artie) was able to hold on, recording the ninth win of his 25-start career and his second at Group level on the back of his G3 Cameron H. success.
Bred by Aaron Bott and Newgate Stallions, he is one of the eight stakes winners for his Blue Gum Farm-based, G1 Coolmore Stud S.-winning sire. Passed in with a reserve of $25,000 at the 2020 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, he was sold online shortly afterwards for $11,000 - then taken to the Inglis Ready2Race Sale where he was sold by Network Bloodstock to Allam Racing and Andrew Williams Bloodstock (FBAA) for $70,000.
He is one of the three winners for the Sandown winner Slippery Satin (Benicio) whose dual city-winning dam Satin Covers (Dr Grace) did a great job with her seven winners including the G1 Railway H. winner Great Shot (Magnus) and the Listed winner Gawne (Flying Spur).
The latter went onto produce the dual Listed winner Milton Park (Written Tycoon) as well as the dam of the Listed Exford Plate winner Legionnaire (Stratum) whilst one of her sisters is the dam of the two-time Group 3 winner Casino Dancer (Casino Prince).
A granddaughter of the Group 1 mare Satin Sand (Buena Shore {USA}), Slippery Satin was served last year by Flying Artie's son Artorius after foaling a Zousain filly. She had missed the previous season and her yet-to-race 2-year-old Slippery Satin (Magna Grecia {Ire}) is a member of the Bryce Heys stable.
G3 Sky High S., $350,000, 2000m
Winning in the style that an odds-on favourite should, Lindermann (Lonhro) was in the winner's circle for the first time since taking out last year's G1 Rosehill Guineas.
Bred and raced by Debbie Kepitis, he is one of the 97 stakes winners for her retired sire, one of her family's great stars.
A member of his 15th crop, Lindermann is the second foal produced by the stakes-placed, dual city winner Self Esteem (Stratum) from the same family as fellow Group 1 winners Reset, Assertive Lad (Zeditave) and Assertive Lass (Zeditave).
Served last spring by Lonhro's son Pierro having foaled a Written By colt, Self Esteem has a yet to race 2-year-old called Hammett (Written Tycoon) who is also raced by Kepitis and trained by Chris Waller.
Written By having missed the previous season to Yes Yes Yes, Self Esteem has a Written Tycoon yearling colt whilst her yet-to-race 2-year-old daughter Cranberries (Nicconi) is also a member of the Chris Waller stable.
G3 Maurice McCarten S., $250,000, 1100m
Already a dual Listed winner, Red Card (Ribchester {Ire}) further increased her value with this smart performance.
She is one of the nine stakes winners for her multiple Group 1-winning sire who did not capture the attention of local breeders, his two local crops yielding only 72 live foals.
Red Card is the first foal for the Yarra Valley maiden winner Penalty (Street Cry {Ire}) whose Group 2-placed dam Forfeiture (Commands) is also dam of the G3 Widden S. winner Amercement (Lonhro).
Penalty was served by three different stallions last spring - Written Tycoon, Alabama Express and Pierata. She foaled fillies by Tagaloa at her previous two years at stud.
She also has a yet-to-race 3-year-old called Hills Of Minto (Exosphere) who changed hands online for $4500 in early 2022.
Red Card is one of the 79 stakes-winning descendants of the wonderful mare Denise's Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}) and the 48th Group winner.
G3 Magic Night S., $250,000, 1200m
Finding plenty to record the second win of her three-start career, Drifting (Zousain) was bred by Baddock Bloodstock and sold by Murrulla Stud to Snowden Racing and William Johnson Bloodstock (FBAA) for $160,000 at last year's 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
She is one of the five debut crop winners - and the first stakes winner - for her Widden Stud-based sire, a G2 Champagne S.-winning son of Zoustar.
She is the third named foal for Backpacker Express (Big Brown {USA}) who has also produced the six-time winner Ain't She Lovely (Worthy Cause).
A half-sister to another winner of this race - Downhill Racer (Danehill Dancer {USA}) - Backpacker Express was served last spring by Profiteer after foaling a Heroic Valour filly; her previous foal being a full sister to Drifting.
Hailing from the family of the stakes winners Schubert (Salieri {USA}), Pinezero (Danzero), Gonski and Happy Giggle, Drifting boasts an interesting pedigree with her great-grandsire Northern Meteor and her damsire Big Brown both boasting multiple strains of the prolific Rough Shod (GB) (Gold Bridge {Fr}) family.
G3 Pago Pago S., $250,000, 1200m
Bouncing back from an unplaced run in the G1 Blue Diamond S., Dublin Down (Exceedance) was strong to the line recording his second win at stakes level.
Last spring's G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner was bred by Ian Smith, he was sold by his Edinburgh Park to McEvoy Mitchell Racing and the Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) for $370,000 at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
One of the three debut crop winners - and the first stakes winner - for his Vinery Stud-based, G1 Coolmore Stud S.-winning sire, Dublin Down is the second foal for the Listed Bright Shadow H. winner Dublin Lass (O'Reilly {NZ}) whose yet-to-race first foal Dublin Belle (So You Think {NZ}) is a last-start Gosford maiden winner.
Served by three different stallions (Capitalist, Extreme Choice and In The Congo) last spring, Dublin Lass foaled a colt by Glenfiddich in mid-September with her previous foal being a full sister to Dublin Down.
Dublin Lass is one of the four winners (from as many to race) for the city winner Fashion Police (Elusive Quality {USA}), also dam of the stakes-placed Crafty Cop (Starcraft {NZ}).
Fashion Police's dam is the stakes-placed Crixia (Danzero), in turn daughter of the G2 Breeders Plate winner Fine Recipe (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}) whose dam is the Listed McDougall S. winner Lady Lustre (NZ) (Imposing).
Ancestress of this family - one which also produced the G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Midnight Fever (Luskin Star) is the acclaimed matriarch Lady Josephine (GB) (Sundridge {GB}).
Ascot: Listed JC Roberts S., $125,000, 1800m
Charging late to secure a smart victory - his third from just six starts - Lord Vampi was the winning part of a quinella (Alaskan second) for his Darling View Thoroughbreds-based sire, Playing God.
The 17th stakes winner for that dual G1 Kingston Town Classic-winning son of Blackfriars, Lord Vampi is a homebred for Oakland Park Stud out of the G3 La Trice Classic winner Vampi Lass (Bletchley Park {Ire}).
Also dam of the city winners The Lady Is A Vamp (I'm All The Talk) and Vampi At Play (Playing God), she is out of a half-sister to the Listed Sha Tin Vase winner Gallant Lion (Bletchley Park) who, as Lock The Vault, also won the WA Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Served last year by Sessions and Playing God, Vampi Lass had the previous year off - before that producing a Maschino filly. Her 2-year-old son Acorn (Sessions) is a member of the Daniel Morton stable.
Listed Natasha S., $125,000, 2200m
What great form Own The Queen (Awesome Rock) is in, this win her fourth in a row and her second at stakes level on the back of her Listed Thousand Guineas victory a couple of weeks ago.
Bred by Clive Atwell and sold by the Western Breeders Alliance to John Chalmers Bloodstock and Erkelens Racing for $57,500 at the 2022 Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale, she is one of the five stakes winners for her Gold Front Thoroughbreds-based, G1 Emirates S.-winning sire, a son of Fastnet Rock.
Her dual city-winning dam Queen Of Choice (Patronize) has had three named foals, all of whom are winners. Served last year by Playing God and Lightsaber, she foaled a Playing Gold colt in October having slipped to that same stallion the year before. Her 2-year-old is a son of I'm All The Talk and her yearling colt is by Playing God.
Queen Of Choice's city-placed, winning dam Coronations (Canny Lad) is a half-sister to the dam of the G3 Skyline S. winner Uate (Ad Valorem {USA}) whist her grandam is a half-sister to the G3 CS Hayes S. winner Cannibal King (Clear Choice {USA}).
