Cover image courtesy of Queensland Racing
Eagle Farm: G1 Tattersalls Tiara, $700,000, 1600m
The final Group 1 for the season saw one of Australia's most popular horses in the winner's circle, Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) overcoming a wide gate to record her third win at the elite level.
Nine times successful from 52 starts, the 6-year-old took her prize money tally to beyond $10.9 - putting her in the top twelve earners in Australian history and making her the biggest earning sprinting mare.Bred by Saconi Thoroughbreds by Coolmore Stud's dual Group 1 winning Street Cry (Ire) stallion Pride Of Dubai (one of his 23 stakes winners and four multiple Group 1 winners), she is the first foal produced by the lightly raced Bella Orfana (Star Witness) - half-sister to the G2 sprinter Hallowell Belle and the G3 winner Fuddle Dee Duddle (dam of the G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Brereton by Zoustar).
A granddaughter of the lightly raced Bella Inez (Beautiful Crown {USA}) - full sister to the G1 Caulfield Guineas winner In Top Swing - Bella Nipotina is an $80,000 graduate of the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
Bella Orfana (also bred by Saconi's Michael Christian) died only recently with her final of only four foals being a filly by Trapeze Artist. Her 3-year-old Quello Dorato by that same sire is a yet to race (fifth in a Werribee jump-out on Friday) member of the Danny O'Brien stable.
G3 Tattersalls Cup, $200,000, 2400m
What a marvel Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War {USA}) is, the evergreen 8-year-old still in great form five years after he won this same race (when it was contested over 3000m); a success he followed up on that spring with his G1 Melbourne Cup victory.
Digging deep to hold off a challenge from his stablemate Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), the popular chestnut had been out of the winner's circle for a while - his previous success the G2 Zipping Classic in the spring of 2022.
He had however been racing well in good company and he has now amassed in excess of $7.6 million in stakes with his six wins. Bred by Paul Lanskey who remains in the ownership after he was passed in for $45,000 (a $60,000 reserve) at the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Vow And Declare is one of the 50 stakes winners for his sire who made a good mark on local racing despite shuttling to Coolmore on only two occasions.
He is one of the five winners (from six to race) for the multiple city winner Geblitzt (Testa Rossa), also dam of the Listed winning stayer Lycurgus (Star Witness). Served last spring by Tiger Of Malay after missing to Too Darn Hot (GB), Geblitz has a yearling filly by the latter whilst her yet to race 2-year-old Litzdeel (Dundeel {NZ}) has had a couple of jump-outs for the Nick Ryan stable.
Geblitzt is one of the eight winners (two being stakes placed) produced by the Group 1 placed Aim For Gold (End Sweep {USA}), half-sister to the stakes winners Walking Or Dancing and Irongail (Canny Lad) and to the dam of the G1 Epsom H. winner Hauraki (Reset).
Vow And Declare is a descendant of the legendary matriarch Mumtaz Mahal (GB) (The Tetrarch {GB}).
G3 WJ Healy S., $200,000, 1200m
It was a first Group win for the dual Listed winner Zarastro (I Am Invincible) who looked to have a bit in hand recording a soft win. A good advertisement for Inglis Digital - the $1,050,000 2020 MM Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate was purchased for just $32,500 by the Tony Gollan stable in October last year.
Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds, he is one of the 108 stakes winners for his Yarraman Park based Champion Sire. He is the first live foal for the G2 Light Fingers S. winner Adrift (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Served last year by Wootton Bassett (GB) after missing to Extreme Choice, Adrift foaled a full brother to Zarastro the year before whilst her Michael Freedman trained two-year-old Seascape (also by I Am Invincible) won the first of her two starts in April. Adrift is one of the 11 winners produced by the unraced Stray (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), also dam of the RL Karaka Million winner Imperial Win (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) and grandam of the G1 Railway S. winner Entriviere (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
A descendant of the outstanding matriarch Myrtlewood (USA) (Blue Larkspur {USA}), Stray is half-sister to Maldivian (NZ) (Zabeel), winner of the G1 WS Cox Plate, the G1 CF Orr S. and the G1 Caulfield S.Zarastro is one of the ten winners - from as many runners - for I Am Invincible out of mares by Zabeel.
Listed Tattersalls Gold Crown, $200,000, 2143m
Emerging victorious from an exciting battle with Deny Knowledge (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai), Princess Rhaenys (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}) deserved her black-type level having been three times stakes placed including a close second in this same race last year.
Bred by the Hong Kong Breeders Club and sold by Glastonbury Farms to Peachester Lodge for $460,000 at the 2019 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, she is the 99th stakes winner for her Dalham Hall based sire who enjoyed a good shuttling career to Haunui Farm.
She is a full sister to the G1 ATC Derby winner Jon Snow (NZ) out of the two times winner Orinda (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), half-sister to the dual Group winner Ubiquitous (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) and to the dam of the Listed winner Monza Circuito (NZ) (Showcasing {GB}). A granddaughter of the triple Group 1 winner Solveig (NZ) (Imposing), Orinda was served last spring by Best Of Bordeaux having foaled a Home Affairs colt in late September.
Her latest named foal is the yet to race Daiki Chujo trained 2-year-old Flaming Genesis (The Autumn Sun).
Listed Tattersalls S., $160,000, 1400m
Overcoming trouble in running to salute as a short priced favourite, Depth Of Character (Deep Field) did a good job recording the second win of his three start career.
Bred by China Horse Club Racing and sold by their The Chase to Annabel Neasham for $180,000 at the 2023 Gold Coast Magic Millions, he is the 33rd stakes winner for his retired Newgate based sire. He is the second foal and second winner for the Matamata maiden winning Group 3 and Listed placed Caricature (NZ) (Power {GB}) whose first is the consistent Canterbury winner Llanddwyn (also by Deep Field).
Served last spring by Russian Revolution after foaling a Zoustar filly in late August, Caricature is one of the eight winners (from nine to race) for the Group 1 placed multiple city winner Octapussy (Octagonal {NZ}) who did such a great job producing three stakes winners - Pussy Willow (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}), Inside Agent (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) and Pussy O'Reilly (NZ) (O'Reilly) - dam of this year's Group 3 South Australian Oaks and G3 Sunline Vase winner Positivity (NZ) (Almanzor {Fr}).
Octapussy is one of the seven winners for the Group 2 mare Dopff (NZ) (Tights {USA}) who has proven to be quite the matriarch as ancestress of another ten stakes winners.
Depth Of Character is the second Deep Field stakes winner out of a mare with a strain of his relation Octagonal (NZ) - the result a 6 X 4 cross of Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}).
Listed Tattersalls Mile, $160,000, 1600m
A horse who knows how to find the line, Cottee (Merchant Navy) was in the winner's circle for the sixth time from 14 starts - recording her first win at stakes level.
The third stakes winner for her Kooringal Stud based sire, Cottee was bred by Go Bloodstock and sold by Coolmore Stud to Ciaron Maher Racing (never racing for that stable) for $20,000 at the 2021 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Cottee is the first foal for the G2 Rich Hill Mile winner Ruud Not Too (NZ) (Bernardini {USA}) who was bred by Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan. Served last spring by So You Think (NZ) after foaling a colt by that same stallion in late September, Ruud Not Too had her yearling Fastnet Rock filly sell to KPW Bloodstock for $480,000 at Easter.
She is one of four winners produced by the unraced Too Many Diamonds (NZ) (O'Reilly {NZ}) whose dam is the G3 Eulogy S. winner Diamond Cashel (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) - dam of the G3 Red Anchor S. winner Royal Asscher (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) whose granddaughter Still A Star (Toronado {Ire}) won twice at Group level.
The 15th stakes winner line-bred to Last Tycoon (Ire), Cottee also carries three strains of Twig Moss (Fr) and is 6 X 4 Sir Tristram.
Morphettville: Listed Oaklands Plate, $120,000, 1400m
Putting in the big strides late to secure a valuable stakes victory at nice odds at only her second start, Femminile (Dundeel {NZ}) was bred by Aralet and sold by Vinery Stud to Phillip Stokes Racing and Rick Connolly Bloodstock for $150,000 at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
The 30th stakes winner for her Arrowfield Stud based sire, Femminile is the first foal for the very good race stakes placed mare Femme Fireball (Pierro) who won seven races - five of those at Doomben - from 23 starts.Served last spring by So You Think (NZ) after foaling a Pinatubo (Ire) filly in October, Femme Fireball is also dam of Bivouac yearling filly.
She is one of the four winners produced by the lightly raced Gosford maiden winner Subtitle (Fastnet Rock), also dam of the two times G3 Cameron H. winner Rock (Pierro).
The seventh stakes winner (from just 40 winners/78 runners) for Pierro as a broodmare sire, Femminile is 3 X 5 Sadler's Wells (USA) and 5 X 5 that stallion's 3/4 brother Nureyev (USA) - as well as 3 X 5 Zabeel (NZ).
Rosehill: Listed WJ McKell Cup, $200,000, 2000m
Remaining undefeated from two starts in Sydney, the Victorian galloper Golden Path (NZ) (Belardo {Ire}) relished the heavy going with this easy win.Bred by Ardsley Stud and sold by them to M Rogers for $35,000 at the 2021 Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2), Golden Path was sourced by the Price/Kent stable after good New Zealand trial form.
The 12th stakes winner for his Haunui Farm based sire, Golden Path is the final foal produced by the two times winner Golden Destination (Dubai Destination {USA}) - and her only winner.She is a half-sister to the triple Listed winner Enthusiast (Flying Spur) out of a daughter of the stakes winner Sumatra (USA) (Groton {USA}) whose eight winners include the G1 Belmont S. winner Summing (USA) and a couple of Group 3 winners. And she is ancestress of another 28 stakes winners including the Group 1 gallopers High Fly (USA) and Fighting Mad (USA) (New Year's Day {USA}) as well as the G3 Gloaming S. winner Love Tap (USA) (Tapit {USA}).
Golden Path is the 58th stakes winner produced by daughters of Dubai Destination (USA), a horse whose record as a broodmare sire is superior to his own stud record (28 stakes winners).
