Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix
Belmont: Listed Belmont Oaks, $125,000, 2000m
The second stakes winner from her sire’s final Australian crop, Petrouchka (More Than Ready {USA}) was able to turn the tables on Luvnwar (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) who had defeated her in the Listed Belmont Guineas.
More Than Ready’s 227th stakes winner, she is the fourth stakes winner for the unraced Twinkle Toes (USA) (Danehill {USA}) who has also produced the G3 La Trice Classic winner I’m Feeling Lucky (Bletchley Park {Ire}) and the Listed winners Utgard Loki (Frost Giant {USA}) and Baronova (Fiorente {Ire}).
Served last year by Wootton Bassett (GB) having slipped her two previous pregnancies, Twinkle Toes is a half-sister to the dam of the G3 Doomben Roses winner Awesome Planet (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) whose son Awesome Rock won the G1 Emirates S.A home-bred for the van Heemst family, Petrouchka hails from the same family as the G1 Epsom Derby Dr Devious (Ire).
Listed Aquanita S., $125,000, 2000m
Never in any danger kicking clear into the straight, Cool Memory (Impending) relished the 2000m recording the third win of his 15 start career.
A home-bred for Impressive Racing, he is the second stakes winner for his dual Group 1 winning sire who recently relocated to Larneuk Stud in Victoria. He is the third foal (all winners) for the stakes placed multiple city winner Fo’Shizzle (Universal Ruler), also dam of the stakes placed seven times winner Cool Shizzle (Awesome Rock) and fellow metropolitan winner Bleecker Street (Manhattan Rain).
Served last spring by Awesome Rock after foaling a Manhattan Rain filly in October, Fo’Shizzle has a yearling colt by Playing God.
Stakes winners Competitive Spirit (Ifrad {USA}) and Potter McQueen hail from this family.
Flemington: Listed Winter Championship Series Final, $200,000, 1600m
It was a third nice win in a row for Munhamek (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}), imported eight-year-old taking out the Swan Hill Classic and the David Bourke at Flemington. A horse who has always known how to find the line, this win the gelding's 13 from a 62 start career - one which has seen him race - and win - in England, Hong Kong and Australia.
Bred by Shadwell, he was a debut winner at Thirsk in March 2019 having been purchased by Kilbride Equine for 16,000 gns at the 2018 Tattersalls Autumn Horses In Training Sale. He had another three starts in the UK (another win and two seconds) before venturing to Hong Kong where he took a while to find his feet, eventually managing a couple of wins at Sha Tin.
Also a Listed winner in Brisbane and a Group 3 winner in Perth (Damien Oliver’s last local ride), he is one of the 103 stakes winners for his Yeomanstown Stud based stallion. Munhamek is out of Cadenza (Fr) (Dansili {GB}) who has produced another three winners including Anif (Ire) (Cape Cross {Ire}) who has won 13 races. Cadenza is a half-sister to the G3 September S. winner Kandidate (GB) (Kabool {GB}) and the G3 Prix de Meautry winner Star Valley (Fr) (Starborough {GB}). Her grandam is the Listed Prix Belle de Nuit winner Valley Quest (Ire) (Rainbow Quest {USA}) whose half-sister Valdara (GB) (Darshaan {GB}) produced the G1 Sydney Cup winner The Offer (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).
This is the prolific Simon's Shoes (GB) (Simon Square {GB}) family that has produced such outstanding stallions as Sadler's Wells (USA), Nureyev (USA), Fairy King (USA) and Thatching (Ire).
Listed Taj Rossi Series Final, $175,000, 1200m
Appreciating the step up to the 1600m, Jenni’s Meadow (Brutal {NZ}) was strong to the line providing her Newgate based G1 Doncaster H. winning sire with his first stakes winner. Bred in Queensland by the Nolan family, she was sold by their Raheen Stud for $260,000 to Cape Schanck Stud at the Magic Millions.
She is the fourth foal for the city winner Meadow (Redoute’s Choice) who has also produced the stakes placed multiple city winner Flower In The Wind (Sebring). Served last spring by Better Than Ready having foaled a Bivouac filly in late October, she has a yearling Heroic Valour filly who was passed in at the Gold Coast in January.
Meadow is one of the five winners for the Listed Maybe Mahal S. winner Strawberry Field (Encosta de Lago). Also grandam of the G3 South Australian Oaks winner Mimi’s Award (Shamus Award) she is out of the Listed Red Roses S. winner Red Labelle (Blevic) whose son Pelizotti won at Listed level.
Jenni’s Meadow is the 18th stakes winner combining O’Reilly (NZ) and Redoute’s Choice; a cross which results in the duplication of the wonderful mare Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA}).
Listed Lane Sprint Series Final, $175,000, 1200m
It was a third 1200m Flemington stakes victory for It'soourtime (Time For War), a classy and consistent performer who has six wins and 15 placings on his record (from 32 starts). A home-bred for S Pitts who passed him in for $100,000 at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, It'sourtime is one of the five stakes winners (from just two crops of 122 live foals) for his late sire, a dual Group 2 winning son of Snitzel.
His dam Zedoble (Zeditave), who died in the spring of 2019, also produced the stakes placed multiple city winner Zahspeed (Speed 'N' Power {NZ}).
There is not a great deal of black-type in this family with It'sourtime's closest stakes winning relation being his third dam's half-sister - the wonderful Dual Choice (Showdown {GB}). Crowned the Champion 2YO Filly of Australia, that popular mare won nine races that now carry Group 1 status and her descendants include the stakes winners Duke Abbey (Lord Seymour {Ire}), King Hoaks (King Charlemagne {USA}), Scales of Justice (Not A Single Doubt), Present Arms (NZ) (Guns Of Navarone {Ire}) and State of Origin (NZ) (Frenchpark {GB}).
Time For War's dam is bred on a 2 X 4 cross of Sir Tristram (Ire) whilst Zedoble carries a strain of his close relation Mossborough (GB), the terrific mare All Moonshine (GB) (Bobsleigh {GB}) duplicated.
Listed Sprint Series Final, $175,000, 1200m
A home-bred for GSA Bloodstock, Right To Party (Zoustar) made it two Flemington wins in a row with this dominant performance. The 57th stakes winner for his Widden Stud based sire, he is the second for the unraced De Groove (Dehere {USA}) who is also dam of the Hong Kong based Group 3 winner Big Party (Exceed And Excel) as well as of the stakes placed General Groove (General Nediym).
Also bred by GSA, she has missed to King’s Legacy at her last two years at stud with her most recent foal being the yet to race 2-year-old Youthful Groove (Exceed And Excel), a member of the Peter Robl stable.
De Groove is out of the unraced Tyrises (Last Tycoon {Ire}) whose eight winners include the dual Group 3 winner Taikun (Anabaa {USA}) and the Listed winner Super Groove (Dehere). And she is the third dam of last spring’s G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude winner Steparty (Artie Schiller {USA}).
Randwick: Winter S., $200,000, 1400m
Emerging victorious from an exciting 200 metres battle with the favourite Iknowastar (Star Witness), Tamerlane (Golden Horn {GB}) was in the winner’s circle for the tenth time from 35 starts.
The Godolphin home-bred is one of the 22 stakes winners for his Overbury Stud based G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and G1 Epsom Derby winning sire. He is out of the two times winner Wordcraft (GB) (Shamardal {USA}) who came to Australia in foal with Tamerlane. Served last spring by Bivouac, she was not served the previous year with her yearling being a son of Harry Angel (Ire).
Her 2-year-old Polyglot (Lonhro) was second at his Sale debut on Thursday. Wordcraft is a daughter of the Australian Champion 2YO Filly Forensics (Flying Spur) who, like her sire, won the G1 Golden Slipper S. as well as another two races at the elite level. She is still at stud - foaling a Blue Point (Ire) filly last spring.
Forensics is a member of the prolific Easy Date (Grand Chaudiere {Can}) family, one represented at the elite level by Snippets, Ertijaal (Hard Spun {USA}), Rewaaya (NZ) (Singspiel {Ire}), Oohood (I Am Invincible), King's Legacy and Sense Of Occasion (Street Sense {USA}) - and one which also produced the outstanding stallion Not A Single Doubt.
