Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos
Raceday Recap
At Ipswich, Zousain added his tenth first crop winner with favourite Mister Bianco.
Godolphin enjoyed a juvenile quinella at Sandown, with Photograph and Diamond Firetail.
Pride Of Dubai's excellent season continued with 2-year-old filly Palm of Jumeirah winning at Murray Bridge.
At Sandown, expensive purchase 3-year-old filly La Casona made her second career victory look easy.
There were emotional scenes at Murray Bridge when Watchme Win, the horse who is lucky to be alive, won on debut.
In Sydney, a pair of Zoustar 3-year-olds won in fine fashion. Cosmonova is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Magic Time, while Zouripper's dam is a half-sister to Capitalist.
No photo finish needed for Photograph
Godolphin’s 2-year-old filly Photograph (Blue Point {Ire}) won the first at Sandown by an impressive 3.25l to take her record to two wins from four starts. Trained by James Cummings, who got the quinella with 2-year-old filly Diamond Firetail (Epaulette) in second while Ciaron Maher-trained favourite 2-year-old gelding Jazzclub (NZ) (Ardrossan) was third.
“Very impressive,” said jockey Blake Shinn. “She did everything right she jumped nice, we ended up in a lovely spot, getting some cover running fifth. I was within range I was able to be conservative, she balanced up and really let down with a powerful sprint and had that right to the line. I think, it’s a sign of a filly going forward into the spring and she could be effective in some better races.”
“She’s not the biggest filly but she’s got a lovely action and relaxes well. I feel she’s got a good future. James will take his time with her. He’s a master and that was a dominant win today.”
Photograph was first sighted in February where she ran fourth in her first two starts. After a short let up, she returned to the races at Gosford at the start of July where she won, and Wednesday’s win was her second in succession.
She is one of eight winners for Blue Point (Ire) with his first Australian crop, which includes G1 JJ Atkins S.-placed Bosustow, G2 Karrakatta Plate-placed Blue Rocket, G3 Maribyrnong Plate-placed Blue Stratum, and stakes placed Reasonable Point and Heavy Metal.
“She’s (Photograph) not the biggest filly but she’s got a lovely action and relaxes well. I feel she’s got a good future. James will take his time with her. He’s a master and that was a dominant win today.” - Blake Shinn
Photograph’s year older half-sister Commemorative (I Am Invincible) won the Listed Denise’s Joy S. back in May this year, and both are out of G2 Silver Shadow S-placed winner Memorial (Street Cry {Ire}). Memorial is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner and sire Impending (Lonhro), Group 3 winner Forget (Exceed and Excel) and Listed winner Epidemic (Lonhro), as well as being a full sister to Erato, the dam of G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Lyre (Lonhro).
Memorial’s dam is dual Group 1 winner Mnemosyne (Encosta De Lago) who is a daughter of Listed winner My Juliet (Canny Lad).
Pride Of Dubai wrapping up stellar season
Phillip Stokes trained 2-year-old filly Palm Of Jumeirah (Pride Of Dubai) added another win to her sire’s stunning 2023/24 season. Ridden by Lachlan Neindorf, Palm Of Jumeirah won by 0.7l from 2-year-old filly Brimarvi Rosemarie (Sir Prancelot {Ire}) and 2-year-old filly Truly Elsa (Frosted {USA}).
Stokes must have had a big opinion of Palm Of Jumeirah as he debuted her in the Listed Cinderella S. back in February. She didn’t stack up that day, but she’s demonstrated her talent with Wednesday’s win to take her record to a win from two starts.
Part-owned by Hawthorn player Jack Ginnivan who said on X just before the race, “does not lose, moral ha ha ha”
Only three seasons ago, Pride Of Dubai had fallen out of favour with breeders, covering only 30 mares in 2021, from a peak of 202 the year prior, and covered just 54 in 2022 despite a fee drop. In 2023, he had a lift in a fee and a big lift in popularity covering 103 mares, and given his racing results in the 2023/24 season, he ought to be popular again this spring.
Pride Of Dubai has enjoyed four Group 1 winners this season, led by Pride Of Jenni who won the G1 Queen Elizabeth S., G1 Cantala S., G1 Empire Rose S., and the All-Star Mile. She also ran second in the G1 Australian Cup, and G1 CF Orr S. to take her career earnings over $8.6million.
Bella Nipotina won the G1 Doomben Ten Thousand, G1 Tattersall's Tiara, and was second in the G1 TJ Smith S., G1 Stradbroke H., and G1 Kingsford Smith Cup. Over in New Zealand, Desert Lightning (NZ) won the G1 Captain Cook S, while stalwart galloper Dubai Honour (Ire) added the G1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud to his previous two Australian Group 1 wins from last season.
This season, Pride Of Dubai has also had G2 Matriarch S. winner Deny Knowledge (Ire) and five Listed winners.
Palm Of Jumeirah was a $45,000 purchase by Swettenham Stud and John Foote Bloodstock from Two Bays Farm at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. She is the first foal of unraced mare Metacarpal (Fastnet Rock) whose dam is Group 3-placed winner Count Your Fingers (General Nediym), making Metacarpal a half-sister to stakes placed winner Irish Vega (Lope De Vega {Ire}). Count Your Fingers is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Kutchinsky (Anabaa {USA}).
Mister Bianco gives Zousain his tenth winner
It was a nail-biting watch for backers of the favourite Mister Bianco (Zousain) in the first at Ipswich for 2-year-olds, but the Paul Shailer-trained gelding dug deep in the finish and won by 0.49l from 2-year-old gelding Unega Wahy’a (Under The Louvre) with 2-year-old colt Vanguard Legend (Microphone) in third.
Ridden by jockey Ryan Maloney, Mister Bianco earned his $1.45 favourite tag thanks to a slashing second place on debut at Eagle Farm two weeks ago. A $70,000 purchase by his trainer at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from Ambergate Farm, Mister Bianco became the tenth winner for first season sire Zousain.
Zousain, who stood his first season at Widden Stud for $19,800 inc GST was hugely popular at stud with 138 live foals in this current crop of 2-year-olds, and a further 153 in his second crop who will turn two in ten days. With ten winners including Group 3 winner Drifting, Zousain has had a successful start to his stud career.
Mister Bianco is the fourth winner for G2 Wakefield Challenge S.-placed Orutan (NZ) (Pins) who won three races in New Zealand. She is back in foal to Zousain. Orutan is one of two stakes horses for G2 Matamata Breeders S. winner Naturo (NZ) (Postponed {USA}), with the other being Listed placed winner O’Naturelle (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}). Another half-sister, La Vitesse (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) won twice and is the dam of Group 1 winner Pier (NZ) (Proisir) and Group 3 winner Maria Farina (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}). Further back this is the family of Group 1 winner Sweet Idea (Snitzel).
La Casona wins in track gallop
Ciaron Maher trained 3-year-old filly La Casona (Snitzel) made her second career victory look easy at Sandown on Wednesday, winning by 0.75l from Sweet Jasmine (So You Think {NZ}) and Mislead (Shamexpress {NZ}).
“It felt a bit like a track gallop, to be honest,” said jockey Jaylah Kennedy. “She was doing it on her ear, she’s obviously going to keep improving. She’s lightly raced and they’ve got a pretty handy one in their hands.”
La Casona won on debut in January this year, then ran tenth in the G3 Vanity S. She resumed in July with a second here, then took her record to two wins from four starts with this victory. A $400,000 purchase by her trainer at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale from Ridgmont Farm, La Casona is by four-time Champion Sire Snitzel.
She is the second foal and second winner for her dam Chachapoyas (Medaglia d’Oro {USA}) who was a winner at two and ran second in the Listed Fernhill Handicap. Chachapoyas is a half-sister to Group 3 winner and multiple times Group 1-placed Aramayo (Poet’s Voice {GB}) and to G1 Australian Derby placed winner Tupac Amaru (Street Cry {Ire}). Chachapoyas’ unraced dam is a half-sister to triple Group 1 winner In The Wings (GB) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}), Group 2 winners Morozov (USA) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) and Hunting Hawk (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}) and Group 3 winner Hawker’s News (Ire) (Sadler’s Wells {USA}).
Watchme Win ‘lucky to be alive’ and wins
Trainer Andrew Gluyas debuted a horse with an emotional story at Murray Bridge, and 3-year-old gelding Watchme Win (Harry Angel {Ire}) delivered with a win.
“It’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of patience, a lot of luck. To come out and win after a bit of hardship is very satisfying for everyone who has been involved with the horse, particularly the crew back at the stables,” said Gluyas.
“I think the decisions we’ve made along the way have been good, you are always things in the back of your mind that you think you could be doing differently. I hope he pulls up really well, it’s fantastic for everyone involved.”
Watchme Win was a $160,000 purchase by Macdonald and Gluyas Racing at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
“He paraded really well (as a yearling), was presented very nicely by Nooralim Park. Bred by Harry Perks, so we were pretty keen to get him and we had to fight for him. Really great to get him initially.
“He showed a little bit in those early preparations and then we ran into a little bit of trouble one day with a rogue horse sort of running through him the wrong way. We had three horses in a trotting ring, and the rogue horse blinkered up and went through them.
“This horse skittled over the fence and the rider got concussed. It wasn’t good. He had a hock injury that was out of the ordinary, and we were given not much of a chance with him.
“But those good horses, they come through, they show you everything they were meant to be. It’s been satisfying.”
From Harry Angel’s first Australian crop, which also includes Group 1 winner Tom Kitten and three other stakes winners, Watchme Win is the second foal of Watchmespin (Sepoy) who won twice and is a half-sister to Group 3-placed winner Dream First (Dream Ahead {USA}). This is the family of Group 1 winners Serious Speed (Royal Academy {USA}) and Run Fox Run (Foxwedge).
Well-related pair of Zoustar 3-year-olds win in Sydney
Wednesday’s Canterbury meeting was unique for a city meeting at this time of year with several juveniles entered but none of them winning. Instead it was a pair of Zoustar 3-year-olds who caught the eye.
John Thompson-trained 3-year-old gelding Zouripper (Zoustar), ridden by Chad Schofield, won by 0.43l from 2-year-old colt Trunk (Snitzel) and 3-year-old gelding Threatening (Shamus Award).
Passed in at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale by Parsons Creek, Zouripper is second foal and second winner for unraced mare Ineffable (Smart Missile) who is a half-sister to G1 Golden Slipper winner and successful sire Capitalist. Another half-sister is the dam of Listed winner Tyresa (Written Tycoon), while Ineffable’s first foal, winning 4-year-old gelding Among Us (Written Tycoon) is a three-quarter brother to Capitalist. Ineffable has an unnamed rising 2-year-old colt by Written Tycoon and a weanling colt by Ole Kirk.
Trainer Joe Pride’s 3-year-old filly Cosmonova (Zoustar) gave Zoustar the double at Canterbury winning by 0.5l for jockey Reece Jones from Russian Snitzel (Russian Revolution) and Ces Soiree La (Showtime).
Cosmonova has now won three of her six starts and was a $220,000 purchase by Proven Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale from Milburn Creek. She is a half-sister to Group 1 winning 4-year-old mare Magic Time (Hellbent) with both being the first and second foals out of G3 SAJC Sires’ Produce S. winner Time Awaits (Nicconi).
Time Awaits has had a strong season with her 2-year-old colt Heinlen (Dundeel {NZ}) also being a winner this season. She has a rising 2-year-old colt named Maketime (Maurice {Jpn}).
