Three-year-old summary: Lady Shenandoah takes off with commanding Flight Stakes win

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Lady Shenandoah soars to G1 victory at Randwick

Not many horses break their maidens at Group level, but Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) proved she is not most horses at the Randwick mile on Saturday. The filly was victorious for the first time last start in the G3 Ming Dynasty, soundly beating subsequent G1 Golden Rose placegetter Mayfair (Fastnet), and she brought that same class to the G1 Flight S. Sitting mid-field until the 400-metre mark, Zac Lloyd let the Chris Waller-trained filly rip once straightening, flying home to score by 3.17l over Harlem Queen (Brutal {NZ}), with favourite Snow In May (The Autumn Sun) unable to catch up in third.

Waller initially had the filly entered for yesterday’s trials at Rosehill Gardens, but a change of plans came about after the 11th hour scratching of early favourite and unbeaten Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun), who will miss the rest of the spring in order to recover from surgery to remove a bone chip in her right knee.

“It was a tough week but I’m not going to get emotional about it because I’m so blessed to have these types of horses in the stable,” said Waller post race. “We won’t get too carried away, she’s still filling out and developing, but she’s got a Group 1 next to her name.”

Originally a start in the G1 Thousand Guineas in November had been on the cards, but Waller indicated that was unlikely to remain her goal now. “It is a long way to wait,” he added. “I don’t think it would be our normal path.”

Jockey Zac Lloyd, after securing his second career Group 1 and first in Sydney, said, “What a filly, and obviously I'm very lucky to land on her. I'm very honoured to get the ride for Hermitage and Mr Waller, and hopefully I can get a couple more Group 1s as easy as that.

“It was scintillating. She travelled like the winner the whole way, and I just had to count to five before I let her go. But I don't think it mattered, she's very good.”

The filly’s dam Star Pupil (Starcraft {NZ}) was a maiden winner for Paul Messara and breeders Arrowfield Stud 10 years ago but has already made an indelible mark in the breeding barn, producing stakes-placed Tiger Silk (All American) and G1 HKJC Centenary Sprint Cup-winning sire Stronger in her first two foals. She is herself a daughter of triple stakes-winning Ain’t Seen Nothin’ (Nothin’ Leica Dane), dam of stakes winners Bachman (All American), Stepitup (Hussonet {USA}), and Star Pupil’s successful full sister Ain’tnofallenstar, herself the dam of Group 3-winning Ain’tnodeeldun (Dundeel {NZ}).

Presented by breeders Arrowfield Stud at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Lady Shenandoah was purchased by Hermitage Thoroughbreds for $525,000, returning to the well that gave them five-time Group 1-winning sire The Autumn Sun.

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Star Pupil’s only foal since Lady Shenandoah is a now a yearling by fellow Arrowfield Stud resident Maurice (Jpn), and she enters this spring empty after slipping to Snitzel. Tiger Silk made her way to the States, where she has so far produced three foals, the latest a colt by Lanes End Farm-based sire Twirling Candy (USA) who sold for US$200,000 (AU$294,300) to Joe Migliore as agent at last month’s Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Second placed Harlem Queen, trained by Nathan Doyle, is the fifth foal of juvenile Listed winner Harlem River (Fastnet Rock), and was taking her first swing at stakes level off of back-to-back wins at provincial level. Doyle also trains her half-brother, four-time winner Kipsbay (Capitalist).

Peacock's Discreet family dominates Edward Manifold Stakes again

Too Darn Discreet (Too Darn Hot {GB}) proved she was too darn good for her opposition at Flemington on Saturday, with a 0.75l victory over favourite Declichy Boulevard (Snitzel) in the G2 Edward Manifold S. The filly settled near the tail of the field as lashing rain came down on the Flemington track, and patiently waited until they entered the straight to wind up around the outside for a resounding win. Declichy Boulevard loomed up in the last 100-metres but could not match her.

“Like every 3-year-old filly, you have aims towards these races here and it’s a little bit tricky now whether you go on, do you try and create an Oaks filly or do you keep her fresh?” pondered trainer Dan O’Sullivan post-race.

“She’s still a pretty immature filly, whether the Oaks comes up too quick as a spring 3-year-old - but we’ll enjoy today.”

“It was a great ride in the very trying circumstances for Mark,” O’Sullivan was full of praise for Mark Zahra’s ride. “He was pretty keen to ride her because he liked what he’d seen last start.”

Breaking her maiden last start at Sandown, Too Darn Discreet becomes the fourth Southern Hemisphere-born stakes winner for Darley sire Too Darn Hot (GB), who disappointed many a stud master early this year when it was announced that he would not be shuttling to Australia this spring.

Retained to race in the lime colours of breeder David Peacock, she is the fourth named foal and fourth winner for G1 Schweppes Oaks victress Maybe Discreet (Sharmardel {USA}), daughter of Oh So Discreet (Bluebird {USA}) who also produced G3 Spring S. winner Just Discreet (Exceed And Excel). Maybe Discreet also won this race in 2012, and they are the first mother/daughter pair to win in the race's 92-year history. Peacock returned Maybe Discreet to Too Darn Hot in 2022 to produce a full brother to Too Darn Discreet, before she slipped to Ghaiyyath (Ire) this year.

The family has long been cultivated by Peacock, who bred third dam, the stakes-winning Halo Again (Don’t Say Halo {USA}), a dam of five individual stakes winners. Best among them was Group 3-winning She’s Discreet (Euclase), dam of three stakes winners including I’m Discreet (Elusive Quality {USA}), whose daughter Serenely Discreet (Exceed And Excel) won the 2016 edition of this race. Incredibly, Gilded Angel (Made Of Gold {USA}), another daughter of Halo Again, was third in the 1999 edition.

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Second-placed Declichy Boulevard, a last start second in the Listed Jim Maloney S., is out of a half-sister to sires Stratum Star and Prague, who’s first juveniles hit the track this spring. She was a $380,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Waltrin Pty Ltd and Cameron Cooke Bloodstock from the draft of Kulani Park. Dam Red Velvet Swing (Star Witness) has since produced an unnamed 2-year-old full brother and a Capitalist filly foal at foot.

Coolmore contender tops Danehill quinella for Price and Kent Jnr

Classy Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr-trained colt First Settler (Written Tycoon) bounced back from a last start defeat in the Listed Poseidon S. to snatch victory from stablemate Reserve Bank (Capitalist) in the G2 Danehill S. at Flemington.

Forced to drop back on the rail, the colt started to really stride forward from a midfield spot at the 400-metre mark and fended off Reserve Bank’s game effort to wear him down, just getting his head down at the right moment on the line. It was his third win in four lifetime starts, with his second to boom colt Growing Empire (Zoustar) the only dip in his career so far. Enriched (I Am Invincible), a grandson of Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (Al Akbar), held on for third-place 0.5l behind them.

“It’s a pleasing result when you’re working out a photo between your own two horses,” Kent Jnr said post race. “They’re both lovely, promising stud-type colts and both are very good. They often work together and there’s nothing between them.”

Lofty goals await First Settler in the coming weeks. “It was a determined run, Mick (Dee) had to fight him to get cover,” Kent Jnr added. “He went back to last on the inside, and it was a very good trait for a colt to be able to come up the inside. It’s never easy. Bring on the Coolmore (Stud S.).”

“Pretty much what we did then is what I didn’t want to do,” jockey Michael Dee said. “I actually planned to be up near the speed, so we could just come out to the middle of the track and as it turned out, we ended up back.

“Credit to the horse, he showed a great turn of foot. Today he was electric and he kept going and running right through the line, so he’s very nice.”

Bred by Gerry Harvey, First Settler is a Magic Millions Gold Coast graduate where Yulong Investments and Mick Price went to $750,000 to secure him last year. He is a half-brother to stakes winner Vienna Princess (Snitzel), out of Graciousness (Street Cry {Ire}), who counts sire Casino Prince and stakes winners Tagus (Encosta De Lago), Lord Of The Land (Timber Country {USA}) and Metallurgical (Redoute’s Choice) as her half-brothers. Her half-sisters have produced young sires Best Of Bordeaux and Prince Fawaz. The family is rooted in Kew Gardens (FR) (Kenmare {Fr}), dam of sire Just Awesome and grandam of sires Onemorenomore and Dr Green, as well as top-level Hong Kong sprinter Green Birdie (NZ) (Catbird).

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

“I was rapt with Reserve Bank, it was his first try at stakes company,” added Kent Jnr about the runner up. “He lived up to what he's shown at home.”

Out of a Fastnet Rock sister to stakes winners Corsaire (Anabaa {USA}) and Debonairly (Snitzel), the colt was having only his third start, having won his first two.

Untapped Swiftfalcon swoops in to win Listed Dulcify Stakes

Progressive gelding Swiftfalcon (Exceedance) tallied his third win in succession in the Listed Dulcify S. on Saturday. Having only his second racing prep under the guidance of the Hawkes Racing team, the 3-year-old sat at the back of the pack for most of the race, before sweeping out wide at the end of the home turn and winding up for an impressive finish under Jay Ford, putting a 2.16l margin between him and the runner up.

Swiftfalcon debuted in April for a fifth placed finish 1.5l behind Ikasara (I Am Invincible) and closed off his juvenile preparation two starts later with a win. He resumed on September 22 with a BM64 win in Flemington under Jordan Childs before today’s black-type victory. Co-trainer Michael Hawkes signalled the G1 Spring Champion S. as the gelding’s next target.

“We thought about running him first-up in the Golden Rose but decided to take the easier option and head back to Melbourne,” Hawkes said. “We thought this would be easier than taking on the Caulfield Guineas. The Spring Champion has always been there and he looks to be wanting 2000 metres, which is great.”

Jay Ford predicts there is more to come, “He picked them off very effortlessly and had a bit in hand, so he’ll just keep improving. Every time you’ll see him step out, you’ll see a better version of him.”

Withdrawn from last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Swiftfalcon was retained to race by breeders R & C Legh Racing, B & C Thoroughbreds, and Pulitano Thoroughbreds. His dam, Gooree Park Stud-bred Tempting Delight (Northern Meteor) is a half-sister to G2 Yallambee Classic victress Champagne Harmony (Choisir), dam of Listed winner Grace And Harmony (Sebring) and G1 Flight S. runner up Sezanne (More Than Ready {USA}). Further back, the family is full of New Zealand’s finest racehorses, including Champion Older Male in NZ St Reims (NZ), Champion Older Female in NZ Champagne (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), and twice New Zealand Horse Of The Year Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi {GB}). Tempting Delight produced a filly full sister to Swiftfalcon last spring, before visiting Farnan.

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Second-placed Pleasure Artist (Trapeze Artist) also put in a huge performance, giving chase to Swiftfalcon from a similar position at the top of the straight and catching well-fancied Media World (Written Tycoon) in the shadows of the post. The last start winner is a daughter of unraced Perfect Pleasure (Pierro), a half-sister to stakes winners Torio’s Quest (Oratorio {Ire}) and Bippo No Bungus (Dubawi {Ire}). The family descends from G1 VRC/Kennedy Oaks victress Sandy’s Pleasure (Dash O’ Pleasure {USA}).

Keeneland on a Derby path after Super Impose victory

Lightly raced Keeneland (NZ) (Almanzor {NZ}) backs up after winning a maiden at Benalla to score in the Listed Super Impose S. at Flemington for Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young. The 3-year-old stalked pacesetter Sir Kenny (Justify {USA}) until the 350-metre mark of the 1800-metre contest, where jockey John Allen opened him up and he extended away to a comfortable 1.25l victory over Red Aces (Dundeel {NZ}). Busuttin and Young previously took out the Listed feature in 2014 with fellow kiwi breds Atmosphere (NZ) (Savabeel) and 2017 with Main Stage (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}).

“We’ve won this race two times before, and it’s always a nice race to win – you know you’ve got a Derby contender going forward,” co-trainer Young said, indicating that the G1 Victorian Derby lay in the gelding’s future. “We got him home after his Benalla win and just ticked him over at home. He’s got a good constitution, so he’s been eating up.

“He just cantered a couple of laps every day, and then we increased the pressure a little bit midweek. He turned up in great order today and won well.”

“He’s really improving with every run, he’s got a good attitude and is a very clean-winded horse,” said Allen. “He appreciated the step up to 1800-metres today, and he’s heading into the right direction looking towards a race like the Derby.”

Keeneland initially passed in at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, before hopping the Tasman into the care of Busuttin and Young. Out of winning Savabeel mare Savabeel Star, he is a half brother to juvenile Listed winner Stella Di Paco (NZ) (Paco Boy {Ire}), dam of two winners. The family traces to the northern hemisphere with second dam Astradane (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), dam of G3 Hawke’s Bay Guineas victor Stardane - Money See Me (NZ) (Soviet Star {USA}), and sister to top juvenile performer Genevra (Ire) (Danehill {USA}).