Wednesday Racing: Graff off the mark with quinella, Diamond Scene gears up for Perth Cup berth

Cover image courtesy of Kitchwin Hills

First winner for Graff and a quinella to boot

A quinella at Ipswich on Wednesday gave Kitchwin Hills sire Graff his first winner with 2-year-old colt Grafterburners who is trained by Kelly Schweida. Ridden by Cejay Graham, the colt lived up to his name coming from last on the turn to win by 2.04l from Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald trained filly Royal Chic (Graff) with Liam Birchley trained colt Brazen Sailor (North Pacific) in third.

The impressive turn of foot shown by Grafterburners surely sets him up for a big future.

Graff won his first three in succession – two at two – then the G3 San Domenico S. when resuming at three, and later added the G2 Caulfield Sprint as an older horse retiring with earnings over $1.3 million. He was popular in his first season, covering 120 mares at $13,200, and has 86 current 2-year-olds. As well as Grafterburners and Royal Chic, he has had only one other runner to date, Telling who was third on debut then ran mid-field in the R-Listed Inglis Nursery S. last start.

Grafterburners was purchased by his trainer at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $70,000 from Canning Downs Stud and becomes the fourth winner for unraced mare Coralina (Dylan Thomas {Ire}) who is a half-sister to G1 Golden Slipper winner Overreach (Exceed And Excel), dam of Group 2 winner and Group 1 placed Lofty Strike, who now stands at Swettenham Stud. Overreach is a full sister to Group 2 winner Standout, who stands at Corumbene Stud, and stakes placed Outreach who initially stood at Widden Stud and was exported to New Zealand this year.

Coralina has a yearling colt by Jonker. Schweida and Graham teamed up to win with 5-year-old gelding Roll Up (Zoustar) later on the card.

Diamond Scene aiming to give Bob Peters an 11th Cup

One of Perth’s more consistent gallopers 5-year-old gelding Diamond Scene (So You Think {NZ}) added another stakes win on Wednesday when winning the Listed ATA S. for trainer Michael Grantham by 0.78l. Given a perfect ride by Clint Johnston-Porter who slotted in behind the speed and galloped to the lead half-way down the straight, Diamond Scene won from Peter Fernie trained 7-year-old gelding Sentimental Hero (Al Maher) with Simon Miller trained 7-year-old gelding Iowa (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in third.

“This will certainly put him in there,” said breeder-owner Bob Peters about heading to the G2 Perth Cup next. “He’s a tough big horse. He doesn’t have as much class as some of the others (Peters owned Perth Cup winners), but as long as he’s there on the day, we’ll see how he goes. He ran in the Cup last year, so he’s around the place. He’s developed and is much stronger (than last year).”

Diamond Scene has now won eight of his 16 starts with earnings over $450,000, and he’s had a strong campaign this summer winning three of his five starts including the Listed Luckygray S. and running second last start in the Listed GA Towton Cup. He ran ninth in the 2024 G2 Perth Cup at the end of a 4-year-old campaign where he’d won four in succession before finishing fourth in this race ahead of the Perth Cup.

In 2022, Bob Peters won the G2 Perth Cup for the tenth time with Midnight Blue (So You Think {NZ}). His other winners in the race have been 2020 with Mississippi Delta (High Chaparral {Ire}), 2019 and 2017 with Star Exhibit (Statue Of Liberty {USA}), 2016 with Delicacy (Al Maher), 2015 with Real Love (Desert King {Ire}), 2012 with Western Jewel (Jeune {GB}), 2010 with Lords Ransom (Jeune {GB}), 2005 with Crown Prosecutor (Grand Lodge {USA}) and his first was in 1993 with Field Officer (Old Spice).

Gallery: Images courtesy of Western Racepix

Diamond Scene is one of 59 stakes winners for So You Think (NZ), and is out of Jewelled (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) who was a winner and placed in the Listed Belmont Oaks and Listed Belmont Classic. Jewelled is the dam of seven winners from as many to race including Diamond Scene’s Listed Ascot One Thousand Guineas winning half-sister Adornment (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}). Diamond Scene is the second to last foal for Jewelled.

Adornment has a 2-year-old colt Arrangement (Wootton Bassett {GB}), and a yearling colt by Churchill (Ire).

Godolphin and Street Boss dominate Warwick Farm

Race one at Warwick Farm on Wednesday was an all-blue affair with Godolphin and trainer James Cummings sending out the trifecta, and all three 2-year-old fillies are by Street Boss (USA). Zac Lloyd rode Tempted who won by 0.44l from Kerrin McEvoy’s mount Daphnes, with almost 4l back to Jason Collett-ridden Lipstick. All three were on debut.

Street Boss is now 20 and he’s had a slow rise to popularity in Australia, coming off a $16,500 (inc GST) fee in 2009, rising to $27,500 (inc GST) in 2009, and then Anamoe came along, and his fee jumped to $55,000 (inc GST). In 2024, he stood for $66,000 (inc GST). The Group 1-winning son of Street Cry (Ire) has 76 stakes winners.

Tempted is a half-sister to G2 Rubiton S. winner Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) out of G2 Magic Night S. winner Calliope (Exceed And Excel) who has a yearling colt by Pinatubo (Ire). Calliope won the Listed Gimcrack S. on debut and her only two wins were those two juvenile stakes races. She has also produced 4-year-old gelding Rhesus (Lonhro) who was a winner in Darwin in June.

Sandhu’s Hustle In Heels wins on debut

It was a trio of debutants who were the trifecta in race two at Caulfield Heath on Wednesday with trainer Justin Sandhu’s 3-year-old filly Hustle In Heels (Bel Esprit) winning impressively. Ridden by Jamie Mott, she skipped away from the field to lead by 3l down the straight, showing a lovely turn of foot, and despite being a bit green, she held on to win by 1.25l from Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman trained 3-year-old filly Blue Hawaiian (Blue Point {Ire}) with Blue Hawaiian's stable-mate 3-year-old gelding Time Lapse (I Am Invincible) in third.

“She's got a sharp turn of foot, so at the top of the straight, when she joined the horses in front, I knew she had something left in the tank. She's still a bit green … she got to the lead a bit quick and had a good look around. Everything she's done today, she's only going to improve upon,” said Sandhu.

“I could've given her four more jumpouts and I don't think she would've learned anything like she did today. She doesn't know (what she cost) hopefully she carries those colours and does something special for us … I have the view that she's probably stakes class.”

Bel Esprit, most famous as the sire of unbeaten Champion Black Caviar among his 28 stakes winners, retired from stud duties before the beginning of the 2022 season, and Hustle In Heels is one of 29 foals from his second-last crop. Hustle In Heels was purchased for $8000 at the Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale by KLN Finance and sold by Oakford Thoroughbred Farm.

Hustle In Heels is the first winner for Caniwin (Keep The Faith) who did in fact win, six times. Hustle In Heels is closely related to Listed Kensington S. winner Silver Bullion (Bel Esprit).