Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
I Wish I win back on track at Pakenham
G1 Kingsford Smith Cup winner I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) bounced back on Tuesday with his first jump-out at Pakenham since his disappointing run in the G1 The Everest in the spring. Peter Moody’s star gelding was hard held in the third jump-out of the morning to win by approximately 0.25l.
Speaking on the Giddy Up With Gareth Hall radio show after the jump-out, Waikato Stud’s Mark Chittick was enthusiastic with the return of his homebred.
“Jamie Melham’s report was (that) if she let him go, he would’ve won by 15 (lengths),” he said. “He is back!”
A homebred for Waikato Stud, I Wish I Win is the second stakeswinner for Pins mare Make A Wish (NZ), after G3 Premier's Cup winner Another Dollar (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}). She is out of dual Group 3-winning filly Starcent (NZ) (Centaine), and is closely related to Listed Razor Sharp Handicap winner Jedibeel (NZ) (Savabeel), G3 Gloaming Stakes winner Strike The Stars (NZ) (Savabeel), and G1 Livamol Classic victor Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) (Savabeel). She has a 3-year-old colt by Super Seth who was purchased for $375,000 by Moody Racing at the 2023 edition of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.
Leading fillies headline star studded Randwick opening trial
The placings in the opener at Randwick’s trial morning on Tuesday was filled out with three exciting fillies gearing up for a big autumn. Too Darn Lizzie (Too Darn Hot {GB}), the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained winner of the G2 Thousand Guineas Prelude in the spring, emerged the winner by 0.72l over dual Group 1-winning Manaal (Tassort) for Michael Freedman. Another Tulloch Lodge trainee Dominetta (Zoustar), twice placed at stakes level in the spring, was third, 0.35l behind Manaal.
Too Darn Lizzie | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Manaal’s stablemate Ducasse (Trapeze Artist), winner of the G3 Carbine Club Stakes, came in fourth in his first hit-out for the year, followed closely by John Sargent’s Powers Of Opal (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}). Sargent purchased her half-sister by Proisir yesterday at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, for NZ$700,000 in conjunction with DGR Thoroughbred Services (FBAA) and Spicer Thoroughbreds. Sibaaq (GB) (Dark Angel {GB}) and Hinged (Worthy Cause) finished the field.
“Super trial from Too Darn Lizzie this morning,” Waterhouse and Bott’s racing manager Emma Reeves said. “She’s a push button filly who has returned in excellent order. It’s likely that she’ll head south to our Flemington stable after her next trial for races like the Angus Armanasco and Kewney, but Sydney isn’t off the table.”
A $1 million Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate for Vinery Stud, Too Darn Lizzie was purchased by Mckeever Bloodstock, Watership Down, and Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing, and runs in the colours of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber. Bred by Mrs S Cummings, Mr Fraser Brown, and Mr Rohan Ford, she is the second foal from the Robert Crabtree-bred Enbihaar (Magnus), a G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (fillies)-winning daughter of Listed Mode Plate winner Charm’s Honour (Strada), and a full sister to the spring’s Listed Debutant Stakes winner Miss Celine, who finished fourth in the G3 Blue Diamond Preview (fillies) at the weekend.
Too Darn Lizzie as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Enbihaar has an unraced 2-year-old named Celtics (I Am Invincible) in the stable of Mick Price and Michael Kent (Jnr), who was purchased from Kulani Park at the Gold Coast last year for $700,000 by Rosemont Stud, Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA), and Mick Price Racing. She has a full brother to Too Darn Lizzie on the ground, and was served by Zoustar in November.
Half-sister to Farnan steps out at Randwick
Cordina (I Am Invincible), the 3-year-old half-sister to young sires Farnan and Sandbar, made her first public appearance at Randwick’s trial morning on Tuesday. The filly is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who trained the race’s trifecta, with Shangri La Spring (Castelvecchio), who was unbeaten in three starts in the late spring, in second by 0.55l, and Shivemepink (Zoustar), the first foal of G2 Moreton Cup winner Pretty In Pink (Sebring), finishing third.
Bred and retained to race by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, Cordina is the eighth foal from G3 Vanity Stakes winner Tallow (Street Cry {Ire}), a half-sister to eight-time winner and G3 Grand Prix Stakes-placed Mr Light Blue (Fantastic Light {USA}). Her 2-year-old filly Beside The Ocean (Zoustar) was a $250,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Cunningham Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA), and is in the care of Chris Waller.
Tallow delivered another filly by Zoustar in the spring, and was covered by G1 Golden Slipper Stakes victor Shinzo in September. Farnan and Sandbar both have their first crop hitting the races this season, with Farnan’s progeny headlined by $1 million Golden Gift winner North England and Sandbar siring the unbeaten gelding Shaggy as his first runner.
Insurrection powers home ahead of racetrack return
After missing the spring due to an EIPH attack in September, Michael Freedman’s Insurrection (Russian Revolution) looked ready to hit the races in his Randwick trial on Tuesday morning. At his second trial this month, he let down strongly under Keagan Latham to beat G1 Golden Rose-placed Mayfair (Fastnet Rock) by 2.58l, with G1 Flight Stakes runner-up Snow In May (The Autumn Sun) in third.
Insurrection | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Bred by Bob Hannon’s Ascot Park, Insurrection was a $150,000 purchase for Darby Racing and Will Johnson Bloodstock at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He is the first foal to race from Marple Miss (Not A Single Doubt), a four-time winning three-quarter-sister to Rosemont’s flagship stallion Shamus Award, and is closely related to G3 Pago Pago Stakes winner Shaquero (Shalaa). Insurrection has amassed over $840,000 in prize money to date, with wins in the Listed Canterbury Sprint and the $300,000 The Warra among his seven victories.
Marple Miss’s most recent foal is the 2-year-old Damien (Hellbent), who debuted in second behind Kujenga (King’s Legacy) earlier this month. She was covered by Shinzo in October.
Clean Energy winds up for autumn return
Listed Bill Carter Stakes winner Clean Energy (Zoustar) ramped up her autumnal preparations in her second trial of the new year, finishing second by 2.22l to Junqueira (Capitalist) at Randwick on Tuesday. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained 3-year-old filly returned in an easy fifth two weeks ago behind Insurrection, and was asked to stretch out more this time by Adam Hyeronimus.
Clean Energy | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Bred by Widden Stud, Qatar Bloodstock, and Jorshan Investments, the full sister to Champion Filly Sunlight cost Yulong Investments $2.6 million at the Gold Coast in 2023. She is also a full sister to G3 Red Roses Stakes winner Sisstar and eight-time winner Dio, who was runner-up in the Listed Valley Pearl Stakes. Her 2-year-old full brother Lyon, purchased for $850,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale last year by China Horse Club, Newgate, Go Bloodstock, and Trilogy, is in the same stable and is yet to trial.
Dam Solar Charged (Charge Forward) delivered another full brother in the spring, before returning to Zoustar.
