Juvenile Summary: Street Boss's day

Cover image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)

Unbeaten Return To Conquer makes it four in G1 Sistema Stakes

What a way to bring up a century of Group 1 wins! Return To Conquer (Snitzel), an unbeaten seven figure colt with serious stallion credentials, gave syndicator David Ellis the incredible milestone on Saturday at Ellerslie’s Champions Day. And now an ambitious attempt at the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes might be on the cards.

Ridden by Blake Shinn for trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, Return To Conquer won by 0.2l from Cody Cole-trained Landlock (Merchant Navy) with Stephen Marsh-trained To Cap It All (Capitalist) in third, making it an all Australian bred trifecta.

“Since Dave established the stable, that is the 100th Group 1 win,” Walker said.

“Full credit to team leader (Ellis) as he has bought many, many winners and with this guy he spent $1.3 million without any owners earmarked and it shows just how good he is. It (the race) looked to be quite smooth sailing until the last 100m, but watching it live can be difficult and I’m pleased for Blake to get the win.

“We never make decisions on race day and we will wait until he trots out on Monday before we work it out from there. We are open to the idea (a Golden Slipper bid), but he is still a young horse, still developing and growing, so we will enjoy today and regroup. He has a great temperament, is bombproof and he is unbeaten for a reason as he has the will to win.”

A Group 1 winner at only his fourth start, Return To Conquer has only raced in black type company, and previously has a Listed win and two Group 3 wins, and now has earnings over NZ$530,000.

Purchased by David Ellis and raced by the Te Akau 2024 Stallion Breeding Syndicate, Return To Conquer was sold by Blue Gum Farm in their inaugural Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft for $1.3 million, Return To Conquer becomes the 22nd Group 1 winner for multiple Champion Sire Snitzel whose sons Sword Of State and Summer Passage also won this race.

Return To Conquer is the second foal of unraced Vaujany (Lonhro) whose first foal, 3-year-old filly Lady Lawbreaker (Street Boss {USA}) has had one start. Vaujany died in February 2024 and has no other recorded foals. Vaujany was sold by Godolphin as a broodmare prospect at the 2021 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and bought by Blue Gum Farm for $550,000.

A daughter of G2 Magic Night Stakes winner, and G1 Golden Slipper and G1 Flight Stakes-placed, Portillo (Red Ransom {USA}), Vaujany is a full sister to G2 Surround Stakes winner Ghisoni, dam of Listed winner Renosu (Exceed And Excel). Another half-sister winning mare Aspen (Exceed And Excel) is the dam of Group 3 winner Larkspur Run (Shamardal {USA}). Portillo is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Snowland (Snippets) and Listed winner and sire Snippetson.

Tentyris wins the G2 Todman Stakes

The Anamoe effect was in full force on Saturday with his sire Street Boss (USA) siring both the G2 Todman Stakes winner and the G2 Reisling Stakes winner. When these two juveniles were conceived, Anamoe had just turned three, and had won the G2 Todman Stakes and the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes at two, before going on to add the G1 Caulfield Guineas early in the spring.

Street Boss’s book size increased in 2021, and his fee jumped from $27,500 to $55,000 that spring with Tentyris and Tempted both conceived off the higher fee.

Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman for Godolphin, Tentyris won the G2 Todman Stakes by 0.74l under a ride from Nash Rawiller, beating home Chris Waller-trained favourite Wodeton (Wootton Bassett {GB}) with Team Hawkes-trained Nepotism (Brutal {NZ}) who was on debut.

“We've always liked him, but he made a mess of his first start. But ever since then he's grown up and the trip up here, whatever the result, was always going to make him a better horse,” said Anthony Freedman.

“His form's now looking very consistent if you rule out his first start. So I think the fact that he put a length on them late is the best part of it. As I said, if he hasn't been a couple of weeks, he should be there about (for the Slipper). Well, I've said all along that there's no standout and hopefully he's it.”

Winner of the Listed Talindert Stakes, then second in the G1 Blue Diamond last start, Tentyris took his record to two wins from four starts with earnings over $610,000. Street Boss now has 79 stakes winners and both his group winners today are out of Exceed And Excel mares, as is Group 1 winner Elite Street and this season’s Group 2 winning 3-year-old colt Traffic Warden.

Tentyris is the second foal of three-time winner Deity (Exceed And Excel) whose first foal is winning 4-year-old mare Dios (Lonhro), and she has a yearling filly Parcae (Blue Point {Ire}). Deity is one of five winners for four-time Group 1 winner Divine Madonna (Hurricane Sky), who also produced Listed winner Maternal (Street Cry {Ire}) and stakes-placed La Pieta (Redoute’s Choice). Group 1 winner Autumn Angel (The Autumn Sun) and her Group-winning half-brother Baraqiel (Snitzel) are also in this family.

Tempted nails the G2 Reisling Stakes

Godolphin has a second live Golden Slipper runner with 2-year-old filly Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) winning Saturday’s G2 Reisling Stakes by 0.33l from Michael Freedman-trained Marhoona (Snitzel) with Anthony and Sam Freedman's Inkaruna (I Am Invincible) in third. She now has two wins from four starts with earnings over $290,000 and this was her first stakes win.

“We'll get the opportunity to let the dust settle and see how this lines up amongst all of the lead-ups,” said James Cummings. “But I like that she's come out of the Blue Diamond, she's not taken a backward step from there. She's just freshened up beautifully at the farm between runs and we've barely done much with her, yet she's been able to deliver off the back of a strongly run six furlong race here at Randwick.

“You get a draw in a race like that (Slipper), it makes a big difference. But she's had the seasoning, she's got the attitude for it. There's a bit of jostling at the back of the field and she could cope with that to hold her spot. James, knowing the filly through the family well, might have stood him in good stead, having ridden her mother to a couple of handy wins in the past.”

Cummings was referring to G2 Magic Night Stakes winner Calliope (Exceed And Excel) who also won the Listed Gimcrack Stakes. She is the dam of three winners, led by Tempted, and dual Group 2 winner Kallos (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).

Gallery: Images courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

Tempted becomes the 79th stakes winner for Street Boss. Calliope is the full sister to G3 Canonbury Stakes winner Zethus and half-sister to G3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes-placed Thalia (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), dam of G3 Star Kingdom Handicap winner Bacchanalia (Exceed And Excel) and Listed Mick Dittman Stakes winner Aquitaine (Exceed And Excel).

Unbeaten Vinrock adds G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes

Trainer Matt Laurie’s 2-year-old colt Vinrock (I Am Invincible) won’t be heading to the G1 Golden Slipper as he isn’t nominated, but he will head north to Sydney for the other two juvenile Group 1 races after producing an exciting performance to win the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes by 2l for jockey Mark Zahra. He is now two from two, and finished ahead of Danny O'Brien-trained colt Brave Design (Brave Smash {Jpn}) with Simon Zahra-trained colt Onavuitton (Castelvecchio) in third.

“I nearly ran him last prep. He was the first of our 2-year-olds to trial and I felt that at that stage they were five-furlong races, and he looked like seven-furlongs plus, so we put him away,” said Laurie.

“He was good at Pakenham, which is a big track and here at Flemington, he has gone well. He's a very tough horse and when he was placed under pressure at his first start, he really responded well and went to another level today. If he pulls up well, we'll go to Sydney for the Sires' there.”

Rosemont Stud sold the colt for $300,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale to Matt Laurie Racing and Wilannah Park Bloodstock, and he becomes the 116th stakes winner for I Am Invincible.

Vinrock is the third winner from as many to race for G2 Matriarch Stakes winner Girl Gone Rockin’ (Redoute’s Choice) and joins this season’s G3 Chairman’s Stakes winner Inkaruna, third in today’s G2 Reisling Stakes, Group 3 winner Overshare, and Listed winners Jack The Lad and Muntaseera as being bred on the I Am Invincible / Redoute’s Choice cross.

Girl Gone Rockin’ is a daughter of G2 Queen of the Turf Stakes winner Sorrento (NZ) (Just A Dancer {NZ}), making her a half-sister to Group 3 winner and Group 1 placed Syreon (Flying Spur). Sorrento is a half-sister to three stakes winners being four-time Group 2 winner Stargazer (NZ) (Star Way {GB}), Listed winner Spangles (NZ) (Star Way {GB}), and Listed winner Kap The Bid (NZ) (Kaapstad). G2 Percy Sykes Stakes winner and $1 million earner Jamea (Headwater) is in this family.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Inglis

Resuming Military Tycoon wins G3 Ottawa Stakes

Ciaron Maher-trained 2-year-old filly Military Tycoon (Written Tycoon) hadn’t raced since running seventh on debut in the G3 Maribyrnong Plate back in November, but it didn’t matter as she flew home in the G3 Ottawa Stakes to win by 2l for jockey Thomas Stockdale over Lindsay Park-trained filly Gin Spirit (Spirit Of Boom) with Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained filly Pure Passion (Snitzel) in third. Military Tycoon now has a win from two starts with earnings over $127,000.

“She's always shown that sort of ability and it unravelled for her during the Cup Carnival. She trialled up really nicely and Tom has done a good job,” said Maher.

“There is hardly a horse in the stable that I have of Bennett Racing's that doesn't have some sort of ability. They do a very good job of selecting their horses and you can see they've got a huge crew of owners so it is fantastic. They just retired Southport Tycoon to stud so hopefully this is their next Group horse.”

Purchased by Bennett Racing from Emirates Park at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $200,000, Military Tycoon becomes stakes winner number 73 for her sire. She is the third foal and third winner for Listed Beaufine Stakes winner Military Reign (Universal Ruler) who won eight races, two as a juvenile. Military Reign’s 3-year-old filly Duty Calls (Deep Field) broke her maiden in January for trainer Simon Zahra, who purchased Military Reign’s yearling filly by The Autumn Sun at the recent Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale for $120,000 from Merricks Station. She has a colt foal by So You Think (NZ).

Gallery: Images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Military Reign’s full brother Military Ruler is a stakes placed winner of six and this is the family of dual Group 3 winner Alpine Express (Nediym {Ire).

Metro double for Ole Kirk

Ole Kirk made a second double in successive days when he sired two winners on Saturday with Fiery Spark and Ole Dancer, who became the first season sire’s fifth and sixth winners. Both won on debut.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Western Racepix

Fiery Spark, trained by Steve Wolfe, won on debut at Bunbury on Saturday and was sold by Dawson Stud at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale for $100,000 to Commercial Bloodstock Services (FBAA). He is out of More Spark (Domesday) who won three races, and her first foal is G3 Matron Stakes placed Running By (Impending). Fiery Spark is her third winner from as many to race and Dawson Stud sold her yearling filly by Xtravagant (NZ) for $32,500 at the Perth Sale this year. More Spark is a half-sister to Listed Morphettville Guineas winner Sparks Fly (Flying Spur).

Ole Dancer won the Magic Millions SA 2YO Classic on debut at Murray Bridge for trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman. She was sold by North Bloodstock for $350,000 to Moody Racing at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is the third foal and third winner for Dancers (Husson {Arg}), who hasn’t had a foal since. Dancers’ third dam, Snippets Lass (Snippets) is the dam of Group 1 winner and Champion Sire Snitzel.