Cover image courtesy of The Racing SA
Front running masterclass - gives Silent Surrente success in The Cup
A brilliant piece of front-running riding by apprentice Rochelle Milnes enabled Silent Surrente to out-tough her opposition in the 2025 G2 Adelaide Cup for trainers Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea. The daughter of Melbourne Cup-winning Fiorente (Ire) outstayed her rivals as Milnes took control of the race after being caught wide early on. She sustained a strong gallop, kicked away at the top of the straight and the result was never in doubt, claiming a 1.2l victory, with Newfoundland (Ire) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) and Grand Pierro (Pierro) filling the placings behind.
“Your hometown cup obviously means a lot doesn't it?,” co-trainer Will Clarken said. “I pride myself on my modesty, my name is in the book but Niki really trains this horse – he's done a wonderful job. From the time she's got to the stable he's nurtured her, rides her all her work, it's obviously a team effort, we work hard together. Full credit to him, he's a brilliant horseman.”
Silent Surrente’s dam, Silent Surround (Face Value), was a Group 3 winner on the track and has now produced three individual stakes winners, with Silent Surrente joining Listed winner Silent Command (Commands) and Silent Sovereign (Dalakhani {Ire}).
Rochelle Milnes | Image courtesy of Racing SA
This win is also great timing for Sledmere Stud, who offer Lot 165, a half-brother by Stay Inside, at the 2025 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where he is sure to be well-sought after.
Silent Surround, since producing the Stay Inside colt heading to the sales, has had a regular date with Stay Inside, leaving a full sister last spring and being served the promising young sire last spring also.
The Queen prevails in the Guineas
In a competitive finish in the Listed Morphettville Guineas, Gala Queen, a progressive Deep Field filly trained by Phillip Stokes, and ridden by Joe Bowditch, proved too strong for her competition. She outclassed the previously undefeated Sabaj (Manhattan Rain), securing an impressive victory.
Gala Queen has returned this season with renewed strength after a well-earned break. Earlier in the year, she secured back-to-back wins at Pakenham in January and February. Her most recent performance at the Future Stars Series Final on February 27 saw her finish a commendable fifth, making strong late ground behind the very talented colt, Nostringsattached (Extreme Choice).
Gala Queen has now bought her career record to three wins from just six starts, so she knows how to get in front and todays effort was particularly tenacious with the unbeaten hot favourite attempting to chase her down.
Trainer Phillip Stokes commented on her development:
“She’s taken quite a bit of time. She probably should have won her last start—she was very unlucky. Do we push on for an Oaks? Not sure. We’ll let her do the talking.”
“She’s (Gala Queen) taken quite a bit of time. She probably should have won her last start—she was very unlucky. Do we push on for an Oaks? Not sure. We’ll let her do the talking.” - Philip Stokes
Gala Queen was purchased for $180,000 from the Newgate draft at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Phillips Stokes Racing and Rick Connolly Bloodstock. She hails from a talented family—her half-sister, the Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Semana (Winning Rupert), has made a name for herself as a top performer and her half-sisters win today will help her value as she gets offered at The Chairman's Sale next month.
Their dam, Festivity (Nicconi), a three-time winner, has already produced two stakes winners from three foals. Newgate Farm sold Festivity at the 2023 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale for $85,000 to Lime Country Thoroughbreds, who later saw a major return when her Farnan colt sold for an impressive $750,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The colt was snapped up by James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership and Tony Fung Colts.
Festivity was covered most recently last spring by the Champion stallion I Am Invincible after an earlier visit to Wootton Bassett (GB) was unsuccessful.
Street Boss strikes again with Elphinstone’s Listed victory
It has been a standout few days for Darley Stud’s prolific sire Street Boss (USA), who celebrated a 2-year-old Group double on Saturday with Tentryis and Tempted securing Group 2 victories at Randwick. His hot streak continued into Monday as his daughter Elphinstone added the Listed Colin Hayes Memorial to her growing resume at Morphettville.
Trained by Tony and Calvin McEvoy, Elphinstone has been in exceptional form, winning back-to-back races at Pakenham and Flemington before failing in Group 3 grade at Flemington at her last start. She proved dominant in her first Listed triumph, crossing the line 1.51l ahead of Episodic (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and A Samurai Mind (Shamus Award), who filled the placings behind her.
Winning jockey Jamie Melham was thrilled to secure a feature race win in Adelaide.
“It had been nice to team up with the McEvoys and win a feature race in Adelaide,” Melham said.
“The one instruction I had from Tony today was to get her back and get her to relax,” she added. “I didn’t have to overthink it. The tempo wasn’t great early, but I was happy when they ramped it up from the 600. She was just too good.
“I didn’t have to overthink it. The tempo wasn’t great early, but I was happy when they ramped it up from the 600. She was just too good.” - Jamie Melham
“She had to do a lot today. She had to go back, we had to get going early, and she was still strong late. I think she can step up over further, and the way she relaxes, she will definitely get further.”
Elphinstone is the best of two winners from Inflection, a Shamardal (USA) mare and a half-sister to Listed winner Choice Words, the dam of the Listed winner I Am Eloquent (I Am Invincible).
After a year off in 2023, Inflection was covered last spring by Cylinder after missing to Street Boss.
Elphinstone’s win also marked a milestone for Street Boss, becoming his 80th stakes winner. The Darley stallion served 75 mares last spring.
Sir Sway launches late for victory
Sir Sway (Sir Prancealot {Ire}) may have drawn wide, left it late, and made his run very wide on the track, but it didnt matter. He unleashed a huge run to gain his second stakes victory in the Listed Manihi Classic defeating Prairie Flower (Star Turn) by 0.63l and Extremely Lucky (Extreme Choice) was also flying home to run third.
The Sue and Jason Jaensch-trained sprinter now takes his record to an outstanding eight wins and two placings from only 14 starts and just over $365,000.
He looks progressive and could keep on improving this record off the manner of todays victory.
His dam Silent Sway (Commands) was a winner over 2050 metres on the track and is out of the Fuji Kiseki (Jpn) mare, Silent Sophia. She had plenty of ability on the track and was a seven-time winner from 1200 metres to 1600 metres. She has done well at stud leaving four winners.
After producing Sir Sway, Silent Sway has left a 2-year-old filly by Royal Symphony named Royal Sway, and after having a couple years off, she was served by Ilovethiscity last spring.
