Classic summary: Leica Lucy delivers tough New Zealand swansong in Oaks

Cover image courtesy of Sportpix

Leica Lucy is the best filly in New Zealand

Going into a classic race as a short favourite carries a weight of expectation, and 3-year-old filly Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn) had to work for the win in the G1 New Zealand Oaks, digging deep for jockey Craig Grylls to secure the victory by 0.4l from the tough challenger Pam Gerard-trained Dubai Gold (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai), with consistent Ben and Ryan Foote-trained Myakkabelle (NZ) (War Decree {USA}) in third. It was the 100th win by Grylls this season.

“This is my biggest win by a mile, to tell you the truth,” trainer Robbie Patterson said.

“The Oaks is a great race. The owners, Peter and Heather, are close friends of mine, and my parents are here today as well, so it’s very special. I’ve been saying this filly is the best I’ve trained, and she’s totally that. She’s just a beautiful animal. I’ve trained a lot of horses and seen a lot of horses, but she is one out of the box.

“I was a bit nervous in the straight today, but she’s just such a good horse. She’s had a big season, and she was in the worst part of the track, but she got the job done. I just love the horse so much and love the owners. I don’t really know Ozzie (Kheir), who joined the ownership recently, but I’ve spoken to him on the phone, and he’s a great bloke. He’s all about the horse and is just a lovely man.

“Having my champion mate riding her today makes it even more special. Craig and I are a great team on and off the pitch. We love our golf, our fishing and having a beer and whatnot, and that goes a long way.”

Leica Lucy’s owner-breeders, Peter and Heather Crofskey, sold a share to Ozzie Kheir in February, and she will transfer to trainer Chris Waller. The Oaks win was her fifth in succession – all in Group company – and took her record to six wins from seven starts, with earnings over NZ$1 million. Her win also gave her trainer Robbie Patterson a second stakes win for the day after Our Jumala (NZ) (Zed {NZ}) won the G3 Cuddle Stakes earlier on the card.

Leica Lucy becomes the first Group 1 winner for Hinchinbrook son Derryn, who has four stakes winners from 123 named foals. She is the only named foal for her dam, winning mare Dynamite Lucy (NZ) (Sir Percy {GB}), who died when Leica Lucy was a yearling. Dynamite Lucy is a half-sister to two stakes-placed winners and is from the family of dual Group 1 winner Elevenses (NZ) (Star Way {GB}).

Group double for Too Darn Hot with Shanwah

The loss of Too Darn Hot (GB) from the shuttle ranks was further underscored when 3-year-old gelding Shanwah (NZ) won the G2 Alister Clark Stakes at Moonee Valley for trainer Ciaron Maher, to give his sire a double for the day with Broadsiding’s Rosehill Guineas victory. Shanwah was coming off a win in the G2 Autumn Classic and has won his last four in succession.

Ridden by Ethan Brown, Shanwah led into the tight bend and scooted away to win by 2l from Chris Waller-trained gelding Imperialist (NZ) (Churchill {Ire}) with Emma-Lee and David Browne-trained gelding Statuario (D’Argento) in third.

Shanwah has been sold to Hong Kong owners by his original owners, Kevin and Vicki Payne, but he will run in the G1 Australian Derby before heading over. “It was a deal that was done privately with Kevin, but we’ve got him to train for the Derby,” assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said.

“I am sure he got a good return, otherwise he wouldn’t have let the horse go. Thankfully, the clients that bought into him have allowed us to stay in Australia to run in these two races, but I believe they take over ownership before the Derby, so you might see the horse in different colours next time.”

Shanwah took his record to four wins from eight starts, with earnings over $550,000, and he was a NZ$750,000 purchase by Cameron Cooke Bloodstock from Trelawney Stud’s NZB National Yearling Sale draft in 2023. He is one of 23 stakes winners for Too Darn Hot, whose Northern Hemisphere first crop has just turned four, and his Southern Hemisphere first crop are 3-year-olds.

A half-brother to G2 Rose of Kingston Stakes winner Excelida (Exceed And Excel), he is the fifth foal of three-time winning mare Lady Sayyida (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), who is a half-sister to G1 Cox Plate winner and successful sire Ocean Park (NZ), and to Ruqqaya (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy {USA}), the dam of Group 1 winner and sire Grunt (NZ).

Drama in the Wellington Guineas

It was a desperate finish in the G2 Wellington Guineas, and even after Kenny Rae-trained 3-year-old filly Vegas Queen (NZ) (Proisir) stuck her nose in front for jockey Wiremu Pinn to win by 0.5l from filly Archaic Smile (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), it wasn’t immediately enough and she had to survive a protest from the second-placed horse before finally being given the victory. The first four across the line squeezed together with filly Dramatic Miss (NZ) (El Roca) finishing third, only 0.1l from second, but stewards eventually decided the original placings would stand.

“She is a very, very tough horse with a lot of ability and a good turn of foot. To be honest, I had no idea if she would handle the track (Soft 6) today, but luckily, Mandy (Brown, co-owner) said could we have a chance of winning the Guineas, as I wanted to go to Pukekohe (yesterday) for something easier,” said Rae.

“She is going out for a break now, as this is her first time going past the Pukekohe racetrack, and I don’t think she will handle the wet tracks (coming up).” Owned by Dirk and Nicki Oberholster, and The Magpies & Mandy and Matt Brown’s Ngapuke Racing, Vegas Queen was not offered at auction. She took her record to two wins from nine starts with earnings over NZ$230,000.

Vegas Queen, previously placed in the G3 Almanzor Trophy, becomes the 22nd stakes winner for Proisir, and his ninth stakes winner this season. She is the first foal of unraced mare Miss Vegas (NZ) (Carlton House {USA}), whose 2-year-old gelding and yearling colt are unnamed full siblings to Vegas Queen. Her 2-year-old sold at the 2024 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale for NZ$650,000 to Andrew Williams Bloodstock and Hong Kong Bloodstock, from Riversley Park who pinhooked him as a yearling from Totara Park Stud for NZ$160,000.

Miss Vegas is a daughter of Operavegas (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), a half-sister to Listed winner Vegas Showgirl (NZ) (Al Akbar), the dam of Champion mare Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), and Listed winner El Divino (Snitzel). Miss Vegas’ unraced half-sister Miss Bluebell (NZ) (Savabeel), is the dam of Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}), who won the G1 George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill.

Jockey Wiremu Pinn enjoyed a stakes double for the day when he won the Listed Lightning Handicap on Glamour Tycoon (Written Tycoon).

Consistent Cilacap heads to the Oaks

Coming off her worst career performance when sixth in the G2 AV Kewney Stakes last-start, 3-year-old filly Cilacap (Written Tycoon) more than redeemed herself with a stunning 2.25l victory for jockey Jordan Childs and trainer Grahame Begg in the G3 Alexandra Stakes over a mile at Moonee Valley. Too Darn Hot’s great day continued with second-placed Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly Too Darn Lizzie, whose stablemate Phenom (Zoustar) finished third.

“It has been a sad time over the last few weeks. She's brought a bit of happiness to the family. It's onwards and upwards with this girl. It was a great ride today, and she made a lie of her last run at Flemington, where she got far too far out of her ground. She's really only doing this on her first preparation because she only had a couple of weeks off in that gap between runs. She's done a bloody good job,” said Begg.

She will follow the same pathway as last year’s winner, Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun), who won the G1 SAJC Australasian Oaks at her next start. A Listed winner two starts ago in the Desirable Stakes, Cilacap now has four wins from six starts and earnings over $330,000. Purchased by Bruce Elkington Bloodstock from Corumbene Stud for $300,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, she is one of 74 stakes winners for Written Tycoon.

Cilacap is the second live foal out of sub-fertile Falkenberg (More Than Ready {USA}), who has missed for the last three seasons. Beautifully bred, Falkenberg is a full sister to G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner and successful sire Sebring, and was a good racemare herself, winning twice and running third in the G1 Queensland Oaks. As well as Sebring, their dam, Purespeed (Flying Spur) also produced G2 Ajax Stakes winner Pureness (Tale Of The Cat {USA}).

Gallery: Images courtesy of Inglis

Clean Energy adds to Zoustar’s big day

There’s a certain amount of expectation that comes with being a full sister to Champion 3YO Filly and triple Group 1 winner Sunlight (Zoustar), but Clean Energy appears to be living up to that and her $2.6 million yearling price with her second stakes win in Moonee Valley’s G3 Don Casboult Classic for 3-year-old fillies.

“It's an honour to win a race in honour of an absolute gentleman and one of the people that has got Moonee Valley and the Cox Plate to where it is. It's great to see Don here. In regards to my horse, Gai and the team have done a great job,” said jockey Craig Williams.

“I worked her here on Tuesday morning and loved the way she went for me. I spoke to Blake Shinn who rode her first-up and he gave me a bit of insight into as well. We did have a plan, but she had a different plan than we did and we found ourselves a lot further back. We just trusted her and she picked up and showed versatility, not that that is the way to ride her, but it show she can be quite versatile.”

Unbeaten in two starts at two including the Listed Bill Carter Stakes, Clean Energy resumed at three with a third placing. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, she won by 0.75l for jockey Craig Williams from Chris Waller-trained Amelita (Zousain), with Robbie Griffiths-trained McKeyla (Shamus Award) in third.

Clean Energy is one of 64 stakes winners for Zoustar, and one of five stakes horses for her dam, dual Group 3 winner Solar Charged (Charge Forward), led by triple Group 1 winner Sunlight, G3 Red Roses Stakes winner Sisstar (Zoustar), Clean Energy, and stakes-placed pair of Sheikha (Sebring) and Dio (Zoustar). Solar Charged's 2-year-old colt Lyon (Zoustar) is unraced and her 2024 colt is also by Zoustar. Solar Charged is a half-sister to Listed Tasmanian Oaks winner Causeway Queen (Giant’s Causeway {USA}).

Autumn Glow makes it four from four in Darby Munro

With a $1.8 million price tag as a yearling, there’s been a buzz around 3-year-old filly Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) for a long time. She was unbeaten in three starts over the spring including two group races, and now she’s resumed with a win in the Listed Darby Munro Stakes over 1200 metres. Ridden by James McDonald for trainer Chris Waller, Autumn Glow won by 1.93l from Michael Freedman-trained 3-year-old colt Enriched (I Am Invincible) with Team Hawkes-trained 3-year-old filly Gangsta Granny (Written Tycoon) 2l arrears in third.

“We're still learning about what her best distance is. Her dad was a champion, The Autumn Sun. He got out to 2000 metres. But she's got that same speed. She's out of the champion there from South Africa who had speed. So we're going to find a happy spot in between and James will obviously tell us about today. There's a little bit of pressure on, so we asked her to perform. And she duly did,” Waller said.

“I think I'll need a little bit of help to (be) persuade(d) not to run in the Arrowfield, because obviously of the Arrowfield connection. But logically, it does look a nice race in three weeks' time.” The G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint is on April 12.

Autumn Glow is owned by Arrowfield Stud and Hermitage Thoroughbreds, who splashed $1.8 million to purchase her from Silverdale Farm’s 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale draft. They pinhooked her, having bought her with Shrone Bloodstock as a weanling from Newhaven Park Stud for $600,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale. In her four wins, she’s recouped $500,000 of her purchase price.

Gallery: Images courtesy of Sportpix

Autumn Glow is the fourth foal of Champion Sprinter in South Africa in 2013-14 Via Africa (Saf) (Var {USA}), who was a triple Group 1 winner in South Africa. Her second foal is G1 Golden Rose winner In The Congo, who now stands at Newgate Farm, while her first foal, Pleasant Endeavour (Redoute’s Choice) has won six races in Hong Kong and over HK$7 million (AU$1.4 million). Sadly Via Africa’s two most recent foals were still born and she is in foal to I Am Invincible.