Saturday Summary: Mark Zahra dominates Morphettville with Group treble

Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

Zahra rides treble with perfect Sangster on Charm Stone

Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr nabbed a stakes double on the Morphettville card on Saturday when promising 4-year-old Charm Stone (I Am Invincible) proved she was top tier material in the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes - but for Mark Zahra, it was a landmark top flight treble, having taken out both the G1 Australian Oaks and G3 Breeders' Stakes earlier in the card.

As the pack rounded the home turn, Estriella (I Am Invincible) led by a considerable margin, but couldn’t rise to the attacks of eventual third placegetter Commemorative (I Am Invincible) and a late surge from Ameena (Tassort). But neither of them could meet with Charm Stone’s late stage surge guiding the mare to a 0.37l victory in the event.

“The very pleasing thing is she's a beautiful mare,” Price said. “We've had her since she was a baby. She's one of Sheamus' (Mills) yearling buys, he's one of the main players in the stable.

“It's just very, very satisfying to get a Group 1 for those guys, the mare has deserved it.

“Zahra is Zahra, he just lives in the Group 1 world, doesn't he? But really, really pleased for the mare and the ownership group.”

Charm Stone will return south in two weeks time for the G1 Goodwood Handicap, although Zahra is most likely engaged to ride Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) already, leaving Price and Kent searching for another jockey of the same calibre.

Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) spent $1.55 million to acquire Charm Stone at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and so far she has garnered $1.34 million on the track in just 11 starts. She is one of two stakeswinners - the other is Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes winner Najmaty (I Am Invincible) - from dual Group 3 winner Najoom (Northern Meteor). Najoom is currently in foal to Tassort.

Emirates Park will offer Charm Stone’s juvenile half-sister Nazwah (Capitalist) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale as Lot 450.

Benagil kickstarts Glen Thompson’s solo career with emotional Oaks victory

It was a huge victory for Glen Thompson at Morphettville on Saturday where Benagil (Manhattan Rain) justified her ante-post favouritism with a dazzling victory in the G1 Australasian Oaks. Claiming the fourth win of her 10-start career, the 3-year-old filly had put the writing on the wall last start with a second placing to boom filly Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes in Sydney.

Travelling south, the filly appreciated a genuine tempo in the race, settling near the rear of the field and swooping late to sail past longshot Sweltering (Too Darn Hot {GB}) to a 1.29l victory - giving Thompson the biggest win of his career just a few short months after the passing of his former training partner, Mike Moroney.

“We got her here in as good order as we could,” Thompson said. “She raced like the filly we always believed she was. It’s a huge moment for the team.”

Thompson hinted at another trip north for a tilt at the G1 Queensland Oaks, saying, “there’s definitely a possibility. We’ll let her tell us.”

Jockey Mark Zahra has now won back-to-back Australasian Oaks, having been victorious last year on Vibrant Sun (The Autumn Sun) - and he scored a treble on Saturday across the top three races on the card.

She looked fantastic today,” he said. “They went at a good tempo, and I was just smoking the pipe. When I let her down, she exploded. She’s a real class filly.”

Owner-breeder Philip Campbell, formerly of Blue Gum Farm, was trackside to witness his filly’s top flight performance; Benagil is the first foal from War mare Des Moines, a daughter of Listed St Leger winner Inkster (Umatilla), who is herself a half-sister to the dam of G3 Lord Reims Stakes winner Canford (Canford Cliffs {Ire}).

Fairytale result as Jokers Grin captures Quokka for WA

The $5 million Quokka will stay in its home state this year, thanks to the efforts of Jokers Grin (Maschino), running in the Ladbrokes slot. Trained by Bernie Miller, who has just five horses in work, the 4-year-old son of Alwyn Park stallion Maschino has now won seven starts from 10, and has been partnered in every start by jockey Patrick Carbery.

Saturday’s race was no different, with Carbery in the saddle on the biggest day of the gelding's career to date. After returning champion Overpass (Vancouver) ran tight sectionals getting to the front from his wide draw early in the race, there was an opportunity for the rest of the field to take shots at him in the home straight when the pace became unsustainable.

Fellow eastern states raider Headwall (Dream Ahead {USA}) came from the rear and loomed to win, but Jokers Grin came from further back still to lunge past him on the line, claiming victory by 0.17l.

“(It’s) absolutely brilliant,” an emotional Miller said post-race. “How can you put this into words?

“There’re so many people to thank, but how can you put the thrill of that (into words). I’ll wake up tomorrow and I still won’t be able to talk and tell you about it. It’s just a dream come true; a lot of belief by a lot of people that have backed me and helped me out throughout the years.

“The last two weeks was just ‘let’s get him over the last run (second) in the Roma Cup’. When I put him (Jokers Grin) in the paddock on the Sunday morning, he just looked absolutely beautiful.

“His work (earlier this week), Patty (Carbery) said, was just off the charts, career best. That gave me a lot of positives to say what I’m doing is right.”

“Whatever happened today, we know that he’s still on the way up, he’s still maturing,” Carbery said. “I know a lot of people say that, but that’s why Bernie’s taken so much time with him.

“As I’ve said before, credit to the owners for giving Bernie the chance to train him, for one, but two, for giving him time to work into himself.

“To win for Bernie and the owners - I don’t have to talk about Bernie, everyone knows what I think of him. We’re best mates, and not just because we’ve had success together; we’re just best mates. A lot of people don’t get to be able to work with someone that is really close to them.”

Retained to race by his breeders Mark Jones and David Gatti, Jokers Grin is a full brother to G3 Northam Stakes winner Cup Night (Maschino), one of nine stakeswinners for Maschino. His dam Walk In Beauty (Barely A Moment) is a granddaughter of dual Listed winner Bank Burst (Vain), and is back in foal to Maschino this season after delivering a full sister to Jokers Grin in the spring.

Jokers Grin's performance was the highlight of a treble delivered by Maschino's progeny on the Ascot card on Saturday; Trio and Fine Touch took out the first and third races on the card as well.

Zloties claims Queen Of The South crown

Bringing up her fifth win in just nine starts, 5-year-old Zloties (Snitzel) added more black-type to an already dazzling pedigree with her stakes level breakthrough in the G2 Queen Of The South Stakes at Morphettville on Saturday. Trained by Grahame Begg, the mare had to take the turn wide but made up significant ground on straightening, just getting her head in front of Lady In Pink (Pariah) to win.

“From day one, she (Zloties) always showed us nice ability,” Begg said post-race. He related the mare’s misfortunes that meant she was off of the race track for almost two and a half year. “We gave her one run at Pakenham (as a 2-year-old) and she ran beautifully, then we put her away, we brought her back and she had a stress fracture in her shoulder. It was a long term thing.

“We brought her back - same thing happened. Then she had a pelvic injury, so that’s the reason why she didn’t get back to the races until late. But she’s got a good record now, she’s a beautiful mare and it’s a great result for Pinecliff Racing.

“Going into this race, she prepped up really well. A great ride and a great result for the team. She knows how to find the line, this girl.”

It was Begg's first success in South Australia - he joked, “it's been a hoodoo place for me!”

A homebred for Johnathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock, Zloties is the third stakeswinner from her dam, Polska (Encosta De Lago); her black-type siblings are G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes winner Catch A Fire (Sebring) and G2 VRC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Seaburge (Sebring). Polska herself is out of G1 Australian Oaks winner La Volta (Laranto), and is currently in foal to Castelvecchio.

Four-time Champion Sire Snitzel is currently third in the Australian general sires’ premiership, but leads by number of individual stakeswinners, with 15.

Capitalist colt banks back-to-back stakes wins

The talented Reserve Bank (Capitalist) scooped up his fourth win in eight starts on Saturday, as well as back-to-back stakes wins, when taking out the G2 Tobin Bronze Stakes at Morphettville. Trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, the 3-year-old colt was the winner of the Listed Redelva Stakes at his last start.

Reserve Bank had to do battle on the outside on Saturday, but proved too strong late for his opposition, winding up once the pack straightened and charging away to win by 1.53l from Sabaj (Manhattan Rain). Co-trainer Mick Price had prophesied the colt's position in his pre-race interview.

“He jumped well, which was good, and gave Blake Shinn an option to be midfield,” Price said post-race. “He got cover, but he was strong to the finish and was strong over the 1200 (metres).

“So I’ll leave him here with Chris Bieg and we’ll train him together, and hopefully he can run in the Goodwood (Handicap) and run well.”

Purchased for $410,000 from Segenhoe Stud’s Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale draft by Mick Price Racing and Breeding, Reserve Bank is the first stakeswinner for Our Songbird (Fastnet Rock), a half-sister to Listed Woodlands Stakes winner Debonairly (Snitzel) and dual Listed winner Corsaire (Anabaa {USA}). Segenhoe Stud sold Our Songbird’s Pinatubo (Ire) weanling to Andy Lo for $375,000 at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, and the mare is back in foal to Capitalist.

First stakeswinner for I Am Immortal

Swettenham Stud resident I Am Immortal had something to celebrate on Saturday when first-crop son Athanatos charged to victory in the G3 Chairman’s Stakes at Morphettville. The Phillip Stokes trainee had been caught late in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas last start by Snoopy Now (Sir Prancealot {Ire}), but he dug deep on Saturday to rectify that when stretching to 2000 metres.

Microphone filly Lavalier surged along the outside, but the gelding found a little more to give and snatched victory from her clutches by 0.45l.

Stokes has already made the decision to send the gelding to the paddock and bring him back in the spring, saying post-race, “he definitely won’t be going to the Derby (next week), he’ll be on our truck on the way home, and we’ll look forward to the spring.

“He won’t run 2500 metres. I think when he comes back next prep, you’ll find he’ll be a nice miler.

“Very happy for Darren Dance (Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock) and his connections. He’s been a frustrating horse, he’s sort of got that bridesmaid tag, but he’s working it all out..”

Stokes had high praise for jockey Daniel Stackhouse, who has been aboard Athanatos for nine of his 14 starts; “Stacky gave him a lovely ride, he knows the horse well.

“The team has done a really good job with him here in the last two weeks. They’ve poured the work into him, trying to get him to drop his head and relax, which he did today.”

The win was part of a treble for Stokes on Saturday; he trained the quinella in the opener and rounded out the day with Beauty Rising (Deep Field) winning the last race on the card.

Bred by Esker Lodge Australia and partners, Athanatos’ close family includes G1 Thorndon Mile winner Silver Chalice (NZ) (St Hilarion). He has finished in the first three in 13 of his 14 starts.

Swettenham Stud are due to release their 2025 stallions fees next week.