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Scenic Lodge Shines at Ascot

Scenic Lodge wrapped up another successful summer afternoon when Wild Stratus and Shining Knight book-ended the C B Cox Stakes meeting at Ascot on Saturday.

In the last month, Scenic Lodge champion Blackfriars has sired Ascot feature winners Kerrific (R J Peters Stakes), Black Tycoon (Tattersalls Cup), Son Of Something (Country Challenge Final) and Pop Culture (ATA Cup).

Scenic Lodge owners David and Jeremy Smith also bred Newton Prince (Universal Prince) to a Listed victory in the Aquanita Stakes a fortnight ago and Jeremy doubled up with Wild Stratus in Race 1 on Saturday.

Wild Stratus (3f Hurricane Sky – Bella Diva by Centro) had won on debut at Bunbury and she maintained a perfect strike-rate in the QA Management Hcp (1200m). “She’s a ripper – still raw – but that was a soft win,” trainer Simon Miller said. “She will come back for the Magic Millions Trophy in February.”

Jeremy Smith bred the unbeaten filly from 1998 Sheila Gwynne Stakes winner Bella Diva and sold her for $25,000 at the 2012 Perth Magic Millions. Miller trains the filly for the partnership of Peter Bell and Ron & Ryan Meadowcroft.

Bella Diva foaled a Blackfriars colt on December 15. 

Wild Stratus is from the penultimate crop of Hurricane Sky. He stood at Arrowfield Stud and Scenic Lodge prior to being pensioned in 2012.

Blackfriars closed the C B Cox Stakes card with promising sprinter Shining Knight in Race 8. Shining Knight (5g Blackfriars – Cool Business by Key Business) was coming off a slashing fifth in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes and he gave favourite punters heart palpitations before nailing the Watson Memorial (1200m) by a nose.

“I didn’t think he could win from that far back on the corner,” owner-breeder Bob Peters admitted. “But he lengthened and found another gear.”

Peters bred him by using Blackfriars over LR Bolton Sprint winner Cool Business. She is a sister to G3 winner Hot Shot Brother and a half-sister to the dam of G2 winner Marasco (Scenic).

 

Blackfriars Buffs Perth Cup

pop culture colin websterScenic Lodge sire Blackfriars has a vice-like grip on the G2 Perth Cup with Rohan, Black Tycoon and Pop Culture dominating markets for the $500,000 feature on New Year’s Day

 Rohan is the pre-post favourite at $4 ahead of Black Tycoon and Pop Culture on the second line at $8.

Pop Culture (5m Blackfriars – Georgia’s Storm by Metal Storm) signalled she will be a force in Perth’s premier staying event following a gutsy victory in the ATA Cup (2200m) at Ascot on Wednesday.  “She’s all heart and 2400 metres will be right up her alley in the Perth Cup,” trainer Colin Webster said.  “She’s a lovely little girl and is a favourite with everyone at the stable – especially me.”

 Pop Culture indicated she was approaching winning form with a last-start sixth in the LR Towton Cup.  “She didn’t have any luck from the outside draw that day,” Webster recalled.  “Troy (Turner) had her perfectly positioned today and she got the job done.” 

The Blackfriars mare has won 8 times in 26 starts topped by a Group 3 in the 2012 WA Oaks and Listed victories in the Ascot 1000 Guineas, Ascot Gold Cup and WA St Leger.  She has earned over $514,000 for a syndicate that includes her breeder Russell Clarke, Webster and Paz Princi. 

Clarke sold a Blackfriars sister to Pop Culture at the 2013 Perth Magic Millions.  She changed hands for $76,000 and new owners Dan and Julia Love have named her New Orleans Lady.

 Their dam Georgia’s Storm was distanced in her only start at Esperance but Clarke kept her on as a broodmare and she’s clicked with Blackfriars.  She foaled another filly by Sunspeed’s champion sire in October. 

Scenic Lodge has 15 yearlings by Blackfriars catalogued for the 2014 Perth Magic Millions and first under the hammer is a filly from Card Queen (Lot 28).  She is a half-sister to Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Karuta Queen.

Son of a gun wins Country Challenge Final

Son Of Something had a head-start on his rivals despite a wide draw in the Country Challenge Final (1500m) at Ascot on Saturday.

The promising four year-old was always going to be the testing material with Perth’s reigning champions William Pike, Adam Durrant and Blackfriars in his corner. Son Of Something (4g Blackfriars – Miss Something by Fimiston) took the short way home in the straight to defeat Danish Delight by two lengths. “That was a gem of a ride,” stable foreman Jason Miller said as Pike returned to scale. “He got back but didn’t panic and then picked his way through the field. “The horse is still a work in progress. He was last but wasn’t pulling – I thought something might be wrong because he usually reefs in that sort of situation. He’s got ability and is learning to do things right.”

Durrant won Perth’s trainers’ title last season with Blackfriars filly Summah’s Touch contributing 6 wins including the Belmont Guineas (1600m), Belmont Oaks (200m) and Belmont Classic (2200m). Blackfriars has a mortgage on a fourth Sunspeed premiership in 2013-14. The Scenic Lodge champion has sired the winners of $1.30 million this season for a substantial buffer over second placed Oratorio ($893,000).

Son Of Something is a homebred for the Rodgers family. He’s the first foal of Miss Something who finished her racing career with a winning hat-trick at Bunbury and Ascot in March 2008. Pike was aboard for all three victories. Miss Something has a 2yo colt by Viscount and a filly by Planet Five foaled in September.

First black-type winner by Universal Prince

newton prince1

Newton Prince notched the first black-type win for former Scenic Lodge sire Universal Prince at Ascot on Saturday.

The Dan Pearce trained gelding appreciated the quick tempo set by tearaway leader Heart Show in the LR Aquanita Stakes (1800m).  Ridden a patient race by Jarrad Noske, he was more than a dozen lengths in arrears at one stage before cruising to the front at the top of the straight.

Newton Prince (3g Universal Prince – Newton Bewley by Blackfriars) kept finding in the final furlong to deny the favourite Balmont Girl by a half-length.  “It was a true staying test and he will stay all day,” Pearce said.  “We will tip him out now and come back for the WA Derby in April.”

Newton Prince is a homebred for Scenic Lodge owners David and Jeremy Smith and is from the immediate family of G3 Belmont Sprint winner Universal Ruler (Scenic) who stands alongside champion sire Blackfriars at Scenic Lodge.

“I told Jeremy a short summer preparation would help going forward to the Derby,” Pearce claimed.  “He won his maiden then added a Saturday race and now he’s stepped up to stakes company.  It’s worked out exactly how we planned.”

Universal Prince (Scenic) was a Group 1 winner of the AJC Derby, AJC Spring Champion Stakes, STC Canterbury Guineas and STC Ranvet Stakes.  He was initially based at Inverness Stud in NSW before transferring west to Scenic Lodge.

Universal Prince is now standing with Sue Nolan at Murray Bridge.  She is a sister-in-law of Terry Hogan who raced Universal Prince with trainer Bede Murray.

Newton Prince has an unraced 2yo half-brother by Hurricane Sky named Veritasium.                      By Karl Patterson 

 

Pearce predicts bright future for Prince

newton princePromising three year-old Newton Prince will be given an early opportunity in black-type company after cruising to victory in the Westspeed Hcp (1500m) at Ascot last Saturday.

Trainer Dan Pearce will nominate him for the LR Aquanita Stakes (1800m) fifth time out this weekend.

Newton Prince (3g Universal Prince – Newton Bewley by Blackfriars) overhauled Shades Of Rio (Oratorio) with a performance that had Pearce singing his praises on Saturday.  “I’ve got a huge opinion of this horse,” he said.  “There’s a big future ahead of him.”

Newton Prince is a Scenic Lodge homebred for owners David and Jeremy Smith and owns a distinct classic pedigree.  His sire Universal Prince (Scenic) won the 2001 AJC Derby and his damsire Blackfriars (Danehill) the 1999 VRC Derby.

He’s also three-quarter brother to G3 Belmont Sprint winner Universal Ruler (Scenic) who stands alongside Blackfriars at Scenic Lodge.

Pearce prepared him for two placings in two starts during an educational stint at Belmont during the winter months.  He resumed for a first-up victory over 1200 metres at Bunbury on November 14 and then lengthened to 1500 metres like he was looking for more ground.

“We were going to give him an extended break for the WATC Derby in the autumn,” Pearce recalled.  “But after talking to David and Jeremy, we decided to bring him back for a short summer prep.

“He’s improving every start,” Pearce explained.  “He was doing everything wrong during the winter.  I waited and waited until adding blinkers and they’ve really straightened him out.”

Win, lose or draw, Newton Prince will be spelled after the Aquanita Stakes in readiness for the $400,000 WATC Derby on April 12.

Scenic Lodge also has a strong hand in the G1 Kingston Town Classic (1800m) at Ascot this Saturday.

Blackfriars flag-bearer Playing God is gunning for a hat-trick of victories in Perth’s premier weight-for-age event and Sunspeed’s champion sire fields a strong second-string with God Has Spoken, Rohan and Black Tycoon engaged.

Karl Patterson