London to a brick on Blackfriars

First-starter London Line launched another winning weekend for Blackfriars in the Happy Birthday Aaron Rankine Plate (1000m) at Ascot.

The champion Scenic Lodge stallion has now sired the winners of 50 races this season. Grey filly Cushryn was another of his debut winners on Saturday at Narrogin and Shining Knight added the LR Crawford Stakes later in the afternoon at Ascot.

London Line (2g Blackfriars – Line Of Flight by Bletchley Park) raced greenly in the straight and shifted inwards near the furlong but had the class to collar War Chant filly Kentucky Lass right on the line.

He is the first of the Blackfriars two year-olds to race this season and there was black-type written all over the victory. “He’s still new and there’s plenty of upside,” trainer Dan Morton said. “And being by Blackfriars, you would expect him to mature into a nice horse.”

A homebred for Anita Vale Stud owner Robert Anderson, he is from a family that has provided numerous highlights for Morton and Scenic Lodge. His dam’s half-brother Scenic Shot won 17 races including Group 1 conquests in a Mackinnon Stakes and two Doomben Cups.

Anderson also raced his dam’s sister Flight Path to win the 2009 Perth Magic Millions 3YO Trophy.

Blackfriars has sired 28 stakes winners and the majority of them come good when going further than a mile as three year-olds. But they do get up and run at two as evidenced by G3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes winners Prentice (2014) and God Has Spoken (2009).

And he has the versatility to get an out-and-out sprinter like Shining Knight who improved his record to 6 wins in 15 starts up to 1200 metres in the Crawford Stakes.

Blackfriars is a Top 25 stallion on the Australian premiership with earnings over $1.75 million. He’s a half-million dollars ahead of any other sire in WA and a fifth Sunspeed title appears a fait accompli.

Knight notches more black-type for Blackfriars

Perth owner-breeder Bob Peters celebrated a career-best afternoon with four stakes winners at Ascot on Saturday.

Blackfriars was the only Sunspeed-based stallion to provide a winner among the quartet when Shining Knight claimed the LR Crawford Stakes (1000m).  The Grant Williams trained gelding had notched his first black-type success in the LR Colonel Reeves Stakes last month.

Peters also won the LR WA St Leger with Real Love (Desert King), LR Starstruck Classic with Real Charm (Reset) and G2 Cox Stakes with Elite Belle (Canny Lad).

Shining Knight led home a Blackfriars quinella with a half-length to spare over Black Heart Bart who was aiming for a winning hat-trick.  “It was a good win with 59kg and I thought 1000 metres may have been a problem, too,” Peters said.  “The small field helped and he was a bit closer to the leaders this time.”

The Crawford Stakes is the middle-leg of three 1000m races scheduled by Perth Racing at the summer carnival.  Shining Knight had finished fourth in the Thunderbolt Stakes on December 6 and the final race of the series is the LR Summer Scorcher on January 1.

Peters has banked over $465,000 since the gelding won his maiden on debut at Belmont in October 2011.  Champion Scenic Lodge stallion got him from Cool Business who died March 2011.

Cool Business foaled six winners from as many to the races – Shining Knight, Hot Business (Zedrich), Intimidator (Flying Spur), Star Trader (Flying Spur), Southern Princess (Southern Image) and Dreamalong (Southern Image).

Champagne double for Blackfriars

Blackfriars can sire his second G3 WA Oaks winner in three years with untapped filly French Champagne.

The Oakland Park homebred had won a Northam maiden on December 4 and claimed the Kryptonite Hcp (1600m) despite a wide trip at Ascot on Saturday. “She’s doing it on raw ability at the moment,” trainer Shane Quilty said. “We will have to sit down and map out the best way of attacking the WA Oaks.”

The $250,000 WA Oaks (2400m) is scheduled for March 28. Blackfriars filly Pop Culture won the classic in 2012.

French Champagne (3f Blackfriars – Champagne Amore by Xaar) is from a half-sister to the Scenic stakes winners Marasco and Siesta Bay. Oakland Park owner Neville Duncan races her with Thunderstruck Racing and Loloma Farms couple Kevin Fowler and Kelly Everett.

Another Blackfriars with black-type goals is Black Heart Bart. He won the LR Carbine Club Stakes (1400m) last month and returned to outclass his rivals in the Black Widow Hcp (1200m) on Saturday.

The winning double kept Blackfriars bubbling $330,000 ahead of the pack for the Sunspeed sires’ premierships. He has won the last four titles.

Black Heart Bart (4g Blackfriars – Sister Theresa by At Talaq) circled the field to score by three lengths eased up at Ascot. “He’s an out-and-out sprinter and will go to the paddock now,” trainer Vaughn Sigley said. “He likes to sit off the pace and then explode.”

Long-range plans call for a Group 1 campaign targeting the Railway Stakes in 12 month’s time. His next prep will revolve around Listed races like the Cyril Flower Stakes (February 7), Pinjarra Classic (February 22) and Bunbury Stakes (March 8).

Blackfriars produced another two trial winners at Belmont last week.

Two year-old filly Miss Black won her hit-out by a half-length for owner-breeder Stan Quinlivan and trainer Simon Miller. She is the final foal of Eroded (Dauberval) who claimed the last of her 7 wins at Belmont in June 2005.

Unraced three year-old filly Cushryn won her trial for owner-trainer Jayne Busslinger. Her dam Tudor Mist (Scenic) is from a half-sister to WA Oaks winners Hasty Departure (1989) and India’s Dream (1991).

 

 

Bart conquers Carbine Club Stakes

Trainer Vaughn Sigley has Group 1 plans for Black Heart Bart after the gelding’s remarkable victory in the LR Carbine Club Stakes (1400m) at Ascot. Black Heart Bart is untapped and he became the 28th stakes winner for Scenic Lodge champion Blackfriars on Super Saturday. Sigley is already looking forward to the G1 Railway Stakes in 12 months – his rising star was balloted out this year after close-up finishes in the G3 Asian Beau Stakes and G3 R J Peters Stakes. The lightly-raced four year-old had a lone Bunbury maiden win to his credit before inhaling the leaders in the last furlong of the Carbine Club Stakes. “He loves it when they’re skipping along up front,” Sigley said. “He can really hit the line off a genuine pace.” Sigley, who rode champion sprinter Placid Ark to victory as an apprentice at Flemington, is making a mark in the training ranks at Lark Hill. His biggest win to date has been with Blackfriars gelding Rohan in the 2012 WATC Derby. Black Heart Bart (4g Blackfriars – Sister Theresa by At Talaq) is from a half-sister to NZ & Australia Group 1 winner Savannah Success who also foaled Group 1 racehorse and sire Savabeel. Scenic Lodge bought his dam Sister Theresa for $50,000 from Stratheden Stud at the 2008 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale and she was covered by Blackfriars for the first time the following year. Blackfriars extended his lead on the Sunspeed sires’ premiership during Perth’s signature meeting of the year. Mt Hallowell Stud galloper Temporise had claimed the first-leg of a winning double in the Carlton Dry Sprint while Shining Knight finished third in the G1 Winterbottom Stakes and Son Of Something was runner-up in the LR Tattersalls Cup. Western Australia’s champion sire since 2010-11, Blackfriars has covered just over 100 mares this season and his fertility is better than 80% per cover in foal. Magic Millions has catalogued 40 of his yearlings for the Perth Premier Sale on February 17 and 18.

Discounted Delicacy for Scenic Lodge

Bob Peters isn’t the only Sunspeed breeder with a vested interest in G3 Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) winner Delicacy.

Delicacy (3f Al Maher – Simply Wicked by Scenic) is a homebred for Peters and she didn’t go around a horse to defeat Dancing Express (Oratorio) and stablemate Ideal Image (More Than Ready) at Ascot on Saturday.

The placegetters will clash again in the G2 WA Guineas (1600m) on Super Saturday.

Scenic Lodge general manager Jeremy Smith will be hoping Delicacy can double up after buying her dam earlier this year.  “Bob had a reduction at the Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale and I noticed Simply Wicked being by Scenic,” Smith recalled.  “She was in foal to Al Maher again and only cost $4,000.

“She delivered an absolute cracking colt in September and she’s in foal to Blackfriars.  You can occasionally have a good win in this game and looking at that mare in the backyard is a real bonus.”

Simply Wicked is one of five winners from Street Talk (Marauding) who landed Listed victories at Flemington, Caulfield and Moonee Valley.

Scenic Lodge has another live chance in the WA Guineas through last-start Ascot winner Furious Dame.  She is by their Scenic sire Universal Ruler.

Dame dominant at Ascot

Furious Dame will butter up in the G2 WA Guineas after running a sprint field ragged at Ascot on Saturday.

Furious Dame will butter up in the G2 Guineas after running a sprint field ragged at Ascot on Saturday. The Universal Ruler filly has endured a less than ideal preparation for the classic but trainer Darren McAuliffe believes she can give plenty of cheek in the $400,000 feature for three year-olds.

“She’s fit and has been trained to run a mile.  If there’s a leader-bias, they might be spotting her three or four lengths at the 400 metre mark.”

Furious Dame (3f Universal Ruler – Furocitee by Dante’s Fury) had won her maiden at Northam but then missed two starts after being kicked behind the barrier.  “The first one bruised the bone and that put her back,” McAuliffe said.  “Luckily, the second was only a glancing blow and wasn’t as bad as it looked.”

The WA Guineas line-up will be finalized on Tuesday and early indications suggest almost half the field will be made up of fillies.

Furious Dame clocked a quick 1.10.20s to win the Wild Turkey Spiced Hcp (1200m) last Saturday.  “She did some work getting to the front and then cruised home,” McAuliffe added.  “It was a dominant win and she’s going to be tough to run down again on Super Saturday.”

McAuliffe also has Furious Dame’s 2yo brother El Furioso on the books and their dam foaled a Frost Giant colt in August.

Universal Ruler is standing at Scenic Lodge and, in light of his growing reputation, is value plus at a $3,850 (inc gst) service fee.

Culture Shock at Ascot

Pop Culture won her second LR Ascot Gold Cup (1800m) on Saturday and connections will be hoping for better luck in the lead-up to the G2 Perth Cup on New Year’s Day.

The Blackfriars mare loomed up on the home turn to land her latest black-type victory by three quarters of a length from Rebelson (Snippetson) and Fancy Feet (Fath). It improved her record to 4 wins in 6 starts over the track and distance.

“They underestimate her at their own peril over 1800m at Ascot,” trainer Col Webster said after she caused a $37 shock on Saturday. “We set her for this race when she came back into work and I thought she would go extra well today.”

Pop Culture (6m Blackfriars – Georgia’s Storm by Metal Storm) will be set for the Perth Cup but Webster wants a decent gate on January 1. She drew barrier 20 in this year’s Cup and was never travelling comfortably in the race won by Blackfriars veteran Black Tycoon.

“She’s all heart and is a favourite with everyone at the stable,” Webster said. “Her first two runs this prep didn’t look good on paper but she hit the line nicely against sprinters in the Northerly Stakes.”

A repeat victory in the Ascot Gold Cup increased her earning to over $642,000 highlighted by wins in the G3 WA Oaks, LR WA St Leger and LR Detonator Stakes. She was bred by Russell Clarke and he kept a share with Webster and stable client Paz Princi.

Pop Culture has an unraced 3yo sister named New Orleans Lady with owners Dan and Julia Love and she also has a yearling sister by Blackfriars.

The Ascot Gold Cup prizemoney, together with Shining Knight’s victory in the G3 Colonel Reeves on Melbourne Cup day, has put Blackfriars through the million-dollar mark in prizemoney this season.

The Scenic Lodge champion has sired 31 individual winners of 37 races – his latest maiden winner Devotto scored second-up after a twelve-month spell at Northam on Sunday. His second-dam Paris Heartbeat was a stakes winner in Melbourne and Brisbane.

Rebels Rule for Impressive Racing

Universal Ruler is off to a winning start with his second crop after jump-and-run filly Rebel Queen claimed the Westspeed 2YO Plate (1100m) at Ascot.

The Scenic Lodge young gun finished fourth on the Australian first-season premiership in 2013-14 and was a country mile ahead of anything else in Western Australia. He has sired the winners of 14 races from that crop to date – the most recent being flying filly Furious Dame. Rebel Queen (2f Universal Ruler – Rebel Sister by Falbrav) started an even-money favourite on debut and dominated a field of first-timers on Saturday. “She’s a real professional and there’s lots of improvement to come,” trainer Darren McAuliffe said. “She’s basically come straight from the breakers and full credit to Jessie Byrne who educates our young ones.”

The winner is from a family that has been very successful for McAuliffe and owners Impressive Racing. Her older half-brother Rebelson (Snippetson) claimed the 2012 LR Fairetha Stakes and LR Aquanita Stakes and was runner-up in Saturday’s LR Ascot Gold Cup. Her three year-old brother Rebel King (Universal Ruler) won four on the bounce at Belmont before tiring out of a place first-up in the LR Fairetha Stakes on October 18. McAuliffe told stewards he would revert the speedy gelding to a 1000m race next time out.

“I trained Universal Ruler and he’s doing a great job at stud,” McAuliffe added. “Rebel Queen will go out for a spell now and we will bring her back for the Karrakatta Plate.” Universal Ruler (Scenic) is a Top 10 Australian second-season sire with earnings of $232,000 since August 1. He stands at Scenic Lodge for a $3,850 (inc gst).

 

Blackfriars Shines in Colonel Reeves

First-up specialist Shining Knight gave champion sire Blackfriars his 27th stakes winner in the G3 Colonel Reeves Stakes (1100m) at Ascot on Tuesday.

Shining Knight (6g Blackfriars – Cool Business by Key Business) pushed out of a pocket turning for home and sprinted clear for a one length victory over Testamezzo (Testa Rossa). Owner-breeder Bob Peters was winning the Colonel Reeves for a third time following Avante (Hurricane Sky) and Lady Belvedere (Royal Academy).

“It’s nice to win this race again – he’s been close up in some big races and the blinkers sharpened him up today,” Peters said. “The Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes is next.”

Shining Knight has won 5 races in 15 starts for $330,000 in prizemoney. His younger half-sister Dreamalong (Southern Image) also won on Ascot’s Melbourne Cup day program for Scenic Lodge owner David Smith.

Their dam Cool Business was a Listed winner of the 2002 Bolton Sprint but she died March 2011.

Blackfriars (Danehill) stands at Scenic Lodge for a $17,600 (inc gst) fee and he has sired 28 individual winners for earnings of $971,860 since August 1. He holds a commanding lead for a fifth Sunspeed premiership over Oratorio (Aus) and Danehill Express.

Group 1 draws Son of Blackfriars

Son Of Something booked a berth in the G1 Kingston Town Classic after winning the LR Northam Cup on Sunday.

The son of Blackfriars dead-heated with Rebelson in the first split-decision since the race was launched in 1863. Class mare Bippo No Bungus was less than a length away third.

Son Of Something will now be given the chance to emulate Blackfriars star Playing God who won two editions of the Kingston Town in 2010 and 2011. His trainer Adam Durrant finished fifth in the 2013 Classic with Mr Moet.

Durrant had described Son Of Something as a work in progress after claiming the Country Challenge Final at Ascot late last year. He returned this term to beat Bippo No Bungus at Belmont and started a $2.35 favourite to maintain that winning strike-rate on Sunday.

It was a second Northam Cup trophy for Blackfriars following Moneghetti in 2011.

Son Of Something (5g Blackfriars – Miss Something by Fimiston) is the first foal of a mare who bowed out of racing with a winning hat-trick at Ascot in March 2008. Her second foal Fractal (Viscount) was placed in a Bunbury trial last week.

Blackfriars has now been represented by 26 stakes winners and is within one of squaring up with Northerly’s sire Serheed. Heytesbury champion Haulpak leads the WA list with 32 stakes winners.

He is also close to taking over the Western Australian earnings record with $23.58 million. That mark is currently held by Bletchley Park with $23.71 million in prizemoney.

Blackfriars (Danehill) is standing for a $17,600 (inc gst) fee at Scenic Lodge.