Weekend Double for Universal Ruler

Universal Ruler is shaping up for another successful season following his Sunspeed freshman title in 2013-14.

The Scenic Lodge stallion completed a weekend double with Solar Rule (Belmont) and Let Me Impress (Northam) and is now fourth on the Australian second-season premiership behind Darley sires Medaglia d’Oro & Denman and Victorian based Wanted.

SOLAR RULE (3g Universal Ruler – Soleil Vitesse by Ron Bon) toughed out a strong win at his first start in the Westspeed 3YO Hcp (1400m) on Saturday. “He’s better than average and we were pretty confident,” stable spokesman Geoff van de Molen said. “We have a good opinion of this horse and that was justified today.”

The winner is a homebred for the Impressive Racing owner-trainer team of Kevin Berry and Darren McAuliffe. They bought his dam Soleil Vitesse for $29,000 at the 2006 Perth Magic Millions but her best was only good enough for a Geraldton placing in 8 starts.

Universal Ruler revived the mare’s pedigree which goes back to the brilliant greys Jungle Dawn and Jungle Miss.

LET ME IMPRESS (3f Universal Ruler – Urlay Nook by Blackfriars) was racing second-up after a 20 week spell to win the Allworks Maiden (1300m) on Sunday. She led from start to finish carrying the blue and gold colours of part-owners Elio and Jacque Galante that were made famous by Scenic Blast.

Universal Ruler defeated Scenic Blast in the 2007 Perth Stakes at Ascot before the latter went on claim Australian Horse of the Year honours.

Scenic Lodge owner David Smith sold Let Me Impress as a weanling for $3,000 and she is the latest winner to carry the Universal Ruler – Blackfriars cross. Her dam Urlay Nook won 7 races and is a sister to the stakes winners Full Reign (LR Challenge Stakes) and Impact Rating (LR Boulder Cup).

Universal Ruler (Scenic) has now sired the winners of 11 races from his first crop for earnings of $570,000. He is standing for a $3,850 (inc gst) service fee Scenic Lodge this year.

By Karl Patterson

Scenic Lodge Blasts Boulder Cup

Red Blast led home a black-type quinella for Scenic Lodge in the LR Boulder Cup (2100m) on Sunday.

The son of former Scenic Lodge stallion Universal Prince defeated the favourite Ram Jam (Blackfriars) by a half-length on the opening day of the Goldfields carnival.

Red Blast (5g Universal Prince – Classy Charmer by Regal Classic) was runner-up in the Coolgardie Cup last month and he will back-up in the LR Kalgoorlie Cup next Saturday. The gelding took time to mature and trainer Dan Morton helped him settle by applying hooded blinkers.

The Boulder Cup winner is closely related to Australian Horse of the Year Scenic Blast and was retained by Scenic Lodge owner David Smith. His dam Classy Charmer won races at Northam (3) and Belmont and, besides Scenic Blast, she is also a half-sister to G1 Railway Stakes winner Gilded Venom.

“Classy Charmer has a yearling filly by Blackfriars and she’s just about due to foal to him again,” Scenic Lodge general manager Jeremy Smith said. “We are sending her to Universal Ruler this year to get that Scenic cross again.”

Universal Prince (Scenic) was initially based at Inverness Stud in NSW before transferring west to Scenic Lodge. He sired Scenic Lodge homebred Newton Prince to a Listed victory in the Aquanita Stakes (1800m) at Ascot last December.

Universal Prince is now standing with Sue Nolan at Murray Bridge and he covered four mares last year. Nolan is a sister-in-law of Terry Hogan who raced Universal Prince to Group 1 victories in the AJC Derby, AJC Spring Champion Stakes, STC Canterbury Guineas and STC Ranvet Stakes.

 

Birthday surprise for Blackfriars

Drive West pulled off a king-sized upset courtesy of a rails run in the Barony’s 40th Birthday Hcp (1600m) at Belmont on Saturday.

The Blackfriars gelding paid $90 on the WA TAB but it wasn’t a total surprise for trainer Joe Miller.  “He’s a tough horse, alright,” Miller said.  “The stewards told me a couple of months ago I was racing him too much and that he needed a spell.

 

“I don’t know about that – he’s a stayer and we’ve gotta work every day so they can, too.  Anyway, I gave him a break and he only had one run in six weeks before today.”

Drive West (6g Blackfriars – Victory Romp by Victory Drive) faced the starter 28 times in 2013-14 for wins at Ascot (2) and Belmont.  He’s a homebred for Gingin trucking contractor Roydon Daw and his daughter Rene and they race him in partnership with Miller’s son Ben.

“My other son Paul trained his dam’s sister Royal Drive for Roydon,” Miller recalled.  “She was a pretty good filly winning the 1000 Guineas and WA Oaks in 2005.”

Drive West’s cheque helped Scenic Lodge champion Blackfriars ($407K) take over from Danehill Express ($388K) at the top of the Sunspeed sires’ table and both stallions have several leading candidates in feature races during the Goldfields carnival next week.