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).