WA connection primed for Cox Plate
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Kiwi Connection for WA
Sunspeed breeders Jeremy Smith and Wayne Beynon are following the progress of promising sprinter-miler Amachi in New Zealand.
Smith stands his sire Snippetson at Scenic Lodge and Beynon bought his dam Molta (NZ) at the 2014 Magic Millions National Sale.
Amachi started a $4.50 favourite in the Greers Gastro Bar Maiden (1600m) at Tauranga on Friday and he controlled the race in front before pinching a winning break at the top of the straight.
Trainer Steven Cole will set the free-striding 3yo gelding for the LR Trevor Eagle Memorial (1500m) at Ellerslie on November 26. It’s been a good guide in recent years with winners the calibre of Ocean Park and Rising Romance.
“Amachi pulled up really well and will run again at Ellerslie on November 1 before stepping up to stakes company,” Cole said on Monday. “He’s got plenty of ability. He’s was still immature last season so we didn’t put him under much pressure. But he’s learning to relax now and is coming on like a nice horse.”
Cole is stabled at Byerley Park in Karaka and he became the youngest trainer to prepare a Group 1 winner in New Zealand when Dukedom landed the Levin Classic earlier this year.
Snippetson was Champion WA 2YO sire in 2015-16 and is standing for a $7,150 (inc gst) fee at Scenic Lodge. His stakes winning mare Vergara bowed out of racing with a midfield finish in the G1 Windsor Park Plate in New Zealand last month and she has since been covered by boom sire Tavistock.
Amachi’s dam Molta won a G3 Lowland Stakes in New Zealand and Einoncliff Park owners Wayne and Jane Beynon purchased her for $18,000 at the Gold Coast. She was carrying a Charge Forward colt and the Boyanup couple will catalogue him for the 2017 Perth Magic Millions as part of the consignment from Western Breeders Alliance.
Molta (Danske) already has a Sunspeed link through her first foal Gigante who scored again at Belmont on October 1. Leading Perth agent John Chalmers bought him in Sydney on behalf of owner Sam Trimboli and the latest win increased his earnings to $273,000.
Watch Amachi win here
Bart Propels Blackfriars into Australian Top 5
Black Heart Bart led home a Group 1 quinella for Western Australia with a comprehensive victory in the Underwood Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.
It was the third Group 1 for the son of Scenic Lodge champion Blackfriars following the Memsie Stakes and Goodwood Hcp earlier this year. He drew clear in the final furlong to defeat He or She (Kendel Star) who is by a stallion stationed at Rivercrest Park.
The Underwood’s $302,000 first prizemoney propelled Blackfriars into a Top 5 spot on the Australian sires’ premiership with earnings over $1.21 million.
In the wake of Saturday’s easy win, Black Heart Bart firmed into a $9 second-favourite for the G1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley on October 22 behind champion mare Winx ($2.50).
“I never had any doubts about him getting 1800 metres,” trainer Darren Weir said. “The opposition is going to be stronger in the Cox Plate but he will be competitive if he runs like today.
“He’s peaking at the right time and is right up to the mark now. Winx is the best horse in the country and it will be a great clash.”
Black Heart Bart (6g Blackfriars – Sister Theresa by At Talaq) has won 14 races in 34 starts for prizemoney of $2.67 million. He was bred by Scenic Lodge and made $20,000 at the 2012 Perth Magic Millions for a Geraldton syndicate headed by Kim Renner.
“That just backs up our confidence going into today’s race,” winning jockey Brad Rawiller said. “We respect Winx – she’s a star. But we’re not shying away from the Cox Pate. Bring it on – I can’t wait!”
Black Heart Bart’s dam Sister Theresa is a half-sister to G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Savannah Success (Success Express) who foaled 2004 Cox Plate winner Savabeel (Zabeel).
Blackfriars is a Group 1 Victorian Derby winning son of Danehill and stands at Scenic Lodge for a fee of $13,200 (inc gst).
Hot Chocolate benefit for Blackfriars
Black Heart Bart just missed the chocolates when beaten in the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes but he can bounce back to winning form in the G1 Underwood Stakes at Caulfield next Saturday.
The Sunspeed star has helped propel his sire Blackfriars into the Australian Top 10 with progeny prizemoney of $880,000 and there’s another $300,000 on the line in the Underwood.
Black Heart Bart has been installed a $3.20 favourite ahead of Lucia Valentina ($3.80), Our Ivanhowe ($6.50), Awesome Rock ($10) and He Or She ($10).
In Perth, Chocolate Holic is the latest son of Blackfriars rising through the ranks with earnings of $128,000 since August 1. He won a Bunbury maiden in March and has come back to win four in a row at Belmont this season.
Chocolate Holic is trained Grant Williams who has prepared Group winners galore for Bob and Sandra Peters. There’s more than the usual percentage with the latest money-spinner – the 4yo gelding is a homebred for his wife Alana.
“We don’t like to over-tax them but he keeps pulling up pretty good,” Williams said after he turned the Crown Perth Open (1600m) into a benefit on Saturday. “He beat a big field here last time and is improving with every run.”
Champion jockey Willie Pike is riding in career-best form and he’s another Chocolate Holic convert. “I thought he would be better again today and he can go to the next level against decent horses.”
Alana Williams bred the gelding from World Famous (Geiger Counter) who had been reared by Chatswood Stud in Victoria for Perth-based Michael Carlile. She is from a half-sister to G2 Queen of the South Stakes winner Adraanito and LR Towton Cup winner William’s Ghost.
In addition to her interstate black-type carrying Carlile’s colours in Adelaide, Adraanito (Adraan) was runner-up in a G1 Railway Stakes and LR Hannans Hcp.
William’s Ghost (Francis Bacon) was raced by Alan Bond’s right-hand man Peter Beckwith and was later sold to Hong Kong where he won the G3 Classic Trial at Sha Tin.
Blackfriars (Danehill) tops the Scenic Lodge roster at a $12,000 service fee alongside Snippetson ($6,500), Universal Ruler ($4,500) and Dash For Cash ($3,000). All fees (plus gst). For further details, contact Jeremy Smith on 0419 943 356.
Cash In The Bank
Promising colt Cash Dash has been sold for $500,000 to race in Hong Kong.
The speedy son of Scenic Lodge sire Dash For Cash added a zero to his value after making $50,000 at the 2015 Capricornia Yearling Sale in Rockhampton. Part-owners Ross Donovan and Peter Malpass had set their sights on the Vo Rouge Stakes and Gold Edition Stakes at the Brisbane summer carnival before accepting the latest offer from Hong Kong.
“They took an 37 x-rays, flexed and moved every joint and hot spotted him all over,” Donovan said. “And now the money’s in the bank.”
Cash Dash (3c Dash For Cash – Letter From France by Exceed and Excel) has raced just three times for two outstanding wins after pulling up shin sore on debut. Resuming in July, he clocked some outstanding sectional times for a convincing win at Doomben before a powerful last-to-first victory in the QTIS 2YO Hcp at Sunshine Coast.
“In the end the money was just too good to refuse,” Donovan explained. “(Trainer) Steve O’Dea is disappointed to lose the horse but he fully understands the situation.
“He was bred by Jodie Anderson and she had to teach him to drink milk out of a bowl as a foal after his dam took sick. It’s a lovely story all round.”
Dash For Cash is tremendous value standing for a $3,300 (inc gst) fee at Scenic Lodge. His Adelaide stakes performer With A Bit Of Dash travels to Melbourne this Saturday and trainer Chrig Bieg has booked Damien Oliver for the Lasallian Foundation Plate (1400m) at Caulfield.
Bart Awesome in Gr1 Memsie Stakes
Sunspeed star Black Heart Bart has made a triumphant start to the spring carnival in a high-class renewal of the Group 1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield.
The son of Scenic Lodge champion Blackfriars climaxed his previous campaign winning the G1 Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide and running a close second in the G1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) in Brisbane.
On Saturday, just a week after being crowned WA Horse of the Year, he began a Cox Plate preparation with a dominant display in the first Group 1 event of the new Australian season.
Aided by a fast early pace, Black Heart Bart settled behind the leading division before taking control in the straight and sprinting to a resounding victory over Rising Romance (Ekraar) and Mahuta (Flying Spur).
“It couldn’t have worked out any better,” jockey Brad Rawiller said. “When he let down he was just awesome.”
Black Heart Bart (6g Blackfriars – Sister Theresa by At Talaq) has won 13 races and been placed 11 times from 32 starts earning over $2.28 million. He cost $20,000 at the 2012 Perth Magic Millions and is raced by a Geraldton-based syndicate that includes Kim Renner, Craig Delacy, Dave Richardson, Arthur Psaltis and Ian McCarthy.
“He’s the best I’ve got and is a perfect horse to train,” Darren Weir said. “They’re hard to find. The owners are very keen on the Cox Plate.”
The Caulfield victory deposited $300,000 towards Blackfriars extending his winning run to seven premierships in Western Australia. He sired the Memsie Stakes winner from a half-sister to NZ & Australia Group 1 winner Savannah Success – the dam of Group 1 racehorse and sire Savabeel.
Blackfriars (Danehill) tops the Scenic Lodge roster at a $12,000 service fee alongside Snippetson ($6,500), Universal Ruler ($4,500) and Dash For Cash ($3,000). All fees (plus gst). For further details, contact Jeremy Smith on 0419 943 356.
Sticky wicket winner by Dash For Cash
Dash For Cash gelding Not A Blemish landed his maiden by a long-head at Mildura on Friday after skirting a sticky patch on the corner.
The Terry & Karina O’Sullivan trained galloper was racing first-up following unplaced runs at Donald and Warracknabeal in March. He races for Werribee owner-breeder David Lyons who has been a long-time stable client.
By rights, Not A Blemish should have been one of the outsiders in the Hygain Maiden Plate (1005m) but was kept safe at $7.
“Karina told me he had been working nicely and she expected him to come here and win,” jockey Jack Hill explained. “It wasn’t one of my better rides sitting three-wide but I wanted to stay away from that trouble spot turning for home.
“He got to the front and then, if anything, sat back and waited for them to catch up. He’s a nice horse.”
Not A Blemish (4g Dash For Cash – Cazzuma by Umatilla) is the fourth winner from a mare who was a Super VOBIS maiden winner at Hanging Rock in 2005. She was also trained by the O’Sullivans for Lyons and has continued in the same vein at stud with her first four foals all winners.
Dash For Cash burst through 1,000 career wins at stud in June and is in pursuit of his 7th century of wins in a season. Scenic Lodge’s Group 1 grey stallion is a bargain for owner-breeders at a $3,300 (inc gst) service fee.
SENSTATIONAL SEASON FOR SCENIC LODGE SIRES
In an industry where many promises are given on sires the only true guide is racetrack performances by their stock. It’s fair to say we are delighted with our Sires performances in this area during the 2015 – 2016 season.
Snippetson Crowned WA Champion 2YO Sire
Snippetson was crowned WA Champion 2YO Sire on Saturday and he celebrated with a Group 3 victory in the Singapore Juvenile Championship (1200m) on Sunday.
His consistent youngster Mystic Master settled in a handy spot outside the front-runner Caorunn at Kranji before powering clear in the straight to win by more than a length.
Mystic Master (2g Snippetson – Distant Symphony by Distant Music) is the 11th stakes-winner for his sire who stands for a $6,500 (plus gst) fee at Scenic Lodge. “He’s a horse who always gives his best but I didn’t expect him to beat those very good two year-olds like that,” trainer Alwin Tan said. “He’s a horse with good potential and he’s also very versatile.”
A $70,000 purchase at the 2015 Magic Millions 2YO Sale, Mystic Master was bred by Raheen Stud and is from a half-sister to Group 1 winning mare Rostova. Raheen owner Basil Nolan also bred Snippetson stakes winner Snippets Land.
“He’s killed them,” winning jockey Alan Munro said. “I was able to park outside the leader and he was very strong to the line.”
Snippetson clinched the 2015-16 WA 2YO premiership at Belmont on Saturday when Dainty Tess (War Chant) defeated The Celt (Planet Five) and One Short (Snippetson) in the final juvenile race of the season.
Oakland Park stallion Rogano (Redoute’s Choice) was Sunspeed’s leading first-season sire with 3 individual winners for earnings of $161,400.
WA 2YO PREMIERSHIP
$465,195 Snippetson
$429,075 War Chant
$416,750 Oratorio
$375,425 Alfred Nobel
$362,025 Demerit
SNIPPETSON TAKES LEAD IN WA 2YO SIRES TITLE
Snippetson has edged ahead in a thrilling race for the prestigious champion WA 2yo sires title which will conclude at the end of this month. Impressive 2yo colt Coming Home flashed home to win the Silver Goblet in NSW and in doing so provided Snippetson with his 9th individual 2yr old winner this season ranking him 1st in WA and =9th in the nation in that category. Snippeton will also finish a comfortable 2nd on the overall WA Sires Premiership behind Blackfriars and nearly a million clear of his next rival. With the market demanding fast early running horses Snippetson who stands this season for $6,500 plus gst is the ideal Stallion to breed to this season with the lucrative Westspeed WA based stallion bonuses now applicable.
| WA 2YO SIRES PREMIERSHIP FOR EARNING (up to 26/7/2016) |
| 1. SNIPPETSON $449K |
| 2. ORATORIO $415K |
| 3. WAR CHANT $390K |
| 4. ALFRED NOBEL $375K |
| 5. DEMERIT $ 360K |
| WA 2YO SIRES PREMIERSHP FOR INDIVIDUAL WINNERS |
| 1. SNIPPETSON (9) |
| 2. ORATORIO (5) |
| 3. ALFRED NOBEL (4) |
|