Business as usual for Blackfriars

The start of the current season might be the closest his rivals see of champion sire Blackfriars.  An opening-day double at Belmont put him on the front foot, if he wasn’t an odds-on favourite already, for a fourth Sunspeed premiership.

The Scenic Lodge stallion doubled the earnings of his nearest challenger in 2012-13 and he was back in business with Midnight Shimmer and Friarday in Races 1 and 2 on Saturday. 

Both winners are trained by Grant Williams for a syndicates that include Elio and Jacqui Galante. The Perth couple also race Blackfriars stakes winner Moneghetti with Scenic Lodge owner David Smith. And they campaigned Australian Horse of the Year Scenic Blast who was an $85,000 graduate from Scenic Lodge at the 2006 Perth Magic Millions. 

Midnight Shimmer (3f Blackfriars – Yule Dancer by Carnegie) was bred by Scenic Lodge and appeals as another filly from the sireline with potential. She comes from a family developed by John and Joan Blackburn.  Friarday (6g Blackfriars – Truly Bonny by Is It True) is a homebred for the Galantes and is from an unraced daughter of their 1997 WA Matchmaker Classic winner Our Bonny Lass (Ron Bon). 

The Scenic Lodge team were on hand to accept the Sunspeed Breeder & Stallion of the Year awards at Perth’s Hyatt Hotel on Saturday night. 

Scenic Lodge also finished fourth on the Australian Breeders’ premiership for 2012-13. Darley finished on top with the winners of 49 black-type races followed by Gerry Harvey (16), Gooree Park (10) and Scenic Lodge (8).