Winning Foundations at Scenic Lodge

Scenic Lodge highlighted a hectic week on the East and West coasts with four winners at Northam on Monday.

Sunspeed champion Blackfriars dominated with a treble and freshman Universal Ruler sired his latest two year-old winner at the Foundation Day meeting. Incoming Scenic Lodge stallion Dash For Cash made it a full-house when his gelding Carrera Dinero chimed in at Wodonga on Monday.

General Manager Jeremy Smith and Stud Manager Damien Kirwan spent last week at the Magic Millions National Sale and returned home on the long weekend with five foals and four broodmares from the Gold Coast.

Beautifully bred filly Black Queen claimed the first-leg of the Blackfriars hat-trick in the Avon Valley and she was followed by Allinone and WA Day Cup winner Ultimate Success. Black Queen (3f Blackfriars – Card Queen by Final Card) is a Scenic Lodge homebred and is a half-sister to Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Karuta Queen.   She was well overdue to break through having been beaten a nose on debut at Ascot before finishing a close-up fourth in the LR Gimcrack Stakes. “I have been fortunate to train a number of quality racehorses by Blackfriars,” winning trainer Jim Taylor said.  “His stock are tough with an amazing will to win.  He’s clearly the best sire we have in WA.” Taylor also prepared Universal Ruler filly Rule To Wyn to win the Radio West Northam Maiden (1100m) on Monday.  She vied for the lead with Fire Born before forging clear to a one length victory. Rule To Wyn (2f Universal Ruler – Wynyard Hall by Blackfriars) is a half-sister to Ascot stakes winner Darlington Abbey and was a $26,000 buy as a foal for owners David and Michelle Bagley. Taylor said the filly had been unlucky when placed at Pinjarra last month.  She had also been hampered by a back injury and the win will be a confidence booster when she steps up to city company.

Universal Ruler (Scenic) is in the Top 10 on the Australian first-season sires’ table with earnings of $174,070.  He is odds-on to claim the WA title in that category and give Scenic Lodge a clean-sweep of the stallion awards for 2013-14. Blackfriars will win the WA title for the fourth year in a row.  He has sired 56 winners of 82 races and over $3.37 million in prizemoney.

Scenic Lodge has announced Blackfriars will stand for $17,600 (inc gst) this year.  The Dash For Cash fee has been set at $7,700 (inc gst) and Universal Ruler will remain at a $3,850(inc gst). For further information, broodmare owners should contact Scenic Lodge on (08) 9571 0155 or Jeremy Smith on 0419 943 356.