3 minute read
Tagaloa takes out Saturday's Blue Diamond Stakes
Tagaloa (2 c ex Vasilissa by Heart's Cry) landed Saturday's Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Caulfield to provide his sire, Lord Kanaloa (King Kamehameha), with his fourth Group / Grade 1 winner and 15th stakes winner.
A $300,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase by Busuttin Racing, 25-1 shot Tagaloa defeated favourite Hanseatic (Street Boss) by a short neck with another three quarters of a length back to Personal (Fastnet Rock) in third. Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Away Game (Snitzel) finished fourth.
Third on debut in the Maribyrnong Plate (Gr 3, 1000m), Tagaloa broke his maiden over 1000 metres at his next start in late November. First up from a spell he finished fourth, beaten a length and a half, in the Blue Diamond Prelude (C&G) (Gr 3, 1100m) behind Hanseatic.
"It was trainer error in the Prelude," Busuttin said.
"We knew he was soft, but we didn't realise how soft.
"I'm usually pessimistic when they get beaten, but I knew there was only a length and a half between us and the winner and I knew we had a couple of lengths improvement in us.
"He'll be better next season, but if he wins the Slipper he might not be around next season."
Bred by Arrowfield and Jungle Pocket, Tagaloa is the first foal out of winning Heart's Cry (Sunday Silence) mare Vasilissa. His second dam is the Group 3 winner and Irish 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) runner-up Penkenna Princess (Pivotal) who has produced six winners including the Japanese Listed winner Tricolore Bleu (Stay Gold).
Vasilissa has a weanling filly by Not A Single Doubt (Redoute's Choice) and was covered by The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice) last November.
Lord Kanaloa stands at Shadai Stallion Station where his 2020 fee is set at Y20,000,000 (approximately $26,000). His other Group / Grade 1 winners are Almond Eye, Saturnalia and Stelvio.