3 minute read
Champagne Stakes.
King's Legacy
Breeding: 2 c Redoute's Choice - Breakfast in Bed by Hussonet
Trainer: Peter and Paul Snowden
Owner: James Harron Bloodstock Colts, Mrs B C Bateman, Love Racing, P Mehrten, Doyles Breeding & Racing, S N Gillard, G1g Racing & Breeding, D Saab, Rockingham Thoroughbreds, J A Ingham, Mrs F A Ingham & Pinecliff Racing
Breeder: Segenhoe Stud
Sale: Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling V: Segenhoe Stud. P: James Harron Bloodstock, $1.4m
The colt comes into this race off the back of a high-class performance in the Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and looks set to improve over the extended distance on Saturday. The colt is out of stakes-placed mare Breakfast In Bed (Hussonet) - a half-sister to Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Oohood (I Am Invincible) - and a daughter of Bella Sunday (Sunday Silence) who is herself a half-sister to Not A Single Doubt (Redoute's Choice). Meanwhile, Bella Sunday and Not A Single Doubt (Redoute's Choice) also count Group 2-placed mare Hanky Panky (Anabaa) as their other half sibling and she produced Group 3 winner Master Ash (Sebring) and Listed scorer Come Hither (Redoute's Choice) - with the latter also the dam of fellow Listed winner Cohesion (Lonhro). The trio's other sister Natural Is My Name (Naturalism) is the dam of Listed winner and sire Zizou (Fusaichi Pegasus). The colt will be looking to become the 41st horse to land Sires' Produce Stakes / Champagne double - with Guelph (Exceed And Excel) the last horse to complete the feat in 2013.
Glenfiddich
Breeding: 2 c Fastnet Rock - Nothin But A Dream by First Defence
Trainer: Robbie Griffiths
Owner: Edinburgh Park (Mgr: I K Smith), Monaro Bloodstock Pty Ltd (Mgr: R J Logan), Glenrock (Mgr: H Cooper), S K Bennett, S T Baldwin, J E Matthews, N C Matthews, L J Palmer, M Mckelvie, Mrs C E Mckelvie, P J Morey & Oz Racing Pty Ltd (Mgr: B E Saxild)
Breeder: Ian Smith
Sale: Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale V: Edinburgh Park P: Griffiths Racing/Peter Ford Tbreds, $200,000
The son of Fastnet Rock (Danehill) will be on the hunt for his first win at stakes level when he lines up in the Group 1 on Saturday, having been narrowly denied in the Blue Diamond Preview (c&g) (Listed, 1000m) earlier in the season. The colt is out of two-time winning mare Nothin But A Dream (First Defence), while further afield this is the family of Group 1 winners Criterion (Sebring) and Comin' Through (Fastnet Rock).
Aim
Breeding: 2 c Star Witness - Vintage Strike by Smart Strike
Trainer: Peter and Paul Snowden
Owner: Newgate Bloodstock Synd, China Horse Club Racing, Horse Ventures, Newgate S F, Go Bloodstock Australia, G1g Racing & Breeding, Nick Vass Bloodstock, Glenlogan Park, Aston Bloodstock, Grant Bloodstock & Carpe Diem
Breeder: B2B Thoroughbreds
Sale: Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearlings Sale. V: Newhaven Park P: China Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock, $200,000
The colt will be looking to become Star Witness' (Starcraft) second Group 1 winner when he lines up in this contest on Saturday, joining star mare Global Glamour. He is out of winning Smart Strike (Mr Prospector) mare Vintage Strike, who is herself out of Group 1 winner Bollinger (Dehere) - making her a half-sister to Grade 2 winner Friesan Fire (A.P. Indy) and Group 2 winner Villermont (All Too Hard). The colt's pedigree suggests he will appreciate the step up in distance, so should thrive over the 1600 metres.
Holyfield
Breeding: 2 c I Am Invincible - Hurtle Myrtle by Dane Shadow
Trainer: Ciaron Maher and David Eustace
Owner: Aquis Farm & Phoenix Thoroughbred
Breeder: Segenhoe Thoroughbreds
Sale: Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. V: Segenhoe Stud. P: Phoenix Thoroughbreds, $800,000
Holyfield is out of 2011 Myer Classic (Empire Rose Stakes) (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Hurtle Myrtle (Dane Shadow), who has produced two other winners. The colt's third dam Winds Of Peace (Bletchingly) is the dam of Listed winner Whisper Bay (Royal Academy), who in turn produced fellow Listed winner Indian Thunder (Manhattan Rain), while Winds Of Peace is also the granddam of Group 3 winner He'll Haunt Us (Time For War). The colt will be looking to emulate The Mission (Choisir), who was the last horse to land the The Schweppervescence (Gr 3, 1400m) / Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) double in 2017.
Untamed
Breeding: 2 c Pierro - She's A Wildcat by Fastnet Rock
Trainer: Peter and Paul Snowden
Owner: Newgate Bloodstock, China Horse Club Racing Pty Ltd, Horse Ventures, Newgate S F, Go Bloodstock Australia, G1g Racing & Breeding, Nick Vass Bloodstock, Glenlogan Park, Aston Bloodstock, Grant Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Carpe Diem, Luskin Park Stud Racing & D C Carter
Breeder: Luskin Park Stud, David Carter, Aston Bloodstock, Conrad Staff
Sale: Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale V: Luskin Park. P: China Horse Club / Newgate Bloodstock
Untamed will be out to emulate his sire Pierro (Lonhro), who landed the Group 1 in 2012. Last seen winning the Fernhill Handicap (Listed, 1600m), the colt is one of three winners and now the first stakes winner out of She A Wildcat (Fastnet Rock), who is herself a sister to elite level winner and Group 1-producing Woodside Park-based sire Foxwedge and Listed scorer She's A Fox. Further back this is family as Listed winner Miss Timebank (Water Bank) and Grade 3 winner Count The Time (Regal Search).
Ole Kirk
Breeding: 2 c Written Tycoon - Naturale by Bel Esprit
Trainer: Team Hawkes
Owner: Werrett Bloodstock (Mgr: N R J Werrett), Dr A L Attebo, C H Madden, Mrs J G Madden, Gilgai Farm (Mgr: R R Jamieson), Mrs J V Allan, A D Allan, Arlington Park Racing (Mgr: B P Bradley) & Mrs A L Bradley
Breeder: Gilgai Farm
Sale: Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. V: Gilgai Farm. P: International Thoroughbred Solutions, $675,000
A winner of the Talindert Stakes (Listed, 1100m) and last sighted running fourth in the Sires' Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), Ole Kirk hails from one of the best known families in the Australian stud book. The colt is out of Naturale (Bel Esprit), who is a sister to unbeaten champion mare Black Caviar and a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner and now Vinery Stud resident All Too Hard (Casino Prince). This is also the family of Group 1 winner and Sun Stud sire Magnus (Flying Spur).
Not An Option
Breeding: 2 c Not a Single Doubt - Chintz by Savabeel
Trainer: Tony Pike
Owner: B J Lindsay, Mrs J E A Lindsay, R A Ferguson, M G Chitty, R J Chitty, Raffles Thoroughbred Racing (Mgr: K T Yap), N A Greenhalgh, Mrs E A Waldron, B M Waldron & M L Watson
Breeder: Aquis Farm
Sale: New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Yearling Sale - Book 1. V: Curraghmore. P: Pike Racing, NZ$240,000
The colt is out of Group 2-winning Savabeel (Zabeel) mare Chintz, who is herself a half-sister to Group 1 winner Chenille (Pentire). The colt is also from the wider family of Group 3 winner Seraphic (Imposing) and Group 2 winner Irlanda (O'Reilly). Not An Option will be aiming to land his second stakes race - first at elite level - having already taken out the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) in New Zealand earlier in the season.
Philizzy
Breeding: 2 f Snitzel - Sovereign Duchess by Last Tycoon
Trainer: Anthony Cummings
Owner: Werrett Bloodstock (N R J Werrett), Petmar (Mrs H Maneas), E P Ehsman, A R Mcanulty & Mrs L Mcanulty
Breeder: Gerry Harvey
Sale: Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. V: Baramul Stud. P: 2K Tbreds/Anthony Cummings Tbreds, $240,000
A winner of only race, Philizzy will be looking to improve on her last seventh behind Away Game (Snitzel) in the Percy Sykes Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) earlier in the month. This will be a significant step up in trip for the filly, with the furthest distance she has travelled being 1200 metres and her pedigree suggests she will appreciate a further trip, with her half-sister Sovereign Nation (Encosta De Lago) having won the Bill Strutt Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) in 2015.
Fayerra
Breeding: 2 f Valentia - Alnwick by Exceed And Excel
Trainer: Anthony Cummings
Owner: Anthony Cummings Thoroughbreds Pty Ltd (Mgr: A Cummings), Thoroughbred Partners (Mgr: S Rorke), B Elleman, C Roumeliotis, C Downer, A Akopian, S W Tan, C J Mcleod, A Akopian, S Kant, P J Fyffe, Mrs A P Fyffe & M J Guildea
Breeder: Gerry Harvey
Sale: Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. V: Coolmore Stud. P: Anthony Cummings, $45,000.
One of the more curiously bred runners in this year's Champagne Stakes, the filly is by the lesser known stallion Valentia (Fastnet Rock), who stands at Cornerstone Stud in Victoria. Bred by Magic Millions owner Gerry Harvey, the filly ran third behind Untamed (Pierro) in the Fernhill Handicap (Listed, 1600m) on her most recent outing. The filly is out of winning Exceed And Excel (Danehill) mare Alnwick, making her a half-sister to one winner, while her second dam - Rose Archway (Archway) - won the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) in 2001.
Mandalong Beyond
Breeding: 2 f Kermadec - Shameless by More Than Ready
Trainer: Mitchell and Desiree Kearney
Owner: Mandalong Studs (Mgr: R Pisaturo)
Breeder: Rushton Park
Sale: Magic Million Gold Coast Yearling Sale. V: Clearwater Farm. P: Mandalong Stud, $15,000
By Darley's first season sire Kermadec (Teofilo), the filly comes into this as a maiden and would have to improve on her first two starts to win the Group 1 contest. Should she be victorious on Saturday she would also become the first Group 1 winner for her young sire and the first stakes winner in three generations of her family.