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Significance hands sire sixth stakes win in Australia
The Juddmonte Farms-based Frankel (Galileo) sired his 60th stakes winner and sixth in Australia courtesy of Significance’s (4 h ex Aqua Bella by Oasis Dream) victory in the Christmas Cup (Listed, 2400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Trained by Clare Cunningham, the four-year-old entire dictated proceedings from the front, eventually beating Belzella (Bel Esprit) by a nose, while Excelida (Exceed And Excel) was another length and a half further back in third.
"We started at Goulburn this preparation so we've come a long way from Goulburn to a black-type race within six starts. He's really amazed me,” said Cunningham.
"That's the beauty of a stayer I suppose. I love training stayers because you just can't rule them out until you give them their chance."
Cunningham will see how Significance comes through Saturday's race before locking in a plan but says the owners are keen to progress to the Summer Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) at Randwick on Boxing Day.
Bred to southern hemisphere time, Significance was purchased by owners Domeland for $1,100,000 at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the Arrowfield Stud draft and he is out of winning Oasis Dream (Green Desert) mare Aqua Bella, who was purchased by Badgers Bloodstock for €230,000 at the 2014 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale in Deauville.
Aqua Bella herself is a daughter of multiple Group 1-winning champion Aquarelliste (Danehill) and she is also the dam of Listed scorer Ame Bleue (Dabawi), while she is also the grandam of Listed-winning duo Maqsad (Siyouni) and Art Du Val (No Nay Never).
Significance’s third dam is Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed mare Agathe (Manila) - the dam of dual Grade 1 winner Artiste Royal (Danehill), while further back this is the same family Group 2 scorer Ziyad (Rock of Gibraltar) and Listed-winners Annenkov (Danehill) and Apache Spirit (Invincible Spirit).
In 2019 Aqua Bella produced a colt by Written Tycoon (Iglesia) and he will be offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds as Lot 54 https://catalogue.magicmillions.com.au/lot/21GPR/54 at next month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Aqua Bella produced a filly by Zoustar (Northern Meteor) this season and the mare died in September of this year.
Oasis Dream is emerging as a top-class broodmare sire, with his daughters producing 58 stakes winners, including Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Sir Dragonet (Camelot) and Twilight Payment (Teofilo), who landed last month’s Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m).
Significance joins Group 1 winner Mirage Dancer, Miss Fabulass, Hungry Heart, Finche and Frankely Awesome as the stallion’s other stakes winners in Australia and he has four lots catalogued at next month’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, which gets underway on January 12.