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Popular dual hemisphere sire Choisir was responsible for a notable international double on Saturday with his ninth G1 winner in the UK and a first black type success for a Sydney filly destined for the top level.
The consistent and tough 2YO colt The Last Lion (Choisir x Mala Mala by Brief Truce) was a surprise winner of the G1 Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket in the UK while Sydney saw the Les Bridge-trained Zenalicious (Choisir x Zenith by Fantastic Light) land the Listed Reginald Allen Quality at Rosehill.
The Mark Johnston-trained The Last Lion has been one of England’s toughest youngsters of the season, racing nine times since he broke his maiden on debut in the Brocklesbury Stakes at Doncaster in April.
Along the way he has won four times including the Listed Dragon Stakes at Sandown and G3 Sirenia Stakes at Kempton before accounting for the winners of the G2 Gimcrack Stakes (Blue Point) and G2 Richmond Stakes (Mehmas) in Saturday’s feature.“What a fantastic horse. It has been fairy story right from the beginning,” said Johnston, renowned for running his youngsters as frequently as he can.
“Here he is running the race of a lifetime on his 10th start of the year.”The Last Lion’s dam Mala Mala, who was third in the G1 Cheveley Park Stakes and G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes as a 2YO, is also the dam of dual Listed winner Contest (Danehill Dancer) and Russian Rock (Rock Of Gibraltar), also a dual Listed winner.
She is a half-sister to the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas winner Tarascon (Tirol) and the G2 and G3 winner Mister Monet (Peintre Celebre).Also featuring in this family are the noted Australian performers Serene Majesty (Fastnet Rock), Fravashi (Falbrav), Pure Joy (Fusaichi Pegasus), Alegria (Medaglia d’Oro), Vivacious Spirit (Bel Esprit), Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago) and Snowland (Snippets) and the G1 winning sires Al Hareb and Myboycharlie.
Owners John Brown and Megan Dennis acquired Barronstown Stud-bred The Last Lion for €82,000 from the 2015 Goffs Orby Sale.Al Shaqab Racing announced that Richmond Stakes winner Mehmas will be retired to start his breeding career at Tally Ho Stud in Ireland.
• AT ROSEHILL Zenalicious became the 77th stakes winner by Choisir when she added to the success Les Bridge has enjoyed with her prolific family.High class Group winners Miss Zoe and Utzon are among the notables he has previously trained from her immediate family.
Zenalicious has won two of five starts earning just shy of $100,000 for her owners who include her breeder Kim Harding, who also bred and raced her dam Zenith.Zenalicious is the second foal and first winner for Zenith, a daughter of Bridge’s G2 winner Miss Zoe.
Miss Zoe, by Fantastic Light, is a half-sister to Bridge’s G2 Villiers Stakes winner Utzon.Zenith has a full sister to Zenalicious born this spring.