Lope De Vega Proves HIs Worth

3 minute read

The impact French Derby winner Lope De Vega is having on Australian racing is coming too late for breeders who dismissed the stallion in his early shuttle days almost a decade ago.

The son of Shamardal, who also won the French 2000 Guineas, was secured for Australian duty by the then high-flying Patinack Farm and arrived with high expectations in 2011.

However with the demise of the Patinack venture his shuttle career was over after just four seasons. When he completed his last Australian season in 2014 he had covered 467 mares with a fair majority owned by Patinack principal Nathan Tinkler.

Fast forward to 2019 and with 52 stakes winners among 87 stakes performers worldwide Lope De Vega – now based at Ballyinch Stud in Ireland - has more than proven his worth as a noted and versatile dual hemisphere stallion, siring both top class sprinters and distance runners.

Indeed for a European classic winner he has displayed a remarkable propensity for siring some of the fastest and classiest sprinters we have seen in Australia in recent times – the stars among his Australian progeny, both from his first local crop, have been the brilliant multiple G1 winners Vega Magic and Santa Ana Lane.

They are among his seven worldwide G1 winners that include the Dewhurst and Lockinge Stakes winner Belardo in the UK, Jemayel in France, Newspaperofrecord in the US, Canadian G1 winner Capla Temptress and Dubai’s Al Quoz Sprint winner The Right Man.

In Australia and NZ his other noted performers include the G2 and G3 winners Endless Drama, French Fern, Spanish Reef, Divine Unicorn and Spanish Whisper.

The 6YO gelding Santa Ana Lane (Lope De Vega x Fast Fleet by Fastnet Rock) proved again at Randwick on Saturday that he is among the world’s elite sprinters, recording his fifth G1 win with superb performance in the $2.5 million TJ Smith Stakes that carried him past $5 million in career earnings.

The Anthony Freedman-trained Santa Ana Lane added to his reputation for possessing one of the biggest finishing sprints in Australian racing when he powered past a crack field of G1 winners to win running away by three and a half lengths.

His CV of 10 wins and six placings in 33 starts also includes G1 wins in Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, Stradbroke Handicap, Goodwood Handicap and VRC Sprint Classic, leaving him with no more to prove domestically.

His future lies abroad, with Freedman confirming Hong Kong and possibly Royal Ascot targets are on his immediate agenda.

First up will be one of Hong Kong’s sprinting jewels, the G1 Chairman’s Sprint Prize, at Sha Tin on April 28.

A decision will then be taken on whether he travels to the UK for the summer riches at Royal Ascot in June and Newmarket in July or returns home to prepare for $13 million Everest at Randwick in October .

"We will obviously give Hong Kong serious thought and if things are still good we could head on to Europe,” Freedman said.

"He's clearly gone to a huge level now. We will just keep finding good races for him and hope that he can keep doing it."

The Patinack Farm-bred Santa Ana Lane was purchased for $80,000 by Justin Bahen’s Flemington Bloodstock Agency from the Rosemont Stud draft at the 2014 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Bahen was acting for the William Street Syndicate, a group of some 40 Melbourne businessmen created some 40 years ago by formerly Victoria Racing Club and Racing Victoria chairman Andrew Ramsden.

They have raced some noted winners including Gurners Lane (Caulfield and Melbourne Cups) and Paris Lane (Caulfield Cup) and while the identities have changed over the years numerous current members are relatives of the original syndicate members.

Santa Ana Lane is the second foal of the winning mare Fast Fleet, a three-quarter sister to the stakes-placed Strategy (Danehill) and a half-sister to G3 winner Blimey O'Reilly (O'Reilly) and Listed winner Flag Officer (Excites).

Subsequent progeny from Fast Fleet include Black Kite, a 3YO filly by Kuroshio purchased by Proven thoroughbred/Steven O'Dea Racing for $60,000 at the 2017 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale who won on debut at Ipswich in January, and a 2YO filly by Toorak Toff purchased by Next Level Bloodstock for $27,000 at the 2018 Premier Sale.

Last year Fast Fleet was purchased in foal to Frosted by Aquis Farm for $200,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale and subsequently produced his filly foal last spring before she was covered by Zoustar.