G2 PB Lawrence S.
Race summary:
Star mare Mystic Journey (Needs Further) stretched her winning streak to seven after returning to the track with a hard-fought success in the G2 PB Lawrence S.
First-up since her All-Star Mile win in the autumn, the 4-year-old mare was sat midfield throughout by jockey Anthony Darmanin before being asked to go out after the leader Cliff's Edge (Canford Cliffs {Ire}) at the top of the straight.
She gradually gained the ascendancy late, and prevailed by 0.75l over Cliff's Edge, with the 9-year-old Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) typically brave in third.
Now a winner of 11 of her 14 starts, including the G1 Australian Guineas, Mystic Journey is destined towards the G1 Cox Plate and will likely now head to the G1 Makybe Diva S. at Flemington in four weeks time, according to trainer Adam Trinder.
Pedigree notes:
Mystic Journey is out of White Gold (NZ) (Colombia {NZ}), who has produced city winner Leodoro (Jayemzed), the winner Gold Phoenix (Jayemzed), and Oh So Gold (Savoire Vivre {GB}), who has produced the dual Listed winning 2-year-old Mystical Pursuit (Needs Further).
White Gold is a sister to stakes-placed Oronero (Colombia), while further back, the fourth dam, Lanna d'Oro, is a half-sister to Eight Carat (GB) and a full sister to Habibti (GB).
White Gold has a yearling filly by Fighting Sun and visited Fiorente (Ire) last season.
G3 Ladbrokes Vain S.
Race Summary:
Godolphin colt Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) stamped his class all over the G3 Vain S. at Caulfield winning by 4.25l to register his third stakes success.
A winner of the G3 Kindergarten Plate and Listed Lonhro Plate as a 2-year-old, Bivouac was having his first start as 3-year-old and given a great ride just off the pace by Hugh Bowman, pulled to the middle of the track at the top of the straight and put his rivals away with ease.
The Lindsay Park-trained Sebrakate (Sebring) finished second, while Dirty Work (Written Tycoon) claimed third place with both Dubious (Not A Single Doubt) and Excess Funds (Rubick), failing to live up to pre-race expectations.
Bivouac's record now stands at three wins from six starts.
Pedigree notes:
Bivouac is as a son of the winning Dazzler (More Than Ready {USA}). Dazzler’s first foal was Bivouac’s Group 2 placed brother Coruscate with her second a placed full-brother to those two, in Sparks.
Dazzler is a half-sister to Champion 3-year-old Guelph (Exceed And Excel), the dam of Group 2 winner and now Eureka Stud stallion Encryption (Lonhro). Their dam Camarilla (Elusive Quality {USA}) won the Group 1 Sires’ Produce and her dam Camarena (NZ) (Danehill {USA}) is the winner of the Group 1 Queensland Derby and the dam of Group 1 placed Induna (Elusive Quality). This is also the family of Sepoy (Elusive Quality).
Dazzler had a Medaglia d’Oro (USA) filly last year and was served by Lonhro (Octagonal).
G3 Beck Probuild Quezette S.
Race Summary:
Exhilarates (Snitzel) has demonstrated her quality, profiting from a perfect ride from Kerrin McEvoy to win the G2 Quezette S. at Caulfield on Saturday.
A winner of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic back in January, Exhilarates showed she has lost none of her class, settling midfield and finishing off over the top of her rivals to defeat Absolute Flirt (Stratum) by 1.5l with stablemate Pin Sec (Lonhro) another 1.25l behind in third.
It was her third win from eight starts and her first at Group level, having won restricted black type with her success in the Magic Millions.
Godolphin head trainer James Cummings will now plot her way through the spring, with nominations for races like the G1 Golden Rose and G1 Thousand Guineas.
Pedigree notes:
Godolphin paid $600,000 for the daughter of Snitzel at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling sale, with the filly being the first named foal from Group 1 winner Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}).
Samaready is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Night War (General Nediym) and Group 2 placed Samartested (Testa Rossa). G1 Sydney Cup winner County Tyrone (Danewin) is a half-brother to their dam Samar (Secret Savings {USA}), while Group 1 winner Almalad (Al Maher) also features on the page.
Samaready has an All Too Hard 2-year-old colt and was bred to I Am Invincible late last season.
Te Rapa, G2 U S Navy Flag Foxbridge Plate, 1200m, $100,000
Race summary:
Endless Drama (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) upstaged some highly rated rivals to collect the third Group 2 victory of a career that has also featured three Group 1 placings.
Patiently ridden by Leith Innes, the well-travelled 8-year-old settled in seventh place before taking the lead with a potent sprint in the straight.
Hype galloper Te Akau Shark (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}) came with a withering finish from near-last, but Endless Drama held him out by three-quarters of a length.
Comeback (NZ) (Makfi {GB}) was a bold third, a short neck behind Te Akau Shark, while defending champion Melody Belle (NZ) (Commands) was a solid fourth.
Endless Drama, Comeback and Melody Belle will all carry on to the G1 Tarzino Trophy at Hastings on August 31, while Te Akau Shark is set to cross the Tasman for the G2 Tramway S. on September 7.
Pedigree notes:
Endless Drama is one of three stakes winners in New Zealand for Lope De Vega (Ire), alongside Spanish Whisper and Rubira.
Endless Drama is the best of five winners from 12 foals to race out of dam Desert Drama (Ire) (Green Desert {USA}), who herself was a Listed winner in France and placed in the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte.
The second dam, Tycoon’s Drama (Ire) (Last Tycoon {Ire}), won the G3 Selima S. and was the dam of four stakes winners – Desert Drama, Sharpest Image (Ire) (Exactly Sharp {USA}), Tycoon’s Hill (Danehill {USA}) and Tycoon’s Dolce (Ire) (Rainbows For Life {Can}).
Listed Regal Roller S.
Race summary:
Begood Toya Mother (Myboycharlie {Ire}) provided young trainer Daniel Bowman with a career highlight, claiming the Listed Regal Roller S.
The speedy 5-year-old, now a winner of seven of his 11 starts, set the pace under jockey Declan Bates and kicked away to beat Haunted (Lonhro) by 1.5l with Fundamentalist (Not A Single Doubt) another two lengths to go.
It is the first-ever black-type success for Bowman, who is based in Warrnambool in south-west Victoria.
Bowman is now plotting Begood Toya Mother toward the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. at the same track over 1400m next month.
Pedigree notes:
Begood Toya Mother was a $28,000 buy for Bowman at the 2016 Adelaide Magic Millions Sale.
His dam, Lady of Helena (NZ) (Kaapstad {NZ}) was a winner over 1500m and is a half-sister to a Group 1 winner in Western Red (NZ) (Spectacular Love {USA}). Further back, it is the family of stakes-winners such as Royal Encore (NZ) and Forecast (NZ).
Lady of Helena is now retired, having produced five winners from seven foals, with Begood Toya Mother by far the best.
Belmont, Listed Belmont Newmarket H., 1200m, $100,000
Race summary:
Emerging sprinter Great Again (Viscount) claimed his first black-type win with a dominant front-running performance.
Sent straight to the lead by record-breaking Perth jockey William Pike, Great Again was always travelling smoothly and kicked again in the straight. That took him well out of reach of his rivals, scoring by two lengths.
Owned by Distinct Racing And Breeding Pty Ltd and trained by Lindsey Smith, Great Again has now had 19 starts for eight wins and six placings.
Pedigree notes:
Great Again is the 17th individual stakes winner for Viscount, who has sired a total of 532 winners from 730 runners. He has had three Group 1 winners – champion Singapore sprinter Rocket Man, South Australian Derby winner Kidnapped, and Neroli, who won the Queen of the Turf S.
Great Again’s dam Free At Last (NZ) (Senor Pete {USA}) won 10 races including the G2 C B Cox S. and the Listed Tattersall’s Cup, and she placed in the G1 Fruit N Veg S. (now Kingston Town Classic). She is the dam of two winners from four foals to race.
The third dam is a stakes-placed half-sister to Fair Sir (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), who won the G1 Australasian S. and placed in the G1 Cox Plate, Caulfield S., Rothwells S., Railway S. and two editions of the Underwood S.
Morphettville, G3 David R Coles AM Spring S., 1200m, $120,000
Race summary:
Exciting 3-year-old Dalasan (Dalakhani {Ire}) produced a big performance to upstage Group 1-winning older horses.
Railway S. winner Scales Of Justice (Not a Single Doubt) and Goodwood H. hero Despatch (Written Tycoon) were the hot favourites for the race, and they cruised to the lead together at the top of the straight and looked likely to fight out the finish.
But Dalasan had other ideas. With Raquel Clark in the saddle, the colt charged down the outside and raced past to win by a length.
Scales Of Justice was second, with the winner’s stablemate Waging War (Rebel Raider) passing Despatch to claim third spot.
Dalasan, trained by Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas, has now had four starts for three wins. His only defeat was a second placing in the G2 VRC Sires’ Produce S. at Flemington in March.
Pedigree notes:
Dalasan is the third Australian stakes winner for Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-winning stallion Dalakhani (Ire), following on from the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. winner Reliable Man (GB), who now stands at Westbury Stud, and Group 3 winner Guardini (Fr).
Overall, Dalakhani has sired 701 winners from 932 runners, 52 of them at stakes level including 10 Group 1.
