Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
R. Listed Inglis Millennium, $2,000,000, 1100m
Stepping up from a Geelong maiden win at her debut, the Victorian filly Xtravagant Star (Xtravagant {NZ}) showed an impressive turn of foot over the final stages.
Bred by Seymour Bloodstock who remained in the ownership after she was secured for $150,000 by McEvoy Mitchell and Belmont Bloodstock at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Xtravagant Star is the second stakes winner for her Newhaven Park dual Group 1 (NZ 2000 Guineas, Waikato Sprint)-winning sire, a son of Pentire (GB) (Be My Guest {USA}).
And she is a full sister to Xtravagant's (NZ) first stakes winner, the Listed Mitchell McKenzie S. winner He's Xceptional (bargain $40,000 yearling purchase for Clarke Bloodstock) who jumped out well at Cranbourne only recently.
Their dam is the city-placed, three-time winner She's A Danica (Sebring), half-sister to the Group 3-placed Into Orbit (Northern Meteor).
Served last spring by Fierce Impact (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}) having produced another Xtravagant filly, She's A Danica is a granddaughter of the NZ Champion 2-Year-Old Filly Ballroom Babe (NZ) (Citidancer {Ire}) - triple Group 1-winning dam of six winners including the stakes winners Hidden Dragon (Danehill {USA}), Just Dancing (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}) and Tahni Girl (Redoute's Choice).
The latter has also done a great job as a broodmare, her five winners including the stakes winners Maschino (Encosta De Lago) and Kentucky Breeze (Pierro) and the stakes-placed Tahni Dancer (Sebring) and Dee Dee Nine (Red Ransom {USA}).
Xtravagant Star is bred on a 3 X 5 cross of Be My Guest (USA) (Northern Dancer {Can}) and a 6 X 6 cross of Better Boy (Ire) (My Babu {Fr}) whilst also boasting duplications of the outstanding mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) and River Lady (USA) (Prince John {USA}).
G3 Petaluma Eskimo Prince S., $160,000, 1200m
It was all the way for Paulele (New Approach {Ire}) having his first run since the spring; confirming his liking of Randwick - recording his fifth win from as many starts at the track.
One of the 16 stakes winners for his multiple Group 1-winning sire who last shuttled to Darley in 2018, Paulele is one of the seven winners produced by the multiple city winner Chatoyant (Flying Spur).
Retired from breeding duties last year (her final foal being the Exosphere yearling filly Chrysoberyl), Chatoyant is also dam of the G3 Canonbury S. winner Tessera (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}) and the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders' S. winner Montsegur (New Approach {Ire}) - in turn the dam of the G3 David Coles S. winner Heresy (Street Boss {USA}).
Chatoyant is one of seven winners for the city-placed, two-time winner Decidity (Last Tycoon {Ire}) - also dam of the Group 1 mare Bonaria (Redoute's Choice) and the Group 3 winners Time Out (Rory's Jester) and Legally Bay (Snippets).
The latter has also done a great job at stud, her seven winners including the dual Group 1-winning sprinter Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock), the Group 2 winner Jolie Bay (Fastnet Rock) and the Listed winner Setanta (Fastnet Rock).
Boasting crosses of the wonderful mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}) and Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}), Paulele is a descendant of the acclaimed matriarch Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}).
Listed Darley Lonhro Plate, $140,000, 1000m
Plenty of heart was shown by Cythera (I Am Invincible) who was able to secure valuable black type at debut.
It was the second Listed Lonhro Plate winner for her Yarraman Park-based sire (Supreme Idea successful two year ago) and his 75th stakes winner. And a quinella of sorts with his granddaughter Lady Laguna (Overshare) finishing second.
Bred in partnership by Highgrove Stud, Mr R Anderson and Mr A Thompson, Cythera was secured by Iron/George Moore Bloodstock for $420,000 at the 2021 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
She is the second stakes winner for the imported Helena's Secret (USA) (Five Star Day {USA}), a winner in Canada who died in 2020 - Cythera being her final foal.
She has been a terrific broodmare, also producing Widden Stud's G2 William Reid S. winner Thronum (Snitzel), the in-form Rule Of Law (Snitzel) who has won his last four at Warwick Farm and Rosehill and the promising 3-year-old Verne (Snitzel) who has won two of his first three starts at Warwick Farm and Randwick.
Meanwhile one of her Northern Hemisphere-based daughters All Too Many (USA) (Eskendereya {USA}) has produced the four-time stakes-placed winner Cover Charge (USA) (Take Charge Indy {USA}).
Helena's Secret, whose five foals through the ring have averaged $384,000, is a half-sister to the stakes winner Tears I Cry (USA) (Chester House {USA}) out of the 2-year-old winner Mount Helena (GB) (Danzig {USA}) whose dam is the wonderful mare Helen Street (GB) (Troy {GB}).
That G1 Irish Oaks winner is the dam of the UAE Horse of the Year Street Cry (Ire) (Machiavellian {USA}) and grandam of the European Champion 2-Year-Old and 3-Year-Old Colt Shamardal (USA) (Giant's Causeway {USA}) who between them have sired 291 stakes winners.
Cythera's sire and dam are both descendants of the 1877 born mare Illuminata (GB) (Rosicrucian {GB}), dam of the Group 1 gallopers Chelandry (GB) (Goldfinch {GB}) and Ladas (GB) (Hampton {GB}).
