Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Please note the Rosehill meeting was postponed following Race 3
G3 Schweppervescence H., $160,000, 1400m
Showing plenty of heart in a race run in rather dismal conditions, Williamsburg (Snitzel) relished the step up to 1400 metres at his fourth outing.
Bred by Arrowfield Pastoral and GSA Bloodstock and purchased by Tony Fung Investments for $470,000 at last year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, he is stakes winner number 120 for his high-achieving, Arrowfield Stud-based sire.
It was a timely victory with Williamsburg's dam Fenway (High Chaparral {Ire}) winning her Group 1 race - the Vinery Stud S. - at this same meeting seven years ago.
He is that classy (she also won the G2 Stocks S.) mare's third foal; her first, Awakening (Snitzel), retired without racing and was served last spring by Maurice (Jpn) (Screen Hero {Jpn}) whilst her second Zudin (Redoute's Choice) won at Canterbury last October.
Served last spring by Maurice, she has fillies coming through by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and Snitzel (Redoute's Choice).
Fenway is a half-sister to the G3 Up And Coming S. winner War (More Than Ready {USA}) out of a daughter of the G1 Queensland Oaks winner Joie Denise (Danehill {USA}) who is of course out of the wonderful mare Denise's Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}).
This branch of that mare's prolific family has produced the Group 1 winners Tuesday Joy (NZ) (Carnegie {Ire}), Sunday Joy (Sunday Silence {USA}) and More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}).
Williamsburg is the 42nd stakes winner for High Chaparral (Ire) (Sadler's Wells {USA}) as a broodmare sire and the second by Snitzel with the other being fellow Group 2-winning 2-year-old Best Of Bordeaux.
G3 Neville Sellwood S., $160,000, 2000m
Mount Popa (Ire) (Maxios {GB}) must like this particular victory, this gutsy win in which he outstayed his rivals in Heavy conditions, his first since he took out the Listed Mornington Cup 12 months ago.
Bred by the Niarchos Family, he boasted consistent form before heading to Australia where he quickly had winning form - at just his second local outing winning the Listed Randwick City S.
Mount Popa is one of 10 stakes winners for the great Monsun's (Ger) G1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and G1 Prix d'Ispahan winner Maxios (GB) who is now a member of the national hunt roster at Coolmore in Ireland with his progeny including the dual Group 1-winning hurdler Quilixios (GB).
Mount Popa is a half-brother to the Listed Fairway S. winner Unnefer (Fr) (Danehill Dancer {Ire}) and to the dam of the Listed Qatar Derby winner Saqr (Fr) (Dutch Art {GB}). His placed dam Mimalia (USA) (Silver Hawk {USA}) is out of the Group 1-placed, G3 Prix de Psyche winner Angel In My Heart (Fr) (Rainbow Quest {USA}) whose son Kris Kin (USA) (Kris S. {USA}) won the 2003 G1 Epsom Derby.
Mount Popa is a descendant of the 1924-born mare Quick Change (GB) (Hurry On {GB}), also ancestress of Danzig (USA) (Northern Dancer {Can}).
