Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Randwick: G2 Missile S., $250,000, 1200m
It was a surprise Missile result with Hard Empire (Hard Spun {USA}) finishing off strongly down at the middle of the track at big odds.
It was the third win at Group level for the 9-year-old who had not had a great deal of luck when contesting the Listed Ramornie H. first-up. A horse who has always known how to find the line, he has now won 12 of 44 starts - this win taking his prizemoney tally to beyond $730,000.
Bred by K.R Landale, Hard Empire has been around the country - fetching $11,000 to the bid of Michael Hibbs at the 2015 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, he kicked off his career in Tasmania where he won at his 2-year-old debut en route to success in the Tasmanian Sires' Produce.
From the Adam Trinder stable he made his way to Victoria to Darren Weir, winning races at Ballarat and Bendigo before Richard Jolly took over. He recorded four wins including the G3 R.N Irwin S. for that trainer and then it was onto Queensland, winning first-up at Doomben for Toby and Trent Edmonds.
Two starts later he won the G3 George Moore S. That was in the spring of 2020 with this latest win being his next.
One of the 92 stakes winners sired by his sire, a former Darley shuttler, Hard Empire is one of the three winners produced by the lightly raced Last Quill (Last Tycoon {Ire}) who was also represented by Hard Spun's (USA) (Danzig {USA}) multiple city winner Chippenham.
Last Quill's dam is the Moonee Valley winner Quiver (Delgado {USA}) who produced six winners including the city-winning dam of the G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Power Trip (Hard Spun {USA}).
Flemington: G3 Aurie's Star H., $200,000, 1200m
A horse who not only loves the Flemington straight (this success his fifth over the 1200 metres at Headquarters) but also a fight, Sirius Suspect (Wanted) dug deep as he always does - recording his second stakes success in a row.
All three of his stakes wins have been at the track, the tough gelding taking out the 2021 G3 Standish H. and more recently the Listed Santa Ana Lane Final.
A homebred for Darren and Elizabeth Dance’s Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock, Sirius Suspect is one of the five stakes winners for his Clear Mountain Fairview-based sire who also relished the Flemington straight - winning the 2010 G1 Newmarket H. in those memorably stormy conditions.
He is one of the four winners for Sirius Miss (Galileo {Ire}) who died last year with her final foal being the yet to race 3-year-old Sirius Statement (Press Statement) who has had a couple of recent trials for the Saab Hasan stable.
Also dam of the eight-time winner You Can’t Be (Nadeem), Sirius Miss is out of the city winner Miss Peridot (Rory’s Jester), half-sister to the G3 Vanity winner Lan Kwai Fong (Bluebird {USA}) whose grandson is the Group 1 sprinter and now Yulong resident Vega One (Lope De Vega {Ire}).
The multiple Group 1-winning US stallion Broad Brush (USA) (Ack Ack {USA}) is also a member of this family.
Riccarton Park: G3 Winter Cup, NZ$100,000, 1600m
Bred, raced and trained by Bevan and Robyn Wilson who have been involved with his family for several generations ('seven or eight' declared a delighted Bevan Wilson), Lord Darci (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) out-toughed his rivals in demanding conditions.
In doing so recording the fourth win of his 13-start career, Lord Darci is the 56th stakes winner for his The Oaks-based sire - one of the stalwarts of New Zealand breeding.
Boasting crosses of the outstanding mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}) and Special (USA) (Forli {Arg}). Lord Darci is the second foal produced by the classy mare Madam Victoria (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) - winner of eight races, half of those at Listed level.
Her first foal Victor Rouge (NZ) (Burgundy {NZ}) won his maiden at Ashburton early last month. Last spring paying a return visit to Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill {USA}) having had the previous year off, Madam Victoria has a yet to be named 2-year-old filly by Belardo (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and a 3-year-old colt by Charm Spirit (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
Madam Victoria is one of the four winners (from as many named foals) for the seven-time winner Royal Madam (NZ) (Personal Escort {USA}) whose dam Queen's Style (NZ) (Cautious Style {USA}) is a half-sister to the stakes winners Nearly Pal (NZ) (Palatable {USA}) and Bashful Lady (NZ) (Imperial Guard {GB}) and the stakes-placed Queens Guard (NZ) (Imperial Guard {GB}).
The latter two both fared well at stud - Bashful Lady producing the dual Listed winner Royal Miss (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) and the stakes-placed Eftee One (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}) - in turn dam of the G2 Thoroughbred Breeders S. winner Fazzle (NZ) (Johar {USA}). And Queens Guard is the dam of the US stakes winner Laguna Queen (USA) (Sir Session {USA}).
