Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
Caulfield: G2 PB Lawrence S., $300,000, 1400m
Reports were good regarding Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) as he headed to his first-up assignment and he was game to the line recording the eighth success of his 14-start career.
Last season's G1 Doncaster H. winner was bred by R.I and Est Late M.A.G Johnson and purchased by Phill Cataldo Bloodstock for NZ$22,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Weanling Sale - later passed in with a reserve of NZ$50,000 at the 2019 New Zealand Ready To Run Sale.
One of the three stakes winners - and the first Group 1 winner - for his Orange Court-based G3 C.S Hayes S.-winning sire - Mr Brightside is out of the unraced Lilahjay (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) who has also produced the Hong Kong-based eight-time winner Will Power (NZ) (Power {GB}).
Served last spring by Vadamos (Fr) (Monsun {Ger}) having foaled a Darci Brahma (NZ) (Danehill {USA}) filly, Lilahjay also has a yet to be named 2-year-old filly by What’s The Story (NZ) whilst her 3-year-old son The Number One Son (NZ) (Power {GB}) has been in the placings at two of his first three starts in New Zealand.
Lilahjay is a granddaughter of the classy broodmare Delia’s Choice (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) whose six winners include the Group 1 winners Foxwood (NZ) (Centaine) and Celtic Tiger (NZ) (Jetball) - the former going on to produce the G3 Frank Packer Plate winner Rockwood (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).
Also third dam of the Singapore-based multiple Group 1 winner Mr Clint (NZ) (Power {GB}), Delia’s Choice is a full sister to the multiple Group 1 winners Sovereign Red (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and Gurner’s Lane (Sir Tristram {Ire}).
Boasting Sadler’s Wells (USA) (Northern Dancer {Can}), Sir Ivor (USA) (Sir Gaylord {USA}) and Secretariat (USA) (Bold Ruler {USA}) crosses, Mr Brightside is also line-bred to the outstanding mares Natalma (USA) (Native Dancer {USA}), Lalun (USA) (Djeddah {Fr}), Somethingroyal (USA) (Princequillo {Ire}), Almahmoud (USA) (Mahmoud {Fr}) and Flower Bowl (USA) (Alibhai {GB}).
G3 Quezette S., $200,000, 1100m
Big on odds but not on talent, Bound For Home (Rubick) looks unlikely to again be underestimated on the strength of this excellent performance at only her third start.
Bred by the Brown family and purchased by Alexander Racing and Rogers Bloodstock for $50,000 from the draft of Erinvale Thoroughbreds at the 2021 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
The fifth stakes winner for her Swettenham Stud-based, dual Group-winning sire (a son of Encosta De Lago out of a three-quarter sister to Redoute's Choice), Bound For Home is the first foal produced by the three-time winner Homebird (Rothesay).
Served last spring by Impending (Lonhro) having foaled a Toronado (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}) colt in late September, Homebird is one of the four winners for the placed Jade Cherie (Bureaucracy {NZ}) - grandam of the triple Listed winner Religify (Choisir).
Jade Cherie is a full sister to the dual city winner Jade Tiara who put her name in lights as the dam of the best horse Hong Kong racing has seen - the superstar sprinter Silent Witness (El Moxie {USA}).
This family has produced a number of quality performers in recent years, Bound For Home able to boast amongst her relations the stakes winners Sister Madly (Redoute's Choice), Empress Rock (Fastnet Rock), Dynasties (Sebring), Fiera Vista (Exceed And Excel) and Danesiri (Home On The Grange).
Bound For Home boasts an interesting pedigree with Rubick's (Encosta De Lago) second dam sire Canny Lad (Bletchingly) being a full brother to Canny Lass, grandam of Homebird's sire Rothesay (Fastnet Rock) - giving her a 5 X 5 cross of the high-class broodmare Jesmond Lass (Lunchtime {GB}).
G3 Vain S., $200,000, 1100m
Remaining unbeaten after three starts, the eye-catching Giga Kick (Scissor Kick) was tough to the line running down the leader and favourite Alpha One (Super One).
A homebred for Jonathan Munz, he is the second stakes winner for his G3 Up And Coming S.-winning sire who left Australian shores in 2019 - Haras d'Etreham in France his home.
Giga Kick is the 10th foal produced by the imported mare Rekindled Applause (GB) (Royal Applause {GB}), a four-time winner who was four times stakes-placed in Italy.
Last spring producing a colt by Pariah (Redoute's Choice), Rekindled Applause has been nicely represented by six winners with Rekindled Power and Shuffle Up (both by Scissor Kick's sire Redoute's Choice) also earning black type with Group placings.
And she is grandam of a classy galloper, her lightly raced daughter Lago Ovation (Encosta De Lago) producing Yulong's G1 CF Orr S. winner Alabama Express (also by Redoute's Choice).
It seems no accident that members of this family have been regular visitors to Redoute's Choice and his sons with Rekindled Applause's fourth dam being a half-sister to Redoute's Choice's influential fourth dam Best In Show (USA) (Traffic Judge {USA})
Plus her sire Royal Applause is a grandson of Try My Best (USA) (Northern Dancer {Can}), Best In Show's high-achieving grandson.
Also boasting crosses of Rainbow Quest (USA) (4 X 3) and the Canadian Oaks heroine Flaming Page (USA) (Bull Page {USA}), Giga Kick boasts a pedigree of considerable depth with his sire's three strains of the great Nijinsky II (Can) (Northern Dancer {Can}) complemented by his dam's strain of that horse's three-quarter brother The Minstrel (Can) (Northern Dancer {Can}).
And Flaming Page and Best In Show are both descendants of the wonderful mare Torpenhow (GB) (Torpoint {GB}).
Rekindled Applause is one of the seven winners produced by Rekindled Affair (Ire) (Rainbow Quest {USA}), also dam of the G2 Feehan S. and G2 AAMI Vase winner Rekindled Interest (Redoute's Choice again), the US-based Group 3 winner Where We Left Off (GB) (Dr Devious {Ire}) and the French Listed winner Porticcio (Ire) (Lomitas {GB}).
Listed Regal Roller S., $175,000, 1200m
It is an impressive record being built by the good-looking Uncommon James (Cable Bay {Ire}) who brought his excellent Queensland form south, recording his second dominant victory at Listed level and his fifth from just six starts overall.
A homebred for Lavin Park Racing and Breeding, he is one of the two local stakes winners (and eight in total) sired by his sire, a former Woodside Park shuttler.
He is the second live foal produced by the stakes-placed, multiple city winner Pickabee (Jet Spur) whose full sister Emmalene (dam of the stakes-placed Churning by Lonhro) is a Flemington Listed winner.
Served last spring by Dundeel (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) after foaling a colt by Yes Yes Yes (Rubick), Pickabee also has a yet to be named 2-year-old filly by Capitalist (Written Tycoon).
Pickabee is a granddaughter of the dual Listed winner Adagietto (NZ) (Sackford {USA}) whose Listed-winning grandson Open Minded (NZ) (Jimmy Choux {NZ}) also took his place in the Regal Roller, finishing an encouraging first up fifth.
Carrying crosses of Northern Dancer's (Can) (Nearctic {Can}) sons Danzig (USA) and Lyphard (USA), Uncommon James can count amongst his relations the stakes winners Bonvicini (Myboycharlie {Ire}), Captiva (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), Packing Winner (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ}) and Lut's Choice (Brz) (Fort De France {Arg}).
Morphettville: G3 Spring S., $127,250, 1200m
Whilst the favourite Behemoth (All Too Hard) was below his best in the Heavy conditions his stablemate Calypso Reign (Barbados) was relishing them - racing away to his first stakes-level victory.
Bred by Ducatoon Park's Peter Toole by the farm's lightly raced but well-related Barbados (a son of Redoute's Choice and the fast Virage de Fortune by Anabaa {USA}), Calypso Reign was - like Behemoth - a cheap buy for Grand Syndicates.
Sold from the Ducatoon Park draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale to Grand and David Jolly for just $17,000, Calypso Reign is the third stakes winner for his sire whose third dam is the great mare Emancipation (Bletchingly).
Calypso Reign is the final foal and one of the six winners for the stakes-placed multiple city winner Rainbird Blue (Bluebird {USA}), also dam of the Listed Tasmanian Oaks winner La Fantastique (Fantastic Light {USA}).
Rainbird Blue is a daughter of the G3 Angus Armanasco S. winner Sovereign Appeal (Southern Appeal {USA}) whose dam Repeat After Me (The Judge) is also ancestress of the stakes winners Navy Shaker (Polish Navy {USA}), Outlandish Lad (Fantastic Light {USA}) and He'sfantastic (Fantastic Light {USA}).
Rosehill: Listed The Rosebud, $160,000, 1100m
It was no easy task taking on the more experienced horses in this Listed contest but off the back of an easy debut win in maiden company at Randwick-Kensington, Zoukerino (Snitzel) was able to quickly measure up.
The 124th stakes winner for her Arrowfield Stud-based, four-time Australian Champion Sire, Zoukerino was purchased for $500,000 by Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) from the Milburn Creek draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Yearling Sale.
Bred by Milburn Creek, the flashy chestnut is the fifth foal and fourth winner for the stakes winner Walk With Attitude (Hussonet {USA}) who has produced - also by Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) - the Group 3-placed, dual city winner Spend.
Also dam of the metropolitan winners Isolyfe (I Am Invincible) and Elliot Ness (Written Tycoon), Walk With Attitude was served last spring by Zoustar (Northern Meteor) after foaling, in late October, a colt by The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice) .
Suman Hedge returned to the same sale a year after purchasing Zoukerino to also buy, with Ciaron Maher, his half-sister - an $800,000 daughter of I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit {Ire}).
Walk With Attitude is out of the Listed winner Hillfa (Danehill {USA}) whose stakes-placed dam Fayfa (Ire) (Slip Anchor {GB}) is a half-sister to the dam of Invincible Spirit (Ire) (Green Desert {USA}). Ancestress of this family is the influential mare Mowerina (GB) (Touchstone {GB}), also ancestress of Danzig (USA) (Northern Dancer {Can}) to whose son Danehill (USA) Zoukerino is line-bred 3 X 3.
Belmont: Listed Belmont Newmarket H., $125,000, 1200m
It was win number 11 for the determined Nerodio (Playing God) and his third at stakes level - what a terrific record he boasts!
A homebred for Divtini Racing, he is one of the nine stakes winners for his Darling View Thoroughbreds-based, two-time G1 Kingston Town Classic-winning sire.
He is the third foal for the city winner Black Carat (Lonhro) who was also bred and raced by Divtini - winning three of her 13 starts. Last spring paying a return visit to Playing God (Blackfriars), she has also produced the dual city winner Ghobella (Blackfriars).
Her third foal is the yet to race 2-year-old Magnificent Carat (Magnus) who has trialled well for the Adam Durrant stable whilst her fourth is a yearling colt by Maschino (Encosta De Lago).
Black Carat’s unraced dam Bloomy (Dehere {USA}) did a good job at stud, well represented by eight winners including the Listed Tattersall’s Cup winner Doyoudare (Langfuhr {Can}) and the stakes-placed metropolitan winners Jetoomy (Reset) and Just Marika (Grandera {Ire}) who is in turn dam of the stakes-placed, multiple city winner Playing Marika (also by Playing God).
Nerodio is one of the five stakes winners with a pedigree featuring Sir Tristram's (Ire) (Sir Ivor {USA}) son Grosvenor (NZ) and great-grandson Lonhro (Octagonal {NZ}) noting that the former is out of the terrific mare My Tricia (NZ) (Hermes {GB}) whilst the later is her great-grandson.
