Vobis And Snitzel Show

      This weekends racing saw two group ones at Randwick.The big Vobis Gold Day at Caulfield and many other top quality races, across the country. We will head to Sydney first with the last majors on offer for the Autumn carnival. In the Group one All Aged Stakes, the 3yo colt Trapeze Artist continued is awesome form just grabbing Le Romain on the line after a epic battle, up the Randwick straight. He is now a very valuable Snitzel colt and owner Bert Vieira has opted to race him, as a 4 year old rather than accept offers of more than $40 million to retire the colt. The second edition of The Everest is now a priority in October while a trip to Hong Kong in December and Royal Ascot next year is also on the agenda.

Trapeze Artist 

All Aged Stakes 

      In the second group one of the day. The two year old Champagne Stakes it was a nice victory to the Hinchinbrook filly, Seabrook who was given a gem of a ride by veteran hoop, Damien Oliver to beat yet another from the amazing Snitzel , Bondi who is out of the Red Ransom mare Bondi Blonde. The Group 3 Frank Packer Plate saw Higher Ground who is by So You Think from an Encosta De Lago mare, Dark Vision and ridden by Glyn Schofield who has been struggling with a back issue but  rode hard in a tight finish, to score . The So You Think's always look amazing in the mounting yards and now they are really bringing that to the tracks over the last 12 months. Chris Waller is now heading north with the colt towards the Queensland Derby. Higher Ground is raced by Debbie Kepitis, one of the three owners of Winx, He beat the other Waller trained runner the Snitzel colt Tangled in a photo finish.
Exciting filly Sopressa, yet another, So You Think scored a scintillating victory in the Group 3 Auraria Stakes in Adelaide. The Darren Weir trained Sopressa was considered very unlucky last start when held up for a run before finishing seventh in the Listed Laelia Stakes but today was ridden a positive race by Harry Coffey, enjoying a good run just behind the leaders and was in a class of her own when accelerating away to win the 1800 metre event by four and a quarter lengths beating Miss Finland's daughter, Earth Angel.

Miss Finland 

winning the 2006 Golden Slipper 

         Vobis day at Caulfield had 1.5 million dollars in prizemoney on offer. The Snitzel's were in amongst it, as usual, with the opening race, on the card going to French Emotion, the Snitzel mare who always seems to find trouble but today the waters opened for her and there is one thing the Chris Waller 6 year old mare doesnt lack is a turn of foot. In the Bel Esprit Stakes later in the day saw the Hawkes trained, Snitzel filly, Sprightly Lass add to her impressive record by leading all the way and showing great tenacity to hold off all challenges. The Gold Sprint was won by Udyta Clarkes boy, Rich Charm and what a dramatic victory it was as he was a long way off the leader with only a couple of hundred metre to go and young Patrick Moloney dropped his whip but the Danerich gelding zoomed down the outside under hands and heels riding for a last gasp win.

  So You Think 

Standing at Coolmore

Western Australia -- Pierro added a new stakes winner to his tally on Saturday when his improving colt Action scored a resounding win in the Group II WATC Derby at Ascot in Perth.With three wins and three placings from seven starts and prizemoney topping $350,000, Action is out of the Redoute's Choice mare Broadway Belle. He powered to the line for William Pike to win by four lengths in a dominant display, becoming the third classic winner this season for his sire Pierro to join Levendi ATC Australian Derby and Pinot VRC Oaks.

Winx and Fastnet Rock

         Day two of the Championships at Royal Randwick and the mighty Winx stole the show yet again with an effortless victory in the four million dollar , Queen Elizabeth Stakes, to make it 25 in a row. Honestly it looked like she could have went around again. Has she ever been completely let go over the last few years. People have been talking about the Everest for her. Which is just a joke. They would never think of putting her against the sprinters, too much stress on her body but i tell you I reckon she would run 2400m and beyond, on her ear. Street Cry and his mares Winx and Zenyatta. What girl power! Check down the bottom of the page and you can watch WINX win her first start as a two year old.

 Winx Queen Elizabeth

        While the Fastnet Rock colt, Merchant Navy is over in the UK getting ready for his mission . The family on this side of the hemisphere have been breaking records at the Inglis sales in Sydney and were also firing at the championships with three victories. The first being the listed South Pacific Classic and a good win by the Snowden trained, Damian Lane ridden, California Turbo. The 3yo gelding made it 3 out of 4 and is really promising.
       In the group 2 Percy Sykes for 2yo fillies saw the I Am Invincible clan, continue their stellar run, over the carnival with Pure Elation successful in emphatic style, for the Snowden team, yet again. She defeated another, of the breed, Fiesta. In the Arrowfield 3yo group 2 sprint it was the talented Fastnet Rock  filly, Catchy who added yet another group race to her resume as she stormed home down the outside, to win. It was great to see the Blue Diamond winner return to the podium.
     Then in our first group 1 of the day, the ATC Oaks over 2400m. Unforgotten got over the top of  the High Chaparral filly, Hyaam. To stamp a red letter day for the Fastnet Rock breed and make it a treble with a lovely ride from Hugh Bowman, for trainer Chris Waller. She is out of the Galileo mare, Memories of You . This must be where she gets that extra stamina from. Talking of stamina and toughness the old warhorse Who Shot the Barman got up right in the last stride, to win the Sydney Cup over 3200m to record a long deserved victory. Great ride Blake Shinn, timed to perfection.

 Fastnet Rock Stands at Coolmore in Ireland 

      In the final group 1 of the day, the Coolmore Legacy over 1600m saw an interesting winner on breeding, Alizee. This filly is so well bred and could easily be heading for more wins over this coming spring. She is by the Elusive Quality stallion Sepoy but on Sepoy's dams side is no other than Canny Lad's, half sister, Canny Miss. Alizee is out of the Exceed and Excel mare Essaouira. Gee there is plenty of Danzig in her pedigree with that dash of canniness. An awesome talent Alizee that is for sure.

Sepoy Stands at Darley

 Weekend Extras -- Good to see the talented Desert Lashes by Reward for Effort back in the winners circle at Morphetville, on saturday. After having been unbeaten her first seven starts it was good to see her back.
Tiger Roll just lasts to beat Pleasant Company at Aintree in the UK Grand National . Ridden by Davy Russel for trainer, Gordon Elliot. Tiger Roll is by Darley stallion, Authorized who also sired Hartnel who is trying to win another group 1 on Saturday in the All Aged Stakes at Randwick.  

Winx Where it All Started 

Redoutes Choice and I Am Invincible

Day One of Sydney Championships

      The dominance of two stallions and a son stood out, on the first day of the championships, with the early sprint races being taken out by the sons and daughters of Yarraman Park stallion, I Am Invincible. While later in the day, it was Redoutes Choice and his son Snitzel in full swing with quinelas and trifectas going to the family. A big flashing light over the Derby with Redoutes Choice's broodmares producing the the first two placegetters and his son Snitzel, siring the third horse.

Levendi winning the ATC Derby

    I wanted to point out the Danzig and Canny Lad connection in these two families. I have always had a bit of a soft spot for the Canny Lad breed, ever since seeing him run a gallant third in Better Loosen Up's ,1990 W.S.Cox Plate. Redoutes Choice is by Danzigs son, the great Danehill and I Am Invincible is by the other Danzig stallion, Green Desert line through Invincible Spirit.While both are out of Canny Lad broodmares. 
      Lets get on with race day . In the first it was a boil over with 2yo colt by I Am Invincible, Paquirri, winning the Kindergarten Stakes at 50/1. Then the next, in the Group 3 Carbine Club Stakes we saw a Snitzel quinella with Muraaqueb from the Hayes/ Dabernig stable, successful over the Snitzel gelding, Dissolution. In the P.J.Bell group 3, the victor was the Glyn Schofield ridden, Houtzen who returned to the winning list. The speedy three year old, I Am Invincible filly, led all the way and was able to fight off the challengers. In the $600,000 Country Championship, another I Am Invincible saluted, with the Jenny Graham, gelding Victorem, getting an inside passage through, to win easily. Now we check in on the Group ones and in the Sires we see a bolter El Dorado Dreaming get home to just beat, the best maiden in Australia, Oohood, who is by I Am Invincible.
    

I Am Invincible here is his son from his first crop

Brazen Beau running second in the Golden Jubilee

       In the Group 1 ATC Derby we saw that epic battle between Levendi and Ace High both out of Redoutes Choice broodmares. Levendi by Pierro is now being sent to the paddock after two gutsy wins in a row. The Gelagotis team are planning a group one attack in the spring with him,which will include the Cox Plate. 

     While in the Group 1 sprint, the T.J.Smith, Redoutes Choice sons produced the trifecta. Trapeze Artist beat his more fancied brother Redzel both by Snitzel and running into third was the 5yo daughter of Time Thief , yet another son of Redoutes Choice, In Her Time. This win was rated at 108.3 and has lifted Trapeze Artist into elite territory beating Chautauqua's rating over the last three years.
      Finally in the Doncaster mile we saw old Happy Clapper put a stop to the show with another dominant victory. This son of Teofilo is in the best form of his career and from the Galileo/Danehill cross and adds some good staying blood to the southern hemisphere ranks . The Clapper is out of Busking who is by Encosta De Lago. The Australian bred son of Fairy King who was the full brother of Sadlers Wells. You can see plenty of close family, in breeding , in his pedigree. He is now going to take on the mighty mare, one last time in the Queen Elizabeth next week.

Happy Clapper 
Doncaster Hcp 

      Lets flashback to last week and the Golden Slipper for a moment and the Snitzel filly, Estijaab who is out of the Charge Forward mare Response. There is a strong link here with the 2017 winner, She Will Reign who was by Manhattan Rain out of a Charge Forward mare Courgette. Redoutes Choice the sire of Snitzel and Manhattan Rain are half sisters, through the Canny Lad mare, Shanthas Choice.  Canny Lad of course won the 1990 Slipper so dont be surprised if an I Am Invincible tastes success in the richest two year old race in the near future. Its in the blood ! On an ending note, Charge Forward is by Red Ransom out of the Bletchingly mare Sydneys Dream. Just proof, I Am Invincible's dominate on Sundays as well, Miss Invincible won the $150,000 Wellington Boot.

Dubai World Cup and Sydney Carnival

Sydney Carnival  and Dubai

      The incredible staying ability of the German stallion Monsun's progeny in Australia and around the world showed up again on the weekend. In Australia it was the group one Tancred Stakes over 2400m at Rosehill, won by the Melbourne Cup winner, Almandin. He is now the winner of $5.3m in 20 starts. The eight year old by  Monsun, from Anatola, a daughter of the multiple Group I winner Tiger Hill, who interestingly was by legendary dual hemisphere stallion, Danehill.  Monsun's influence on Australian racing in recent years , shows through in our great race,the Melbourne Cup. It has been won by three of his sons,Fiorente 2013, Protectionist 2014 and of course Almandin 2016. Monsun’s reputation is widespread in Europe as well and on Saturday night at the Dubai World Cup meeting, French-trained Vazirabad added the Group II Dubai Gold Cup 3200m for an unprecedented third year straight and this time, clocking a track record of 3m 17.92s on the grass circuit.

 Almandin Tancred Stakes

       It was great to see the Gelagotis team come out victorious with their charge, Levendi, in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill . Levendi has always been around the mark but never quite tasting success but on Saturday, he got the job done in the 2000m event.The next target for the Pierro colt, is the AJC Derby. He is all class but being out of the Redoutes Choice mare, Lipari, there must be a doubt on him running the 2400m. The Gelagotis team were cheering from over in Dubai at the world cup meeting where their charge, Illustrious Lad finished fifth in the Group one Alquoz Sprint. It was won by the Appleby trained, Jungle Cat who is by Ifraaj. Ifraaj is out of the Nureyev mare, Pastorale and stands at Haunui Farm in New Zealand where he has sired Gingernuts and Jon Snow.  In the other group 1, the Vinery Stud Stakes we saw the High Chaparral filly, Hyaam, lead all the way. Always been an honest stayer but she went to another level over the 2000m on Saturday, defeating the Fastnet Rock filly, Unforgotten and may head to the Derby herself.  

Helmet Stands at Darley in Victoria 

      Finally we will take a look at the Dubai World Cup which was won by the Ausralian bred Thunder Snow. He is by the Danehill stallion, Exceed and Excel's son, Helmet, who is full of Northern Dancer on the male side and on the female side you find Northern Dancers son Nureyev, very dominant . Helmet has sired a considerable amount of winners in Australia but Thunder Snow is his first group 1 winner. Exceed and Excel was foaled in 2000 and became Australian number one sprinter in the 2003/2004 season. His sons Excelebration and Reward For Effort have high class progeny performing in both hemispheres and now Thunder Snow puts his other son Helmet standing at Darley on the international arena. Thunder Snow led all the way and increased his lead on the line, for an easy victory, defeating the Bob Baffet trained, West Coast. 

Thunder Snow 

Winning the Dubai World Cup