News

Inglis Sweeps Spring Classics

3rd Nov 2005

INGLIS sale graduates have cut a swathe through Melbourne Spring Carnival classics with brilliant filly SERENADE ROSE(Easter 2004, $400,000) completing a quartet of Group One winners of the nation’s most prestigious three-year-old prizes with her dominant Crown Oaks (2500m) victory at Flemington yesterday.

Impeccably-bred GOD’S OWN (Classic 2004, $220,000) began the winning rampage on October 8 with a superior performance when he recorded an improbable win in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m). God’s Own has now won three of his five starts and earned $771,250. Offered by Edinglassie Stud, God’s Own is from Sky Chase mare Angel in Disguise, herself a three-quarter sister to Australian horse of the year Saintly, who won the Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup for Cummings.

A few days later, MNEMOSYNE(Easter 2004, $400,000) flew home wide and fought neck and neck in the straight with Rewaaya (Singspiel) before capturing the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at Caulfield. Mnemosyne, offered by Broadwater Farm and sold to the astute team at Woodlands Stud, drew clear to win by 1-1/4 lengths from the Darley filly with tenacious Serenade Rose (Stravinsky) a further long neck away third.

The success of Inglis graduates continued when impressive colt BENICIO(Easter 2004, $525,000) defied his sprinting pedigree to capture the Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) in dominant fashion. Benicio is by Vinery's brilliantly fast stallion More Than Ready and was consigned by Vinery, with the stud retaining a share. Benicio is the first foal of Mannington, Group 3 winner of the Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) in 2000 and a half-sister to the Vinery-raced Bollinger, winner of the 2003 Coolmore Classic (Gr 1), and the Juvenile Group winner, Sheraton.

Yesterday Lee Freedman recorded his 110th Group One winner with game filly SERENADE ROSE (Stravinsky-Rose of Tralee) who was purchased by BBA Ireland’s Adrian Nicholl and is raced by owners including Tim Hughes, Michael Sullivan, Lord Sam Vestey, and Keith Biggs. Serenade Rose announced her presence winning the Edward Manifold Stakes (Gr 2) over a mile and was widely considered unlucky when third in the Thousand Guineas on October 12. Freedman sent Serenade Rose to the Wakeful Stakes (Gr 2) ands he won that race so convincingly Freedman was confident she would prove too powerful in the Oaks, and so it was. Settled one off the rail in fourth position and angled out as the field rounded the final turn, Serenade Rose easily collared the leaders to win going away from Flora Danica and Empress Lily with the Gai Waterhouse-trained ASTRONOMIA(2004 Easter, $280,000) in fourth. “She was the best filly all spring and she should have won the Thousand Guineas, she has won the Oaks in a canter,” said Freedman, celebrating his fourth VRC Oaks triumph. “This is a fantastic thing, to win the Derby and the Oaks, “ he added.

Serenade Rose is the first foal from winning Sadler’s Wells mare Rose of Tralee, herself a winning daughter of top-rated European two-year-old Circus Ring.