News

Aussie 3YO’s Star in South Africa

29th Nov 2009

Breednet - Tara Madgwick - Sunday, 29 November 2009

Australian bred three year-old dominated at Turffontein in South Africa on Saturday filling the quinella in both the Group Two Vodacom Dingaans and the Group Three Gomma Gomma Fillies Mile.

Unbeaten Galileo (IRE) filly Sidera maintained her unblemished record when she defeated General Nediym filly Generous Anna by three-quarters of a length in the 1600 metre feature.

The Mike de Kock trained Sidera has looked ultra impressive in winning each of her three starts to date and should be even better suited over longer journeys.

Bred by Dato Tan Chin Nam and consigned under his Think Big Stud banner at the 2008 Inglis Classic Yearing Sale, Sidera was purchased by Badgers Bloodstock for $45,000 and sent to South Africa where she runs for Klawervlei Stud.

Sidera is the fifth foal and fourth winner for the Danehill (USA) mare Freja, a sister to stakes-placed Diamond Hill, the dam of Group Three winner Ransom Express.

Runner-up Generous Anna has won two races and been competitive in stakes races previously so did a good job to get as close as she did to Sidera, who raced greenly over the concluding stages.

Generous Anna was purchased by Charles Laird from the draft of Attunga Stud for $380,000 and is the first foal of the Anabaa (USA) mare Ends Meet, a daughter of New Zealand Group One sprint winner Lady Madonna and half-sister to the dam of smart stakes-winning Victorian filly Satin Robes.

The Group Two Dingaans for the colts over 1600 metres provided another Australian bred quinella with Fastnet Rock colt Curved Ball getting the better of Galileo’s Galaxy to score his first Black Type win by a length and a quarter.

A brilliant maiden winner at his second race start, Curved Ball handled the rise in class to Group company with ease, cruising to the line to defeat his previously unbeaten stablemate Galileo’s Galaxy, who had won his only two previous starts.

A $200,000 purchase for Laird Racing, Curved Ball is a half-brother to Group placed mare Swissac being from the Zabeel mare Curvaceous.

He becomes the first stakes-winner for Fastnet Rock outside of Australia and is the sixth stakes-winner for the young Coolmore based son of Danehill (USA).

An $550,000 purchase from the 2008 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the draft of Coolmore Stud, runner-up Galileo’s Galaxy is the third foal and third winner of NZ Group Two winner A Star Affair, a half-sister to dual Group One winner The Jewel.

Another three year-old sure to impress in the future is the Charles Laird trained half-sister to All American in Milvago, who made a good debut when finishing second in the fillies and mares maiden over 1160 metres.

By Encosta de Lago from the Strawberry Road mare Milva (USA), Milvago was snapped up by Laird for $490,000 in 2008.

For the same connections and also second on debut was well bred More Than Ready (USA) colt More Than Zealous from stakes-winner Zedagal. He was a $120,000 purchase from the Widden draft in 2008.

Also tasting success at the Greyville meeting was Australian bred Untouchable filly Touch the Moon, who won her second race from seven starts when taking out the graduation plate over 1400 metres by a length and a quarter for trainer Duncan Howells.

Touch the Moon was secured by her trainer for a modest $14,000 from the draft of Avoca Park in 2008 and is from metropolitan winning Mighty Avalanche mare Mount the Moon, a full sister to Group Three winner Defensive Play.