News

Easter Bluebloods and Hussler Highlight Stakes Raid

21st Sep 2008

It was a memorable day for high priced Easter babies today, on an afternoon where champion performer Weekend Hussler led the charge for Inglis graduates in a string of stakes races.

WEEKEND HUSSLER ($80,000 2006 Premier, 4g Hussonet-Weekend Beauty) landed his seventh Group 1 win when easily handling his first test over 1800m in the Underwood Stakes.

The Ross McDonald trained gelding is now the winner of 12 races in 15 starts for earnings in excess of $3million.

It was an Inglis trifecta in the Group 1 feature, with Australian Cup winner POMPEII RULER (P$9000 2004 Autumn, 6g Genuine-West With Night) indicating he is right back on track in running second, and LITTORIO ($15,000 2006 Premier, 4g Bellotto-Our Centasea) continuing his Cups campaign with another very pleasing effort for third.

Weekend Hussler was the final leg of a Caulfield stakes treble for Inglis graduates.

ORTENSIA ($50,000 2007 Premier, Testa Ross-Aerate's Pick) atoned for a most unlucky second at Moonee Valley last week when leading throughout to claim the Group 3 Thousand Guineas Prelude (1400m). She is now among the leading hopes for next month's G1 Thousand Guineas at the same venue.

In the Caulfield Guineas Prelude, FERNANDINA (P$15,000 June Weanling, Desert Sun-Amelia Island)scored an upset win from fellow Inglis graduate TIME THIEF ($2million 2007 Easter, Redoute's Choice-Procrastinate) to take his record to three wins in five starts for trainer Leon Corstens.

At Rosehill, Redoute's Choice continued his superb start to the season, with two high priced Easter yearlings indicating they will soon be tackling bigger targets.

After dual stakes placings during the autumn, 2005 Easter sale topper MUSKET ($2.5million 2005 Easter, 5h Redoute's Choice-Tugela) resumed with a new career peak in taking out the Group 2 Shannon Stakes (1500m).

Trainer Peter Snowden indicated he may now consider an Epsom Handicap (G1) start next month, but stated his belief that the best of Makybe Diva's three-quarter-brother will still not be seen until next year.

Musket's family is likely to be in strong demand at the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, with Tony Santic's Makybe set to offer his full brother, in addition to Makybe Diva's first foal, a colt by Champion European stallion Galileo.

Seven figure Easter graduates made it back-to-back Group race wins one race later when SAMANTHA MISS ($1.5million 2007 Easter, 3f Redoute's Choice-Milliyet) dominated the G2 Tea Rose Stakes (1500m).

This was the fourth Group win on end for the outstanding filly and kept alive her chances of becoming the first horse since Angst in 1993 to clean sweep the Sydney Princess Series.

Trainer Kris Lees will head south after Samantha Miss contests the AJC G1 Flight Stakes (1600m) in two weeks time, with the Cox Plate still firmly on the agenda.

Rounding out the black type theme for Inglis graduates at Rosehill was MY VEGAS ($110,000 2005 Premier, 5h Royal Academy-Smytzer's Century), who landed some big wagers when taking the Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m).

The lightly raced five-year-old has now won three races from eight starts, with his earnings topping $100,000.

My Vegas is the latest example of value buying to be had at Inglis mixed sales, as he was knocked down for just $30,000 at this year's March Thoroughbred Sale in Melbourne.

The next Inglis mixed sale will be held next Friday at Newmarket, with the Sydney Spring Thoroughbred Sale.

Earlier fellow Inglis graduates LORNE DANCER ($70,000 2006 Classic, 4g Danehill Dancer-Fabled) and IMVULA ($750,000 2006 Easter, Rock Of Gibraltar-African Rain) secured shots at bigger targets when scoring impressive restricted race wins.

Following next Friday's Sydney Spring Thoroughbred Sale, the Inglis sales series heads south to Oaklands for the Melbourne 2&3yo Ready To Run Sale on October 26.