News

Premier Race Review

4th Mar 2006

--- PREMIER DAY AT CAULFIELD --- STAKES UPDATES --- ENCOSTA ON FIRE ---

--- EASTER JUVENILES STRIKE AGAIN ---

Two generations of Premier sale graduates stole the show in the feature events at Caulfield yesterday, while a number of this year’s lots received big pedigree updates courtesy of stakes-winning siblings, results that could not be more timely on the eve of the sale.

Evergreen eight-year-old FIELDS OF OMAGH (1999 Premier) proved he is still a star at the top-level striking late and fast to land the Group 1 Futurity Stakes by a head in new course record time from RED DAZZLER (2004 Easter $100,000) for an Inglis quinella, while classy filly FOLLOW THE TILL (2005 Premier $10,000) cemented her position among the season’s top juveniles with an emphatic victory in the $500,000 Inglis Premier.

The cheapest buy in the field, FOLLOW THE TILL overcame her far wide draw to score a runaway win over the fast finishing CATECHUCHU (2005 Premier $50,000) who just got up to deny the winner’s stablemate CENTOTAPH (2005 Premier $55,000) for second place.

The Robert Smerdon trained pair dominated the 1200m race, which was being run at Classic Caulfield for the first time. “She’s a really lovely correct filly,” he said of the winner afterwards. “A little small but I don’t mind small fillies. I was surprised to get her so cheap at the sale.”

The winner carried the colours of a syndicate of friends headed up by David Barham. The eight-strong group of owners, mostly from Warrnambool, bought their filly from Smerdon after their other horse Open The Till retired.

The daughter of General Nediym has won four from five starts, including the Listed Ritzenhoff Stakes on Melbourne Cup day, her only defeat coming at the hands of last week’s Group 1 AAMI Blue Diamond Stakes winner NADEEM (2005 Easter $700,000) when they clashed in the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate at Flemington just four days after her maiden stakes victory.

The race itself continues the outstanding run of form enjoyed by Widden Stud’s General Nediym in juvenile races this season. His earnings of over $700,000 place him behind only Redoute’s Choice for the two-year-old sire title.

With two withdrawn lots General Nediym has 10 yearlings scheduled through the ring at Oaklands over the next two days.

EMIRATES BAG ANOTHER VENDOR PRIZE

FOLLOW THE TILL’S win added to the extraordinary record of Emirates Park in breeding winners of sales related races.

The Murrurundi-based farm collects a $30,000 cheque as the consignor of Follow The Till at last year’s Premier.

Emirates Park present four yearlings at this year’s Premier Sale including two lots by resident stallion Danewin.

Lot 97 selling today is a full-sister to the Group 3 Tranquil Star Stakes winner Haste Ye Back, while tomorrow the same sire has is represented by a daughter out of a half-sister to the Champion stayer of 2003/04 Upsetthym

BLACK-TYPE UPDATES TO PREMIER PEDIGREES

THE 2006 Premier Yearling Sale gets underway later this morning with the first of a catalogued 676 lots due through the ring at 10.30am.

Yesterday’s racing boosted the pages of a number of yearlings selling over the next three-days including two black-type additions at Morphetville.

Ken Turner’s Almavale Bloodstock offer a full-sister to yesterday’s Group 3 R.N. Irwin Stakes winner LEONE CHIARA (2001 Sire’s Produce) as lot 22, while SWISH TRISH’S (2004 Easter $100,000) victory in the Listed Redelva Stakes gives lot 625 a massive update. The stakes-winning three-year-old is a half-sister to a Smytzer’s Lodge offered Desert Prince colt.

VRC Oaks winner SERENADE ROSE (2004 Easter $400,000) added yet more black-type to the page of lot 324 her half-sister by King’s Best who sells at Oaklands on Monday. The Stravinsky filly landed the Group 2 B M W - Angus Armanasco Stakes at Caulfield. Second in race was Doubting who has a half-brother by Distant Music going through as lot 367 the same day.

Pedigree Updates for today’s session

A full-list of pedigree updates is available from reception. The following is a short selection of the most significant.

4: Another Luskin (03 g. by Covetous) is stakes-placed at 2yrs viz. 2nd Listed Avondale Gosling Chapman H.

11: UMAQUEST (01 f. by Umatilla) won the Listed VRC Chester Manifold Stakes at Flemington 29/01

16: Vallina (02 f. by Favorite Trick) is now a winner from one start 28/02

22: LEONE CHIARA won the Group 3 R.N. Irwin Stakes at Morphetville yesterday, Lord Serengeti (01. g. by Lion Hunter) is now a winner 15/01

25: Tagine (02 f. by Last Tycoon) has twice stakes-placed since the catalogue was printed viz. 3rd TRC Strutt Stakes and 2nd TRC 1,000 Guineas, both Listed

44: Mausoleum (01 g. by Grand Lodge) is now a winner (twice)

123: Mot Juste (01 f. by North Reef) is now a winner 30/01

138: ROYAL LOTT (00 g. by Royal Abjar) is now a stakes-winner viz. Listed Chaff City Classic 26/02

228: Montgresin (02 c. by Thunder Gulch) is now a winner 12/02

ENCOSTA FIRING AHEAD OF PREMIER

Ahead of the sale he has dominated for so long Encosta De Lago had a fantastic day with his stakes performers on Saturday.

His two-year-old daughter ULFAH (2005 Easter $210,000) led home another Easter juvenile quinella in the Listed Pol Roger Stakes at Caulfield, heading READY (2005 Easter $260,000) by one and three-quarter lengths.

At Rosehill 2004 Easter headliner RACING TO WIN ($40,000) scored a thrilling neck victory over De Beers in the Group 2 Franklins Hobartville Stakes, FLYING PEGASUS (2004 Easter $250,000) came home in third.

The Coolmore sire has a scheduled 28 lots in this year’s Premier after four withdrawals, while Coolmore as agent will offer a very attractive half-brother to RACING TO WIN by Tale of the Cat at next month’s Australian Easter Yearling Sale as Lot 84.

EASTER JUVENILES STRIKE AGAIN IN HONG KONG

MONEY MAN (2005 Easter $280,000) continued the run of form of Easter sold two-year-olds in Griffin races this weekend. The Redoute’s Choice gelding was runner-up to INSPIRATION (2005 Easter $420,000) in the season’s opening griffin event two-weeks ago, but went one better at Sha Tin yesterday.

SOME EXPECTED HIGHLIGHTS AT PREMIER TODAY

11 filly by Encosta De Lago ex Carmenesque, by Scenic (IRE) from Blue Gum Farm

89 filly by Encosta De Lago ex Fayrouz, by Sovereign Red (NZ) from Blue Gum Farm

113 colt by Encosta De Lago ex Gambetta, by Spinning World (USA) from Blue Gum Farm

189 filly by Show A Heart ex Little Miss Marine, by Danzero from Basinghall Farm

205 colt by Encosta De Lago ex Macedon Girl, by Rechabite from Bellerive Stud

257 filly by Rory’s Jester ex Noble Glow, by Jeune (GB) from Glentree Downs

For more information contact: Bess Gregory 0405 825 158