News

Slipper Day Points To Easter Jewels

5th Apr 2010

*Racing And Sports - Saturday, 3 April 2010

Group One results at Rosehill on Golden Slipper day highlighted the jewels to be found in the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale starting at Newmarket on Tuesday.

Faint Perfume's win in the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes was great pointer to Easter Session II while Littorio entered the annals of racing's great bargains in with his victory in the G1 BMW.

Easter II has only been held for the past two years, but its merit was further underlined with a stakes double on Sydney racing's richest day.

Faint Perfume was passed in at the 2008 Easter II Sale when the Shamardal-Zona filly left the ring on a bid of $40,000.

She confirmed her status as Australia's best three-year-old staying filly when staging an awesome finishing sprint to reel in Valdemoro to win the Vinery Stud Storm Queen Stakes.

It was the Bart Cummings trained filly's second G1 success and she becomes the fifth VRC Oaks winner in seven years to win this race.

Her earnings now top $1.36 million with five wins in 10 starts.

Think Big Stud have a Pendragon half-brother to Faint Perfume catalogued at next week's Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Easter II was also in the spotlight when the classy prospect Neesonb (P$65,000 2008 Easter II, 3g Mossman-Favorite Actress) won the Listed Darby Munro Stakes.

His record now reads out at five wins from 11 starts for earnings topping $300,000.

Littorio cost just $15,000 at the 2006 Melbourne Premier Sale.

The Bellotto-Our Centasea gelding missed last year's spring carnival, but the Nigel Blackiston trained five-year-old made up for lost time when he stormed home to win the BMW.

Littorio was a Group 1 winner of the Turnbull Stakes last season, but this was a new career peak and his earnings have now reached $2.3million.

Another timely Easter reminder came late in the day when emerging stayer Count Encosta ($325,000 2008 Easter, Encosta De Lago-Sovereign Countess) made it three on end in outgunning favoured Descarado in the Group 2 Tulloch Stakes.

Count Encosta has won three of seven starts and $159, 650 in prizemoney and is the eighth Australian stakes-winner this season for Encosta de Lago, who narrowly missed Group One success with Valdemoro finishing second in the Vinery Stud Stakes to Faint Perfume.

Count Encosta is a half-brother to G2 winner Lieutenant being from the Sovereign Red mare Sovereign Countess.

Coolmore Stud will present the full sister to Count Encosta as Lot 177 at the 2010 Inlgis Australian Easter Yearling Sale on Tuesday.

This was the 56th stakes success for Easter graduates in Australia this season.

The 2010 Australian Easter Yearling Sale start on April 6 and runs over three days.

In addition to Faint Perfume and Count Encosta's siblings, another important update came from the G1 Queen of the Turf Stakes with Montana Flyer running third to Typhoon Tracy.

Torryburn Stud will offer an Al Maher three-quarter-brother to Montana Flyer on day one.

Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily's sire Stratum is represented by six yearlings in the Easter catalogue.