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Testascana Clicks For Testa Rossa

14th Aug 2011

Racing And Sport - Saturday, 13 August 2011

Up and coming miler Testascana enhanced his sire Testa Rossa's ranking with his third successive Melbourne win at Caulfield on Saturday.

Testascana , bred by Limerick Lane Thoroughbreds, made it three straight after scoring at Sandown and Flemington last month for trainer Peter Moody.

The $85,000 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale purchase has now won seven times from 15 starts together with four seconds and one third, and earnings in reach of $200,000.

His success adds to Testa Rossa's great success rate in 2010-11 when he ranked among the most successful sire's in Australia by number of individual winners and earnings.

His tally of 124 winners, while eight less than his previous season's mark, was enough to see him rank in the top five most prolific stallions on the national roster.

William Inglis and Son director and auctioneer Jonathan D'Arcy says Testa Rossa has won a reputation as a favourite sire with many trainers including Moody.

"One of Testa Rossa's endearing features is that he has no sex bias, he gets good colts and fillies," D'Arcy said.

"They are good boned horses that can race at two and win two-year-old races, but they train on.

"You often see Testa Rossa's winning races at four, five and six years of age, which is what trainers are looking for.

“They are versatile, durable sort of horses and you do see them winning across Australia."

D'Arcy says the best is yet to come from Testa Rossa, who stands at Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley.

“I think he's only going to get better as a sire because he's got better mares going to him," D'Arcy said.

Last season Testa Rossa sired Australia's equal top-ranked two-year-old filly, Pane In The Glass, who was G1 placed in the AJC Sires' Produce Stakes and Champagne Stakes during the Sydney autumn carnival.

'Pane in the Glass has always looked like she'd develop into a supreme miler,” said Vinery's Adam White.

"She looks likely to enjoy a good spring following the lead of other Testa Rossa fillies like Sistine Angel and Rostova last year."

"In the current climate most astute breeders turn to the handful of proven value sires like Testa Rossa.

“There are few consistent top Australian sires close to him and there are just a few nominations left for this season."