Kia Tancred Stakes (Group 1)

THE William Haggas-trained evergreen Dubai Honour, winner of two of the past three editions of the Group 1 Tancred Stakes over 2,400 metres at Rosehill, had his colours lowered by Chris Waller’s star filly Aeliana on Saturday.

With Tom Marquand up, the Irish-bred Pride Of Dubai eight-year-old cruised to the front attempting to lead all the way. Swinging through the final bend, Dubai Honour led by four lengths, though James McDonald on Aeliana had stalked him most of the way.

With the remainder of the eight-horse field off the bit, the Chris Waller-trained Castelvecchio filly was the only threat. Despite drifting under pressure, forcing Marquand to switch the whip from his right to left, Dubai Honour still held a length advantage at the 100-metre mark.

The filly kept at it and it took until the final three strides for Aeliana to swing the pendulum her way and win by a neck on the line. Third was the Galiway gelding Vauban, five lengths away.

Top of our game

“It’s hard to beat a (William) Haggas horse when they’re being set for a race as Mr Haggas does,” said Chris Waller. “He shows us what training’s all about when he comes down here. We knew we had to be on top of our game.

“Full credit to Aeliana, she’s a proper horse. She puts herself in the race, never let Dubai Honour get out of our sights. He threw the task at the 600-metre mark, probably a little bit earlier than what we liked but James just cuddled her and fortunately she was just strong to the line and we just got there in time.”

The victory was Aeliana’s second Group 1 win in eight days having won the Ranvet Stakes on Golden Slipper day.

“Lucky we were on a superior horse and credit to the runner-up (Dubai Honour), he gave us one hell of a fright,” said McDonald.

“About the 300 metre mark, I could feel her really building underneath me. I just felt if I went earlier and chased, I would’ve been just out of my comfort zone. It was a chance I was willing to take and I’m glad it paid off.”

Vinery Stud Stakes (Group 1)

PROVING that the form around the star New Zealand filly Well Written is strong, the Kiwi filly Belle Cheval’s Australian debut saw her win the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes over 2,000 metres at Rosehill on Saturday.

With Zac Lloyd up for Mark Walker, the Savabeel filly, second to Well Written in the NZ$5 million Kiwi at Ellerslie three weeks earlier and a short-priced favourite, took up a spot one pair back from the leader on the rail.

Untroubled by the tempo, Belle Cheval found a gap at the top of the straight. Into the clear, she veered out forcing Lloyd to switch hands with his whip. Tough right to the line, Belle Cheval, under pressure, won by a nose as she defeated The Autumn Sun filly After Summer and the Tagaloa filly Salty Pearl, the trio less than a length ahead of the New Zealand Oaks winner Ohope Wins, who was having her first start for Chris Waller since crossing the Tasman Sea.

“She is by Savabeel, he’s been the perennial champion sire at home (New Zealand) for a long, long time,” said Mark Walker who had just unsaddled the stallion’s 36th individual Group 1 winner.

“We’re going to miss him severely, as he’s getting on in years. But she is just a magic filly. She can have a nice break now and we’ll look forward to the spring. There will be no (Australian) Oaks for her, she gets a rest.”

TAB Australian Cup (Group 1)

WHILST Birdman was the hot favourite for the Group 1 Australian Cup over 2,000 metres at Flemington, it was one of Ciaron Maher’s lesser lights that stole the show. Second in this race two years ago, crowd favourite Pride Of Jenni with Declan Bates set a familiar tempo.

Out by four to five lengths for the majority of the race, the Pride Of Dubai mare slipped away by six on straightening up. Birdman looked to be coasting 300 metres out as he got within a length, but asked to find and he was flat, as Pride of Jenni dug in. To their outside, the Irish-bred Ciaron Maher-trained Light Infantry Man, a 20/1 chance, continued to improve. In a thrilling finish, a bob-of-the-head separated the Ciaron Maher pair in a thrilling finish with the Fast Company gelding going back-to-back to claim consecutive Australian Cup wins. “I don’t know who I’m more proud of, the winner or the second horse. I thought it was going to be a spectacular race and to be fighting it out with two of your own, it’s pretty cool,” said Maher. The winner is a Goffs UK graduate.

THE Inglis Australian Easter Yearling sale concluded Monday with 322 of the 427 catalogued yearlings (57 withdrawn) yielding a gross return of A$147,500,000. Despite 28 more yearlings offered this year, that figure was down slightly from last year, so too the clearance rate and median which came in at 78% and $350,000 respectively. Heading upwards though was the sale average, this year’s $464,108 shading last year’s $451,913.

“The records might not reflect it, but I will always remember the extraordinary effort of our group to conduct an Easter Yearling Sale to the standard that they have against the backdrop of a major international conflict and the ensuing economic crisis,” reflected Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch.

As ever at Easter the stars shone. Tom Magnier led the charge when barely an hour into the sale he went to $3 million to secure an Extreme Choice colt, the third foal from the dual Group 2 winning mare Pretty Brazen, offered by Lime Country Thoroughbreds.

Good mover

“Everybody on the team liked that colt all week, Guy (Mulcaster) and Chris (Waller), Paul Shanahan, M.V. (Magnier), everybody liked him,” said Tom Magnier. “He’s a very good mover, loads of quality with a lovely light step on him.

“In fairness, Lime Country do a very good job with their horses and I’m thrilled for (breeders) Linda and Graham Huddy too. These top colts at any sale, you have to pay for them and we did that today.”

Overall 26 yearlings sold for six figures. Ten were fillies, the highest being the trio by Extreme Choice, Zoustar and Snitzel who each sold for $1.8 million. A further three colts by Too Darn Hot, Extreme Choice and Snitzel all sold in the $2 million bracket.

Powerhouses

The equine powerhouses of the sale were Snitzel, I Am Invincible and Zoustar, champion sires in eight of the past nine seasons. The proven stallions had 32, 32 and 26 yearlings sell for a combined aggregate of $55.915 million, or 37% of the sale total, averaging $600,156, $593,906 or $680,962 respectively.

Of the vendors, Arrowfield Stud led the aggregate, selling 46 yearlings for $19.415 million, whilst the buying bench was led by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock who signed for 15 yearlings at an aggregate of $8.775 million.

Extreme Choice held the ‘hot hand’ amongst the stallions. His nine to sell from 10 offered averaged $1.561 million which included the top lot.

New Zealand

Seize powers home in Sires’

Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Group 1)

SEIZE The Day grasped the win in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes at Trentham on Saturday in what was just his third start.

Trained by Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson, the I Am Invincible colt was right in the firing line over the 1,400 metres, settling just off the lead. Held together by Opie Bosson through the bend, Seize The Day cruised away from his rivals to post a facile five-length win. Second was the Hello Youmzain filly Sweetest Thing with the Yes Yes Yes gelding Speed Demon, ridden by Irishman Joe Doyle, in third.

“He is just an outstanding colt and we have liked him from day one,” said Sam Bergerson. “We thought he would have been racing a bit earlier than he was, it just took a while for the penny to drop. The way he quickened was really exciting.

“I thought he was travelling really nicely at the top of the straight and I thought ‘gee, I would love to stick the blinkers on him now’. Thankfully he just switched on and he has gone to another level since (his debut win at) Matamata.”

It was the eighth time in nine years that Te Akau Racing have won the Sires’ Produce Stakes, having purchased Seize The Day from the Gold Coast Magic Millions for A$600,000