Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday July 2

Though he has had two two-year-old stakes-winners in New Zealand, So You Think has not yet ticked that box off in Australia, an anomaly we will be banking on to be righted at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

With just one run to her name, the Gerald Ryan-trained filly Zero To Hundred takes on some race-hardened locals in the Listed Tattersall's Club Stakes (1400m).

At her career debut over 1100 metres at Warwick Farm on June 17 Zero To Hundred came from the rear of the seven-horse field to win by a length.

Zero To Hundred was a $440,000 Easter Yearling

Granted it may not have been a particularly highly-rated race but there was plenty to like about the way the daughter of So You Think came back under Kerrin McEvoy after jumping smartly.

The increase in distance from 1100 metres to 1400 metres can only be a positive.

Zero To Hundred was purchased for $440,000 out of the Segenhoe draft at Inglis Easter by Mark Newnham, but by the time she had her first barrier trial in May she was in the stable of Gerald Ryan.

She is the third highest priced yearling filly by her sire to be sold at public auction in Australia, so it goes without saying she has the bloodlines to back it up.

The elegant bay filly is the second foal and second winner out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Celebrities Choice who retired to stud after breaking her maiden at Tamworth at her fifth start in addition to placing three times including a third at Canterbury.

 Celebrities Choice is a sister to the Group III Gold Coast Guineas winner and multiple Group-placed Florentina and a half-sister to Group 1 WATC Railway Stakes winner Gathering (Tale Of The Cat) and the stakes-winning Fastnet Rock gelding California Turbo.

Advertisement

Florentina is well-placed to add to the family’s fortunes. Already the dam of the stakes-placegetters Villa Carlotta (Street Cry) and Fasano (Lonhro), Florentina was sent to Europe in 2017 for a date with Dubawi.

The result of that was a filly that was consigned to last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale where she was knocked down to  Mike Ryan Agent For White Birch Farm for 475,000 gns.

After foaling a Kingsman filly last year, Florentina was again covered by the high-flying son of Invincible Spirit to southern hemisphere time and was sent back to Australia.

So You Think (Mark Smith)

Segenhoe consigned Florentina to this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale where Jananth Pty Ltd T/As G Park Spelling Farm had the last say at $650,000.

Florentina and Celebrities Choice are out of the Peintre Celebre (USA) mare Celebria whose dam Twyla went on a similar globetrotting tour as her granddaughter.

 The daughter of Danehill had seven foals before she was sent to Ireland in 2009, the best of which was the Group III winner Murjana (Giant’s Causeway).

A half-sister to the Group 1 winners Hurricane Sky and Umatilla, Twyla failed to match the feats of her half-sisters Show Dancing and Shantha’s Choice in the broodmare barn however her daughters Celebria and the unraced River Song, the dam of the Group II ATC Ajax stakes winner Niagara, have kept the flag flying for this branch of the famed Best In Show family.

Celebrities Choice has a weanling colt by Sebring and is back in foal to So You Think who is also the sire of Gerald Ryan’s undefeated 2yo Peltzer. Cannot wait to see him back in action in the spring.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Kiwi Bred Campaldino Wins G3 for Darby
Promising New Zealand-bred stayer Campaldino passed his biggest test with flying colours at Eagle Farm on Saturday, stepping up to stakes company and adding the A$200,000 Gr.3 Living Turf Queen Elizabeth II Cup (2400m) to his winning sequence.
Sires With Winners - Saturday May 31
Here is the full list of 116 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Niance Overcomes Serious Injury to Claim Stakes Victory
Exciting New Zealand-bred mare Niance has bounced back from a serious injury and picked up right where she left off last spring, collecting her third consecutive black-type win in Saturday’s A$175,000 Listed Bel Esprit Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield.
Ears Back Wins Listed Stakes at Wanganui
A two-race North Island campaign has ended on a career-defining high for Ears Back and her Rangiora trainer John Blackadder, who scored their first black-type win in Saturday’s Listed AGC Training Stakes (1600m) at Wanganui.
Stakes Potential for New Hello Youmzain Winner
Late-season black type is on the radar for Platinum Diamond after an impressive upset victory in Saturday’s Full Circle Appearance Medicine 2YO (1200m) at Wanganui.
Hat-Trick for Trelawney Stud Blueblood Filly
Well-related Trelawney Stud filly Madiyya signed off her three-year-old season with a third straight win, this time over 1600m in the A$150,000 Rod Griffiths Handicap at Caulfield on Saturday.
First Local Win As New Endeavour (IRE) Records Stakes Success
While it may have taken the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained New Endeavour (IRE) a while to record his first Australian success, connections were rewarded for their patience as the 5yo dominated under Tim Clark to win the Group 3 BRC Lord Mayor’s Cup (1800m) at Eagle Farm.
Three Straight Stakes Wins For Cool Aza Beel’s Cool Archie
With no two-year-old currently performing better in Queensland, the Chirs and Corey Munce trained Cool Archie continued his outstanding form, taking out the $1m Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m), his third consecutive black type victory.
Bright Future for El Roca 3YO
Owner-trainer-breeder Kylie Little believes she might have a promising stayer on her hands with Eagle Rock, who left maiden ranks with an emphatic performance in Saturday’s Matt Edwards-Lime Group Mile (1600m) at Te Rapa.
When in Doubt Back a Frankel!
The $200,000 Listed ATC Lord Mayor’s Cup (2000m ) at Rosehill on Saturday attracted a competitive field of 14 stayers, the bulk of them imports and when you strike an open race like that it’s often wise to follow this piece of advice – when in doubt back a Frankel!