Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday July 23

New Year’s Day 2020 must have dawned full of hope for the connections of the royally-bred, I Am Invincible, filly Parlophone as she set off for her career debut at Flemington.

It took only a few strides after the barriers opened for hope to turn to despair.

Parlophone opens her winning account at Sandown (Pat Scala/Racing Photos)

Racing like a crab and looking totally disinterested, Parlophone’s sole intent was to dispose of Damien Oliver as quickly as possible.

She did finish the race, trailing in some 20 lengths behind the winner A Beautiful Night.

The Mick Price & Michael Kent (Jnr)-trained filly earned the ire of the stewards but was reinstated a week later when trialling to their satisfaction.

Just over two weeks after her debut fiasco, Parlophone lined up again at Flemington this time with Michael Dee in the saddle.

It was a much better watch. Although she still tended to wander around, Parlophone hit the front inside the 200 metres, although she had no answer to the finishing run of the high-class Fastnet Rock filly Personal.

Off the scene for 22 weeks, Parlophone opened her winning account at a Wednesday meeting on a heavy track at Sandown Hillside on June 24.

With blinkers off and Damien Oliver back in the saddle, Parlophone jumped well although she had a good long think about bucking and drifted back to second last.

Making her run down the centre of the track, the daughter of I Am Invincible did not shirk her task and won narrowly.

She again went into the steward’s little black book for attempting to buck.  

Apprentice Jessica Eaton gets the steer when Parlophone makes her stakes debut in the Listed Lightning Stakes for two and three-year-olds over 1050m at Morphettville on Saturday.

Advertisement

A homebred for Geoff Walsh, Lindsay Maxted and Simon Tuxen, Parlophone is a third-generation descendant of Walsh’s imported Secreto mare Nothings Secret (USA).

A half-sister to four stakes-winners including the Prix Jacques le Marois and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp winner Northjet (Northfields) and the Prix du Gros Chene winner Madang, Nothings Secret (USA) is out of the Fortino mare Jellatina, herself a daughter of the One Thousand Guineas heroine Queenpot.

In a long, productive career at stud, Nothings Secret (USA) produced 17 foals, 15 raced and 12 won.

The best of these were the multiple Group III winner and Group 1-placed Royal Discretion (Royal Academy), the Listed stakes-winner Roulettes (Flying Spur) and Roulettes stakes-placed sister Tactfully who is the dam of the Listed MRC Alinghi Stakes winner Vezalay (Shamardal).

Roulettes has been a success both on the track and in the sales ring.

Besides Parlophone she is the dam of the Group III BRC BJ McLachlan Stakes-winner Sun City (Zoustar) and Parlophone’s multiple Group II-placed brother Spin.

Sun City was a $525,000 yearling and Spin was a $200,000 purchase, however Roulettes hit the heights at the this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale when her Attunga Stud consigned Deep Field colt was knocked down to the renowned judge Alan Bell for $800,000.

That set a new mark for the Newgate Farm-based stallion who also raced in Bell’s grey and red diagonal stripes.

The Lightning Stakes has drawn a field of six three-year-old fillies and five two-year-old fillies.

The 3yo David Jolly-trained gelding Streetcar Stranger (Stratum) is the lone male representative.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Talented So You Think Mare Goes Two for Two
So You Think is setting the pace for winners this season as we head into October and one of those promising winners is talented four year-old mare Enamorada, who made it two wins in as many starts when saluting at Sandown on Wednesday as favourite.
Magic Trials at Caulfield Heath
Early season two-year-olds will step out this Thursday, 2 October, at the Caulfield Spring Trials presented by Magic Millions, with 800m 2YO heats following the opening trial for Group performers at 7:30am on the Caulfield Heath.
420k NZ Ready to Run Purchase Looks the Goods
Progressive three-year-old Sulek notched his first victory when landing the MRC Foundation Pin & Win Plate (1400m) at Sandown on Wednesday for trainer Dominic Sutton.
Godolphin’s Lonhro Filly Proficient On Debut
From the penultimate crop of Darley’s Champion Sire Lonhro, the Ben, Will and JD Hayes trained 3yo filly Proficient started the race favourite, winning the Sportsbet Race Previews Plate (1000m) at Sandown Hillside in a fighting finish. 
Sires With Winners - Wednesday October 1
Here is the full list of 49 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
King’s Legacy Filly Salutes for Yulong
The first stakes-winner for her sire King’s Legacy when winning the Group III SAJC David Coles AM Stakes (1200m) last season, Steel Trap was subsequently purchased by Yulong privately and she posted her first win in their colours at Sandown on Wednesday.
Promising Victory For Too Darn Hot’s Ripley
Racing in the same Qatar Bloodstock coloured silks worn to victory on Friday night by West of Swindon (Wootton Bassett) in the Group 2 Stutt Stakes, 3yo Too Darn Hot colt Ripley highlighted his future potential with a two-length maiden victory at Rosehill on Wednesday.
Bryce Bevan Appointed Head of Digital at Magic Millions
Magic Millions' commitment to conduct online thoroughbred auctions has received a huge boost with today's announcement that Bryce Bevan has been appointed as Head of Digital.
Almanzor Mare Chasing More Black Type
Group Two performer Mary Shan will be in search of an elusive stakes victory when she heads south to Hawera on Saturday where she will contest the Gr.3 Grangewilliam Stud Breeders’ Stakes (1400m).
First Win for Storm Boy Half-Brother by Pierro
Progressive Pierro colt Shangri La Boy is a very different horse to his older half-brother Storm Boy and while that Group winning colt is covering his first book of mares at Coolmore this spring, this fellow is on his way with an impressive maiden win at Rosehill on Wednesday.