The Listed VRC G.H. Mumm Century Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Oaks Day was won by progressive sprinter Ancestry, who has been in blistering form this spring.
A four year-old gelding by little known Kooringal Stud based sire The Brothers War (USA), Ancestry has been building an impressive record for astute trainer Phillip Stokes and came into this race having won his last three starts in a row following a winter spell.
He was ridden in each of those wins by apprentice Michael Poy, who retained the ride for this bigger assignment and steered the speedster to a dominant length and a quarter win.
“He’s a fast horse and he’s going great,” said Phillip Stokes, who will spell Ancestry now with a view to targeting the some of the big sprint races in the autumn.
The most expensive yearling ever sired by The Brothers War, Ancestry was an $80,000 Magic Millions purchase for Dalziel Racing/Peter Moody Racing from the Kooringal Stud draft and has the overall record of eight wins from 13 starts with prizemoney in excess of $432,000.
Bred by Kooringal Stud, Ancestry is a half-brother to Group II winner Diamond Tathagata, so is the second stakes-winner for his dam Maltese, who has done an exceptional job with five foals to race all winners.
A half-sister to stakes-winner Jestarella Boy by Tale of the Cat (USA), Maltese has foaled this spring producing a colt by Kooringal Stud’s exciting young dual Group I winning sire Prized Icon.
Ancestry is the first stakes-winner for The Brothers War, a stakes-winning son of champion US sire War Front, that still stands at Kooringal on a fee on application basis.
