There were four Group 1 races contested in Australasia on Saturday and three of the winners were winning at the highest level for the second time while the fourth is a horse that did just what he was bred to.
Victoria Derby winner Hitotsu returned to win the Group I VRC Australian Guineas (1600m) at his first run since the spring and made it a stakes-winning double on the day for his sire Maurice (Jpn), who also had Mazu win the Listed ATC Fireball Stakes (1100m), read about them here.
Maurice is proving that rare and wonderful creature, a versatile sire, with Hitotsu very much a classic style of 1600m plus 3YO, while Mazu is a sprinter.
Their difference in distance aptitude comes from the female side of their pedigree with Mazu’s immediate family all about speed as he is a half-brother to Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) winner Headway, while Hitotsu has a grand-dam in She’s a Meanie that won the Group I Avondale Cup at 2200m. Interestingly, this family also includes Lean Mean Machine, whose first yearlings have been making a big impression at sales this year, read more here.
Maurice is the sire of six stakes-winners in total – four in Japan and two in Australia. He covered 156 mares at Arrowfield last spring at a fee of $44,000 including Hitotsu’s dam Love is Fickle.
A Group I winner last season at two, Frankel gelding Converge scored his second Group I win in the Randwick Guineas (1600m) beating Anamoe, read about him here.
Statistically, Frankel is an amazing stallion with a whopping 15.2% stakes-winners to runners. The Frankel x Shamardal nick has produced eight winners from 10 runners with two stakes-winners.
A Group I winner last season of the ATC Surround Stakes, quality All Too Hard mare Forbidden Love had conditions to suit in the Group I ATC Canterbury Stakes (1300m), read about her here.
All Too Hard has done well with daughters of champion sire More Than Ready (USA) producing 36 winners from 54 runners including three stakes-winners. He has sired four Group I winners in total with two of them from More Than Ready mares with Forbidden Love joining Hong Kong based sprinter Wellington.
The New Zealand Derby was won by lightly raced Tavistock gelding Asterix, who did exactly what he was bred to in winning a Derby, read about him here.
Asterix is the 34th stakes-winner for ill-fated Tavistock, whose last yearlings will be a highlight at Karaka this week. He is the 12th stakes-winner for Monsun’s G1 son Shirocco as a broodmare sire and is his third Group I winner joining last year’s triple Group I winning Irish Derby hero Hurricane Lane and Aussie triple Group I winner Montefilia.
Tavistock also made his presence felt as a broodmare sire on Saturday as sire of the dam of Annavisto, a brilliant winner of the Group III VRC Fances Tressady Stakes, read aout her here.
