Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday April 28

On Saturday, there are stakes races in four states, with the highlight coming in the Group 1 Grand Syndications Australasian Oaks at Morphettville.

There is also plenty of action for the babies with the Group III Breeders' Stakes at Morphettville, Listed Dalrello Stakes at Eagle Farm, while some stunning pedigrees are on show in the opener at Hawkesbury.

But we will venture to Sandown-Hillside, where the Hellbent filly Hell Hound will be out to prove her debut win at Terang on April 10 was no fluke.

Hell Hound nice debut (image Alice Miles/Racing Photos)

Ridden by Beau Mertens for Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, Hell Hound came with a barnstorming finish for a length and three-quarter victory over 1000m.

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A homebred for Phoenix Thoroughbreds, Hell Hound is a half-sister to the Snitzel fillies Snazz 'N' Charm and Letzbeglam.

Stakes-placed at two, Snazz 'N' Charm won her second race at Ipswich just over a week ago.

Letzbeglam looked top-class after winning on debut at Werribee before claiming the 2020 Group II Blue Diamond Prelude by two and a quarter lengths.

She finished sixth behind Tagaloa in the Group 1 Blue Diamond, but injury took its toll, and she has raced just three times since.

Hell Hound's dam Miss Charming (USA) ( Forestry), was purchased by Blue Sky Bloodstock for $180,000 at the 2014 Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

She was in foal to the Eskendereya (Giant's Causeway) and subsequently foaled the filly Belle Danseuse (USA), a 6-time winner in Canada.

Hell Hound looks the part  (image Alice Miles/Racing Photos)

Belle Danseuse (USA) followed her dam to Australia.

Rosemont Hanseatic Syndicate shelled out $250,000 for Belle Danseuse (USA) at the 2021 Inglis Chairman's Sale.

Last spring, she had a Street Boss (USA) filly and visited Shamus Award.

Miss Charming (USA) is a sister to Grade III winner Forest Grove and a half-sister to the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks and Grade 1 Matriarch Stakes winner Tout Charmant (Slewvescent), the Grade II winner and Grade 1 placed Dancing House (Tapit), and the Listed winner Too Charming (Berardini).

Letzbeglam all class winning the Blue Diamond Prelude (image Grant Courtney)

They are out of Grade III winner Charm a Gendarme (Batonnier), a sister to Cavonnier, who won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby before being beaten a lip by Grindstone in 1996 Kentucky Derby.

The fourth dam of Charm a Gendarme is the 1961 STC Golden Slipper Stakes heroine Magic Night (Star Kingdom).

Miss Charming (USA) has a yearling Invader filly and a weanling Snitzel colt. She revisited Snitzel last spring.

Yarraman Park Stud's Hellbent has four first crop winners to date, including the impressive Luna Rocks, who spaced her rival by upwards of three lengths at Warwick Farm on Wednesday. 

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