Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday August 25

The big guns will come out blazing for Saturday’s Group III Furphy San Domenico Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens.

Four colts put their unbeaten records on the line.

The Divine Prophet colt Promitto backed up his maiden win at Newcastle with a dominant performance on a heavy track in the Group II Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in February.

The I Am Invincible colt Nettuno heads down from Brisbane with three wins, including a last start success in the Group III Ken Russell Memorial at the Gold Coast.

Nettuno makes it three from three in the Ken Russell Memorial (image Magic Millions)

The handsome Snitzel colt Zoukerino created a massive impression on his debut on the Kensington track at Randwick and backed that up with a fighting win in the Listed The Rosebud (1100m) at Rosehill at his most recent start on August 13.

The most inexperienced runner in the field is the Supido colt Buenos Noches who earned his spot following a successful debut at Canterbury on August 3.

Beaten once in three starts, Best Of Bordeaux will be the measuring stick. The Snitzel colt captured the Group II ATC Silver Slipper and Group III Canonbury Stakes before playing second fiddle to the remarkable Rebel Dane filly Fireburn in the Golden Slipper.

Coolmore has acquired a majority stake in the Kacy Fogden-trained Best Of Bordeaux, with a slew of the industry heavy hitters also involved.   

We will put our faith in the Tony Gollan-trained Nettuno.

Likely to join his champion sire at Yarraman Park when his racing days are over, Nettuno was a facile winner of his first two starts at the Sunshine Coast and Doomben.

Carrying the red, yellow seams and cap of Segenhoe Stud, Nettuno went off a short-priced favourite in the Ken Russell Memorial at the Gold Coast in May when scrambling to a narrow win over Midnight In Tokyo. If that looked underwhelming, it took on more significance when third-placed Sheeza Belter closed out her 2-year-old campaign with wins in the Group II BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Group 1 BRC JJ Atkins Stakes at Eagle Farm.

Advertisement

Bred by Yarraman in association with Elwyn and Joanne Rea, Nettuno was a $500,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Yarraman Park draft for Gollan Racing/John Foote Bloodstock/Black Soil Bloodstock.

Nettuno a $500,000 Magic Millions yearling

He is the best of the five winners from as many to race out of the Galileo (IRE) mare Saint Minerva. Nettuno’s 6-year-old half-brother, the 7-time winner Cheerful Days (Smart Missile), was runner-up in the Group III The Lion Rock Trophy at Sha Tin on May 29.

Bred by Gainsborough Lodge, Saint Minerva came from the third of five crops left in Australia by the great Galileo (IRE).

Trained by Alan Bailey, she won races at Doomben and Ipswich before waltzing to a six-length triumph under Craig Williams in the 2009 Group III Grand Prix Stakes (2200m) at Eagle Farm.

Saint Minerva failed to run a place in five subsequent starts before heading to the 2011 Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale, where Bill Mitchell had the final say at $200,000.

Saint Minerva’s dam Amicable (Last Tycoon) is a half-sister to Rhythmic Charm (Sackford), who had her day in the sun in the 1990 Group 1 Sire’s Produce Stakes.

 The granddam of the successful Scenic Lodge stallion Universal Ruler, Rhythmic Charm, descends from the magnificent Sovereign Edition mare Sheralee.

The Champion 2yo in NZ in 1970-71, Sheralee won 13, including eight stakes, and placed in a further six of her 28 starts.

Saint Minerva died in October last year.

Her eighth and final foal is a three-quarter brother to Nettuno by Hellbent, who was a $210,000 purchase for Dullingham Pty Ltd at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Waller Stable Hold the Key to Melbourne Cup
Champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller has 27 of the 120 entries for this year’s $10million Melbourne Cup, which equates to more than 20 per cent of the total, so it’s probably worth having a closer look at them.
Zoustar 7YO Chasing G1 for Cambridge Stud
South Africa will tackle the All Blacks at Eden Park on Saturday night and earlier in the day a horse named after one of their favourite sons will be vying for Group One glory down the road at Ellerslie Racecourse.
First Foals for Lofty Strike
One of the most interesting young stallions that we saw on the recent Victorian stud tour was at Swettenham Stud and it has not taken long for the big baldy face of Lofty Strike to find it’s way on to one of his first foals.
Tara Talks Racing - We Chat with the Breeder of Raging Force
The Group III ATC San Domenico Stakes was won last Saturday by exciting Cosmic Force gelding Raging Force, so this week we’re chatting to his breeder Dr Richard McClenahan of Mullaglass Stud, who has a self-confessed ‘mare addiction’!
Vale, G1 winning horseman Tony Dennis
A member of one of New Zealand racing’s most famous and successful families has died, with the recent passing of Tony (Anthony) Dennis, aged 86.
Five Lots Announced for Tattersalls Online Barrier Trials Pop-Up Sale
Tattersalls Online, Europe’s leading online thoroughbred sales platform, will break new ground when offering for auction five lots who took part in the ITM Irish EBF Barrier Trials at Leopardstown Racecourse earlier this week. The sale which takes place on 3rd – 4th September can be viewed on the Tattersalls Online website www.tattersallsonline.com.
Winning Debut for Blueblood Frankel Filly
We usually associate the Mark Walker stable with the tangerine colours of Te Akau racing, but it was John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds colours in the frame for the astute Kiwi trainer trainer at Benalla on Tuesday carried by blueblood Frankel filly Chateau Eze.
Spring Trial Watch – Caulfield
With a plethora of Group racing for colts and geldings last weekend and fillies to take centre stage Sydney on Saturday for the Group II ATC Furious Stakes it was interesting to see a Caulfield trial on Tuesday morning that featured six stakes-winning 3YO’s.
Sires With Winners - Monday September 1
Here is the full list of 22 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 2
Here is the full list of 30 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.