Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday September 1

Two names inextricably linked to the history of Eureka Stud have a descendent among the chances in Saturday's Listed Musk Creek Farm Atlantic Jewel Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The Eureka Stud stalwart Semipalatinsk (USA) and the Lumley Road mare Tautina were inseparable for twelve consecutive seasons, the first of which produced the AJC Oaks and Turnbull Stakes heroine Just Now.

Tautina was well established at the time as the dam of the Group III Gold Coast Cup winner Bernalla (Midnight Cowboy) who carved out her niche at stud as the dam of stakes-winner Startell and Telltina, who has her own flourishing branch of the family.

No catching Portray at Sandown (image Brett Holburt/Racing Photos)

As successful as she proved at stud, Tautina was one slow racehorse. She beat very few of her opponents home in a five-start career.

She did, however, have a bit to recommend on pedigree. Her dam Fantina, a daughter of My Babu's half-brother Marco Polo, had some notable siblings in Melbourne Cup winner Foxzami and noted stayers Bali Ha'I and Kharass.

Fantina's half-sister Beehive left the AJC Derby, QTC Stradbroke Hcp, BATC Doomben Cup winner Divide and Rule, and the STC Canterbury Guineas winner Honeyland.

While Just Now did not leave a stakes-winner, her sister Just For Luck produced two, Scenic Warrior and Stanzaic.  

A son of Eureka Stud's tragically short-lived Brave Warrior, Scenic Warrior won the Group II Sandown Guineas, was runner-up to Bomber Bill in the Group 1 Australia Stakes and third in Group 1 Canterbury Guineas won by Universal Prince, and behind Sale Of Century in the Rosehill Guineas.

Stanzaic numbered three Listed stakes among his twelve wins.

Auvergne Miss, a sister to Just Now and Just For Luck, is the dam of the Listed winner For The Good Times (Hennessy), who kept it rolling as the dam of the popular $1.4million earner Fast 'N' Rocking and Listed winner Good And Fast.

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Portray - pretty as a picture (image Brett Holburt/Racing Photos)

Tautina's unraced daughter How About Now (Rascolnik) took the family to another level.

Her son, Shiva's Revenge, won the Group 1 SAJC South Australian Derby and Group II Blamey Stakes. Only his champion stablemate Let's Elope deprived him in both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.  

The unraced Staremma (Famous Star), a half-sister to Shiva's Revenge, is the dam of two stakes-winners, Grandiser and Charmview.

A son of Dehere (USA), Grandiser won four of seven starts before a second bleeding attack brought the curtain down on his career in Australia. Exported to the US, he won two more races highlighted by a Listed stake at Santa Anita.

Charmview was a class performer for Tony Wildman. The daughter of Royal Academy (USA) won the Winter Stakes (Tattersall's Tiara) when it was a Group III. A year later, it was upgraded to a Group II and the following year, Group 1.

Charmview was consigned to the 2015 Easter Broodmare Sale with an $800,000 price on her head, which she failed to make.

In 2007, Woodlands Stud shelled out $500,000 for Charmview's half-sister by Redoute's Choice. Named Hallucinates, the best she could do in four stars was a second in an 1100m maiden at Gosford. By then she had been inherited by Darley following the takeover of Woodlands.

The best of three winners for Hallucinates is the Street Cry (IRE) filly Alucinari who won the Listed Denise's Joy Stakes at Scone and is the dam of Portray, the outsider of Godolphin's three acceptors in Saturday's Atlantic Jewel Stakes.

Carrying the support of her stable at her career debut at Canterbury on January 7, Portray was prominent early before weakening to finish sixth. A measure of consolation is the winner, Paris Dior (Pierro), is top-class and will go off with a favourites chance in Saturday's Group II Furious Stakes at Randwick.

Next seen out seventeen weeks later in a 1200m maiden at Cranbourne, Portray was three deep the trip for a hard-earned maiden win by three-quarter of a length.

Two weeks later, Portray led at every call over 1200m at Sandown Lakeside.   

Her sire Ribchester (IRE) found it challenging garnering support in his two trips to the Hunter.

Portray was one of 35 live foals in the first crop for the 4-time Group 1 winning miler. In 2020 Ribchester (IRE) shuttled to New Zealand, where he took the spot of his highly successful sire Iffraaj (GB) at Haunui Farm.

Alucinari has a 2yo Epaulette filly named Vizie and a yearling colt by Blue Point (IRE).

The daughter of Street Cry (IRE) visited Frosted (USA) last spring but slipped.

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