Saturday’s Group I Winners – All the Pedigrees

Tara Madgwick - Saturday October 1

Four Group I races spread between Sydney and Melbourne and five winners thanks to a rare dead heat in the time honoured ATC Epsom Handicap at Randwick, so let’s take a look at those pedigrees.

The Group I ATC Epsom Handicap (1600m) produced two winners and they could not be more different, a typical Australian speed horse in Ellsberg and a tall statuesque European import in Top Ranked (IRE), read about them here.

Ellsberg is the first Group I winner for his ill-fated sire Spill the Beans, a Group II winner by Snitzel that died after four seasons at stud. He is bred on a very similar cross to the Breeders’ Plate winner Empire of Japan, who is by Snitzel from a daughter of General Nediym, that nick producing four stakes-winners from 27 runners (15% SW to runner) , two of them Group I winners I Am Excited and Sizzling.

Top Ranked is the 13th Group I winner Dark Angel, who had an Australian stakes double on Saturday with Visinari (FR) winning the Listed VRC Paris Lane Stakes (1400m).

The Group I ATC The Metropolitan (2400m) produced a win for blue-blood Kiwi bred Pins gelding No Compromise (NZ), a half-brother  to multiple Group I winner Tofane, read about him here.

No Compromise is the tenth Group I winner for Aussie bred champion New Zealand sire Pins, who died in 2018. His dam Baggy Green and half-sister Tofane are now in Yulong ownership, so it will be interesting to see how this pedigree performs going forward. Two of his other close relations in G1 winning mares Youngstar and Funstar are at stud in Japan.

Advertisement

The Group I ATC Flight Stakes (1600m) gave Zoustar a fifth Group I winner when Zougotcha powered clear for an easy win, read about her here.

She is bred on the same Zoustar x Fastnet Rock cross as the Gimcrack winner Platinum Jubilee.

The Group I VRC Turnbull Stakes (2000m) was another Kiwi bred success story with the win going to Smokin’ Romans (NZ), read about him here.

He is the first Group I winner for his sire Ghibellines, a Darley blue-blood that found his way to White Robe Lodge in New Zealand.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Friday August 29
Here is the full list of 38 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sir Stanley Goosman’s Impact on the National Yearling Sale
Karaka 2026 will mark the 100th National Yearling Sale in New Zealand, and a prominent buyer during the history of the Sale was Stanley Goosman (later Sir Stanley).  He was a key player at the Sale during the World War II era, and headed the list of winning owners in New Zealand on 10 occasions.
Up and Coming Well Named - So Who Are These Guys?
The $250,000 Group III ATC Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill on Saturday is a race well named with a field of eight colts and geldings set to line up and while none are stakes-winners yet, one of them will be after the weekend.
Sires With Winners - Thursday August 28
Here is the full list of 33 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Melbourne Cup Dreaming for Kiwi Stayer
Peter and Shaun McKay are dreaming of a Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) tilt with their quality stayer Wolfgang, and he will start his journey towards the iconic feature at Wanganui on Saturday.
Promising Winner and a Star on the Rise
One of the bargain priced sires on the Newgate Farm roster, Cosmic Force has never lacked for company covering 100 plus books of mares in each of his five seasons at stud so far totalling nearly 700 mares.
Breeding to Win - 2025 G1 Memsie Stakes
The big guns step out and spring is on in earnest when the Memsie (1400m WFA) rolls around and what a cracking field we have in 2025 for the first G1 of the Southern spring with 11 runners and 10 are G1 winners!
Stars on Show at Caulfield Spring Opener
The 2025 Victorian Spring Racing Carnival officially bursts out of the gates this Saturday with the Stow Storage Caulfield Spring Opener, headlined by the first Group 1 of the season, the $750,000 Stow Storage Memsie Stakes.
G1 Plan for Kiwi Sprinter Niance
Six-year-old mare Niance will kick off a new campaign when she lines up in the Gr.1 Moir Stakes (1000m) at The Valley on Saturday week.
One to Watch – Gosford
He’s big and beautiful and it looks like the patient approach might be about to pay off for this talented I Am Invincible four year-old who won on debut at Gosford on Friday.