Stakes Goals Ahead for Banana Queen

Tara Madgwick - Saturday January 21

Promising So You Think mare Banana Queen made it three wins on the trot when scoring a powerful victory at Randwick on Saturday with Black Type goals on the horizon this year.

Banana Queen gets the hat-trick of wins- image Steve Hart

Trained by Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou, Banana Queen has always shown potential, but has been in hot form since resuming from a spell to win at Newcastle last month and then scored again at Warwick Farm before jumping to Saturday class for a Benchmark 78 event over 1600m.

She relished the step up in trip to skip away and win by nearly two lengths for Brenton Avdulla and has now won four of nine starts earning over $160,000 in prizemoney.

“We haven’t looked beyond today for her, but we always believed she was a filly that would measure up to Black Type,” said Sterling Alexiou.

“It’s been a matter of letting her mature and  getting there in her own time. We’ll have a good look tomorrow and map out a plan for her.”

Advertisement

A homebred for Arcella Thoroughbreds, Banana Queen is a  three-quarter sister to Group III placed Vanuatu and is the sixth winner from six foals to race from unraced Fastnet Rock mare Tropicana Lady, a full sister to Group I winner Irish Lights, the dam of Group II winner Omei Sword and stakes-winner Lipizzaner.

Tropicana Lady produced a colt by Graff last spring and was then covered by Too Darn Hot (GB).

Given her pedigree, Banana Queen will be a valuable broodmare going forward if she gains some Black Type along the way.

Advertisment

Race Result - Fujitsu General (Bm78) 1600m

Randwick Track: Soft(5) Time: 1:36.63
1
Banana Queen
- 4m So You Think (NZ) x Tropicana Lady (AUS) (Fastnet Rock (AUS))
Tnr: G Ryan & S Alexiou Rdr: B Avdulla 57.5
2
1.8
Ella Te Ama
- 4m Scissor Kick (AUS) x She Loves You (AUS) (Husson (ARG))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 55.5
3
3.3
Nothinsweetaboutme
- 5m So You Think (NZ) x Nothin' Leica Cat (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat (USA))
Tnr: G Waterhouse & A Bott Rdr: J Parr 62
4
3.4
Lekvarte
- 4m Reliable Man (GB) x Plumm (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: C Schofield 57
5
3.5
Elettrica
- 4m Vespa (NZ) x On The Move (AUS) (More Than Ready (USA))
Tnr: Joseph Pride Rdr: S Clipperton 56
6
3.6
Cap Estel
- 4m Zoustar (AUS) x Our Drahma Queen (NZ) (Darci Brahma (NZ))
Tnr: A J Cummings Rdr: J R Collett 56
7
4.1
Sweet Mercy
- 3f Capitalist (AUS) x Adulterer (NZ) (Traditionally (USA))
Tnr: David Payne Rdr: Tim Clark 54
8
7.0
Tinnie Winnie
- 5m So You Think (NZ) x Wind Bender (AUS) (Redoute's Choice (AUS))
Tnr: C J Waller Rdr: J B Mc Donald 58
9
7.1
Our Modena
- 6m Tavistock (NZ) x Miss Zenella (NZ) (Zabeel (NZ))
Tnr: S I Singleton Rdr: Ellen Hennessy 57
10
8.2
Chenin
- 4m Pierro (AUS) x Sookie (AUS) (Casino Prince (AUS))
Tnr: Mark Newnham Rdr: Tyler Schiller 56
11
8.8
Leisa Louise
- 6m Dundeel (NZ) x Besame Mucho (AUS) (Encosta De Lago (AUS))
Tnr: Luke Pepper Rdr: J Ford 52.5
More Reading...
So You Think Mare Wins G3 Tibbie Stakes
Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou have always had a good  opinion of So You Think mare Banana Queen and the only thing that surprised them about her stylish win in the$250,000 Group III Tibbie Stakes (1400m)  at Newcastle on Friday is that her first Black Type win would come as a five year-old.
Sires With Winners - Sunday August 24
Here is the full list of 67 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Idyllic Prince Stakes - Phanta Leads a Sweet Trifecta for Gingerbread Man
Yarradale Stud's senior stallion Gingerbread Man achieved a rare career high for any sire when the son of Shamardal provided the trifecta in Saturday's Listed Idyllic Prince Stakes over 1300m at Belmont Park.
Bates gets creative at The Valley
Six-year-old gelding The Creator led throughout to claim the Ladbrokes Top 2/3/4 Betting Handicap (1600m) at The Valley on Saturday under a perfect Logan Bates ride.
First Stakes Success For Cafe Millenium
While having just turned 5, former Sydneysider Cafe Millenium (Not A Single Doubt), who now calls Lindsay Park home, broke through for his first black type victory on Saturday, winning the Listed SAJC Leon Macdonald Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville in impressive fashion.
Hard To Cross swoops to Valley win
Six-year-old gelding Hard To Cross was aided by the three-kilo claim of Rose Hammond as the Kiwi bred landed his first victory of the preparation when landing the Ascend Sales Trophies Handicap (1523m).
Sires With Winners - Saturday August 23
Here is the full list of 106 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Navy King sails to Valley victory
A well-judged front-running ride by Daniel Stackhouse has aided five-year-old gelding Navy King to claim the lion’s share of the prize in the MSC Signs Handicap (2040m) at The Valley on Saturday.
Wootton Bassett Juvenile G2 Double
Wootton Bassett (GB) featured in Ireland overnight at The Curragh with two stakes-winning juveniles, Constitution River taking out the the Group II Futurity (7f), while the Group II Debutante (7f) went to the filly Composing, who comes from the family of Amelia’s Jewel.
Via Sistina Joins Two Group One Legends
Via Sistina is certainly in rare air and if you want another stat to put her in perspective – yesterday’s Winx Stakes win saw her become one of only three horses in the last 40 years to win eight Group One races in a 12-month period.