Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday January 27

If it thrills you to see the progeny of top-class mares taking their formative steps, then you are in for a treat with the runnings of the Group III Canonbury Stakes and Group III Widden Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.

In the Canonbury, four of the six acceptors are out of stakes-winners, and another, The Little Pumper, is a son of a Group 1 Flight Stakes runner-up.

Claiming a good deal of attention in the Widden Stakes are a pair of $900,000 Justify (USA) fillies.

Just Glamourous, a daughter of the dual Group 1 winner Global Glamour, went into everyone's black book when a slashing fourth on debut at Warwick Farm.

Advertisement

Owned in similar interests is Annabel Neasham's highly-regarded debutant Learning To Fly. The daughter of Justify is a daughter of Fastnet Rock's Group III MRC Chairman's Stakes-winning daughter Ennis Hill.

The Widden is a nightmare to work out, so we will get back to the Canonbury Stakes.

The Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Golden Slipper favourite King's Gambit makes his eagerly awaited reappearance since demolishing a field of upwards of five lengths in the Listed  Debutant Stakes at Caulfield last October.

Bred by Gooree Stud and owned by some of the biggest names in the game, the striking son of I Am Invincible is out of Group III ATC Birthday Card Stakes and Group III ATC Triscay Stakes winner Sultry Feeling (Encosta de Lago).

Sultry Feeling bowed out of racing with a third in the Group 1 Tattersalls Tiara at Eagle Farm.

A Group 1 also eluded Sultry Feeling's triple Group III-winning half-brother Swift Alliance. The son of don Eduardo fell just short of Group 1 glory when edged out by Shellscrape in the Group 1 Galaxy at Randwick when conceding the winner 3.5kgs.

King's Gambit had everyone talking after this debut (image Grant Courtney)

King's Gambit is the fourth foal of Sultry Feeling and the best to date.

The daughter of Encosta de Lago has been a reliable producer with four fillies and two colts in her first six seasons.

They include a Snitzel colt catalogued for the Inglis Easter Australian Yearling Sale (Lot 392) and a precious Extreme Choice filly foaled on October 16.

Sultry Feeling revisited I Am Invincible last spring.

Another future Newgate stallion? (image Grant Courtney)

 The Russian Revolution colt Red Resistance is expected to offer stiff resistance to King's Gambit.

A fighting winner on debut over the highly regarded Merchant Navy filly Steel City at Rosehill, Red Resistance is the second foal of Lonhro's magnificent daughter Heatherly winner of the Group II MRC Rubiton Stakes and placed at the highest level in the Moir Stakes and Oakleigh Plate.

The Chris Waller-trained Snitzel colt Shinzo makes his career debut in the Canonbury.

Sporting the all-navy silks of Coolmore, Shinzo has looked the part in three barrier trials.

He is a brother to the Magic Millions 2yo Classic winner Exhilarates out of the dual Group 1 winner Samaready.

While Sultry Feeling has been a joy in six seasons, Samaready's first seven seasons have often been heartbreaking. Shinzo is just her second live foal, and the daughter of More Than Ready was exported to Ireland in February last year.

We can't leave the Canonbury without mentioning the Annabel Neasham-trained Fameux.

Like King's Gambit, Red Resistance, and Shinzo, Fameux did not see a sale ring.

The son of Exceed And Excel was not far from the winner when a well-supported fifth on a heavy track at Canterbury on January 6.

Fameux is the first foal of the Group 1 Coolmore Classic heroine Daysee Doom (Domesday), a $1.1million purchase for Widden Stud / David Redvers Bloodstock at the 2022 Inglis Chairman's Sale.

Advertisment
More Reading...
One to Watch – UK 2YO
Super interesting winner at Newmarket on Thursday was a Godolphin homebred two year-old colt by Wootton Bassett (GB) that won on debut and is on track for Royal Ascot.
Sires With Winners - Thursday April 17
Here is the full list of 45 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Hong Kong Wrap - Happy Valley Wednesday
Deep Field had a new winner at Happy Valley on Wednesday night, making it 22 for the season and 60 overall in Hong Kong, while there were new winners for Needs Further and Showtime and Mark Newnham and Jamie Richards trained doubles.
Debut Winner for Ole Kirk
Ole Kirk unleashed another debut winner at Wyong on Thursday when Tiberius carried the Darby Racing colours to victory in a 1000m open maiden beating older rivals to become the tenth winner for his sire from just 17 starters!
Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale - New Record Price - Yulong, Too Darn Hot Feature
The Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale eclipsed its previous records for highest price, average and turnover with the second session headed by the 1,750,000 guineas sale of a colt by Havana Grey to Amo Racing and a further three lots realising in excess of 500,000 guineas.
Applications open for the 2025 Les Young Scholarship
Young professionals in the thoroughbred breeding industry have a unique opportunity to enhance their careers, with applications now open for the 2025 Les Young Scholarship.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Warwick Farm
A busy set of trials at Warwick Farm on Thursday morning featured five heats for juveniles with winners including unraced youngsters by Zoustar, Hellbent and Bivouac.
Kiwi G1 Winner Grail Seeker Adds G1 All Aged Mix
Grail Seeker has added two Group One victories to her record this season and she will attempt to make it a third when she heads to Randwick on Saturday to tackle the All Aged Stakes (1400m).
Kings Gambit Wins G2 Roman Consul
Super talented I Am Invincible colt King’s Gambit delivered on potential at Rosehill on Saturday zooming up the fence to win the Group II ATC Roman Consul Stakes (1200m) from a wall of pursuers.
Juvenile Trial Watch - Randwick
The barrier trials at Randwick on Tuesday morning held plenty of interest with G1 winners Lion’s Roar and In the Congo both winning heats as well as star sprinters Lost and Running and Shades of Rose, but we’re interested in the juveniles and in particular King’s Gambit.