Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday March 10

Sir Owen Glenn's Go Bloodstock is enjoying a memorable season with their two-year-olds, and a couple of Go Bloodstock-bred fillies could well fight it out for a Golden Slipper birth in Saturday's Group III Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill Gardens.

The Go Bloodstock-bred Red Resistance and Platinum Jubilee are high up in Slipper betting, as are a couple of others they have an interest in, Don Corleone and King's Gambit.

The $700,000 Merchant Navy filly Steel City has had no luck in three starts. At her most recent start, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained went to the line untested when seemingly having plenty to offer in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.

Tu Qui Santuzza a $400,000 Magic Millions yearling graduates from a Friday night maiden at Canterbury at her career debut on February 24.

A $400,000 purchase for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the Coolmore draft at the Magic Millions, Tu Qui Santuzza is by Pierro out of stakes-placed Savabeel mare Santuzza.

A $575,000 purchase for Go Bloodstock Australia/Paul Moroney Bloodstock from the Dormello Stud draft at the 2018 National Broodmare Sale, Santuzza is a half-sister to stakes-winner Tukiyo (Haradasun), out of a stakes-placed three-quarter sister to Rock Of Gibraltar.

Advertisement

Tu Qui Santuzza Regan Bayliss (image Gai Waterhouse twitter)

Pierro and Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) rate as two of the toughest racehorses of recent years and have similar profiles.

Pierro defied his stout pedigree and came out running in the first two-year-old race of the season, the Listed Breeders' Plate at Randwick.

The son of Lonhro went through the season undefeated. Following the Breeders' Plate, he added the Silver Slipper, Todman Stakes, Golden Slipper, ATC Sires' Produce, and ATC Champagne Stakes.

Pierro bounced out at three to win the Run To The Rose, then captured the Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley instead of running in the Golden Rose. He met defeat for the first time when edged out by his old sparring partner All Too Hard in the Caulfield Guineas and was third behind Ocean Park and All Too Hard in the Cox Plate.

After opening his autumn campaign with a hard-fought win over Rebel Dane and Proisir in the Hobartville Stakes, Pierro downed his champion stablemate More Joyous in the Canterbury Stakes, then added the George Ryder Stakes.

Pierro's final start came in the Doncaster Mile, and he was glorious in defeat.

Lumped with 57kgs, Pierro could not overcome the 4kgs difference with Sacred falls on a heavy 10 at Randwick.

Pierro (image Mark Smith)

Sacred Falls was a top-class horse and a champion mudder.

He proved that the following year when lumping 56.5kgs on a heavy 9 to win his second Doncaster at the expense of another fine wet tracker in Royal Descent.

Pierro made six starts at two and eight starts at three, retiring with a record of eleven wins, two seconds, and a third from 14 starts.

Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) had a similar profile on the other side of the equator.

The son of Danehill won five of seven starts at two, including the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and the Group 1  Grand Criterium at Longchamp.

At three, Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) rattled off wins in the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, Irish Two Thousand Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.

Rock Of Gibraltar (image Mark Smith)

Like Pierro, Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) fell at the final hurdle. He was denied a perfect season when a fast-finishing second to outsider Domedriver in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Arlington Park.

The son of Danehill boasted a record of ten wins and two seconds from 13 starts.

The granddam of Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) and fourth dam of Tu Qui Santuzza, Press A Button (Bold Lad), is a half-sister to champion racehorse and influential stallion Riverman.

Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) shelled out $375,000 for a sister to Tu Qui Santuzza at the Magic Millions in January.

She has been named Cavalleria and will carry the colours of Bob and Sandra Peters, who know a thing or two about the progeny of Pierro, having bred and raced the $4million earner Arcadia Queen and the $4.5million earner Regal Power.

After foaling a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt last spring, Santuzza was covered by Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside.

Advertisment
More Reading...
One to Watch – Cranbourne
Second in the Group III VRC Maribyrnong Plate last year to Tycoon Star, this Cosmic Force colt made light work of a maiden at Cranbourne on Sunday when bolting away to win as he pleased.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Canterbury
There were a whopping 10 heats won by juveniles at the Canterbury trials on Monday morning that included some interesting unraced youngsters by Zoustar, Zousain and Trapeze Artist, plus a good looking youngster that may see the benefit of gelding.
Sires With Winners - Monday June 23
Here is the full list of 29 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Scone
Kris Lees often sends a talented horse to the country to cast off maiden status and a two year-old Exceedance gelding did just that on debut at Scone on Monday.
Ardrossan Supporters Rewarded with Taken
The emergence of the Victorian-based Taken is another winning story for a New Zealand breeding and ownership group established to support the three-year-old’s young sire.
One to Watch – Wyong
The juvenile maiden at Wyong on Tuesday had some interesting runners including the highest price yearling by Maurice (Jpn) sold in 2024 and he did take the win, but it was not without drama.
G1 Tatts Tiara – Where Are They Now?
The last Group I race of the Australian racing season, the $700,000 Tatts Tiara (1400m) will be run this Saturday and as a fillies and mares feature the winner is often headed straight to stud, so we’re taking a look at where these girls are at.
Waikato Stud Weanling Draft Showcases Super Stallions
After a phenomenal few months for Waikato Stud’s stallion roster, the world-renowned nursery will offer six select progeny of those high-flying sires at this week’s NZB National Weanling Sale at Karaka.
Aussie Bred HK G3 Double
A pair of Group III races were run at Sha Tin on Sunday with victory in the two last stakes races of the HK season both going to Aussie bred geldings Beauty Joy and Copartner Prance, who is a half-brother to Aquis based sire Kobayashi.
Two-Year-Old Pierro Filly Tu Qui Santuzza Makes Winning Debut at Canterbury
Two days after the 3yo Pierro gelding Cool Jakey made a winning debut over 1200m at Warwick Farm, Pierro struck again with his first 2yo winner of the season, the debutant Tu Qui Santuzza at Canterbury on Friday.