Pedigree Watch – Group I Stars Australasia – Five and Four NZ Bred

Tara Madgwick - Sunday April 9

On another top class Saturday of Autumn Carnival racing featuring five Group I races in Australia and New Zealand, not one of those elite winners was foaled in Australia.

The $5million ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) was won by UK raider Dubai Honour (IRE) beating Mo’Unga (NZ) and Anamoe, who are both likely to be standing at stud here this spring, click to read about the race.

It was the second G1 win in Australia for Dubai Honour and he’s a horse that will have a lot of Australian breeders wondering whether they didn’t understand Pride of Dubai as a stallion. The blue-blood son of Street Cry was a brilliant dual Group I winning two year-old and most expected he would also get precocious juveniles.

He was the Champion Australian First Season sire with 11 winners that included one stakes-winner Tanker (who failed to train on) and the promising Bella Nipotina. He was then leading second season sire by winners, but was edged out on earnings by Headwater and was leading third season sire last year by earnings and stakes-winners.

All of that sounds positive, but breeders still felt he had not done enough and as a result he’s struggled for numbers the past two seasons, but what is surfacing now is that Pride of Dubai does better with stoutly bred mares, barring the anomaly of Bella Nipotina and his best progeny are better with maturity.

Of his 12 Group winners, nine are from mares by sires we would see as classic or staying type stallions. From his progeny in the Southern Hemisphere where he has covered loads of speedy Danehill line mares, he runs at 3.9% SW to runner, whereas in the Northern Hemisphere where he got more staying bred mares he is 6.5% SW to runner.

Food for thought!

The $1million Group I ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) was won by the NZ Oaks winner Pennyweka (NZ), read about her here.

We’ve covered her before and she is the fourth SW for Rich Hill Stud’s Satono Aladdin and comes from a stout Kiwi female family and is the fourth G1 winner among 21 SW’s for Pentire as a broodmare sire.

Advertisement

The $2million Group ATC Sydney Cup (3200m) was won by the Australian Derby winner of two years ago in Explosive Jack (NZ), read about him here.

He is the only Group I winner and best of four stakes-winners by Jakkalberry (IRE) and is from a stakes-winning sprinter by Ekraar, who is also sire of the dam of another Australian GI winner in Yearning.

The $1million ATC Coolmore Legacy (1600m) was won by Atishu (NZ), a new G1 winner for her sire Savabeel, read about her here.

Atishu is the third G1 winner at The Championships for Savabeel and all of them are new G1 winners, the other two being I Wish I Win and Major Beel. She is his 31st G1 winner and is the second as a broodmare sire for No Excuse Needed (GB).

She caps a remarkable few weeks for Savabeel, whose overall SW to runner strike rate is 11%, compare that to our leading Australian sires.

The Group I New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1600m) at Pukekohe was won by Belclare (NZ), read about her here.

Belclare is the seventh G1 winner for Per Incanto and is the 24th G1 winner for O’Reilly as a broodmare sire. That nick has produced 32 winners from 47 runners so 68% winner to runner and with four SW’s has 8.5% SW to runner, which is notably higher than Per Incanto’s 5.3% overall SW to runner.

Advertisment
More Reading...
New Classic Prospect and New Aussie 2YO Winner for Wootton Bassett
The Group III JRA Derby Trial (2000m) at Baden Baden in Germany overnight produced a new stakes-winner for Wootton Bassett (GB) with lightly raced colt Juwelier staking a claim for classic success.
Sires With Winners - Friday May 30
Here is the full list of 41 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Magic Justify x Fastnet Rock Cross Strikes in Hong Kong
With Justify’s very best son City of Troy (USA) shuttling to Coolmore Australia this spring it’s worth remembering the power of the Justify x Fastnet Rock nick and we saw it to the fore at Sha Tin on Saturday when Australian bred four year-old Pray for Mir took out the Group III The Lion Rock Trophy (1600m).
Familiar Faces Win $100,000 Jumps Features at Sandown
Jumps racing took centre stage at Sandown on Sunday with some familiar colours and faces winning both the $100,000 Australian Steeplechase (3900m) and the $100,000 Australian Hurdle (3900m).
Sires With Winners - Sunday June 1
Here is the full list of 51 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Lightly Raced Stayer Wins Sandown Cup
The $175,000 Listed MRC Sandown Cup (3200m) on Sunday featured some battle hardened  old stayers, but it was the young kind on the block that got the prize with four year-old Tavistock gelding Diwali scoring his first stakes win.
Aussie Bred Trifecta in G3 Sha Tin Vase
Toronado (IRE) gelding Helios Express led home a tricta for Aussie bred sprinters in the Group III Sha Tin Vase (1200m) on Saturday defeating Invincible Sage (Thronum) and Patch of Theta (Zoustar).
Research on Equliume Light Mask
Don’t take our word for granted ….. Research on the Equilume Light mask for the pregnant mare and foal
The Secret is Out!
He has big shoes to fill as a half-brother to a $12million earner, but there is no secret about his ability! 
Sires With Winners - Saturday May 31
Here is the full list of 116 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.