Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday June 9

Saturday's JJ Atkins Plate (1600m) at Eagle Farm is the final Group 1 for juveniles, and Dundeel has two solid chances to add to a career-best season with his two-year-olds.

The Chris Waller-trained Tannhauser has solid support following his fast-finishing win over 1400m at Randwick.

Advertisement

Still, it is hard to go past the exquisite Dundeel x Miss Finland filly Miracle Of Love.

The Paul Messara-trained filly is a veteran of just two starts. Following a debut third behind the talented fillies Hip Hip Hurrah (Snitzel) and Dipsy Doodle (Lonhro) in the Listed Woodlands Stakes (1100m) at Scone, Miracle Of Love opened her winning account over 1350m at Doomben. She had to overcome difficulties that day, and how she finished the race indicates she would have little problem stretching out to a mile.

A homebred for Arrowfield Stud, Miracle Of Love is one of seven winners from eight to race for Miss Finland, led by the Group 1 MRC The Thousand Guineas heroine Stay With Me (Street Cry),  the dam of dual Listed Stakes winner Watz On By (I Am Invincible).

Miss Finland carried the Arrowfield colours to success in the STC Golden Slipper, VRC Oaks, MRC One Thousand Guineas, STC Arrowfield Stud Stakes, and VRC Australian Guineas, retiring with a record of eleven wins, five seconds and a third from 26 starts with earnings of $4,632,775.

Miss Finland (image Mark Smith)

The daughter of Redoute's Choice was a $450,000 purchase for UK-based bloodstock agent Grant Pritchard-Gordon, on behalf of Arrowfield, at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Bred by Arrowfield in association with the late Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum's Gainsborough Stud, Miss Finland is out of the Woodman (USA) mare  Forest Pearl, a daughter of the English Oaks winner Moonshell (Sadler's Wells).

Forest Pearl is a descendant of Jim Joel's hugely influential mare Picture Play (GB).

The 1944 One Thousand Guineas heroine had two daughters, Red Shoes (Bois Roussel) and Queen Of Light (Borealis), which won consecutive runnings of the Falmouth Stakes.

Miracles Of Love descends from the Queen Of Light branch. However, the Red Shoes line has made its presence felt in Australia through the deeds of the Danehill mare Starspangled (IRE), a daughter of the great racemare User Friendly.

Starspangled (IRE) is the dam of Group 1 winners Funstar (Adelaide) and Youngstar (High Chaparral), both of whom are now in Japan. They will do well to match the deeds of their three-quarter sister Baggy Green (Galileo), the dam of 4-time Group 1 winner Tofane, Group 1 The Metropolitan winner No Compromise, and Group 1 ATC Derby runner-up Benaud.

Red Shoes (GB) also made her presence felt in Australia through the deeds of her sons Red Gaunlet (GB), Major General (GB) and Pembroke Castle (GB), who stood with varying degrees of success.

Stay With Me (image Racing Photos)

Super Show (GB), a granddaughter of Red Shoes, is the dam of (Our) Waverley Star, who fought out a memorable Cox Plate with Bonecrusher.

 Queen Of Light (GB) left a Dewhurst Stakes winner Ancient Lights and the top-class filly Crystal Palace (GB), who followed her mother and aunty in winning the Falmouth Stakes.

She was no less successful at stud, leaving the Epsom Derby and Two Thousand Guineas winner Royal Palace, the Princess of Wales's Stakes winner Prince Consort, and the Hardwicke stakes winner Selhurst, who had some success in Australia.

Crystal Palace (GB) was not the only daughter of Queen Of Light (GB) to leave a mark.

Picture Play (GB) is the dam of the multiple Group 1 winner and successful sire Wesh Pagent, and Chandelier (IRE) is the dam of the brilliant sprinter Crocket (GB).

Queen Of Light's son All A'Light (GB), enjoyed success in New Zealand.

Miss Finland's Epsom Oaks winning granddam Moonshell is a sister to King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes winner Doyen and to Hatha Anna (IRE), who had to travel to Melbourne for his career highlight in the 2001 VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Castelvecchio x Miss Finland colt purchased by Ottavio Galletta for $280,000 at Easter

In addition to Stay With Me, Miss Finland is the dam of stakes-placed winners Bucharest (Deep Impact), who was third in the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes, Earth Angel (Animal Kingdom), who was twice a Group III runner-up, and Listed-placed Woodbine (Hussonet).

 Ottavio Galletta's Galletta Constructions purchased a three-quarter brother to Miracle of Love, by his dual Group 1 winner Castelvecchio, for $280,000 when consigned by Arrowfield Stud to the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Miss Finland has a weanling filly by Dundeel and was covered in December by Street Boss (USA) but missed.

John Messare has indicated that the rising 20yo daughter of Redoute's Choice has earned an honourable pension.

Hopefully, Miracle Of Love can send her off in style.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes on the Radar for Miracle Of Love
Trainer Paul Messara is hoping his blueblooded Dundeel x Miss Finland filly Miracle Of Love has done enough to earn a spot in the $1,000,000  Group 1 JJ Atkins Stakes (1600m) at Eagle Farm on June 10 after breaking her maiden over 1350m at Doomben on Wednesday.
Angels Flying with War Machine
Rising star War Machine will start the popular elect in Saturday’s Gr.1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm, carrying not only the hopes of punters and his connections, but the heartfelt weight of two powerful legacies.
Pinhooking Aplenty at NZB’s National Weanling Sale
NZB’s dedicated National Weanling Sale, set to be held Thursday 26 June, is a prime opportunity for astute judges to purchase their next lucrative pinhooking investment.
One to Watch – Ballarat
This So You Think filly bolted away to win by seven on Friday and is a half-sister to Cool Archie, who will run as favourite in the Group I BRC JJ Atkins on Saturday.
A Tragic Loss for Arrowfield
Arrowfield Stud's talented blueblood Miracle Of Love died of a suspected heart attack during a barrier trial at Scone on Wednesday.
Entries Open for 100th National Yearling Sale
Entries are now open for NZB’s Karaka 2026, with the iconic week on the international sales calendar due to take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from Sunday 25 January, marking the 100th National Yearling Sale in New Zealand.
Can Kiwi Owned Desert Lightning give Pride of Dubai another G1?
Kiwi-owned Group One winner Desert Lightning will be out to double his elite-level tally when he returns to Eagle Farm on Saturday to tackle the Stradbroke Handicap (1400m).
Sires With Winners - Thursday June 12
Here is the full list of 34 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
$475,000 Ole Kirk Filly Tops Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale
The most successful Inglis Breeding Stock Sales Series in history today concluded with a strong renewal of the Great Southern Weanling Sale at Oaklands.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Randwick
There was a busy set of trials at Randwick on Friday with eight heats won by juveniles including a couple of unraced youngsters by first season sires Farnan and Anders.