Spring has arrived early, with the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) the highlight at Randwick and the Group II PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) showcasing the Caulfield card on Saturday.
The Group III Toy Show Stakes at Randwick features two leading chances, Parisal (Astern) and Queen of The Ball (I Am Invincible), with 3yo siblings with significant assignments on Saturday.
Parisal’s half-brother Cylinder (Exceed And Excel) is odds-on to make a winning return in the Group III Vain Stakes at Caulfield. At the same time, Queen of The Ball’s half-sister Platinum Jubilee (Zoustar) is a popular choice in the Group II Silver Shadow Stakes at Randwick.
The Group III Quezette Stakes at Caulfield boasts an impressive roll call of winners, including Sunlight, Exhilerates and Bella Nipotina. The Group 1-winning New Zealand filly Ulanova (Santos) will debut for Anthony and Sam Freedman and create significant interest, as will the Magic Millions 2yo Classic heroine Skirt the Law.
The Freedman’s also have the speedy Rich Enuff filly Tiz Enuff, while the likely favourite is the highly regarded I Am Invincible filly Charm Stone.
The Simon Zahra-trained Shesallshenanigans rounded out her 2yo campaign with a dominant performance in the $1million VOBIS Showdown.
A $115,000 buy for her trainer from the Kulani Park draft at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Shesallshenanigans is a sister to the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes winner Shelby Cobra.
The stunning daughter of Toronado (IRE) has banked $783,250 from a record of three wins and a third from five starts.
An extended list of owners once had a piece of Segenhoe Valley, the dam of Shesallshenanigans.
They include her breeder Gerry Harvey, who raced the daughter of Dane Shadow after she failed to make her $55,000 reserve at the Magic Millions in 2014.
After seconds at Newcastle and Cessnock and fourth at Newcastle for Gary Portelli, Segenhoe Valley was consigned to the National Broodmare Sale two years later, where a final bid of $17,000 from Makybe Racing & Breeding was enough to take her home.
In 2018 Segenhoe Valley found a new home when PP Rural made the winning bid of $5,000 at the Inglis Great Southern Sale.
At the time, she had a weanling colt by Toronado (IRE), which went through the same sale for $70,000. That colt was the Listed Shelby Cobra who won the Listed VRC Amanda Elliott Handicap in a career restricted to six starts.
When Segenhoe Valley featured on the 2020 Inglis November (Early) Online Sale a week after Shelby Cobra’s stakes breakthrough, she was carrying Shelby Cobra’s sister Shesallshenanigans. It fell to Sheamus Mills Bloodstock to have the final say at $325,000.
Segenhoe Thoroughbreds, consigned a Brazen Beau half-sister to Shesallshenanigans to the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Unsurprisingly, Simon Zahra Racing / Cameron Cooke Bloodstock had the final say at $300,000. She was a $210,000 pinhook for James Bester Bloodstock at the 2022 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale.
Segenhoe Valley is a daughter of the Zabeel mare Scone, a half-sister to stakes-winner Sunrise Silene and stakes-placegetters Royal Integrity and Discretion from the remarkable broodmare Nothings Secret (USA).
With 14 winners from 16 to race, Nothings Secret (Secreto) is forging a dynasty through her daughters and granddaughters.
Segenhoe Valley has a yearling filly by Written Tycoon and slipped to Toronado (IRE) last spring.
