Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday August 25

For the first time in twenty years, three of the top four leading first-season sires were bred overseas, with Justify (USA) earning top honour over Harry Angel (IRE).

Tom Kitten mows then down in the Fernhill (image Staeve Hart)

Dual Group 1 winning sprinter Harry Angel (IRE) also clocked in second behind Brave Smash (JPN) for individual winners.

Tom Kitten was one of three stakes winners for Harry Angel (IRE), the others being  Listed SAJC Dequetteville Stakes winner Stretan Angel and Harry Angels’ top earner, Arkansaw Kid, who won the $500,000 Inglis Banner on debut and finished third in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.

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The Godolphin homebred Tom Kitten played his part in winning the Listed ATC Fernhill Hcp and finishing fourth in the Group 1 ATC Champagne Stakes.

The powerfully made colt resumes in Saturday’s Group III Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) at Rosehill. His stakes victory means he will concede at least 4kgs to the field.

The James Cumming-trained colt is the fourth winner and second stakes winner for the talented Street Cry (IRE) mare Transfers, which won four and placed in four of her 18 starts.

Her first foal is the Listed Canberra Guineas winner Promotions (Exceed And Excel), which banked $267,415.

Transfers’ dam Movin’ Out (Encota de Lago) is a winning half-sister to Group III SAJC Breeders' Stakes winner Murjana (Giant’s Causeway), whose daughter Isstoora (High Chaparral) is the dam of the high-class Desert Lightning. The son of pride Of Dubai was up with the best three-year-olds in New Zealand last season, winning the Group II Avondale Guineas (2100m), second in the Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), third in the Group III Manawatu Classic and Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).

Movin’ Out’s sister Mithila is the dam of Group III Tibbie Stakes winner Madam Legend and another half-sister River Song is the dam of Group II STC ATC Ajax Stakes winner Niagara.

But the most influential of Mithila’s siblings is the  Peintre Celebre (USA) mare Celebria, dam of Group 1 winner Gathering, Group III winner Florentina and Listed winner California Turbo.

Florentina (Redoute’s Choice) is the dam of US Turf sensation, the Fairway Thoroughbreds-bred, multiple Grade 1 winner, In Italian.

A descendent of the hugely influential import Dancing Show (USA), Transfers has a yearling colt by Brazen Beau and was covered by Kingman’s 5-time Group 1 winning son Palace Pier (GB) last spring.

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