Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday April 26

A sensational day of racing at Morphettville on Saturday with seven stakes races highlighted by the $1,000,000 Group 1 Sportsbet Australasian Oaks (2000m) and $1,000,000 Group 1 Sportsbet Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m).

Repelling a strong interstate challenge will be tough, although the locals can strike early with the Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained filly Karavas in the Group III Breeders' Stakes (1200m).

The victory in the Ottawa Stakes was short lived (image Grant Courtney)

The daughter of Alabama Express was first past the post in a class field in the Group III Darley Ottawa Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Oaks Day last November but lost the race when returning a positive test for Bute.

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She had won narrowly on debut in the Moorundi Classic at Murray Bridge on October 7.

Off the scene for 21 weeks, Karavas was a fast-finishing second to the Starspangledbanner filly Lincolnshire in the Listed Dequetteville Stakes at Morphettville.

Carrying the colours of Neville Morgan, Karavas was a $260,000 Inglis Premier purchase for her trainers from the Yulong draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.

The daughter of Alabama Express is the first runner for Pierro mare All of Me whose only win in nine starts came in a 1500m maiden at Mornington.

Yulong purchased All Of Me, in foal to Dundeel, for $260,000 off David Moodie's Hesket Bloodstock at the 2020 Inglis Chairman's Sale.

She is a half-sister to Star of Giselle and Solicit from stakes-winner Princesa, a daughter of Group I winner Kapchat (Centaine).

Karavas has a point to prove (image Racing Photos)

Star of Giselle (Reset) won nine of her 24 starts, with five stakes wins highlighted by the Group II SAJC Queen of the South Stakes on this program in 2013.

The daughter of Reset is the dam of the Group II VRC Kewney Stakes winner Starelle (More Than Ready) and the stakes-placed Star Waltz (Snitzel).

Solicit (Street Cry) was a top-class filly winning seven and placing in 11 of her 31 starts while banking over $1.1 million.

The Group II VRC Kewney Stakes and Group II ATC Guy Walter Stakes highlighted her five stakes wins, and she was placed in the Group 1 ATC Coolmore Classic and Group 1 VRC Oaks.

Karavas a $260,000 Inglis Premier yearling

Sadly, Solicit had just one live foal before she died in 2019, the Exceed And Excel gelding Sirens, who won a Gosford maiden in four stats for Peter and Paul Snowden.  

Dual stakes winner Princesa (Danehill) was a three-quarter sister to the Group III MVRC Ian McEwen Trophy and MRC Blue Diamond Preview winner Kaphero (Danzero) and a sister to stakes-placed winners Wasimah and Keeneland.

Wasimah is the dam of Group III ATC The Nivison and Group III MRC Chairman's Stakes winner Nayeli (More Than Ready), whose son Henman has placed in the Group III Carbine Club Stakes at Flemington and Listed Oxlade stakes at Eagle Farm.

All of Me has a yearling colt and weanling filly by Tagaloa and was covered by Alabama Express last spring.

The cork returned to the champagne bottle with the disqualification of Karavas in the Ottawa Stakes.

All is not lost, as she can regain the honour of Alabama Express's first stakes winner. The son of Redoute's Choice is overdue as he has six first-crop stakes placegetters. 

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