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.

Advertisement

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. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Promising 2YOs for Pike
Tony Pike found it difficult to split his juvenile charges the last time they took each other on and it’s the same story at Ruakaka.
Do Early Winners Equate to Long Term Stud Success?
As we move towards the end of the racing season, attention invariably focuses on first season sires and who will be the leader of the cohort by winners and it’s a close run race this year, but does any of it matter in the grand scheme of things?
First Winner for Alabama Express
The $50,000 Moorundi Classic for juveniles at Murray Bridge on Saturday produced the perfect result for young Yulong sire Alabama Express when his two year-old filly Karavas scored a determined last stride win over the gallant Yes Yes Yes filly Yes Yes Tess.
Mulberry Racing Secure Everest Slot
Racing NSW today announced that Mulberry Racing has secured a slot in the $20 million TAB Everest for a term of three years commencing with the running of this year’s race.
$190,000 Per Incanto Colt Heads Vibrant Weanling Sale
The  2025 National Weanling Sale saw its first dual-code weanling session in play at Karaka, with a total aggregate of $2,410,000 outlaid across 84 lots by a strong domestic buying bench plus international support from Australia, Hong Kong and China.
First Stakes Winner for Alabama Express
A narrow winner when making her debut in the Moorundi Classic at Murray Bridge on October 7, the Alabama Express filly Karavas kept her record at a perfect two for two with a fast-finishing win in the Group III Darley Ottawa Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Oaks Day.
Cambridge Stud to Sell Entire Draft at Karaka 2026
Leading thoroughbred nursery Cambridge Stud have committed their full support for NZB’s 2026 National Yearling Sales Series, with the announcement they will be selling 100% of their yearling stock at Karaka. 
Breeding To Win – 2025 G1 Tatts Tiara
With Royal Ascot done and dusted for another year, let's turn our attention to the final G1 of the Australian racing season as some very expensive mares seek to land that elusive G1 and three runners will carry the Yulong colours!
Flying Artie 2YO Wins by Four!
Blue Gum Farm have an appealing roster of three sires for this spring and while it’s all in front of Sejardan and Oxley Road, proven favourite Flying Artie remains unbeatable value and the G1 sire produced a four length 2YO winner on Thursday.
Blueblood Filly a Third Winner for Tagaloa
Group I MRC Blue Diamond Stakes winner Tagaloa is one of the more affordable sires on the Yulong roster and he sired his third winner at Bendigo on Thursday when well bred filly Teine Aulelia made a winning debut.