Helmet Filly Adds to Godolphin's Firepower

Mark Smith - Sunday March 10

Godolphin lost one major Golden Slipper hope in Tassort but added another two on Saturday with Tenley in the Group II Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill and La Tene in the Group II $200,000 MSS Security VRC Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Flemington.

A fortnight after the Anthony Freedman-trained Lyre carried the royal blue silks to victory in the Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield, the James Cummings-trained La Tene added to the Godolphin haul in the Sires' Produce.

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The daughter of Helmet took four starts to break her maiden at Sandown-Hillside on February 20 before her stakes breakthrough.


Settled in second position by Dwayne Dunn behind the pacesetting Fling, La Tene scored a short-neck win from the luckless favourite Dalasan (Dalakhani) with Fling (All Too Hard) hanging on gamely, a neck away third. (images Grant Courtney )

"We adore her, she's so tough," said Cummings' Melbourne foreperson Kate Grimwade.

"Her win last start at Sandown gave us one of the biggest thrills of the last few months the way she dug deep. I wasn't sure she had the class but she fought so hard.

Dunn said the daughter of Helmet has continued to improve throughout the preparation.

" Last start she had to fight them off and today she got it a bit easier, but she was up in grade," he said.

"We thought Adelaide might have been where she could get her black type, but the step up today was a big step forward for her.

"Maybe James will take her to Sydney as she's done everything asked of her down here.

"It would be a big step forward, but she's done that today." 

A half-sister to the stakes-placed 4-time winner Gaulois (Street Cry), La Tene is the fourth foal of Lonhro's top-class daughter Celts whose four wins included the Group III ATC Birthday Card Stakes and Listed Macquarie Cup.

Celts' dam Dinna Flash (Canny Lad) is a half-sister to the honest sprinter Appoint (Alquoz) whose 11 wins included the Group III VATC Rubiton Stakes.

Celts was not covered in 2016 but she delivered a Teofilo (IRE) frilly last spring before being bred back to Street Boss (USA).

La Tene becomes the ninth stakes-winner Helmet, whose son Thunder Snow won last year's Dubai World Cup by almost six lengths. The son of Exceed And Excel now stands at Gestut Fahrhof in Germany.

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