Lope De Vega's Spanish Whisper Strikes in Let's Elope

Mark Smith - Sunday September 15

Seymour Bloodstock's Spanish Whisper has the race performance and pedigree to grace any broodmare paddock in the land but that has been put on hold as she strives for that elusive Group 1 victory.

The 4yo daughter of the excellent Lope de Vega (IRE) added Saturday's Group II Let's Elope Stakes at Flemington to previous Group II wins in the VRC Kewney Stakes and MataRC Breeders Stakes.

Advertisement

Settled just off the pace by Mark Zahra, Spanish Whisper struck the front inside the 200 metres to defeat Miss Siska (So You Think) by a half-length with Fidelia (Not A Single Doubt) finishing strongly along the rail to finish a nose back in third. (images Grant Courtney)


Spanish Whisper advances her record to 4 wins, 4 seconds and 1 from 14 starts with earnings of $423,502.

"She was placed beautifully by Mark Zahra in a good rhythm and she gave a good strong kick," Spanish Whisper's co-trainer Tom Dabernig said.

"Full credit to Mark Pilkington and Darren Thomas who is here today. "She was purchased in New Zealand and is really doing the job and she is definitely more mature this prep and more settled and hopefully she will go on into the spring and have a good campaign."

The Group 1 Toorak Handicap and Empire Rose Stakes are long term goals but the Group II Blazer Stakes is likely to be her next start.

Spanish Whisper crossed the Tasman to the Lindsay Park stable off the back of a third-place finish in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie.

Bloodstock agent Mark Pilkington acquired a controlling interest in Spanish Whisper for client, Darren Thomas' Seymour Bloodstock following negotiations with her breeder and part-owner, Daniel Nakhle who retained an interest along with his father Elias and Darren Brady who were all involved in the breeding of the 4yo mare.

She is the best of three winners from as many to race out of the unraced Encosta de Lago mare Cutting Remark who is a sister to Glowlamp who never earned a stakes win despite placing nine times at stakes level including the Group 1 AJC Champagne Stakes and Group 1 One Thousand Guineas.

A half-sister to the Group III Hobart Cup winner Offenbach (Danehill), Cutting Remark hails from the family of the champion Rock Of Gibraltar.

Purchased by New Zealand Bloodstock for $22,000 from the 2014 Patinack Farm dispersal, Cutting Remark has a yearling filly foal by Super Easy and was covered by Savabeel last spring.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Best Ever Season for Hellbent
With his oldest progeny turning six on Friday, Yarraman Park’s Hellbent is coming to the end of his best ever season with some 126 individual Australian winners collecting over $11.1million.
Velocious sells for staggering $1.625m on Inglis Digital to Yulong
The G1-winning 2YO Velocious (Written Tycoon) tonight became the second most expensive filly ever sold on Inglis Digital, realising $1.625m to the bid of Yulong.
Glorious Goodwood Day 2 – Field of Gold is No Frankel
The second day of the Glorious Goodwood meeting was supposed to be the one where charismatic grey three year-old Field of Gold smashed his elders to win the Group I Sussex Stakes (1m), but that didn’t happen and instead we saw the longest priced G1 winner in British history.
Lope de Vega's Vega One Too Strong in MM Cup
Tony Gollan has his eyes firmly fixed on the Group 1 Stradbroke Handicap for Vega One after the four-year-old son of Lope de Vega captured Saturday’s $1 million Magic Millions Cup (RL) at the Gold Coast.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday July 30
Here is the full list of 48 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Sale
Yarraman Park’s champion sire I Am Invincible posted his 203rd winner of this season at Sale on Thursday and it came with a debut winning two year-old filly from the Price/ Kent Jr stable.
Lope De Vega Service Fee Rises to 100,000 euros
It seems a long time ago that French Derby winner Lope de Vega (IRE) shuttled to Patinack Farm in Australia, the top class son of Shamardal now one of Europe’s most desirable stallions with Ballylinch Stud lifting his fee for 2020 to 100,000 euros.
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 31
Here is the full list of 23 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Mark Ford Joins Widden Victoria as Stud Manager
Widden Stud is delighted to announce the appointment of Mark Ford as Stud Manager of its Victorian farm at Riddells Creek.
Thumping Win for Lope De Vega's Gytrash in Creswick Stakes
The Gordon Richard’s trained Gytrash gave Australia another reason to regret the departure of Lope De Vega (IRE) following a brilliant performance in Saturday’s Listed Creswick Stakes (1200m) at Flemington.