They say things come in threes and for a fleeting moment and it looked the case for Sun Stud in the opening Derby Day race at Flemington.
The progeny of three of the first four horses over the line in the Group 2 TAB Stakes (1200m) were sired by Sun Stud Stallions.
The winner, Kemalpasa, was sired by Magnus, the second-place placegetter is by Squamosa, and while the fourth placed Malibu Sire is also a son of Magnus.
There were plenty of reasons for Jenny Watson to smile. She has been a big supporter of Sun Stud, and Magnus in particular, and bred Kemalpasa who is raced by multi-millionaire Neville Morgan.
Jenny, who also bred Sun Stud’s Palentino – his first crop of yearlings will sell next year – and owns Kemalpasa’s full brother which will be sold as a yearling next year.
Sun Stud sales and nominations manager Phil Marshall said Magnus is having another successful spring with Kemalpasa joining recent Group 3 Caulfield carnival winner Streets of Avalon.
“We are lucky to have a reliable source of winners standing at the farm,’’ Marshall said.
“Magnus has 334 winners to his name at 70% winners to runners, as well 43 stakes performers and $42 million in progeny earnings -these are phenomenal figures.’’
Marshall pointed out that Magnus is consistently inside the top 20 on the Australian sires table and is a “go to sire” for Victorian breeders looking for a proven horse.
“Excitingly, his current crop of two-year-olds (117) is his largest since the 2009 season, so there is plenty more to come from the leading sire,’’ he said.
“Order Of Command is one of five stakes horses from just 56 runners to date by Squamosa (36 winners), the young stallion is doing a remarkable job from limited mare numbers.”
Marshall said Squamosa’s biggest ever foal crop are now two-year-olds and a stakes placegetter emerged last weekend with Amosia (bred by McLaren Bloodstock) running home strongly in a Listed race in New Zealand.
He says If Squamosa continues at his current pace, the increased crop numbers should see him shoot up sire tables dramatically.
Kemalpasa has now six wins from seven starts for South Australian trainer Richard Jolly, who trains in partnership at Morphetville with his daughter, Chantelle.
An emotional Jolly explained how the four year-old had come a long way in short space of time and had reached heights he never believed possible.
He won his maiden at his fifth start at the obscure SA racetrack Mindarie-Halidon just over a year ago and ran second at his next start at Port Lincoln before some producing consistent city form at the end of last year.
Overall the the horse has gone to another level this year with eight wins and three placings from his 11 starts.
“He’s been a revelation,’’ Richard Jolly said.
“He’s a highly strung horse, he knows how to win, he’s got that determination.
“It’s great to have a horse competitive in the carnival.’’
Kemalpasa has now won nine races.
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