It was a case of little fish are sweet for the powerful Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable when they unleashed this expensive Not a Single Doubt two year-old at Canberra on Sunday.

The decision to withdraw a nomination for their royally bred Redoute’s Choice filly from the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale paid off in spades for Cambridge couple Brent and Cherry Taylor on Saturday when she took out the Group I gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.

Talented 3YO filly Pretty Brazen headlined a red-letter day for Inglis graduates at Sandown, with a bold victory in the G2 Sandown Guineas over 1600m.

Saturday’s $300,000 Group II Quayclean Zipping Classic (2400m) at Sandown may have been an afterthought for Southern France (IRE) after failing in the Melbourne Cup but the highly regarded son of Galileo gave fans a taste of his undoubted ability.

Devotees of the Rassmussen Factor (inbreeding to superior females) would have been excited by the wins of Jamaican Rain in Saturday’s Group III Le Pine Funerals Summoned Stakes at Sandown and Flirtini in the Group III South African Air-Colonel Reeves (1100m) at Ascot.

WA based owner/breeders Bob and Sandra Peters have had phenomenal success with their homebreds, but it was a Fastnet  Rock filly that they purchased from Inglis Easter that claimed their latest Black Type success with Tuscan Queen capturing the Group III WATC Champion Fillies Stakes (1600m) at Ascot in Perth on Saturday.

Godolphin had a very profitable day at Newcastle on Saturday with the Medaglia d’Oro (USA) filly Asiago opening her stakes account in the Group III NZ Bloodstock NJC Spring Stakes (1600m) moments before Savatiano carried the royal blue to victory in the inaugural running of the $1 million Pages Event Hire The Hunter (1300m).

The expensive Brazen Beau filly Pretty Brazen became the seventh consecutive stakes performer and third stakes-winner for the remarkable broodmare, Pretty Penny when she toughed out a win in Saturday’s $250,000 Group II Ladbrokes Sandown Guineas (1600m).

Saturday is shaping as a great day for Woodside Park’s champion sire Written Tycoon with classy mare Teleplay taking out the Group III MRC Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m) at Sandown,  while talented two year-old filly Tilia Rose made a winning debut at Newcastle in the $125,000 Max Lees Classic (900m).

Viridine looked a world beater when kickstarting his career with four consecutive wins, culminating with the Group II Roman Consul Stakes at Randwick, but it has been lean pickings since.

Talented Deep Field filly Xilong put the writing on the wall with a desperately close third in a stakes race at Flemington during the Cup Carnival and atoned for that narrow loss with a resounding win in the Listed MRC Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m) at Sandown on Saturday.

There were plenty of tears being shed in the Riccarton birdcage as the supporters of trainers Peter Corbett and Terrill Charles waited for the pair’s bonny staying mare Dee And Gee to make her way off the track after scoring her greatest victory when taking out the 157th running of the Group III Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup (3200m) on Saturday.

Last start Sale Cup winner Gold Fields gave popular jockey Stephen Baster a fitting finale to his riding career when battling on bravely to nose out Mr Exclusive in Saturday’s $160,000 Group III Ladbrokes Sandown Stakes at Sandown.

Despite displaying some wayward tendencies over the closing stages Cambridge filly Loire stamped her class in emphatic style as she took out the Group I  gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) on Saturday.

Progressive Savabeel mare Supera overcame a wide run in transit throughout to dominate her rivals in the closing stages of the Group II Gartshore Tauranga Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.

Ciaron Maher has a real affinity with the stock of Myboycharlie (IRL) and he has another one for the collection in the French import Azuro (FR).

Godolphin’s Street Boss (USA) colt Hanseatic accelerated impressively from midfield to make a winning career debut in Saturday’s Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Sandown-Hillside.

La Romanee is proving a dashing advertisement for his Cambridge Stud-based sire Burgundy.

Four years ago this week, Ohukia Lodge sold 8 horses at the NZB Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds and produced a Stakes-winning, Group 1 horse. The following year, they sold a Group 1 winner. Their ascension says everything about the importance of great horsemanship and positive people.

What a spring carnival it was for renowned Tasmanian nursery Armidale Stud, the Whishaw family proud to have had the opportunity to cheer on a third W.S Cox Plate runner sired by one of their resident stallions - Mystic Journey as game as the likes of previous contenders The Cleaner and Sydeston.

A $120,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Newgate Farm draft for Mulcaster Bloodstock, three year-old gelding Bigboyroy made it look all too easy when bolting away to win as he pleased at Canterbury on Friday night bringing a timely pedigree update for his half-brother headed to Magic Millions 2020.

Saturday’s Thoroughbred Club Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Sandown-Hillside is a smorgasbord for those on first-season sire watch with five of the 16 acceptors by stallions with their first crop of two-year-olds with four of those ready to make their career debuts.

Plenty of interesting two year-old trials around the country in the past week so here are all the placegetters with their breeding and sale information.

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.

Spendthrift Farm’s four-time champion & three-time Breeders’ Cup winner Beholder will be bred in 2020 to Bolt d’Oro (USA), who is currently in Victoria standing for Spendthrift Australia.

After impressive auditions throughout the spring from numerous New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series contenders, Saturday’s $300,000 Group One gavelhouse.com 47th New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton is one filly’s time to shine.

Racing NSW Chairman, Russel Balding has made a  21 page complaint to the ABC over the ‘Final Race’ segment broadcast on the 7.30 Report claiming the national broadcaster had fallen far short of its statutory duty and its Editorial Policy requirements.

When you have a $700,000 yearling with six siblings that are all stakes performers that brings a certain amount of pressure.

Two heats for juveniles at the Rosehill barrier trials on Thursday morning produced two Magic Millions sold winners, one of which fetched $1.3million at the Gold Coast and the other is a daughter of first season sire Exosphere.

Scrapbook or Cheque book - It’s a dilemma that faces the majority of New Zealand owners and trainers when they have a promising galloper and a flood of overseas money comes knocking.

Blue Gum Farm has stood Golden Slipper producing sire Manhattan Rain for the past three seasons and Phillip Campbell is on a mission is to resurrect the stallion’s name ahead of the 2020 yearling sales which will see his first Victorian bred offspring enter the sale ring.

Blue Gum Farm’s Phil Campbell has no illusions of where Turffontein stands in the pecking order of stallions.

The wait is over for Bombora Downs after their stallion Warhorse produced his first winner when Toots is Tops won at Ballina during the Melbourne Cup Carnival for trainer Stephen Lee.

Unprecedented support from breeders across Australasia has led to Magic Millions assembling a star studded catalogue for the 2020 Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

On a day when six of our second crop sires all posted winners, only one of them managed a winning double and that was Darley’s Hallowed Crown, who had two short priced favourites salute at Bendigo for Godolphin.

A half-sister to multiple Group II winner Catkins, in foal to exciting Aquis-based first season sire Brave Smash, has topped Inglis Digital’s November (Early) Online Sale, selling to Mark Player’s International Thoroughbred Solutions Pty Ltd. for $245,000 (plus GST), a record price for a broodmare on the platform.

The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained True Enough was backed into $4 favoritism by punters in the Group II Coupland’s Bakeries Mile (1600m) at Riccarton on Wednesday, a race won last year by outstanding galloper Te Akau Shark.

Melbourne-based jockey Michael Dee made a fleeting visit to Riccarton on Wednesday to join forces with emerging trainer and long-time friend Daniel Miller and the pair combined for a double, including Group III success in the Lindauer Stewards Stakes Handicap (1200m) with four-year-old mare Sheezallmine.

Producing tough, sound athletic racehorses is the goal of every thoroughbred breeder and when two such horses from the same farm come out and win the two richest races in Australia, you can’t help but wonder what factors are working behind the scenes to deliver such phenomenal success.

Melbourne Cup hero Shocking has been enjoying success this spring with his classy stayer Surprise Baby, who was fifth in the Melbourne Cup, the Rich Hill Stud based sire also producing a new Group III winner in New Zealand on Wednesday.

The combination of trainers Michael and Matthew Pitman and owner Jim Bruford has again come to the fore during New Zealand Cup week in Christchurch.

Outstanding mare Enable has been crowned Cartier Horse of the Year for a second time, following a fruitful season which saw her win three of four starts in Group I races before finishing a brave second in the Arc de Triomphe, a race she had won twice before.

Last year’s Karaka Million 3YO (1600m) winner Scott Base will make his raceday return in the Waka Property, Building and Maintenance Handicap (1200m) at Awapuni on Thursday.

Run over four fabulous days at Flemington, the 2019 Melbourne Cup Carnival featured 26 stakes races ranging in distance from 1000m up to 3200m with several sires producing multiple stakes-winners at this most celebrated meeting.

Frankel is still the most expensive Juddmonte owned stallion standing at Banstead Manor in the UK, but Invincible Spirit’s rising star son Kingman is hot on his heels after the decision was taken to double his service fee for 2020.

Four heats for juveniles at the Randwick barrier trials on Tuesday morning were won by the progeny of Snitzel, Exceed and Excel, Hinchinbrook and I Am Invincible with the full brother to Merchant Navy also stepping out for his first trial.

Multiple New Zealand Group One winner Madison County will continue his career in North America with trainer Chad Brown as he plays a trail-blazing role for his owners. 

The massive prizemoney on races such as The Everest, Melbourne Cup and Golden Eagle tends to skew the Australian General Sires List heavily in the favour of sires that produce winners of those races, so a more accurate gauge as to just which stallions have had a good spring carnival comes with a look at the leading sires by stakes-winners list.

Exciting Australian sire Zoustar will head the roster at Tweenhills Stud in Gloucestershire next year when he makes his second shuttle trip from Widden Stud to the northern hemisphere.

Melbourne Cup-winning hoop Craig Williams jetted in to Singapore on Sunday to partner Mr Clint for champion trainer Lee Freedman and the combination proved lethal as they snared the spoils in the S$1 million Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m).

The powerful Kris Lees stable includes some well-bred two year-olds, one of which was an eye-catching winner at the Newcastle trials on Monday morning, while at the same set of trials two royally bred older horses from the same stable indicated they were also ready for race day.

Talented three-year-old galloper Catalyst is set to remain in the care of Te Awamutu trainer Clayton Chipperfield after his victory in the Group I  New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on Saturday.

Karaka 2017 graduate Oceanex (NZ) (Ocean Park) sent her value skyrocketing with a determined victory in Saturday’s $300,000 Group 2 TAB Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.

Back in 2016, Mr Clint (NZ) (Power) attracted a total of less than $150,000 across his two trips through the Karaka sale ring. He has since forged a highly successful racing career in Singapore, which went to new heights on Sunday with victory in the S$1 million Dester Singapore Gold Cup (2000m).

Exciting galloper Inferno (Holy Roman Emperor) extended his unbeaten record to four out of four with a dominant performance in Sunday’s S$175,000 Saas Fee Stakes (1200m) in Singapore.

Sydney can invent as many new $1million races as it likes, but at the end of the day there is only one Melbourne Cup Carnival and it’s the best race meeting in the Southern Hemisphere rivalled only on the world stage by Royal Ascot, so what made it great this year?

The impressive Group I VRC Oaks (2500m) victory of three-year-old filly Miami Bound, who became the second Group One winner for sire Reliable Man, has been the highlight of a stunning ten-day period for the Westbury Stud-based stallion.

When a Frankel half-brother to multiple Group 1 winners Dubawi Heights and Make Believe was born at Barronstown Stud in 2014 it’s doubtful that connections were eying off a benchmark 70 over 3800 metres at Ararat, yet here we are.

Without a stakes-horse under her first two dams, the Surtee filly  Brocky's Ace proved an overachiever on the track with three wins a black-type placing in the Listed WATC Gimcrack Stakes, but that was just the appetiser for her career as a broodmare.

Exciting filly Dame Giselle staked an early claim to the 2020 Group I ATC Golden Slipper when scoring an easy win in in the $1million ATC Golden Gift (1100m) at Rosehill on a day when several daughters of I Am Invincible were also making their mark.

Promising two-year-old De La Terre will look to improve on the family record in the Karaka Million 2YO (1200m) after she looked to have cemented her place in the million dollar feature with a comfortable victory over 1000m at Te Rapa on Saturday.

While she has averaged just one win a year for the past three years, Outback Barbie remains one of the most popular racehorses in Queensland and fans that backed her if unbeatable in Saturday’s Listed Keith Noud Quality at Doomben were rewarded for their patience.

The Willie Mullins-trained True Self (IRE) created a little bit of history when she became the first stakes-winner on the flat for the legendry National Hunt stallion Oscar but it came well before her dominant performance under Ryan Moore in Saturday’s $300,000 Group III Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) at Flemington.

The Champion 2YO in South Africa last year, Epaulette colt Soqrat added another feature race win to his tally when taking out the Group III Victory Moon Stakes at Vaal in south Africa on Saturday.

Central Districts stayer Duplicity showed he is ready to go one better in next Saturday’s Gr.3 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup (3200m) when he ground out a tough victory in the traditional lead-up event, the Listed Redwood Metropolitan Trophy Handicap (2500m).

Saturday’s Group II Hyland Race Colours Hot Danish Stakes at Rosehill was an easy watch for trainers Peter and Paul Snowden and Triple Crown Syndications when they went one two with the Pierro mare Reelem In Ruby and the Mossman mare Moss Trip.

Peter and Paul Snowden sent out four runners in Saturday’s $1 million Golden Gift at Rosehill and Peter Snowden’s pre-race confidence in the I Am Invincible filly Dame Giselle proved spot on when she came with a barnstorming finished to claim the $580,000 winner’s cheque.

Placed in the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational Stakes at Gulfdtream Park, Irish Champion Stakes., Longchamp Prix Vermeille, Prix de l'Opera, Curragh Pretty Polly Stakes Arlington Million Stakes., Belmont Man o' War Stakes and fourth in the MVRC WS Cox Plate Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf and The Oaks, Galileo’s remarkable daughter Magic Wand (IRE) finally had her day in t

Stockwell Thoroughbreds’ Brodie Becker recently said he believed the best was still to come for their ageless stallion Artie Schiller (USA) whose son Reykjavik gave a timely reminder when he captured the $200,000 Group III Network 10 Chatham Stakes (1400m).

We recently stated that few stallions have done more to advance their cause in recent months than Waikato Stud’s Ocean Park and his four-year-old daughter Oceanex didn’t let us down when she proved too good in the $300,000 Group II Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.

Touted as a near racecourse certainty, excitement machine Catalyst lived up to all the pre-race hype when he scorched to a stunning victory in the Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) on Saturday.

Enigmatic sprinter Sensei was on his best behaviour as he dashed away from his rivals to win the Listed Yesberg Insurance Services Pegasus Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton on Saturday.

Nature Strip won a lot of new friends with his fighting fourth in The Everest and everyone is aware of his love for the straight but nothing could prepare for the performance of the glorious looking son of Nicconi in Saturday’s $2 million Group 1 Darley Sprint Classic (1200m) at Flemington.

Last season’s Gr1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) winner, Media Sensation made a successful start to her four-year-old campaign when she eased clear of race favourite Ferrando to take out the Listed Legacy Lodge Stakes (1200m) at Te Rapa.

The show rolled on for Danny O’Brien and Damien Oliver on the final day of the Flemington carnival with the high-priced Written Tycoon colt Banquo earning his first black-type win in the Listed World Horse Racing Springtime Stakes at Flemington.

The ATC will unveil yet another $1 million race this Saturday with a full field of 14 youngsters to contest the first running of the Golden Gift (1100m) and what a fascinating line-up it is.

Plenty of interesting two year-old trials around the country in the past week so here are all the placegetters with their breeding and sale information.

The VRC Cup Carnival Country Final (1600m) at Flemington on Oaks Day did not carry Black type, but with a $500,000 pot of prizemoney was a hotly contested race with talented Smart Missile gelding Star Missile powering home to down the hot favourite Harbour Views (Fr).

Westbury Stud stallion Reliable Man has had an incredible run this past week, led by his all-conquering daughter Miami Bound who won the Group II Wakeful Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday, before her dominant victory in the Group I VRC Oaks (2500m) at the Melbourne track on Thursday.

Marcus Oldham College has announced three new scholarships in Equine Management to help open up exciting career pathways for graduates over a cross-section of equine industries.

Brisk trade continued Thursday during the second session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, which was led by the sale of Conquest Eclipse, a Grade 1 stakes-placed daughter of Malibu Moon in foal to Triple Crown winner Justify, for $650,000 to Clarkland Farm.

Among all the sentiment, stories and statistics that will accompany Hartnell into retirement at Flemington on Saturday, one certainty will endure: that he put everything he had into every race he ran.

This month marks New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds - a gold mine of thoroughbred talent and highlight event on the calendars of leading trainers, bloodstock agents and syndicators across the globe.

He’s been around the breeding scene for more than a decade but Brodie Becker reckons the best of Artie Schiller is still ahead of him.

Star Thoroughbreds have had a great year with success in $1million races won by Fiesta, Invincibella and Kubrick, their familiar purple and white stars carried to victory again on Oaks Day at Hawkesbury in the Listed Ladies Day Cup by Mossman gelding Cellarman.

Stakes-placed earlier this year in Adelaide, three year-old Zoustar filly Sisstar has taken a little longer to hit winning form than her famous older sister Sunlight, but she claimed a valuable Black Type success at Flemington on Oaks Day when leading all the way to win the Group III VRC Red Roses Stakes (1100m).

The filly with the real Oaks pedigree, Miami Bound, kept the ball rolling for Melbourne Cup-winning trainer Danny O’Brien and Victoria Derby-winning jockey Damien Oliver when she proved a class above in Thursday’s $1 million Kennedy Oaks (2500m) at Flemington.

Won last year by Melbourne Cup winner Vow and Declare, the Listed VRC TCL TV Stakes (1800m) for three year-olds at Flemington on Thursday was won in good style by progressive Dissident gelding Pancho.

Following a disappointing fifth in the Listed Alinghi Stakes at Caulfield, the 5-year-old mare Soothing bounced back for a runaway win in the Listed G.H. Mumm Century Stakes (1000m) at Flemington on Oaks day to put Godolphin on the board at the Flemington Carnival.

The Group III VRC Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) for two year-olds drew a well-bred competitive field at Flemington on Oaks Day with victory going to a blue-blooded son of All Too Hard, who is blessed with his father’s head.

Champion Take Charge Brandi, in foal to 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify, sold for $3.2 million to Hill ‘n’ Dale at Xalapa to top Wednesday’s opening day of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

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.

Scat Daddy’s Triple Crown hero Justify (USA) is currently working his way through his first stellar book of mares at Coolmore Australia, while in North America the first mares offered for sale in foal to Justify lit up the sale ring at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Kentucky on Tuesday.

New Zealand’s Waikato Stud has secured a majority share in star three-year-old colt Super Seth, the son of emerging super stallion Dundeel.

This month marks New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale of Two-Year-Olds - a Sale that has become a highlight event on the calendar of Australia’s and Asia’s leading trainers and buyers.

The Fasig-Tipton November Sale was held Tuesday at Newtown Paddocks in Lexington and featured 18 fillies and mares to sell for $1million or more.

B. Wayne Hughes’ Spendthrift Farm has set fees for the remainder of its 2020 stallion roster, including Breeders’ Cup champions Vino Rosso and Mitole who have both been retired from racing on a high note after their respective monumental victories Saturday at Santa Anita.

The international success of the progeny of mares bought at the ARQANA Breeding Stock Sale (December 7 - 10) keeps growing.

Jamie Richards has been on the ride of his life in Australia this spring and the young Matamata trainer is hoping New Zealand’s darling of the turf, Melody Belle, can cap it off in style at Flemington on Saturday.

There are no prizes for guessing the stallion who is the big mover up the sire's table over the last few days.