Though he has had two two-year-old stakes-winners in New Zealand, So You Think has not yet ticked that box off in Australia, an anomaly we will be banking on to be righted at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
With just one run to her name, the Gerald Ryan-trained filly Zero To Hundred takes on some race-hardened locals in the Listed Tattersall's Club Stakes (1400m).
At her career debut over 1100 metres at Warwick Farm on June 17 Zero To Hundred came from the rear of the seven-horse field to win by a length.
Granted it may not have been a particularly highly-rated race but there was plenty to like about the way the daughter of So You Think came back under Kerrin McEvoy after jumping smartly.
The increase in distance from 1100 metres to 1400 metres can only be a positive.
Zero To Hundred was purchased for $440,000 out of the Segenhoe draft at Inglis Easter by Mark Newnham, but by the time she had her first barrier trial in May she was in the stable of Gerald Ryan.
She is the third highest priced yearling filly by her sire to be sold at public auction in Australia, so it goes without saying she has the bloodlines to back it up.
The elegant bay filly is the second foal and second winner out of the Redoute’s Choice mare Celebrities Choice who retired to stud after breaking her maiden at Tamworth at her fifth start in addition to placing three times including a third at Canterbury.
Celebrities Choice is a sister to the Group III Gold Coast Guineas winner and multiple Group-placed Florentina and a half-sister to Group 1 WATC Railway Stakes winner Gathering (Tale Of The Cat) and the stakes-winning Fastnet Rock gelding California Turbo.
Florentina is well-placed to add to the family’s fortunes. Already the dam of the stakes-placegetters Villa Carlotta (Street Cry) and Fasano (Lonhro), Florentina was sent to Europe in 2017 for a date with Dubawi.
The result of that was a filly that was consigned to last year’s Tattersalls October Yearling Sale where she was knocked down to Mike Ryan Agent For White Birch Farm for 475,000 gns.
After foaling a Kingsman filly last year, Florentina was again covered by the high-flying son of Invincible Spirit to southern hemisphere time and was sent back to Australia.
Segenhoe consigned Florentina to this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale where Jananth Pty Ltd T/As G Park Spelling Farm had the last say at $650,000.
Florentina and Celebrities Choice are out of the Peintre Celebre (USA) mare Celebria whose dam Twyla went on a similar globetrotting tour as her granddaughter.
The daughter of Danehill had seven foals before she was sent to Ireland in 2009, the best of which was the Group III winner Murjana (Giant’s Causeway).
A half-sister to the Group 1 winners Hurricane Sky and Umatilla, Twyla failed to match the feats of her half-sisters Show Dancing and Shantha’s Choice in the broodmare barn however her daughters Celebria and the unraced River Song, the dam of the Group II ATC Ajax stakes winner Niagara, have kept the flag flying for this branch of the famed Best In Show family.
Celebrities Choice has a weanling colt by Sebring and is back in foal to So You Think who is also the sire of Gerald Ryan’s undefeated 2yo Peltzer. Cannot wait to see him back in action in the spring.
