Kris Lees is never afraid to send a talented horse up the line to break his maiden in the country and he did it on Monday with a very nice juvenile carrying the Australian Bloodstock colours that has a half-brother entered for the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale.
Two year-old Nicconi gelding Luscinia was sent out favourite for the 1250m open juvenile event at Taree and he powered home from back in the field to score a dominant two and a quarter length win.
Luscinia was an $80,000 Magic Millions Book 2 purchase for Lees Racing from the Raheen Stud draft and was a successful pinhook having been bought from the Noorilim Park draft at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale for $40,000.
Luscinia was bred by Yulong Stud, who bought his dam Nightingales for $55,000 from a Godolphin Reduction at the Inglis Broodmare Sale in 2017.
Luscinia is the third winner form three foals to race from Nightingales, a winning Street Cry (IRE) grand-daughter of stakes-winner Dashing Granada from a family that has produced this season’s Group I winning filly Instant Celebrity and a very smart Hong Kong stakes-winner in Healthy Happy.
Yulong have entered the weanling colt by Impending from Nightingales in this year’s Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale as Lot 91.
Luscinia is one of over 100 winners this season for Nicconi, whose winners including six stakes-winners headed by champion sprinter Nature Strip, who has added two more Group I victories to his tally this year.
Nicconi is switching to Widden Stud Victoria this spring and will stand at a fee of $27,500.
