Four Group I races spread between Sydney and Melbourne and five winners thanks to a rare dead heat in the time honoured ATC Epsom Handicap at Randwick, so let’s take a look at those pedigrees.
The Group I ATC Epsom Handicap (1600m) produced two winners and they could not be more different, a typical Australian speed horse in Ellsberg and a tall statuesque European import in Top Ranked (IRE), read about them here.
Ellsberg is the first Group I winner for his ill-fated sire Spill the Beans, a Group II winner by Snitzel that died after four seasons at stud. He is bred on a very similar cross to the Breeders’ Plate winner Empire of Japan, who is by Snitzel from a daughter of General Nediym, that nick producing four stakes-winners from 27 runners (15% SW to runner) , two of them Group I winners I Am Excited and Sizzling.
Top Ranked is the 13th Group I winner Dark Angel, who had an Australian stakes double on Saturday with Visinari (FR) winning the Listed VRC Paris Lane Stakes (1400m).
The Group I ATC The Metropolitan (2400m) produced a win for blue-blood Kiwi bred Pins gelding No Compromise (NZ), a half-brother to multiple Group I winner Tofane, read about him here.
No Compromise is the tenth Group I winner for Aussie bred champion New Zealand sire Pins, who died in 2018. His dam Baggy Green and half-sister Tofane are now in Yulong ownership, so it will be interesting to see how this pedigree performs going forward. Two of his other close relations in G1 winning mares Youngstar and Funstar are at stud in Japan.
The Group I ATC Flight Stakes (1600m) gave Zoustar a fifth Group I winner when Zougotcha powered clear for an easy win, read about her here.
She is bred on the same Zoustar x Fastnet Rock cross as the Gimcrack winner Platinum Jubilee.
The Group I VRC Turnbull Stakes (2000m) was another Kiwi bred success story with the win going to Smokin’ Romans (NZ), read about him here.
He is the first Group I winner for his sire Ghibellines, a Darley blue-blood that found his way to White Robe Lodge in New Zealand.
