Sir Owen Glenn's Go Bloodstock is enjoying a memorable season with their two-year-olds, and a couple of Go Bloodstock-bred fillies could well fight it out for a Golden Slipper birth in Saturday's Group III Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill Gardens.
The Go Bloodstock-bred Red Resistance and Platinum Jubilee are high up in Slipper betting, as are a couple of others they have an interest in, Don Corleone and King's Gambit.
The $700,000 Merchant Navy filly Steel City has had no luck in three starts. At her most recent start, the Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained went to the line untested when seemingly having plenty to offer in the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes.
graduates from a Friday night maiden at Canterbury at her career debut on February 24.
A $400,000 purchase for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott/Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the Coolmore draft at the Magic Millions, Tu Qui Santuzza is by Pierro out of stakes-placed Savabeel mare Santuzza.
A $575,000 purchase for Go Bloodstock Australia/Paul Moroney Bloodstock from the Dormello Stud draft at the 2018 National Broodmare Sale, Santuzza is a half-sister to stakes-winner Tukiyo (Haradasun), out of a stakes-placed three-quarter sister to Rock Of Gibraltar.
Pierro and Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) rate as two of the toughest racehorses of recent years and have similar profiles.
Pierro defied his stout pedigree and came out running in the first two-year-old race of the season, the Listed Breeders' Plate at Randwick.
The son of Lonhro went through the season undefeated. Following the Breeders' Plate, he added the Silver Slipper, Todman Stakes, Golden Slipper, ATC Sires' Produce, and ATC Champagne Stakes.
Pierro bounced out at three to win the Run To The Rose, then captured the Stutt Stakes at Moonee Valley instead of running in the Golden Rose. He met defeat for the first time when edged out by his old sparring partner All Too Hard in the Caulfield Guineas and was third behind Ocean Park and All Too Hard in the Cox Plate.
After opening his autumn campaign with a hard-fought win over Rebel Dane and Proisir in the Hobartville Stakes, Pierro downed his champion stablemate More Joyous in the Canterbury Stakes, then added the George Ryder Stakes.
Pierro's final start came in the Doncaster Mile, and he was glorious in defeat.
Lumped with 57kgs, Pierro could not overcome the 4kgs difference with Sacred falls on a heavy 10 at Randwick.
Sacred Falls was a top-class horse and a champion mudder.
He proved that the following year when lumping 56.5kgs on a heavy 9 to win his second Doncaster at the expense of another fine wet tracker in Royal Descent.
Pierro made six starts at two and eight starts at three, retiring with a record of eleven wins, two seconds, and a third from 14 starts.
Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) had a similar profile on the other side of the equator.
The son of Danehill won five of seven starts at two, including the Group 1 Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket and the Group 1 Grand Criterium at Longchamp.
At three, Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) rattled off wins in the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, Irish Two Thousand Guineas, St James's Palace Stakes, Sussex Stakes, and Prix du Moulin de Longchamp.
Like Pierro, Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) fell at the final hurdle. He was denied a perfect season when a fast-finishing second to outsider Domedriver in the Breeders' Cup Mile at Arlington Park.
The son of Danehill boasted a record of ten wins and two seconds from 13 starts.
The granddam of Rock Of Gibraltar (IRE) and fourth dam of Tu Qui Santuzza, Press A Button (Bold Lad), is a half-sister to champion racehorse and influential stallion Riverman.
Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) shelled out $375,000 for a sister to Tu Qui Santuzza at the Magic Millions in January.
She has been named Cavalleria and will carry the colours of Bob and Sandra Peters, who know a thing or two about the progeny of Pierro, having bred and raced the $4million earner Arcadia Queen and the $4.5million earner Regal Power.
After foaling a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt last spring, Santuzza was covered by Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside.
