There were four Group I races run in Australia over the weekend, three run at distances of 2000m or further and all of that trio were bred outside of Australia, plus we look at a couple of Listed winners we see as having G1 potential.
The G1 $3million VRC Australian Cup was won by popular Godolphin galloper Cascadian (GB), a genuine European blueblood that has now won three Australian G1 races, read about him here.
He is one of nine G1 winners by Galileo’s Epsom Derby winner New Approach and is a half-brother to another G1 winner Albahr and his first three dams are all SW’s. It’s an elite Black Type family and once again we see Street Cry in the mix as his dam sire. Regular readers of this column will notice that hardly a week goes by that Street Cry does not get a mention for his involvement in a G1 winner and the 2002 Dubai World Cup winner is here again this week!
The G1 $1.5million ATC Tancred Stakes (2400m) was won by battle hardened warrior Arapaho (Fr) over star Aussie bred staying mare Montefilia, read about him here.
Another European blue-blood whose first three dams are all SW’s Arapaho is the 18th G1 winner for Lope de Vega , a wonderfully versatile son of Shamardal, who shuttled to Australia at the start of his stud career for four seasons and gave us four G1 winning sprinters Santa Ana Lane, Gytrash, Vega Magic and Vega One.
In Europe where he’s covered stouter mares, he’s generally best known for his miler/ middle distance horses, although his speed son Lucky Vega was a G1 winner over 1200m at two and shuttles to Yulong in Victoria.
He is the 17th G1 winner as a broodmare sire for Dansili and the nick between he and Lope de Vega is a good one. There have been 46 runners that have produced 29 winners that include seven stakes-winners with Arapaho the third G1 winner joining Capla Temptress and Sweet Lady, who also got her G1 at 2400m! 15% SW to runner for this nick.
The G1 $1million ATC Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m) delivered a second Australian G1 winner for Proisir when Kiwi raider Prowess (NZ) thrashed the local fillies, read about her here.
It was the second G1 for Prowess (her first in Australia) and she brought up a Group double for Proisir with Tapildoodledo winning the G2 ATC Tulloch Stakes (2000m).
Proisir is currently the most successful sire of G1 winners in all of Australasia this season(he has five!) and from humble beginnings at Rich Hill Stud, he’s now running at 5% SW to runner which is heady stuff for a stallion starting off at a low base.
Interestingly for an Australian bred son of Choisir, that is now looming as the next super sire for New Zealand, Proisir traces in tail female line to legendary New Zealand broodmare Sunbride- Mark Smith wrote a great story earlier this week highlighting this fact, read it here.
Prowess is the second G1 winner among six stakes-winners for Zabeel’s Australian Derby winning son Don Eduardo as a broodmare sire.
The G1 $1million MVRC William Reid Stakes (1200m) on Friday night at Moonee Valley was won by champion Kiwi trained sprinter Imperatriz, read about her here.
This was her fifth G1 win and that’s not easy to do and it makes Imperatriz the most successful G1 performer for champion sire I Am Invincible and she is also the best of 10 G1 winners from mares by Shamardal.
Imperatriz owes her origins to some highly successful breeders with her female family nurtured by Gooree Stud through several generations before tracing back to Stanley Wootton’s imported foundation mare Expulsion (GB).
The Listed $500,000 VRC Roy Higgins (2600m) earned the winner Goldman (NZ) automatic entry into the 2023 Melbourne Cup, so on that basis we were keen to take a closer look at this Kiwi import that is three for three in Australia, read about him here.
Goldman is the first SW and one of two winners from the first small crop of winning Zabeel stallion Verdi, a half-brother to G1 winners Sir Slick and Puccini.
He’s the 124th SW for outstanding staying sire Montjeu as a broodmare sire which makes plenty of sense, but further back his family is more about Aussie speed with his fourth dam Sunday Brunch a full sister to Blue Diamond winner Street Café. His second dam is by Golden Slipper winner Marauding and his fifth by another Golden Slipper winner in Todman, so when you get past those up close staying influences of Zabeel and Montjeu, plus the double cross of Sir Tristram, there is plenty of dash in this pedigree.
The Listed $500,000 VRC Sunlight Classic (1200m) saw unbeaten colt What You Need post a third straight win against good opposition, read about him here.
He is the second SW for young Sebring sire Supido and is the 37th for Commands as a broodmare sire and comes from a quality female family with his dam a stakes-placed daughter of G1 winning sprinter Wrap Around and her dam was Group winner Beach Gown.
What You Need is the second quality colt from the first crop of bargain priced Sebring son Supido joining G1 placed Buenos Noches and that sends up a flashing light for broodmare owners, who jumped on board last spring and he covered his biggest ever book of 170 mares.
Supido was a very fast sprinter, although came up short in G1 races, but what he does have is a stallions pedigree tracing in tail female line to legendary matriarch Natalma.
