No horse has done more to champion the cause for Grandview Stud’s Winning Rupert than the 4-year-old mare Semana.
Fresh off her win in the $1 million Magic Millions Cup (1400m) at the Gold Coast, the Ciaron Maher-trained mare launched down the centre of the track from near the tail of the field under Jason Collett to capture the Robrick Lodge Triscay Stakes at Randwick.
The omens were there as Semana beat the third-placed Revolutionary Miss by over two lengths at the Gold Coast. That daughter of Russian Revolution was an impressive winner of the Frances Tressady Stakes at Flemington.
Semana defeated the favourite Olentia (Zoustar) by a long neck, with C’est Magique (Zoustar) three-quarters of a length back in third.
The runner-up was crowded for room in the straight and may have been unlucky.
“She’s going well; she was very good in Queensland,” stable representative Johann Gerard-Dubord said.
“We gave her a bit of off time after that. Back in trip today, and it was a lovely ride from Jason. It’s good after he had an earlier incident on a horse on Wednesday (Growing Empire falling at Randwick-Kensington).”
“She just keeps delivering. It doesn’t matter what the track is, what the distance is, who rides her; she’s just a good horse.
“Hopefully, there’s a bit more in store. She will go to the Coolmore Classic in four weeks. It’s a handicap, the distance will suit, and four weeks in between runs will be ideal.”
Jason Collett said giving the daughter of Winning Rupert plenty of time to find he feet was the key.
“Ridden quietly, her turn of foot is electric and powerful,” he said
“Dropping back to the 1200m today, we were pretty sure that she would run it strong. So, when I was in the position I was in, I was quite happy to get out and get going a bit early.
“I had plenty of horse, which is a good feeling, that’s for sure.”
A $200,000 buy for James Bester Bloodstock/Vantage Thoroughbreds from the Newgate draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Semana advances her record to seven wins, four seconds, and a third from 15 starts with earnings of $1,003,325.
She is the best of two winners from metro-winning Nicconi mare Festivity, a half-sister to stakes-winner Merriest.
Festivity was bought from the Newgate Consignment at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale last year by Lime Country Thoroughbreds for $85,000 and produced a colt for them last spring by Farnan, and she is back in foal to him again.
Semana is one of three stakes-winner for Winning Rupert, who started his stud career with Newgate Farm and now stands at Grandview Stud in Queensland at a fee of $7,700.
