The 3-year-old action hots up on Saturday with the running of the Group III Vain Stakes and Group III Quezette Stakes at Caulfield and the Listed Rosebud Hcp at Rosehill where the opening race, the Schweppes (Bm72), will see Sunlight’s $1,400,000 Justify colt Dawn Service and the $1,600,000 Snitzel colt Imperial Force striving to shave $82,500 of their purchase price.
All three stakes races have future stars engraved on the trophy and proven reliable guides to the spring.
A case can be made for all eight acceptors in the Listed Sydney Markets Rosebud (1100m).
The lone homebred in the race is Godolphin’s race-fit Harry Angel (IRE) colt Tarpaulin, who was entered for the Vain Stakes but will remain home in the hope of stretching his winning sequence to three at his stakes debut.
The James Cummings-trained colt debuted over 1100m at Randwick last December, clocking in fourth behind future Group winners Straight Charge and Erno’s Cube, a distant relation to Tarpaulin. But we are getting way ahead of ourselves.
Tarpaulin came off a 26-week break to finish second to the promising Tassort gelding Mawjood over 1100m at Warwick Farm on June 26 before breaking his maiden at Warwick Farm on a heavy track on July 10. Despite racing three wide the trip, Tarpaulin decisively defeated his stablemate, Diamond Firetail.
Tarpaulin vyes to become the fourth stakes-winner for the Lonhro mare Shelters, after the Group II ATC Arrowfield 3YO Sprint Stakes winner and $1.2million earner Aft Cabin (Astern), Group III ATC PJ Bell Handicap winner Multaja (Medaglia d'Oro), and Listed ATC Lonhro Plate winner Veranillo (Medaglia d'Oro).
A sister to Group 1 BRC TJ Smith Classic (JJ Atkins) winner Benfica, Shelters is the daughter of the multiple Group II-placed Danehill mare Hut, a half-sister to Dalquarren (Canny Lad), who left the Group 1 STC Queen Of The Turf Stakes winner Neroli Viscount).
Hut is a daughter of the stakes-placed Star Way mare Ivy Cottage, a half-sister to the outstanding Sir Tristram mare Riverina Charm, whose four wins at the highest level included defeats of Research in the VATC One Thousand Guineas and Better Loosen Up in the Canterbury Guineas.
Riverina Charm’s dam Country Charm (IRE) was out of a half-sister to the Nell Gwyn Stakes Gently, whose daughter Godzilla is the granddam of Mysteries who retired a 4-start maiden. Still, she showed her class, finishing third to Snow Bride in the Group III Musidora Stakes.
Mysteries is the dam of the top-class sprinter Agnes World. The son of Danzig was a $1,050,000 Keeneland yearling purchase for Takao Watanabe and was a forerunner in showcasing Japan on the world stage by winning the Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp and July Cup.
Agnes World shuttled to Widden Stud for three seasons, siring the Caulfield Guineas winner Wonderful World.
Besides Agnes World, Mysteries produced Mysterial, the dam of Dubai Destination.
Godzilla’s half-sister Toujours Vert (IRE) has also left a mark in Australasia. Her descendants include Rothfire, Emerald Kingdom, Steel Frost, and Dark Jewel Classic winner Romare, the dam of MRC Debutante Stakes winner Eramor and Long Wink, the dam of Group II ATC Reisling Stakes winner Erno’s Cube (Rubick).
Another Darley foundation mare inherited from Woodlands Stud as a yearling, Shelters has foaled just one filly from nine foals, the Group III ATC PJ Bell Handicap winner Multaja (Medaglia d'Oro), who has a 2-year-old filly and yearling filly by Exceed And Excel and was covered by Street Boss (USA) last spring.
Shelters is still going strong. Following Tarpaulin is a 2-year-old Brazen Beau colt named Cavern, a yearling colt by Astern, and she visited Astern in December.
After covering for $16,500 for three seasons, Harry Angel (IRE) had his fee doubled to $33,000 last year and has been upped again to $38,500 this spring.
All four of his Australian stakes winners, including the Group 1 ATC Spring Champion Stakes winner Tom Kitten, have come from his first crop, so Tarpaulin will be on a mission to lead the charge for his second crop of 78 foals.
