There were two new Group I winners in Australia last Saturday and while one cost $1.55million, the other was retained to race and would be deemed nowhere near as commercial, proving genetics and fashion might be two different things, but the end result can be the same.
The $1million SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) was won by Charm Stone, a picture perfect I Am Invincible filly that was the highest priced filly at Magic Millions in her year and at age four is now a G1 winner, click to read about her.
She is the 17th G1 winner for champion sire I Am Invincible and is the second as a broodmare sire for Northern Meteor and for $1.55million you get plenty of Black Type on the page. Charm Stone is the latest G1 winner from a family that traces back to unraced Canadian import Gainesville (Can) who produced an amazing 11 foals that were all winners and they have spawned a dynasty that includes G1 winners Criterion and Comin’ Through.
The nick between I Am Invincible and Northern Meteor has had seven runners for seven winners with Charm Stone and her full sister Najmaty the only stakes-winners.
I Am Invincible has sired 15 stakes-winners from mares that carry Encosta de Lago blood and they include champion sprinter Imperatriz.
The $1million Group I SAJC Australasian Oaks (2000m) was won by Benagil, a homebred in partnership for Victorian breeder Phillip Cambell, who used to own Blue Gum Farm and stood her sire Manhattan Rain during the middle stages of his stud career between the beginning at Arrowfield and his current location of Geisel Park Stud in WA, read about her here.
Benagil is the third G1 winner for Manhattan Rain, a blueblood stallion from the family of Redoute’s Choice and is the first as a broodmare sire for another blueblood stallion in War, a son of More Than Ready (USA).
Manhattan Rain stood at a fee of $13,200 in the year Benagil was conceived and War was first season when her dam Des Moines was conceived at a fee of $8,800.
War was a G3 winning half-brother to G1 winner Fenway from a half-sister by Zabeel to G1 winners Tuesday Joy and Sunday Joy, the dam of champion mare More Joyous (also by More than Ready), so it’s THAT family! So while the service fee was small, the pedigree for War was tall!
War stood at Blue Gum Farm and while he never sired a stakes-winner in nine seasons at stud covering small books, he has now contributed in a big way with Benagil, who is his first SW as a broodmare sire and is in fact his only winner in this department.
Benagil is the first foal of her dam Des Moines, a metro placed winner whose next two dams Inkster and Delgara were both stakes-winners with the former winning the Listed VRC St Leger over 2800m, so stamina not lacking.
The other interesting thing in the pedigree of Benagil is her 3 x 4 double cross of celebrated blue hen Dancing Show, who has played a big hand in recent G1 winners in Australia.
Golden Slipper winner Marhoona also has a double cross 4 x 4, while G1 winner Schwarz has three lines 4 x 4 x 4.
Benagil’s dam was covered last spring by Rubick, who is a three-quarter brother-in-blood to Manhattan Rain so the resulting foal will be bred along very similar lines.
