A funny thing happened at Eagle Farm on Saturday when both the Group I BRC Queensland Derby (2400m) and Oaks (2200m) were won by 20-1 shots that had never won a stakes race, but they had two interesting things in common and that was very famous families and the Epsom Derby winner High Chaparral!
The Queensland Derby delivered a third Group I winner for Waikato Stud’s Super Seth when Maison Louis led home a Kiwi bred trifecta proving the better stayer over his stablemate King of Thunder (Tivaci) with the filly Chase Your Dreams (Contributer (IRE) in third place. Read about the race here.
Bred and sold by Pencarrow Stud, Maison Louis is from their iconic female family that stems from Group III winning Vice Regal mare Richebourg, whose descendants include Group I winner Grand Echezeaux, the dam of Champion 2YO/ 3YO and G1 sire Darci Brahma, also Group II winner Romanee Conti, the dam of ‘Cups Queen’ Ethereal.
It has been a prolific Black Type producing family that has also been commercial gold in the sale ring for Pencarrow with Maison Louis purchased for $250,000 from their Karaka Book 1 draft in 2023.
He becomes the fourth Group I winner for Super Seth (joining Linebacker, Feroce and La Dorada) and is his third in Australia with this Caulfield Guineas winning son of Dundeel now pitching some impressive stats.
With his oldest progeny just three year-olds, super Seth has had 41 winners from 82 starters and his seven stakes-winners in total gives him 17% SW to runner.
No wonder he’s fully booked at the increased fee of $75,000.
The dam sire of Maison Louis is Makfi (GB), a Group I winning son of Dubawi that shuttled to New Zealand his daughters are making their mark leaving 23 stakes-winners – four of them G1 winners – and they include another Queensland Derby winner in Kovalica.
Given the depth of his pedigree and a 4 x 3 double cross of Zabeel it’s no surprise our new racing/breeding writer Kat Webster found him in her Breeding to Win Derby preview story as her blowout pick, click to read.
The Queensland Oaks was won by So You Think filly You Wahng, who was third to Treasurethemoment in the G1 Australian Oaks, so brought a real touch of class to this field of up and comers, read about the race here.
You Wahng is the 12th Group I winner for So You Think, who has an even split of six apiece for colts and fillies at the elite level and is phenomenally good value this year at a fee of $44,000 at Coolmore.
She is also the 12th stakes-winner for Casino Prince as a broodmare sire and is his fourth G1 winner, which might surprise a few people, but he is a stallion with a top class pedigree, so he brings nothing but good into any genetic mix.
The most interesting thing about You Wahng is her female pedigree and while her Group III winning full sister Street Gossip was talented, she is even better.
You Wahng is the best of three winners from Wahng Wah, a metro winner that traces back to celebrated producer Dancing Show (USA) via the Twyla branch of the family.
Wahng Wa is a grand-daughter of Celebria, the dam of Group I winner Gathering and grand-dam of four time US Group I winner In Italian.
You Wahng is the fourth Australian Group I winner this season to stem from this most famous family joining Golden Slipper winner Marhoona (Snitzel), Group I winning sprinter Schwarz (Zoustar)and Group I winning miler Tom Kitten (Harry Angel (IRE).
Footnote: For those who wonder about the relevance of the Group I Epsom Derby run over 2400m in the UK on undulating ground, think again given the 2002 winner High Chaparral has founded an impressive sire dynasty in Australia that produced both Maison Louis and You Wahng.
Coolmore will send the past two Epsom Derby winners to Australasia this spring with Cirty of Troy (USA) heading to the Jerry’s Plains in the Hunter Valley, while Auguste Rodin (IRE) will follow in the footsteps of High Chaparral himself and kick off at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand.
