Superstar mares and fillies can take time to exert their influence at stud and there are events afoot this Saturday which are a good reminder that just when you think it’s time to give up, might actually be the time to start planning ahead.
The $1.5million MRC Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield this Saturday is a race that has been won by some of the best fillies in the country since it’s inception in 1946 and a filly that took the prize in 2004 was up with the best.
Conceived in the fourth crop of future champion sire Encosta de Lago, when he was priced at $9,350 in Victoria, Alinghi was one of the early horses that made everyone sit up and take notice of her sire.
Trained by Lee Freedman, Alinghi won the Listed MRC Debutant Stakes on debut as a spring 2YO and never looked back winning the Group I MRC Blue Diamond in dazzling fashion and placing third in the Golden Slipper.
'04 Blue Diamond '04 Thousand Guineas '05 Robert Sangster Stakes '05 Newmarket Handicap #RIP four-time Group 1 winner Alinghi. ?? https://t.co/dEKvKbt4lC
— Racing.com (@Racing) October 22, 2017
She earned the title of Champion 3YO Filly the following season with Group I wins in the MRC Thousand Guineas, VRC Newmarket Handicap and SAJC Sangster Stakes, plus G1 seconds in the VRC Lightning Stakes to Fastnet Rock and VRC Empire Rose Stakes to Miss Potential.
Alinghi was purchased by Arrowfield and sent to North America for a campaign with US Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel. That began promisingly with a G3 victory at Saratoga in August 2005 followed by an eighth in the G1 Keeneland Turf Mile, but soon afterwards a tendon injury ended Alinghi’s racing career and she returned to Arrowfield.
Long story short, Alinghi was not as successful at stud producing just six foals, five of which raced and three of them won, but none were able to measure up to stakes class.
At the time of her passing in 2017, even Alinghi’s most ardent admirers would have to admit she had failed to deliver as a broodmare, but fast forward nine years to now and two female descendants of Alinghi will contest Group I races on Saturday.
$8,000 Inglis Digital fairytale Spicy Martini will line up in the $20million Group I ATC TAB Everest for the Toby Edmonds stable at Randwick.
The five year-old mare by Justify (USA) is already a Group I winner having won the BRC Stradbroke Handicap last season and win, lose or draw has already banked over $2.3million for her lucky owners.
Spicy Martini claims Alinghi as her third dam being from G3 placed Extra Olives, a daughter of Alinghi’s first born foal Line Honours.
Set to take her place in the Thousand Guineas at Caulfield is the Lindsay Park prepared Palace Pier (GB) filly Regal Ambition, who has had just three starts for two wins with the latest coming in the Listed MRC Jim Moloney Stakes last month.
Regal Ambition is a grand-daughter of Alinghi being from her unraced Snitzel daughter Dame Pattie.
Footnote: Alinghi still has a couple of daughters at stud as well as numerous grand-daughters and even great-grand-daughters.
