Swettenham Stud’s stallion Toronado (IRE) has been on fire of late and the striking son of High Chaparral (IRE) provided two very impressive winners at Sandown-Lakeside on Wednesday.
Ballymore Stables three-year-old gelding Quail Hollow got the ball rolling when breaking his maiden over 1300m at his fourth start.
After challenging for the lead in the early stages, Jordan Childs elected to take a hold of Quail Hollow who received a cosy run one out, one back.
After losing ground when bumped by Lighthorse Lad at the point of the turn, Quail Hollow knuckled down to his tasked to defeat the Brazen Beau colt Beau Zoom by three-quarters of a length with the Deep Field gelding Bayvista a short-head back in third.
A $50,000 purchase by Paul Moroney Bloodstock out of the Merrivale Farm draft at the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Quail Hollow is a half-brother to four winners including the stakes-placed Floridita (Fasliyev).
His imported dam Rose Pompadour (IRE) (Indian Ridge) is a three-quarter-sister to Rain Flower the dam of Epson Oaks and German Oaks winner Dancing Rain and a half-sister to the dam of Epsom Derby winner Dr Devious from the family of Coolmore Stud’s young Deep Impact stallion Saxon Warrior.
A Stakes win does not seem beyond the Dan O'Sullivan-trained Affair To Remember the second of Toronado’s winners at Sandown.
With apprentice Michael Poy in the saddle, Affair to Remember was standing up the Daci Brahma filly Sierra Sue three lengths with 100 metres to run but she charged home to win by a head in the benchmark 64 over 1600 metres.
It was the second win in seven starts for the daughter of Toronado (IRE) who had a taste of Stakes company when sixth in the Group II Sandown Guineas last November.
“She got a lot further back than I thought she would but it was a great effort to chase down a horse that had win its first two starts,” O’Sullivan said.
“She’s always showed great ability and it was a relief to get that one today.
O’Sullivan nominated a VOBIS Gold race over 1600m at Flemington as Affair To Remembers next start.
Raced by her breeder David Peacock and partners, Affair To Remember is the fifth winner from as many to race out of the good class Black Hawk mare St Trinians.
A tri8pe stakes-winner in Adelaide St Trinians has produced the Group I SAJC Schweppes Oaks third Bahamas and the stakes-placed Exodus.
St Trinians has a 2yo full-sister to Affair To Remember named Uniquely and a weanling sister.
She was covered by Sioux Nation (USA) last spring.
Swettenham Stud shuttler Toronado (IRE) has started April off where he left in March in which he chalked up 13 winners.
