There’s just no keeping Mill Park Stud down, the leading South Australian-based operation came up with two stakes-winners at Morphettville on Saturday with the 2yo filly Ecumenical capturing the Listed Dequetteville Stakes (1050m) while Dalasan proved a class above in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m).
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The Mick Huxtable-trained Ecumenical credited her ill-fated sire Zebedee (GB) with his first stakes-winner in Australia when she lifted herself off the canvas to run down another Mill Park graduate Zoushine (Zoustar) in the Listed Dequetteville Stakes.
While they had a similar upbringing on the famed South Australian nursery, Ecumenical and Zoushine were worlds apart at the yearling sales with Ecumenical a bargain-basement $14,000 purchase by her trainer at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, Zoushine came at a cost of $380,000 at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.
It was the second win in three starts for the daughter of Zebedee (GB) and she has defeated Zoustyle in both.
"Ryan (Hurdle) rode her well but credit also to Anna Jordsjo, who has been her rider previously but unfortunately had an appendix attack last Saturday night," Huxtable told racing.com.
"At the Sales, it was just a fluke I saw her walk past me. She caught my eye with a kind head and a lovely long rein. I had one bid and they knocked her down to us."
Huxtable indicated that the Group III Breeders Stakes at Morphettville on April 25 was a suitable target.
"I will let her tell us which way we go, but she is a tough little filly and generally goes straight home and licks out her bin," he said.
Ecumenical is the second foal and only runner out of the talented Zeno Rob Roy (JPN) mare Amalgamate who was a 4-time winning half-sister to the stakes-placed Nikalapko (Jeune).
Amalgamate has a yearling colt by Shooting To Win and was covered by So You Think last spring having missed in 2018.
With his oldest Australian crop now three-year-olds, former Cornerstone Stud resident Zebedee (GB) died in October last year after covering four mares.
The son of Invincible Spirit has a total of 10 stakes winners worldwide.
From one ill-fated Cornerstone resident to another with Dalahani’s Dalansan leading home a 1-2-3 finish for Cornerstone sired in the Listed Port Adelaide Guineas (1800m).
After mixing it with Australia’s best on the east coast, the Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas-trained colt kept his unbeaten record at home intact when he romped to a three length win over a pair of Good Journey geldings in Perfect Route and Themoonlitegambler.
An $80,000 purchase out of the Mill Park draft at the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Dalasan advances his record to 6 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third from 13 starts with earnings of $1,951,995.
"We knew if he brought his 'A' game and he had no bad luck it would be tough for his rivals to beat him," Macdonald told racing.com.
"Jason (Holder) played his part and gave him a beautiful ride and the horse delivered in spades.
"The Derby with this bloke is not a given but at this stage he is certain to go to the Chairman's Stakes on April 25."
Dalasan was bred by the SA based Toorak Thoroughbred Breeding Trust and is the second winner from stakes-placed Kitten's Joy (USA) mare Khandallah, who comes from an international family featuring Group winners Galic Boy, Smokey Stover and Dreadnaught.
Mill Park sold a colt by Dissident from Khandallah at the 2019 Inglis Premier for $110,000 and the mare has foaled a filly by So You Think before being bred back to American Pharoah (USA).
Dalasan is one of 53 stakes-winner worldwide for the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe and French Derby winner Dalakhani (IRE), who shuttled to Cornerstone Stud for three seasons.
