News - FASTNET ROCK (AUS)
A look through the winners list at any metropolitan meeting in Australia invariably features a selection of European bred winners, but few are better bred than Fastnet Rock gelding Tazaral (IRE), who won at Randwick on Saturday for Peter and Paul Snowden.
Coolmore’s champion Aussie bred sire Fastnet Rock might be turning 22 this year, but he posted his 43rd Group I winner in Ireland last weekend with quality mares Via Sistina and Stay Alert running one-two in the Pretty Polly Stakes so there is no better time to take a closer look at his legacy as a sire of sires.
Champion Australian sire Fastnet Rock featured in Ireland overnight with a Group I quinella in the Pretty Polly Stakes (1m2f) at The Curragh won by Via Sistina defeating Stay Alert.
Bred on the magic Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross, lightly raced five year- old gelding Fenelon made it back to back stakes wins when taking out the Listed Lyon-Parilly Grand Prix de Lyon (2400m) on Sunday in France capping a great week for Fastnet Rock.
Sea Siren is not the only Group I winning daughter of champion sire Fastnet Rock to produce a Royal Ascot winner this week with 2014 Group I MRC Thousand Guineas winner Amicus featuring overnight when her five year-old Galileo son Okita Soushi won the Duke of Edinburgh Stakes Handicap (1m4f).
Coolmore have sent a number of high profile Australian mares to Ireland over the years to be covered by Galileo and one of them was triple Group I winning Fastnet Rock sprinter Sea Siren, who is now back in Australia and was covered last spring by Home Affairs.
The magic Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross might have a new Group I winner in the making with progressive mare Via Sistina scoring a resounding six length win in the Group II Dahlia Stakes (1m1f) at Newmarket.
Former Chris Waller trained stablemates ran the quinella in the Group III Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday with Straight Arron defeating Sword Point .
Fastnet Rock four year-old Buckaroo showed serious promise in three runs in stakes races in Ireland last year and showed he was back better than ever with a first up win in the Listed Heritage Stakes (1m) at Leopardstown.
Lime Country Thoroughbreds had the honour of selling the first million dollar filly at Inglis Easter when the half-sister by champion sire Fastnet Rock to Group I New Zealand Thousand Guineas winner Media Sensation sold for $1.1million.
Imported Fastnet Rock gelding Surefire (GB) carried the famous Juddmonte colours to victory in the $300,000 Group II ATC Chairman’s Quality (2600m) ploughing through the testing heavy conditions to stake a big claim for the upcoming $2million Group I Sydney Cup next week.
Exciting Fastnet Rock mare Passive Aggressive produced a career best performance at Randwick on Saturday to down glamour sprinters Eduardo and Giga Kick in the Group II ATC Challenge Stakes (1000m).
This time last year talented Fastnet Rock three year-old Straight Arron was working towards an impressive win in the Group III ATC Carbine Club Stakes (1200m) and 12 months on after his transfer to Hong Kong he has broken the ice for his first win at Sha Tin and has a half-sister entered for Inglis Easter.
The Fastnet Rock colt Corniche added to the Godolphin armoury for the Golden Slipper when breaking his maiden in the Group II Elite Sand and Soil Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on Saturday.
We’ve made much of Fastnet Rock mares in recent days and one that saluted at Canterbury on Wednesday in the Go Bloodstock colours could easily be a Group I producer of the future or the dam of a million dollar yearling.
We’ve had two major yearling sales in our region so far and the first (Magic Millions )was topped by an I Am Invincible colt from Fastnet Rock mare Anaheed that sold for $2.7million and the second (Karaka Book 1) was topped by a $1million Fastnet Rock filly from Test the World.
Lightly raced Fastnet Rock mare Sneaky Five was a brilliant early stakes-winning juvenile and a Group III winner last year at three and looks set for more success this season after winning the Listed BRC Bribie Handicap (1000m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The famed Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross has produced numerous Group I winners in Europe, Australasia and the US and it was on show again when talented mare Star Devine captured the $150,000 Autumn Days Stakes at Aqueduct on Sunday, don’t miss two yearlings bred this way at MM 2023.
The magic Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross struck with a new stakes-winner overnight when four year-old mare Via Sistina took out the Group III Prix Fille de l’Air (1m2 ½ f) at Toulouse in France and there are two Magic Millions yearlings for 2023 bred this way.
Imported Fastnet Rock gelding Surefire (GB) has always promised to win a stakes race in Australia and got the job done at Flemington on Saturday when scoring a determined win in the Group III VRC Archer Stakes (2500m).