News - PRIDE OF DUBAI (AUS)
Pride of Dubai is known for his brilliant mares that get better with age and Shadhavar is rapidly filling that space after blasting her rivals to score a commanding victory in the $240,000 Group III VRC Hong Kong Jockey Club stakes (1400m) at Flemington on Cup Day.
Caulfield Cup Day has been a memorable one for Joe O’Neill of Prime Thoroughbreds with his two star mares Cavalry Girl and Shadhavar both claiming valuable Group II victories to add to their burgeoning CV’s.
The $500,000 Group II MVRC Feehan Stakes (1600m) might one day get re-named the Pride of Jenni Stakes with the ageless champion taking out the WFA mile for the third year in a row at Caulfield on Sunday.
With farms in Ireland, Kentucky and Australia, Coolmore is a worldwide source of elite stallion talent and with 14 stallions – 11 of them G1 winners - on the roster this year, it really is a case of something for everyone, whatever your budget may be.
If there is one thing we know about mares by Pride of Dubai it is that they get better and better with age and that does seem the case for Shadhavar, who posted her third successive win on Saturday when capturing the $175,000 Listed MRC Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
If your goal this spring is to choose a stallion that can breed you a nice winner with upside it might not be as expensive as you think.
If we needed a reminder as to how good a stallion Pride of Dubai is we got it on Saturday with Pride of Jenni doing what Pride of Jenni does in the Group II Hollindale Cup and then elite Kiwi bred sprinter miler Desert Lightning showed his class to win the $1million Group I SAJC The Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville.
Champion mare Pride of Jenni is an exciting horse to watch and she produced her brilliant best at the Gold Coast on Saturday earning a standing ovation from the crowd when she ran her rivals into the ground to win the $500,000 Group II AD Hollindale Cup (1800m).
Coolmore stalwart sire Pride of Dubai went painfully close to siring two Group I winners on Saturday with his evergreen superstars Pride of Jenni and Dubai Honour (IRE) going down by narrow margins in the Group I VRC Australian Cup (2000m) and Group I ATC Tancred Stakes (2400m), but in Adelaide he delivered a progressive new stakes-winner with a bright sprinting future.
It was Magic Millions Day at Murray Bridge on Saturday and the feature, the $200,000 Magic Millions SA 2YO Classic (1100m) was won in brilliant style by the Ben, Will and JD Hayes trained Capitalist gelding Rich on Bubbles.
A two time stakes-winner that was second in last year’s Group II WATC Derby, five year-old Pride of Dubai gelding Buckets Ridge was back in top form at Ascot on Saturday when winning the $125,000 Listed WATC GA Towton Cup (2200m).
Winner of the $1.5million Group I ATC Tancred Stakes (2400m) at Rosehill back in April, Dubai Honour (IRE) was back in the winning groove at Southwell in the UK overnight taking out the Listed Midnite Churchill Stakes (1m3f).
As a three-quarter sister to world champion Winx, four year-old Pride of Dubai mare Wings of Desire has always had the spotlight on her and she got back into the winner’s circle at Caulfield on Wednesday at her first run for new trainer Grahame Begg.
With those same tearaway tactics that have made her one of Australian racing’s fan favourites in recent years, Trelawney Stud-bred mare Pride Of Jenni ran her rivals off their feet again at Flemington on Saturday and became the first two-time winner of the Gr.1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m).
Pride of Jenni might be an eight year-old mare that is drawing ever closer to the end of her glorious career, but there was a sparkle in her eye before the Group II MVRC Feehan Stakes (1600m) and it was the Jenni of old that ran her rivals ragged at Moonee Valley on Friday night.
A trans-Tasman ownership double prompted long and enthusiastic celebrations for Ashburton’s Barneswood Farm.
It didn't carry Black Type, but the $200,000 MVRC So You Think Stakes (1500m) at Moonee Valley was packed with intrigue and G1 winners with spring aspirations.
The annual Coolmore Australia stallion parade is one you just can’t miss and if you didn’t make it this year, do read on as you will feel like you were there after all!
A decision to bypass the Gr.3 Winter Cup (1600m) a fortnight ago paid dividends for the connections of Pride Of Aspen on Sunday, as the mare went three in a row in the Free Court (2100m) at Hawera.
The end of season is a great time to look back and assess what has happened in terms of sire results and what may happen in the future and more importantly what all of that might mean for Australian racing.