News - SO YOU THINK (NZ)
Te Akau Racing, the country’s leading stable, has captured some of the biggest prizes in New Zealand racing this year, and trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are keen to add their home cup, the Listed Team Wealleans Matamata Cup (1600m), to their trophy cabinet on Friday.
A progressive stayer with a great winning strike rate, Bob and Sandra Peters homebred So You Think gelding Diamond Scene is on track for the $1million Group II WATC Perth Cup on New Year’s Day following a stylish victory on Wednesday at Ascot in the Listed WATC ATA Stakes (2200m).
A promising filly by So You Think that has shown plenty at the trials finally put it all together on a race day to bolt in at Canterbury on Friday night at her second start.
Midnight Blue has proven to be an astute purchase by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis, and the eight-year-old gelding is looking to continue to prove his worth in New Zealand.
Here is the full list of 32 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
A homebred for Bob and Sandra Peters sporting the fames cerise and white colours, progressive So You Think gelding Diamond Scene landed his first Black Type success at Ascot on Saturday when charging to the line to win the Listed WATC Luckygray Stakes (1800m).
The Listed VRC TAB Trophy (1800m) for three year-olds on Cup Day at Flemington drew a competitive field of up and comers with So You Think gelding Opening Address stamping himself as a bright prospect for the future with a stylish victory.
Midnight Blue was purchased by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $92,500 when offered by Bob Peters through Inglis Digital after finishing fifth in the 2023 Seymour Cup. Twelve months on Midnight Blue captured Sunday’s $200,000 Listed Bet 365 Seymour Cup (1600m).
The annual Coolmore stallion parades on Sunday drew a large gathering with a sprinkling of rain failing to dampen spirits as this power packed roster of truly outstanding sires was presented to breeders, owners and the racing fraternity with several leading trainers in attendance including Chris Waller, the trainer of exciting newcomer Shinzo.
He might be an old warrior in the Lindsay Park Racing team, but Gentleman Roy has plenty of life in his eight year-old legs and was tenacious all the way to the line to win the Group II MRC PB Lawrence Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
So You Think mare Mountain Top took a while to break her maiden, but was super impressive first up from a spell at Newcastle last month with her upward trajectory continued at Canterbury on Wednesday when she powered to another stylish win in the Benchmark 64 over 1550m.
It’s hard to believe this So You Think filly has taken so long to break her maiden, but the well-bred three year-old will end the season a winner after romping in at her first run back from a spell at Newcastle on Tuesday.
Eight days after slamming a field over 1400m at the Sunshine Coast, the talented 4-year-old So You Think gelding Punch Lane landed a massive betting plunge when dispatching a field of talented sprinter/milers over the same track and distance in the $300,000 Listed Tab Glasshouse Hcp (1400m).
The Group I Prix Jean Prat (1400m) at Deauville for three year-olds has been won in the past by the likes of Too Darn Hot, Pinatubo and Laws of Indices, who found his way to Australia, and this year’s winner Puchkine combines the blood of two stallions on the Coolmore Australia roster this spring.
So You Think doesn’t get a lot of debut two year-old winners, but he got one at Scone on Tuesday and the talented colt credited the new training partnership of John O’Shea and Tom Charlton with a winner from their first runner.
The Caulfield program on Saturday produced a number of progressive winners and one to really catch the eye was So You Think gelding Sure, who made it two wins in as many starts when he strode to an easy victory.
A homebred for Arcella Thoroughbreds, talented So You Think mare Banana Queen has been a favourite of the Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou stable working through her grades over the past three seasons before winning the Group III Tibbie Stakes at Newcastle last year to cap her appeal as a broodmare prospect.
Coolmore have announced their 2024 roster with 13 outstanding stallions and while perennial favourite Fastnet Rock has earned a well deserved retirement and boom young gun Justify (USA) will remain in Kentucky, there is still a wealth of talent and diversity on offer for Australian breeders seeking to produce their next champion with not one but two Golden Slipper winners in the mix.
Eight year-old So You Think gelding Think It Over has run his last race with his trainer Kerry Parker notifying stewards this morning that his stable star would be retired following consultation with his owner breeder Richard Johnston.
Breednet is the only place where you can see distance sire tables that highlight the merits of stallions according to the distance aptitude of their progeny which pits apples against apples rather than apples against oranges.