Group race victories by a Snitzel juvenile and a 7YO daughter by Not A Single Doubt book-ended the 2018 Melbourne Cup meeting for the Arrowfield Stud sires at Flemington.
Snitzel filly Bella Rosa (Snitzel-Swiss Rose by Thorn Park) won the G3 Ottawa Stakes on debut in difficult conditions after heavy rain swept the course, becoming the 85th lifetime stakeswinner and 33rd juvenile stakeswinner by Arrowfield Stud’s two-time champion sire.
She showed speed and plenty of fight in a hard drive to the line, holding out Lankan Star and Champagne Boom, already a Listed winner.
Bella Rosa was bred and offered by Segenhoe Thoroughbreds, which retains a share in her ownership.
She was a 575,000 buy for co-trainer Ciaron Maher from the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale and is the third winner and first stakeswinner left by Listed winner Swiss Rose, herself a half-sister to the dual New Zealand Group winner Prom Queen.
“She's a cheap horse now," Maher said.
Bella Rosa’s grand dam is a half-sister to Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Catnipped.
Arrowfield sires have supplied both of the juvenile Group winners this spring from the Maher/Eustace team as the stable also won the G3 Breeders’ Plate winner Dubious, by Not A Single Doubt.
Cool Passion (Not A Single Doubt x Hiavanna by Mister C) from the Tony McEvoy stable won the G3 Northwood Plume Stakes in 2017 and added the G3 Maybe Mahal Stakes on Cup Day to her record.
Bred and initially raced by Perth-based Michael and Jill MacDermott, she made her debut as a 4YO and won eight of her first 15 starts before agent and pedigree analyst Jane Henning negotiated her sale to John and Anne McDonnell.
Tony McEvoy acknowledged her owners willingness to give Cool Passion another year of racing before sending her to stud.
“They just trusted me and gave the mare another chance and I’m so pleased for them. She’s a really good mare,” McEvoy said.
Cool Passion is Not A Single Doubt’s fifth stakeswinner this season, matching his performance at the same stage of 2017/18.
The Gerald Ryan-trained 3YO colt Legend Of Condor provided Not A Single Doubt with the other half of a Cup Day double when he scored a valuable second career win in the Flemington Fling over 1000 metres.
There was more success for Arrowfield Stud at Randwick when the regally-bred Nordicus recorded his maiden win at only his second career start.
Nordicus, trained by Bjorn Baker, is by another Arrowfield sire Dundeel from their former champion filly Miss Finland.
A $900,000 yearling purchase by for Boomer Bloodstock, Nordicus is a half-brother to Miss Finland’s G1 Thousand Guineas winner Stay With Me (Street Cry).
Bjorn Baker had a close involvement with the colt's sire through his father Murray, who trained six-time G1 winner Dundeel.
“He's a horse who is pretty close to my heart given the relationship with his sire,” said Baker.
"It's exciting. He's only going to get better the further he goes - he's a powerful customer.”
Champion New Zealand sire Savabeel added a new stakes winner when the 4YO entire Kaonic won the Listed Furphy Plate at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day.
Kaonic, who was purchased by top bloodstock agent Guy Mulcaster for $425,000 at the 2016 NZ Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale, improved his record to five wins and two placings from 12 starts for $311,175 in earnings.
Kaonic is out of the stakes-winning mare Fast Love (Fastnet Rock) and descends from the family of English Oaks and 1000 Guineas winner Midway Lady. He was bred by Lib Petagna’s JML Bloodstock Ltd.
Kaonic Photo by Steve Hart
Champion Victorian stallion Written Tycoon also had another stakes addition on Melbourne Cup day when his daughter Teleplay recorded a Listed win at Flemington.
The Mick Price-trained Teleplay (Written Tycoon-Special Episode, by Redoute's Choice) was purchased by Dynamic Syndications for $85,000 at the 2016 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale and has three wins and two placings from 6 starts for $168,450 in earnings.
She descends from her grand dam Episode, winner of the G1 Australasian Oaks and G1 South Australian Oaks winner and dam of G1 winner First Seal and G2 winner Book Of Kells.
Shuttle sire Medaglia d'Oro was represented by the impressive first time stakes winner Pohutukawa at Flemington.
Pohutukawa (Medaglia d'Oro-Lumina, by Redoute's Choice) recorded an impressive last-to-first win in the Listed Jim Beam Black Stakes (1400m) for 3YO fillies.
A homebred for Godolphin, Pohutukawa has won twice from four starts for trainer James Cummings.
Pohutukawa hails from a prolific stakes producing family that features Chinchilla Rose, Ferocity and Leone Chiara.
Pohutukawa Photo by Steve Hart
