3 minute read

Testa Rossa; Purrealist; Snitzel; Street Cry; Choisir; Stratum; Fastnet Rock

* TESTA Rossa’s Scone Cup winner Speediness returned with another black type victory in Saturday’s G3 Bobbie Lewis Quality at Flemington.

Speediness maintained his excellent winning strike rate with his seventh success from 22 starts.

His spring aims are the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes, G1 Toorak Handicap and the G2 Crystal Mile.

A bargain $18,000 purchase at the 2009 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Speediness (Testa Rossa x Fine Glass by Flying Spur) has now won $573,622 in prize money and is one of Testa Rossa’s 46 stakes winners.

Bred on a 3 X 4 cross of Danzig, he is the final foal produced by the unraced Flying Spur (Danehill) mare Fine Glass.

She is also the dam of the stakes placed De Fine Lago (Delago Brom) and is a half-sister to the stakes placed Smidgin (Snippets), dam of the South African G2 winner Il Saggiatore (Galileo).

* THERE is a big spring awaiting Purrealist four-year-old Hawkspur after his impressive win in the G2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.

Having only his second run since winning the G1 Queensland Derby in June, Hawkspur showed an excellent turn of foot to win by an impressive three and a quarter lengths.

Trainer Chris Waller said he is on a Cups campaign and may now head to Melbourne for the G1 Underwood Stakes.

Hawkspur (Purrealist x Mollyhawk by Catbird) was bred by owner David Puglisi out of the lightly raced city placed mare Mollyhawk.

A descendant of acclaimed matriarch Eulogy (Cicero), Mollyhawk is a daughter of the Listed winner Exceptional Angel (Turf Ruler).

He has now won seven of his 20 starts and $766,380 prize money.

* SNITZELS classy son Malavio put up a career-best performance to claim the G3 Tramway Stakes over a field of G1 winners in record time at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Steve Englebrecht will set Malavio for the G1 Epsom Handicap at Randwick on October 6 via the Listed Bill Ritchie at Randwick on September 21.

A homebred for owner Ottavo Galletta, Malavio has won nine races from 21 starts for earnings of more than $400,000.

His dam Win Here Win There (Dehere) is a daughter of the speedy dual Listed winner Our Fiction (Zoffany) from the family of two time G1 winner True Version (Bletchingly).

She has a yearling filly by Snitzel and is due to foal again to him next month.

Malavio, who clocked a race record time of 1.21.37 in the Tramway, recorded a Listed double last season in the Civic Stakes and Festival Stakes.

From Snitzel's second crop, he was among his sire's tally of 18 stakes performers last season.Snitzel, who now has 15 stakeswinners including 10 at Group level, is covering his eighth book at Arrowfield.

His fee has risen to $49,500 (inc gst) this year after his yearlings averaged $335,000 from 10 lots sold at the 2013 Inglis Easter yearling sale.

* HIGH class Street Cry three-year-old Long John claimed his second stakes victory in the Listed Henry Bucks Stakes at Flemington on Saturday.

A winner of all three starts in his first preparation, including the Listed Anzac Day Stakes at Flemington, Long John was beaten for the first time first-up from a spell at Moonee Valley when third in the Listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes.

He is the sixth foal to race out of the city-winning Night Shift mare Hosiery, a half-sister to Hong Kong G1 winner Perfect Partner.

Long John is a half-brother to two-year-old stakes winner Ribald and is the second Street Cry stakes horse out of a Night Shift mare from only six runners bred on the cross.

Street Cry is the sire of 13 G1 winners including multiple G1-winning sprinter Street Boss and Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense, both of whom have produced G1 winners of their own at Saratoga in recent weeks.

* PERTH sprinter Kalahaar gave his sire Choisir his 54th stakes winner when he brought the winning sequence of Settle Strada to an end at Belmont on Saturday.

Settle Strada was shooting for his fifth consecutive stakes win but had his winning run brought to an end by Kalahaar (Choisir x Kalatiara, by Metal Storm) in the Listed Farnley Stakes.

Prepared by Steve Wolfe, Kalahaar was a $120,000 Magic Millions purchase and has won seven races and placed six times from 17 starts earning $$327,925 prizemoney.

Kalahaar is the best of four winners from G2 West Australian Guineas winner Kalatiara, a full sister to stakes-winner Kentiara by former leading WA sire Metal Storm.

Kalatiara is due to foal again to Choisir this spring .

* STRATUM had a good day on Saturday with Randwick winner Gangster’s Choice and a second from Weinholdt in the Listed Henry Bucks Stakes at Flemington.

A $100,000 purchase for Vin Cox Bloodstock from the 2009 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, the John O’Shea trained Gangster’s Choice appreciated a return to a dry track.

Gangster’s Choice has the handy record of six wins and six placings from 23 starts seconds with prizemoney topping $250,000.

Gangster’s Choice is the first winner for Brave Choice, a half-sister to GI winner Brave Prince and stakes-winner Valourina, dam of G2 winners Media and Timbourina.

The Peter Moody trained Weinholdt is was second to Long John taking his prizemoney haul over the $100,000 mark

*FASTNET Rock mare Impetuous ran up to her early potential to win the Listed Mona Lisa Stakes at Wyong on September 6 and become the 47th stakeswinner for her champion sire.

Having her first run back from a spell, the Clarry Conners trained mare now has the overall record of three wins from 11 starts with prizemoney topping $124,000.

A $600,000 Inglis Easter purchase by James Harron/De Burgh Equine on behalf of Dr Edmund Bateman, Impetuous was the equal most expensive filly by Fastnet Rock sold in 2011.

She was bred by Fig Tree Thoroughbreds and is the first foal of stakes-placed Rash Promise, a half-sister to GI winner Demerger from the family of champion filly Triscay.

Fastnet Rock is Australia’s most expensive stallion this year standing at Coolmore at a fee of $275,000.