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Gooree Stud led the celebrations when imposing colt Good Standing won the $500,000 Ladbrokes Classic on Saturday’s Caulfield Cup program for his second Group success.
The Group 3 result was notable for Gooree as the winner, by Artie Schiller, races in their familiar red and black colours while the Mudgee-based farm is the owner and breeder of Arrowfield-based Smart Missile, sire of the runner-up Rocketeer.
Winner of the G1 Skyline Stakes last season, Good Standing (Artie Schiller x Elahi by Giant’s Causeway) is a Gooree Park homebred out one of their best Group One families.
Good Standing’s dam Elahi, who won three races up to 1900m and has produced two winners from as many foals to race, is a daughter of Gooree’s classic winner and dual G1 winner Tempest Morn (Thunder Gulch).
An SAJC Australasian Oaks winner, Tempest Morn has produced three winners from four foals to race and is a half-sister to six winners including the stakes winner Palm Beach Babe (Squill). The family also includes G2 winner Attention (Stratum).Good Standing’s sire Artie Schiller is enjoying a strong spring with his classy colt Flying Artie making a fine return to racing with his win in the G3 Blue Sapphire at Caulfield last Wednesday.
Good Standing and Flying Artie have now won a collective $1.5 million in prizemoney from 14 combined starts.Rocketeer’s second placing helped put Smart Missile back on top of the Australian second season sires' list after a run of good results on Saturday that included wins by his progeny in New Zealand, Victoria and Western Australia.
Rocketeer, out of Some Girls Do (More Than Ready), a winning half-sister to stakes winner Winter King, was a $150,000 yearling purchase for Moody Racing in 2015.The Mick Price-trained gelding has recorded four seconds - two in black type company - since his maiden win in August.
In New Zealand Smart Missile colt Cha Siu Bao followed up his impressive maiden success at Te Rapa last month with a three lengths win over 1400m at Ashburton for Hermitage Thoroughbreds and the stable of Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott.Cha Siu Bao, who was placed in both his starts as two-year-old, is heading for a start in next month’s G1 NZ 2000 Guineas at Riccarton.
A $425 yearling 000 purchase by Anton and Oliver Koolman, Australian-bred Cha Siu Bao is the fourth winner out of the multiple Group winner and G1 placed Ballet Society (Stravinsky), a half-sister to G1 winner Cent Home.At Bendigo Redgum Racing's colt Strela made an excellent winning debut, setting a new race and track record of 50.88 seconds for 900 metres.
Strela (Smart Missile x Humma Mumma by Bel Esprit) was a $120,000 yearling buy and is prepared by John Sadler.continued his excellent spring form when second to Good Standing in the $500,000 Caulfield Classic over 2000m.
Smart Missile's fruitful day ended at Ascot in Perth where his 3YO filly Royal Missile recorded her second win this season.Royal Missile is a half-sister to dual G1 winner Turffontein from Spirit of Grace (Dr Grace) and was knocked down as yearling for $240,000 to Aquanita Racing when offered in Melbourne.
Rocketeer, Strela and Royal Missile added almost $150,000 to Smart Missile's Australian earnings, taking him past Foxwedge to the head of the second crop sires list with 15 winners and eight stakes performers.
