Winners, winners everywhere!
Plenty of future Arrowfield winners here, for sure! Bronwen Healy captured this striking sunset image at Arrowfield. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
What began 35 years ago as Sydney stockbroker John Messara’s personal passion for horse-racing now has an impact around the world, most weeks of the season.
That was very evident this weekend when Arrowfield-connected victories popped up across Australia, in England, Japan & Singapore.
Sheikh Hamdan’s splendid Redoute’s Choice mare Enbihaar (ex Chanterelle by Trempelino) opened proceedings when she kept up a strong gallop to take out the £100,000 Lonsdale Cup G2 on the third day of the Yorkshire Ebor Festival.
It’s the fifth Group 2 win of Enbihaar’s career and boosts her status as the leading earner among the 10 stakeswinners from the 104 runners in the two crops conceived by Redoute’s Choice at Haras de Bonneval.
A cracking performance from ENBIHAAR who gets up to land the @weatherbysltd Hamilton Lonsdale Cup Stakes in the hands of the very successful Jim Crowley and trained by John Gosden at @yorkracecourse 🚀👏 pic.twitter.com/O8tlD1nmr2
— Champions Series (@ChampionsSeries) August 21, 2020
Redoute’s Choice struck again on Saturday in Australia when Arrowfield graduate Shojiki won sweetly on debut at Morphettville. The daughter of Sacred Witness (by El Moxie), from the family of Hong Kong champion Silent Witness, was a $150,000 buy from the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale for trainer Phillip Stokes & Worldwide Bloodstock.
Another pair of 3YO Arrowfield graduates, debutant Lord Olympus (half-brother of Group 2 winner Time For War and the last foal of Lady Zabelia, by Olympic Glory) and Count De Rupee (Real Impact-Timeless Choice) quinella-ed the 900-metre maiden at Newcastle.
Timeless Choice, a full sister to Horse of the Year Lankan Rupee, foals to Dundeel and visits Written Tycoon this Spring.
Three races later at Newcastle, Arrowfield Inglis Easter graduate Absolute Legend (Not A Single Doubt-My Prerogative) won his second start for Les Bridge, and at Doomben Snitzel’s son Chauffeur made a winning debut for his new trainer David Vandyke.
In Japan, Meikei Yell (by Mikki Isle) & Pegasus Wing (by Maurice) ran 1-2 in a juvenile first-starters contest at Kokura. The global pandemic has kept both stallions at home this year while their first Australian 2YOs head towards the track.
2yo filly 1. MEIKEI YELL (Mikki Isle x Shiroinger (Harbinger)) won the 1200m 2yo Newcomers at Kokura impressively.
Mikki Isle now has a 2yo winner on Turf and Dirt in his first season.
Shiroinger’s dam Yukichan is a 1/2 to Buchiko.pic.twitter.com/ZOnPSbgwrF
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) August 22, 2020
On Sunday, Maurice posted his sixth first-crop Japanese winner when the Northern Farm-bred colt Ludovicus (ex Peach Blow Fizz by Symboli Kris S) made all the running to score over 1800 metres on debut at Niigata.
Two hours later Maurice’s son Kaiser Nova, who won his first start in July before running fifth in Group 3 company, notched up his second win, this time over 1500 metres, in a style reminiscent of his sensational sire.
Maurice sires his first 2yo Open Grade winner:
2c 13. KAISER NOVA (Maurice x Stellar Lead (Special Week)) under Ryusei Sakai won the 1500m Clover Sho (2yo Open) at Sapporo.
Trained by Yoshito Yahagi for Hiroo Race.#Maurice pic.twitter.com/z6qasdK1qE
— Graham Pavey (@LongBallToNoOne) August 23, 2020
Maurice now leads Duramente on Japan’s First Season Sires’ list with ¥104.6 million (~A$1.3 million).
Arrowfield also enjoyed graduate success in Japan when the Magic Millions-sold 3YO Legal Battle (Smart Missile-Pyrography by Danzero) started a warm favourite over 1600 metres at Niigata on Saturday and duly won for Mrs Kazumi Yoshida.
As it happens, Pure Deal (Dundeel-Elegant Attire) a $90,000 yearling from the same draft broke his maiden at the Sunshine Coast on Sunday for trainer Bevan Laming.
It was four-time Champion Sire Snitzel who wound up Arrowfield’s weekend when The Mareeba Mango (out of Moon Is Up by Woodman from Miesque) scored a dominant 4-length maiden win in Singapore for the Lee Freedman stable and a group of Australian owners. The 4YO gelding looks capable of becoming Snitzel’s second stakeswinner there after Snitzel Spirit, who won the 2015 Causeway Classic LR for Lee’s younger brother Michael.
