A gallant Ceolwulf emphasised his versatility at the highest level when he overcame a heavy track at Flemington to claim top honours in the G1 Champions’ Mile at Flemington.

It was our homebred son of Tavistock’s second top-flight success, and fourth overall, on the bounce after triumphing on top of the ground in the G1 King Charles III Stakes at Randwick.

“I’ve thought for a long time that he’s the best horse I’ve ever trained and in his last two starts he’s cemented that position,” trainer Joseph Pride said.

“That was another fantastic win, very special, and he’s really turned it on in the second half of his preparation.”

Ceolwulf lobbed along in fourth spot before moving into contention early in the run home and, after being clearly headed, rallied strongly for his seventh career victory and took his earnings to nearly A$11 million.

“He jumped really well to put us in a more forward position and when the race heated up at the 600, he was still going well,” regular rider Chad Schofield said.

“He got a bit lost in the straight, but when he saw that other horse (Pericles) he was the strongest late.

“He’s top class and Joe has done an amazing job with him.”

We sold Ceolwulf through Sam and Hana Beatson’s Riversley Park draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Ready to Run Sale where he was purchased by Pride for $170,000.

His dam is the unraced Shamardal mare Las Brisas who we secured at the 2018 Tattersalls December are Sale for 50,000gns.

Pride also bought her daughter of Almanzor at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for A$260,000 and as Lupa Capitolina and she has showed promise in a brief career.

A half-sister to stakes winner Nantyglo, Las Brisas also has a yearling colt by Sword Of State and recently foaled a filly by Chaldean.

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Almanzor has made another memorable impact at the highest international level after his daughter Gezora doubled her Group 1 tally with victory in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf at Del Mar.

She was bred in France where our stallion son of the ill-fated Wootton Bassett stood at Haras d’Etreham before we secured full breeding rights in 2024 following six seasons of shuttle duty.

The G1 French Oaks heroine had finished out of the frame at her previous start in the G1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe and bounced back in dazzling style in California for trainer Francis Graffard and rider Mickael Barzalona.

It was a first Breeders’ Cup success for the Chantilly-based horseman and a second for Barzalona.

“What a perfect run and what a filly she is. She’s small but has the biggest heart of any I’ve ever trained. She’s amazing and gives us so much emotion,” Graffard told the Racing Post.

"It's a meeting I absolutely admire, and I really want to be competitive here. We'll keep trying, it's done now and we'll look for the next one."

It was also a landmark moment for Graffard, who recorded his 13th top-level win of the season, equalling the record for a French trainer set by Andre Fabre in 1992.

Barzalona had ridden stablemate Daryz to victory in the Arc and was reunited with Gezora at Del Mar after winning the G2 Prix Saint Alary on the three-year-old and finishing runner-up in the G1 Prix Vermeille.

“She’s a top-class filly. We got a good spot in the race, it never slowed down, and I had to ask her to go early, but she was very good to catch the one in front,” he said.

Gezora has been an outstanding international flagbearer for Almanzor with five wins from 10 appearances and was raced by Haras d’Etreham before she was purchased by Peter Brandt’s White Birch Farm after she had won two of her first four starts.

She is a daughter of the Silver Hawk mare Germance, who won five races including the Saint-Alary when it carried Group 1 status and also finished runner-up in the French Oaks.

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Check out the first New Zealand foals by our Gr.1 winning son of Frankel.