News

We are delighted to share that Probabeel welcomed a Snitzel filly into the world this week and both mum and foal are doing well post foaling.

‍

Well-performed Almanzor mare Qali Al Farrasha looks set for another lucrative campaign following her impressive return to racing at Ellerslie.The Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson representative was resuming over a distance well short of her best, but in a fresh state she exploded clear to coast home at the end of 1400 metres.Qali Al Farrasha measured up well against the best fillies last season when she ran third in the G1 New Zealand Oaks, off the back of a runner-up finish in the G3 Sunline Vase, to earn a crack at another top-flight title at Morphettville.“She went to Adelaide for the Australasian Oaks, drew the outside and things didn’t work out, but she spelled brilliantly at the farm where Deane Lowcay, our bloodstock manager, and the team there had her looking really good for when she came back into training,” Walker said.“We’ve just brought her along nice and slowly and since she’s turned in the coat she started to really do well, and Nicole Shailer had her looking in great order at the stables.“I think she’s in for an exciting preparation as a middle-distance mare that can win like that over 1400 metres first-up. There was a lot to like about the way she won and how well she’s developed.”She is raced by breeders Te Akau Stud, Nearco Stud and Westonlea Bloodstock and is a sister to the unbeaten Listed Welcome Stakes winner Nucleozor, who is now in Hong Kong.Their dam is the Burgundy mare Nucleonic, who has produced a pair of colts by Hello Youmzain in the last two seasons.

Patiently handled mare Jaarffi emphasised she is on target for higher honours with a hollow victory at Ellerslie.Our homebred daughter of Iffraaj had raced keenly before getting home late for sixth when resuming at Te Rapa a month ago and her racing manners were much improved on her way to a runaway second-up victory over 1200 metres.“We’ll look toward the G2 Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes on Counties Cup Day now, it’s a step up to weight-for-age, but the 1400 metres and a long straight will be spot on for her,” trainer Lance Noble said.Jaarffi sat toward the back of a small field at Ellerslie and, once into the clear, she showed an explosive turn of foot to quickly out the issue beyond doubt.“She’s relaxing better with more racing, but she has been a difficult mare and not the easiest to train,” Noble said.Jaarffi was sent out a less than even money favourite and connections were confident of the five-year-old justifying her market support.“Last time, she was very fresh and raced quite fiercely,” successful rider Warren Kennedy said.“We expected her to be heard to beat and when she got into clear air she won effortlessly, we had the race in the bag 250 metres from home.” Jaarffi is a half-sister to the multiple winner and stakes performer Crystal Fountain with their dam the late Redoute’s Choice mare Rose Of Tralee.She was a half-sister to the three-time Group 1 winner Serenade Rose with Trekking another multiple top-flight winner on the pedigree page.

El Castello crowned his unbeaten start to his three-year-old season with a sublime victory in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes.The Cambridge Stud-bred three-year-old posted a resuming maiden success last month before a midway win and then stepped up to black type company to land top honours in the G3 Gloaming Stakes.The son of Castelvecchio had no trouble bridging the gap to the highest level in the 2000 metre age group feature at Randwick in the hands of regular rider Josh Parr.“He’s just a very good horse and the preparation went perfectly, everything worked out and I still think he improves again,” trainer Anthony Cummings said.El Castello was quickly into stride to lope along near the pace and held a strong gallop to the post after striking the front 250 metres from home.“He switched off in the middle stages and he’s always up for the challenge,” said Cummings, who is now considering a tilt at the G1 VRC Derby.“We’ve got to get him home and make sure that he’s okay and tick a fair few boxes before we do that, but that is the plan.” The Randwick horseman purchased El Castello out of our draft at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for A$220,000 with his dam the Fastnet Rock mare Word Games.She is a half-sister to Fiveandahalfstar, who Cummings prepared to claim top-flight titles in the BMW Stakes and the VRC Derby and also trained his sire Hotel Grand to win the Spring Champion and the G1 Randwick Guineas.Word Games produced a half-sister by Almanzor to El Castello last season and recently produced another filly by our son of Wootton Bassett before visiting Chaldean.

The only surprise about Victory Command’s breakthrough victory at Eagle Farm was that it hadn’t come much sooner.The Barry Lockwood-trained four-year-old son of Pierro had placed in nine of his previous 11 appearances, including a frustrating four runner-up finishes.However, good things come to those who wait, and the connections of our homebred and former high-priced yearling were able to enjoy an overdue celebration after the gelding saluted over 1800 metres.“We got a little bit further back than anticipated, I gave him the best ride I could and the best horse won,” successful apprentice Cody Collis said.They were tardily away to settle back on the fence before picking up ground cross the top and they finished best in the run home.Victory Command is out of the English-bred Makfi mare Subatomic and was secured out of our draft at New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for $850,000 by Queensland’s KPW Bloodstock.The dam is a half-sister to international stakes winners Worldly, Nice Danon and Donativum and her unraced Savabeel colt was purchased at Karaka last year by Chad Ormsby’s Riverrock Farm for $140,000.Karson Choi, of Hong Kong, bought Subatomic’s colt by Hello Youmzain for $120,000 at Karaka earlier this year and the mare is due to foal to Almanzor.

Gezora has displayed an admirable mix of talent and versatility during her brief career, which has now been significantly complimented by a stakes-winning strike.Bred and raced by our friends at Haras d’Etreham, the daughter of Almanzor finished fourth on debut before breaking her maiden next time out over 1800 metres for trainer Nicolas Le Roch.The filly then finished runner-up on top of the ground in the G3 Prix de Conde over the same trip at Chantilly before going one better over a mile on heavy going in the G3 Prix des Reservoirs at Deauville.�The major question mark was how she would handle very soft ground because she only works on sand tracks at home, and she only ever gets on the grass when she goes to the races,� Le Roch said.�She has shown herself to be a very good filly on good going and ground with a little ease in it, so it's great that she handled this so well. “She just has a lot of quality, and she thoroughly deserves a break now.�Gezora is a daughter of the American-bred Silver Hawk mare Germance, whose record features a victory in the G1 Prix Saint-Alary and was second in the G1 French Oaks.

Progressive Almanzor mare Alma Rise added to her record at Moe with a determined second-up performance.The Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained four-year-old was runner-at at Sandown over 1800 metres when opening her spring campaign and the rise to a middle distance proved ideal for the promising stayer.It was her second win from five starts and her three runner-up finishes also includes a second in last season’s Listed VRC St Leger.“She has been very consistent and has always put in a very good performance,” stable representative Will Holmes said.“She has still got a bit of maturing to do so she can go a lot further.”Alma Rise settled three back off the fence before improving wide across the top and she finished stoutly under Luke Nolen to get in the deciding stride in a driving finish.She is raced by her breeder Ed Calvert and is a daughter of the Bertolini mare Fashion Black, who was successful on six occasions. Fashion Black is a half-sister to the dual Group 1 winner and sire Xtravagant whose brother He’s Remarkable was a Group 3 winner and placed at the elite level.

First Dance capped off the excellent start she has made to her career with a dashing victory at Ellerslie.Our progressive daughter of Zousain had finished a debut fifth at Ruakaka before running second on the all-weather track at Cambridge and went one better in fine style over 1200 metres.Trained at Karaka by Lance Noble, the three-year-old settled midfield on the outer for rider Warren Kennedy before picking up ground across the top.First Dance lengthened stride impressively when asked for a serious effort to trounce her older rivals by 1.3l.She was bred by Whakanui Stud and we went to $280,000 to secure her out of Haunui Farm’s draft at last year’s New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.Her dam is the Snitzel mare Shadow Dancer who is from the family of the three-time Group 1 winner Sea Siren, whose daughter Warm Heart also claimed a hat-trick of elite titles, and the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner Ruthless Dame.

Athabascan confirmed he was on target for a crack at the G1 Melbourne Cup when he produced a superior staying performance to return to winning form at Randwick.The John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained son of Almanzor was trimmed to $26 for the Flemington feature following his victory in the G3 St Leger Stakes over 2600 metres.“That (the Cup) has been on our agenda all season, we just needed a positive run to get him back in the game,” O’Shea said.“I think he drops five or six kilos into the Cup and he’ll run a very good race because he’s a good two-miler. We look forward to the first Tuesday in November.”The French-bred six-year-old lobbed along in fourth spot away from the fence before improving wide across the top and he held a sustained gallop to score.Athabascan began his career in France with champion trainer Andre Fabre and was a maiden winner over 2000 metres before placing at stakes level and was subsequently purchased by OTI Racing.He is a half-brother to the G1 Tancred Stakes winner Arapaho with their dam the Dansili mare Alzubra, whose five victories featured the Listed Prix Dahlia.Athabascan has now won on four occasions with previous successes including the G3 Colin Stephen Handicap and the Listed Tattersalls Club Cup and was runner-up in last season’s G1 Sydney Cup.