THE PHOENICIAN IS A PEACH

Peter Gelagotis’ 4YO, The Phoenician is poised to join a select club of Bel Esprits who have won over a distance after taking out the JP Slattery Handicap over 1711m at Sale today (6 June).
Only four Bel Esprit progeny have won over 1800m or longer – Superior Shadow, Spirit of Caplan, Bel Estar and Ring my Bel – and based on his performance at Sale, The Phoenician appears more than capable of winning more over longer trips.
While Peter didn’t have much luck with the Bel Esprit colt – Belgietto – at Flemington on Saturday after he missed the start, The Phoenician went some of the way to squaring the ledger on a heavy track at Sale: his second career victory.
The Phoenician is a sibling to four other winners (from as many to race) and his a full relation to the stakes placed WA sprinter, Peach Tree, who won two in town during March and April and went within a whisker of becoming Bel Esprit’s 10th stakeswinner when second in the Matchmaker-LR at Ascot.
Bred by Barree Stud and out of the Naturalism mare, Georgia (a half sister to Melbourne Group winner Painted Ocean), The Phoenician is part owned by Kevin Sheedy (above right).

CLANGALANG BANGS ANOTHER WIN

Darren Weir (right) always seems to find a good horse and, while Clang And Bang still has a way to go before reaching the top shelf, the 3YO colt definitely appears a promising type.
Stepping out in the Stateplan Business Finance Brokers Class 1 Handicap over 1400m at Ballarat today (6 June), Clang And Bang notched up his second win on the trot, scoring comfortably from favourite Dear Prudence.
Clang And Bang was successful over the same trip on 27 May and now has two wins and four placings from eight starts.
Bred by Riversdale Stud, Clang And Bang is by Clangalang out of the Greig mare, Musical Choice, in turn a granddaughter of Champion mare, Dual Choice.

DELAGO’S STARS

Delago Brom came agonisingly close to recording his first Australian Group One victory with the bold effort of Paddy Payne’s Danaupair Starlet (above) in the $400,000 Treasury Casino Queensland Oaks on Saturday (5 June) when the Otto Hoffelner owned and bred filly ran a solid third behind Miss Keepsake.
Danaupair Starlet had previously won the Sportingbet SA Fillies Classic-G3 at Morphettville in April after being stakes placed in Tasmania in February, so the fillies’ ‘constitution’ is quite something.
But while Danaupair Starlet (below) fell short, Delago Brom did piece together three wins in two days with Little Pablo scoring at Echuca on Friday, followed by a double to Condelago (Morphettville) and Ina de Lemma (Kilmore) on Saturday.
Trained by Allan Fitzgerald, Little Pablo is out of the Canny Lad mare Pansy and was making his debut at Echuca after trialling twice. Bred by Ballamara Park in NSW, Little Pablo is from the family of Breeders’ Cup Sprint-G1 winner Sheikh Albadou.
Meanwhile, the niftily named, Ina de Lemma (out of the Last Tycoon mare Tycoon Emma) recorded her debut victory at Kilmore in scoring a hard fought win over 1607m on a heavy track.
Bred by K Biggins, FE Sands and F Sands, Ina de Lemma is trained by Tom Hughes, whose father Tommy put the spit and polish on Delago Brom throughout his illustrious career.
However, the big news of the day – almost outweighing Danaupair Starlet’s performance in Brisbane – was the victory of Condelago at Morphettville.
This is some 2YO. Condelago has now raced on four occasions for three wins (on the trot) and seemed to do everything right this time around after finding trouble in running at his previous two outings.
Bred in South Australia by the Mittigas and Blythmans, Condelago was sold through Eliza Park’s Melbourne Premier draft for $50,000.
Out of the Kenny’s Best Pal mare, Concluding, Condelago (below) is a half brother to 4-time stakes winner Moment In Time and Clangalang’s city winner Quid Pro Quo and is closely related to Sandown Cup-G2 winner Conbituate Lady.
Keep your eye out for this bloke!

SATURDAY TREBLE FOR BEL

It’s been a busy few days for Bel Esprit progeny with Victoria’s Champion Sire notching up a ‘north end’ treble on Saturday (5 June) and a win on Friday at Echuca with Fifth Elephant.
Firstly to Echuca where Brian Donohoe asks the question what happened to the first four elephants after Fifth Elephant ran more like a gazelle than his namesake, taking out the Brandrick Architect Fillies & Mares Maiden Plate over 1000m by 5.5 lengths.
Out of the Danehill mare Conte Partiro, second starter Fifth Elephant was bred (and is owned) by CE Holt and trained by Peter Moody who also used to put the polish on the well bred San Mateo, out of the Lord Seymour mare, Zippast, dam of seven winners including 2YO stakes winner Firenza.
San Mateo, now in the hands of Shane Iverson, proved too nifty at the Queensland track of Tambo – around 864kms from Brisbane – winning at unbackable odds.
Meanwhile, some 3,378kms west of Tambo, Bel Esprit No. 2 led the way with an easy three length frolic at Broome.
Ibsen – by winning over 1100m in WA’s famous coastal port – notched up his fourth career victory, having raced successfully in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.
The most notable win on Saturday, however, was that of Aranda, who registered a terrific win for Stephen Gray in Singapore. Singapore Turf Club’s Craig Brennan takes up the story:
A multitude of gear changes paved the way for Aranda breaking back into winning form in the $55,000 Class 4 Div. 3 Stakes over 1400m at Kranji.
Following his last start on 7 May, trainer Stephen Gray elected to remove the blinkers, tongue tie and special bit from Aranda’s raceday gear.
Going to the front from the outset, Aranda (below), ridden by Vlad Duric, held on to score over Monterey with Santana third.
Following his last start fourth, Aranda was sent back to the barrier trials after playing up at the start and it was then that Gray decided to remove all the gelding’s gear.
“He can be a bit of a handful at the barriers, so we just took all the gear off,” said Gray. “He was nice and quiet and Vlad suggested we leave him without the gear again this time.
“He possibly should have won last time except for playing up at the start, but he was nice and relaxed in front today and hung on bravely for a good win.”
A 4YO Australian-bred, Aranda is by Bel Esprit from the Centro mare Orchid Lady and has now won three of his 15 starts for Northwest Racing, amassing around $125,000 in prizemoney.

FOUR STATUE WINNERS IN A DAY

Red letter day for Statue of Liberty (below) on 3 June with four winners from just five starters.
Following on from the victory of 2YO filly, Miss Liberty at Maisons-Laffitte on Wednesday – her second from three outings – Statue of Liberty was represented by just five runners on Thursday: two at Fountainbleu in France, two at Jagersro in Sweden and one at Tipperary in Ireland.
Ranging in distances from 1200m to 16 furlongs (3200m), both French runners – Acqualinda (from Montjeu mare Acqualina Beauty) and Blagueuse (from Wolfhound mare Bright Sky) – were successful, while his Swedish pair – Fast Feet (from the Langfuhr mare Landowska) and State of Freedom (Chief’s Crown mare Mazarine Blue) – ran first and second respectively.
The really interesting runner on the day though was the Irish horse, Steps To Freedom, a 4YO having his first start over 3200m, who duly won by six lengths, defeating a High Chaparral horse in Hired Hand.
Steps To Freedom is from the Sadler’s Wells mare Dhakhirah – an unraced half sister to 2000 Guineas-G1 winner King of Kings (who stood six seasons in Australia and produced Group One winners Ike’s Dream and King’s Chapel) and smart sprinter General Monash.

CLANGLANG – MONEY IN THE BANK

Clangalang 4YO, Soviet Banker, is building himself a tidy record out west with another handy performance at Northam on Thursday (3 June).
Stepping out over 1100m, Soviet Banker held on gamely for a third career victory from 14 outings and second win from his last three outings.
Bred by Goulburn Ovens TAFE, Soviet Banker is out of the Star Way mare, Kanava and is closely related to South Australian 2YO stakes winner Wolverton Mountain.
It was an interesting quinella with Soviet Banker edging out Philby in the shadows of the post.
Spy thriller buffs will remember the English MI6 agent, Kim Philby (above right), who famously defected to the Soviet Union.

MAGNUS’ MAGIC START

Magnus (below) is used to making a splash. The pre-eminent sprinting entire of his day, Magnus competed at the highest level throughout his career, notching up victories in the Galaxy and Age Classic (now Group One) and competing with distinction in Australia, the UK and Singapore.
Not surprisingly, when the bred-in-the-purple son of Flying Spur was retired to stud in 2008 he attracted a quality book of mares: the results of which first went on display at the Great Southern Weanling Sale at Oaklands Junction and again at the Gold Coast Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
Nine of his weanlings were offered at the Great Southern and, selling up to $55,000, Magnus came away with the leading average for a first season sire.
Leading the way was the filly from Rory’s Jester mare Tendency, a half sister to Bel Esprit winner Belle Society, who was knocked down to Bulla Thoroughbreds for $55,000, while in the first hour of the sale, Belmont Bloodstock Agency snapped up another lovely Magnus filly – this one a half sister to Adelaide Cup winner Lacey Underall from the Bluebird mare, Flirted – for $42,500.
On the Coast, leading agent Paul Beamish picked up two Magnus colts: the first a half brother to two winners from a daughter of 5-time stakes winner Reno Belle ($40,000), while the classy chestnut out of the imported mare Miss Rangoon fetched $67,500.