SWEET WIN FOR BEL ESPRIT’S 14TH

Quick, hand me those angina pills! Honey Flower has lobbed in an absolute thriller at Flemington today, holding out the fast finishing Dystopia in the Listed GH Mumm Stakes (1100m) … one of the most exciting races thus far for carnivale 2012.

What a fighter! Despite racing erratically (according to jockey Glenn Boss), she fought on strongly to grab the verdict by the shortest of margins and, in the process, became Bel Esprit’s 14 stakes winner.

A home bred for the McDonalds (trainers Ross and Clinton and breeder, Marg), Honey Flower was originally going to be called GI Jane, because – so says Ross – “she’s a tough bitch like that one in the movie”.

How she ended up with Honey Flower is anyone’s guess but what isn’t up to conjecture is her breeding: a daughter of the Picnicker mare Ocran (winner of 10), she’s out of a three quarter sister to Moonee Valley stakes winner Mondano and hails from the family of Stage Hit, Indian Raj, Pillaging, Sir Laurence and co.

Honey Flower - photo courtesy of Bronwen Healy

MAGNUS-FEST

ASTRONOMER’S LASS

You probably don’t need to check your stars to ascertain whether Danzig’s Classic winner, Astronomer Royal (below), is going to make it.

With his first Australian crop making good money at 2012 yearling sales (selling up to $260,000) and finding their way to leading stables, the first signs appeared earlier this week with the trial victory of Cuban Lass.

Hailing from the stakes placed Hemingway mare, Cuban Girl, Cuban Lass is trained by Robert Davies and was bred in NSW by SF Bloodstock.

Shuttling from France, Astronomer Royal has been represented in Europe thus far by promising youngster, Sir Patrick Moore, who has won on both sides of the Channel.

DANERICH IS FLYING

Congrats to Danerich on producing his third stakes winner in the shape of Flying Skipper who grabbed the verdict in the Myer Spring Fashion Stakes yesterday.

Not a bad stage to bring up No. 3 … Flemington on Oaks Day.

Danerich (below), who stands at Rangal Park in conjunction with Eliza Park, is also the sire of Heaven’s Riches and Classy Chloe and his oldest progeny are just 4YOs.

PUTYOURFAITHINME – YOU BETCHA!

Bred in Victoria, sent to New Zealand and now racing in Queensland, Putyourfaithinme lived right up to her moniker with a commanding victory over 1810m at Eagle Farm yesterday.

The Peter Paul Jenkins trained galloper led for most of the journey before pulling away to a 2.3 length victory at the Farm – her first victory since moving back across the Tasman in May.

However, in six runs in the sunshine state, she’s only been out the money on one occasion and the breakthrough win yesterday augurs well for future campaigns.

Putyourfaithinme is out of the Grosvenor mare, Highgrove Lass, a three quarter sister to Group One winner Unearthly, dam of another Group One winner in Invest.

God’s Own is something of a quiet achiever but his disciples have relished the recent wins of Almighty Bullet and Maker’s Marque (3 November) and Zagenza (4 November), along with the brilliant second by Thunder Rain in the Listed Lexus Hybrid over 1400m at Flemington on Cup Day … after leading throughout, the filly just got pipped on the line and clearly has a promising future.

$10 MILLION MARE

Million dollar mares were the order of the day at the 2012 Fasig-Tipton November Sale in Kentucky, highlighted by champion racemare Havre de Grace (below), who fetched a whopping $10million.

A multiple Group I winner of $2.5 million in prizemoney, Havre de Grace, was the champion older mare of 2011 and was always expected star at this sale and created some major fireworks when she was sold to a final bid of $10 million from Mandy Pope of Whisper Hill Farm.

Hailing from the only crop by the ill-fated 2005 Horse of the Year Saint Liam, 5YO Havre de Grace was consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent as Hip No. 76 for Rick Porter's Fox Hill Farm, which raced the mare throughout her stellar career.

“She was absolutely gorgeous – there’s nothing more to say...she’s beautiful,” said an emotional Pope after signing the ticket for the champion mare. “You look at her and she's everything a racehorse should be, and she has a wonderful attitude...she’s the epitome of what we’re all trying to breed as far as conformation and racing ability. Hopefully she’ll pass that on to her foals.”

The sale makes Havre de Grace the third most expensive mare ever sold in the US behind Better Than Honour, who made $14 million in 2008 and Playful Act, who made $10.5 million in 2007.

- Breednet

INSIDE NATURE'S GIANTS

This was evidently on SBS a few weeks back. Our thanks to Justine Phelan for sending through the link.