Did we need any further proof of the merit of USA mares following last week’s story?
For those that did, we certainly got it when six year-old Zabeel gelding Maldivian led his rivals a merry dance to win the Group One MVRC W.S Cox Plate at Moonee Valley last Saturday, the powerhouse son of Zabeel bred in New Zealand by Cambridge Stud from the Danzig mare Shynzi (USA).
Of the 15 Group One races run so far in Australia this season six (some 40%) have been won by horses from USA mares.
A further three have been won by horses from imported mares from other countries meaning 60% of the Australian Group One winners up to October 25 have an international connection on their maternal side.
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Street Cry – From Aussie Dud to International Stud
This weekend outstanding three year-old Whobegotyou will attempt to add the Group One VRC Victoria Derby to his already impressive resume just a week after his paternal half-sister Zenyatta captured the Group One Breeders Cup Ladies Classic at Santa Anita – their sire Street Cry (IRE) shuttled to Darley Australia for just four seasons and his legacy is something that may serve our industry well in the future.
"On the whole it seemed breeders were unsure what to make of the son of Machiavellian..."
"His low-key start in Australia contrasted dramatically with his debut season in the North America..."
At $1.5 million the Group One VRC Victoria Derby might be worth three times as much as the Group One VRC Coolmore Ascot Vale Stakes, but the latter is the race every trainer of a colt would like to win.
Since its upgrade to Group One status two years ago, the Ascot Vale has been won by a champion filly in Gold Edition and a champion gelding in Weekend Hussler, so it’s potential as a sire-making race in it’s current format is yet to be realised, but that could all change this Saturday.
1/Cox Plate winner Maldivian was bred in New Zealand at Cambridge Stud. At which Sale was he purchased by Mark Kavanagh for $190,000 – Inglis, NZB or Magic Millions?
2/ Whobegotyou’s sire Street Cry (IRE) had a Group One winner at the Breeders Cup meeting at Santa Anita last weekend, what is it’s name?
3/ Which 1987 winner of the Cox Plate was represented as a sire by a stakes-winner on Cox Plate day this year?
4/Breeders Cup Classic winner Raven’s Pass is by which Darley based shuttle sire currently in Australia?
5/ If Whobegotyou wins the Victoria Derby on Saturday, he will have dominated the Melbourne spring three year-old events having also won the Stutt Stakes, Caulfield Guineas and AAMI Vase. Who is the last colt to achieve the feat?
