A front-running masterpiece by Damien Oliver paved the way for Lord of The Sky to burst back into the winners stall in Saturday's Group III Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Looking a picture in the paddock before the race, Lord Of The Sky travelled sweetly in front. Oliver gradually increased the tempo and the 5yo son of Danerich kept up a relentless gallop to defeat Fast 'N' Rocking (Fastnet Rock)) by one and
half lengths with Mahuta (Flying Spur) a further one and quarter lengths back in third to complete a sweep by sons of Danehill. (photo Grant Courtney)
The victory took the earnings of Lord of The Sky to over $1 million from a record of 6 wins and 5 seconds from 24 starts.
Trainer Robbie Laing said he was confident the 5yo entire would be hard to beat.
"I thought he had improved a lot, he was second up and went into the first race without a trial," Laing said.
"I said to Ollie we'll know pretty quick if he's going to win - if he bounces and they sit off him they won't get near him."
"Last year we raced him over summer - he was second in the Standish and Christmas Handicap with 60kgs, was fourth to Brazen Beau in the Newmarket, beaten an inch by Chautauqua in the Group I (TJ Smith Stakes), second in the Goodwood, had any of those been wins he would have been at stud now.
"He suffered a terrible tendon injury in this race last year so he's got up off the canvas.
"I'd love to have a crack at a 1400 metre weight-for-age race and ride him the same way. We'll look at the PB Lawrence or the Memsie."
"The ingredients of breeding fast horses in Australia is to send them to the fastest stallions. There's not a stallion in Australia that can go with him if you let him run but we haven't got a home for him yet," Laing said.
The Bletchingly Stakes was the second black-type victory for Lord Of The Sky and it came just over two years after his first, the Group III Sir John Monash Stakes on the same track.
Bred by his trainer, Lord of The Sky is the first named foal of the tough mare Princess
Abassi who was one of just two named foals from the second crop of the unheralded Bletchingly stallion
Abassi.
Princess
Abassi started 43 times for 5 wins and 7 placings despite descending from a family devoid of stakes winners for many generations.
Princess
Abassi has a 2yo brother to Lord Of The Sky named
Zanahary and a weanling colt also by Danerich.
She has a colt foal by Turffontein and was bred back to that stallion last spring.
Standing at Rangal Park Stud, Danerich covered 45 mares last spring at a fee of $7,700.