Interstate Stakes Double For Australian Bloodstock

Mark Smith - Sunday April 21

One horse sourced from Germany and another from Japan assured Australian Bloodstock of another successful weekend with an interstate stakes double.

The German-bred Plein Ciel (GER) is building a formidable strike rate and he was rewarded with his maiden stakes win in Saturday's Group III Easter Cup (2000m) at Caulfield.

It was his first win in four starts for Anthony Freedman after his transfer from Darren Weir.

Ridden by Craig Williams, Plein Ciel (GER) defeated Furrion (GB) (Camelot) by a length with Morton's Fork (Ad Valorem) a long-neck away third. (image Grant Courtney)


"He would get quite hot at the races but he's started to settle down each run and today was the best he's presented I thought," Freedman told AAP.

"He's worked it all out now, so we'll see where that leads us.

"I think he's running out of races in Melbourne and I don't think there's a lot for him in Adelaide, so it's probably Brisbane or a rest and we'll make a call on that in a week or so.

"He's a good honest horse that was in his right grade today. All his runs have been good and I thought he was ready for the 2000 metres."

Runner-up in his two starts in Germany, Plein Ciel (GER) advanced his record to 7 wins, 2 seconds and 4 thirds from 16 starts with earnings of $372,231.

He becomes the eighth stakes-winner for Lucas Cranach's sire Mamool (In The Wings) a 2-time Group 1 winner raced by Godolphin who stands as a dual-purpose sire at Clongiffen Stud in Ireland.

Plein Ciel (GER) is the best of three winners out of the stakes-placed Big Shuffle mare Picobella.

From Caulfield to Doomben for Australian Bloodstock's second stakes-winner on the day, Hallelujah Boy (JPN) who revelled in the heavy ground in the Listed Tails Stakes (1615m).

Well tried in Japan before hitting these shores, the Kris Lees-trained gelding has won three of his 16 starts in Australia and all have been on heavy tracks.

With the rain belting down in Brisbane, Hallelujah Boy (JPN) led at every call underMatt McGillivray, splashing his way to a two and three-quarter length romp over Cool Chap (High Chaparral) with a further three-quarter of a length back to Fit For Purpose (Show A Heart) in third.

"I would love to win a race like the Wayne Wilson Memorial Mile next month. But really he would need a wet track to be competitive with some of the better horses," stable representative Mel Eggleston told AAP.

"But for all that I thought he was close to a good thing today. He loves wet tracks and he was the only pace in the race.

"I told Matt (jockey McGillivray) to lead and set the pace before kicking away on the turn. It turned out perfectly."

The winner of two of his 12 starts in Japan, Hallelujah Boy (JPN) advances his record to 5 wins, 2 seconds and 5 thirds from 28 starts with earnings of $557,087.

He becomes the second stakes-winner for his sire Tosen Phantom (Neo Universe) after Australian Bloodstock's star recruit Brave Smash (JPN) who numbered the Group 1 MRC Futurity Stakes and Group 1 MVRC Manikato Stakes among his five wins.

Hallelujah Boy (JPN) is the best of three winners out of the winning King Kamehameha mare Tosen Minerva who is a half-sister to Group III winner Cosmo Platina (Stay Gold) and Listed winner Cosmo Fortune (Meiner Love).

Advertisment
More Reading...
Second G1 Winner for Hellbent – Benedetta Wins $1million Goodwood
Super talented Hellbent mare Benedetta has been knocking on the door of a Group I win and got the job done at Morphettville on Saturday when she had the benefit of a brilliant Jamie Kah ride to arrive on the line and win the $1million Group I SAJC Goodwood Handicap (1200m).
Almanzor Filly Wins G3 SA Fillies Classic
The Andrew Forsman-trained Positivity proved a grade above her rivals when cruising to a near two-length victory in the SA Fillies Classic (2500m) at Morphettville on Saturday.
Stakes Double for Go Bloodstock
The yellow and white silks of Go Bloodstock were carried by two stakes-winners at the Sunshine Coast on Saturday with Thalassophile striking early in the day to win the Listed Silk Stocking and then later in the day three year-old filly Amazonian Lass got back in the winning groove when taking out the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m)
Fastnet Rock Colt Wins G3 Guineas – Winning Double for Full Brothers
A homebred for Godolphin, Fastnet Rock colt Corniche had not won a race since beating Golden Slipper winner Shinzo in the Group II ATC Skyline Stake last season, but he was well fancied in the Group III Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) run at Sunshine Coast on Saturday and duly got the cash under a cool ride from James McDonald.
Sires With Winners - Saturday May 11
Here is the full list of 102 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Semillion Breaks a Two-Year drought in Takeover Target Stakes
After racing with little luck, the stars aligned for the 4-year-old Shalaa (IRE) gelding Semillion in Saturday’s $250,000 Listed De Bortoli Wines Takeover Target Stakes (1200m) at Newcastle.
Justify 2YO Colt Sells for €2.3million to Godolphin
If you wondered whether the hype on Coolmore stallion Justify (not returning to Australia this year) was in fact justified, you got a good indication as to the esteem in which he is held by other parties when Godolphin purchased one of his two year-old colts for a record price at the Arqana Breeze Up Sale overnight.
En Francais Leaves it Late in The Cummings Stakes
Jake Stephens was rarely far from the headlines with his Mackinnon Stakes winner Alcopop and is back in the spotlight with a close relation to the Group 1  winner in En Francais, who earned a maiden stakes win in Saturday’s Group III Hahn The Cummings Stakes (1600m) at Morphettville.
Boognish Triumphs in Thrilling Proud Miss Stakes
An early Mother's Day gift for the pensioned Unbridled's Song (USA) mare Regrowth when her twelfth and final foal Boognish opened her stakes account in Saturday's Group III Sportsbet Proud Miss Stakes (1200m) at Morphettville.
Numerian Slogs it out in Hollindale Stakes
After Zaaki (GB) claimed three consecutive runnings of the $500,000 Group II Tab AD Hollindale Stakes, Annabel Neasham stretched her winning sequence to four with Numerian (IRE) emerging from a 20-week break to claim the race in testing conditions on Saturday.