There were four Group 1 races contested in Australia on Saturday at The Championships and it proved to be a showcase for the talents of the mighty So You Think, who delivered three of the four elite winners.
The $4million Group I ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) provided great warrior Think It Over with a memorable second success at the elite level, click to read about him here.
As a $7.4million earner, he is the best of 38 stakes-winners for So You Think and has won from 1300 to 2000m with his other G1 win coming in last year’s ATC George Ryder Stakes over 1500m.
His pedigree is an interesting one with classic origins in Ireland updated with Australian speed with third dam by Biscay and grand-dam by Bluebird (USA), but the addition of Zabeel and High Chaparral’s So You Think has brought out a far more complete racehorse. His dam is a half-sister to champion 3YO Universal Prince and G1 winner Univseral Queen with G1 winner Krone also on the page, so it's a class pedigree.
The So You Think x Zabeel cross has produced 20 winners from 26 runners including three stakes-winners highlighted by Think It Over and Nimalee, who features next on the list.
The $1million Group I ATC Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m) brought a first time G1 win for quality mare Nimalee, read about her here.
Bred the same way as Think It Over, Nimalee also comes from a female family with European origins with her fourth dam being blue Highclere, who has spawned a dynasty of international Group winners, so Nimalee is going to be a sought after broodmare for the future in either hemisphere.
The $2million ATC Sydney Cup (3200m) was won in bold front running style by Knight’s Order (IRE), read about him here.
Knight’s Order and Nimalee bring the tally of G1 winners for So You Think to nine and there have only been two runners by So You Think from daughters of Woodman and both are winners.
The grand-dam of Knight’s Order is a half-sister to Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq, so his prowess at two miles is in the blood.
The only Group I race not won by the progeny of So You Think was the $1million Group I ATC Australian Oaks (2400m) and it went the way of another Cox Plate winning sire in Shamus Award, whose daughter El Patroness scored a powerful win, read about her here.
She is the fifth Group I winner for Shamus Award and is his third Oaks winner joining Duais and Media Award. Her mother is a full sister to the dam of Queensland Oaks winner Provocative, so El Patroness is a purpose designed stayer.
She is the 20th Group I winner from a daughter of champion sire O’Reilly, who has a good record with champion sire Redoute’s Choice. The two combine in the pedigrees of 13 stakes-winners, four of them G1 winners.
Shamus Award has emerged as a serious source of high class Australian stayers with nearly 7% SW to runner, a figure a lot higher than some other high profile stallions that stand for far greater fees.
