Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday September 5

Group 1 racing at Moonee Valley on Saturday with the $750,000 Charter Keck Cramer Moir Stakes (1000m) backed by three Listed stakes, while Randwick features three Group II stakes worth $300,000, a $200,000 Listed event and the Group III Southern Cross Group Concorde Stakes (1000m) with a $1,000,000 prize.

Moonee Valley hosts the Listed Musk Creek Farm Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) for 3-year-old fillies.

With Ameena making the trip north for the Group II Furious Stakes at Randwick, Silmarillion heads south in the hope of shedding Australia's best maiden tag.

The daughter of Too Darn Hot (GB) has three seconds and a third from five starts and most recently separated the Tassort fillies Ameena and Manaal in the Group II Silver Shadow Stakes at Randwick.

The Godolphin homebred went down narrowly to Erno's Cube in the Group II Reisling stakes at Randwick in March.

Silmarillion is the eighth foal of Godolphin's prized broodmare Yavanna.

Advertisement

The daughter of Rdoute's Choice started five times for wins at Cranbourne and Sandown and was second at Mornington.

Close but no cigar (image Steve Hart)

The first foal of Yavanna was the Listed Lonhro Plate winner and Group 1 ATC Sires' Produce Stakes runner-up Telperion (Street Cry).

The second foal was the top-class racehorse, but stud dud, Kemenari. The striking son of Lonhro defeated Pierata and Trapeze Artist in the Group 1 ATC Randwick Guineas in 2018 after defeating Pierata and D'argento in the Hobartville Stakes.

From the family of the peerless Denise's Joy, Yavanna is also the dam of the stakes-placegetters Valaquenta (Street Boss) and Palurien (Reset).

A winner at Randwick and Newcastle in seven starts, Palurien finished her career on the track with a second in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes at Randwick.

Palurien, the first of Yavanna's fillies, has a 2-year-old colt and yearling filly by Street Boss (USA) and was covered last year by Brazen Beau.

Yavanna is the daughter of the dual Group III winner Wild Queen (Loup Sauvage), who Darley purchased as a yearling for $260,000.

Wild Queen is a half-sister to Group II VRC Edward Manifold Stakes, Group II Ascot Vale Stakes winner So Gorgeous (Brief Truce), and Group III winner Cumbria (Lake Coniston).

Silmarillion is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Kementari (image Steve Hart)

So Gorgeous is the dam of Group II STC Tulloch Stakes winner Tipungwuti (Fusaichi Pegasus).

Few families can match this for consistently belting out stakes winners.

Wild Queen's dam, Jewel In The Crown (Bletchingly), won the Listed VATC Heath Stakes and is a three-quarter sister to Group II STC Pago Pago Stakes winner Christmas Tree (Biscay) and half-sister to the Group 1 AJC Champagne Stakes winner Euphoria (Marauding).

Yavanna has a yearling filly by Pinatubo and visited Too Darn Hot (IRE) last spring.

The reigning Champion First Season Stallion, Too Darn Hot (GB), remained at Dalham Hall Stud this year after four seasons of shuttling.

Silmarillion vyes to become his 13th stakes-winner worldwide for the son of Dubawi and the second in Australia after his Group 1 ATC Champagne Stakes and Group 1 BRC JJ Atkins Stakes hero Broadsiding whose dam Speedway is a daughter of Street Cry (IRE) out of a Redoute's Choice mare. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Thursday February 26
Here is the full list of 29 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Kingsclere seeking another Derby with Ocean Park Filly
Kingsclere Stables have an exciting week ahead of them, with promising mare She’s A Dealer shooting for black-type at Trentham on Sunday, while six days later the Cambridge barn will hold a strong hand in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby (2400m).
Silmarillion Breaks Maiden in Atlantic Jewel Stakes
The monkey is finally off the back of Silmarillion, who broke her maiden at start six with a commanding win in Saturday’s Listed Musk Creek Farm Atlantic Jewel Stakes (1200m) at Moonee Valley.
Breeding to Win - 2026 G1 Surround Stakes
The $750,000 Group I ATC Surround Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday brings together the best three year old fillies in Australia, so who are the top chances? 
Fast Track 2026/27 Launches Nationally: Applications Now Open
Thoroughbred Breeders Australia (TBA) has officially launched applications for the 2026/27 Fast Track program — a nationally recognised traineeship designed to build the next generation of thoroughbred breeding professionals.
People at Premier - Off The Bit Thursday
Thursday inspections at Inglis Melbourne Premier have ramped up with vendors reporting “run off our feet” and Maree McEwan has been around talking with the major players, including one farm that’s first-up from a 10 year spell.
Anamoe Breeding Right Sold for $450,000
The Inglis Digital February (late) Sale that concluded on Wednesday has a new top lot with Inglis announcing a breeding right to Anamoe has now been sold.
First Winner for Tiger of Malay
Newgate Farm is home to champion sire Extreme Choice and also his promising young sire son Tiger of Malay, who broke the ice with his first winner at Canterbury on Friday night.
The Story of Surround - Best 3YO Filly Ever
The only Group I race in Australia for three year-old fillies run at less than a mile, the $750,000 Group I ATC Surround Stakes (1400m) is named in honour of the only three year-old filly to ever win a Cox Plate, so who was she?
Timing is Everything - Newhaven Park Present Streisand Half-Brother
When entries were taken for the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale last year a colt by Star Witness from Zouper Star was hardly seen as a standout offering, but events of the last six months will have this youngster as one of the must inspect horses of the sale.