National Graduates Lead Major Updates

Graduates of the Magic Millions National Sale had a winning weekend with feature victories across Australia and abroad.

Worthy Cause, Japhils and Hughesy all won stakes races over the weekend, while the likes of Big Tree and Nostradamus provided the upcoming 2015 auction with some black type catalogue updates.

The Gold Coast Turf Club held their second biggest raceday on Saturday and one of the best performances of the day was turned in by the John Zielke trained and Justin Stanley ridden Worthy Cause in the Group Three Gunsynd Classic.

A $26,000 purchase from the Canning Downs Stud draft at the 2012 National Yearling Sale, Worthy Cause is now the winner of three of his nine starts for Evan Hartley’s Dovedeen Pty Ltd group. His earnings have raced past $220,000.

Connections of Worthy Cause will now look toward a Queensland Derby start with a tilt at the Grand Prix Stakes on the way to the state’s three-year-old feature staying contest.

Worthy Cause is one of two named foals and two stakes performers produced by the group performed Grand Lodge mare Tahnee Tango.

A winner of four races – two in Melbourne and two in Adelaide – Tahnee Tango earned over $140,000 before retiring to stud. A visit to Statue of Liberty produced Octane Flyer – a two time juvenile winner who earned black type with a second placing in the Group Three Skyline Stakes.

Worthy Cause is Tahnee Tango’s other named foal and now follows in the hoofsteps of some high class stakes winners the family has produced – the likes of Group One winners Shogun Lodge, Singing the Blues and Referral.

Rising talent Japhils scored a breakthrough stakes win on Saturday when she scored a dashing all the way win in the listed Nitschke Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville.

The John Sadler prepared filly was purchased for $50,000 from the Southern Cross Breeders draft at the 2012 National Weanling Sale.

Both Japhils and Worthy Cause were new stakes winners on the day for former globe trotting sprint sensation and leading sire Choisir.

Japhils is one of three winners for the unraced Polish Precedent mare Livonia – a sister to Millstreet and the dam of Chief Barker and half sister to Queen’s View, the stakes placed dam of SW Campsie Fells.

It is the family further back of international Group One winners Harayir, Give Thanks and Imperial Dancer.

Rising Singapore star Hughsy continued a great run for graduates of the National Yearling Sale when he scored a strong win in the Group Three Admiralty Classic at Kranji on Sunday.

With Corey Brown in the saddle, Hughesy survived an ambitious protest after winning the race by over a length.

He is turning out a great moneyspinner for connections considering he cost just $15,000 when purchased from the Gold Coast out of the Vinery Stud draft.

Hughesy is the 24th individual stakes winner for his sire, Hennessy’s Group One winning son Henny Hughes.

The chestnut gelding is one of five winners for his dam, the unraced Ashkalani mare Shashzaya – a half sister to Group One Prix de Diane winner and top producer Shemaka and fellow stakes performers Sheriyna and Sheshara.

The quality galloper boasts the imposing record of six wins and two minor placings from just 10 starts.

Exciting local youngster Big Tree lived up the opinion of connections when he scored a long shot, but decisive win in the Group Three Ken Russell Memorial Classic at the Gold Coast on Saturday.

The homebred son of Snitzel is from Croft, a $10,000 purchase for trainer Peter Balzen at the 2010 National Broodmare Sale. Already since the win connections have received strong six figure offers for the good looking juvenile.

Another of Croft’s winners, the Domesday mare Egyptian Tomb is a member of the Heinrich Bloodstock Unreserved Dispersal, presented by Eliza Park International. She heads to the National Broodmare Sale after a spring visit to group winning juvenile Sidereus and will be offered as Lot 1338.

Egyptian Tomb’s first foal, a brown filly by Sidereus, is catalogued as Lot 425 for the same draft as her dam at the National Weanling Sale.

Well bred colt Nostradamus gave his sale bound dam a great boost when he scored a strong three quarter of a length win in the Group Three Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) on Saturday.

Prepared by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, the son of Medaglia d’Oro proved too strong for Time for War and Traveston Girl to win the three-year-old feature for Hugh Bowman.

Nostradamus is from the grand producing Lion Hunter mare Leone Chiara – also the dam of Group One winning two and three-year-old Star Witness.

Leone Chiara (Lot 726) heads to the National Broodmare Sale for Widden Stud after being served during the spring by their resident star sire and former Magic Millions graduate Sebring.

Other significant city winning and stakes updates on Saturday included:

Lot 849 – Major Major wins in Sydney. He is from the former outstanding mare Private Steer (Lot 849), a quality lot to go under the hammer after a spring service from top sire Sebring.

Lot 898 – Prince Albert wins in Adelaide. He is a full brother to Group One winnner Albert the Fat. Their half sister Shara Princess (Lot 898) heads to the sale for Eliza Park International after being served by Group One winning sprinter Spirit of Boom.

Lot 1013 – Defiant Angel runs second in the listed City of Adelaide Handicap in Adelaide. She is a full sister to group winning sprinter Here De Angels. Another full sister Angel’s Spell (Lot 1013) is in the Newgate Farm draft after being served by Snitzel.

Lot 1090 – Heart of a Lion wins in Adelaide for the Lloyd Kennewell stable. He is a half brother to Group One winner Happy Trails and Chickitty Chick (Lot 1090) – the latter heading to the sale after a spring service from Zoustar in her second season at stud.

To view the online catalogue for the National Broodmare Sale click here and for the National Weanling Sale click here.