| Sunshine in Paris confirmed herself as one of the country’s finest sprinters when she captured a third Group One success in today’s $1.5 million Doomben 10,000 (1200m). |
| Sent out the favourite under James McDonald, Sunshine in Paris was able to charge late to nab local cult horse Rothfire in the shadows of the post, while recent Magic Millions The Syndicate winner Payline charged home to run a closing third. The win was celebrated by John and Deb Camilleri, best known as the breeders of Winx, who bid hard to secure the then one time Group One winner at the 2023 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale. Since then the star sprinting mare has secured two open class high ranking Group One sprint wins and rubber stamped the judgement of her connections. The mare is trained by the recently married co-trainers Annabel and Rob Archibald. “I was getting pretty excited,” Rob Archibald said moments after the win. “I’m just so pleased for the mare, she’s been great all prep she just hasn’t had a good draw, so I’m really pleased it worked out well.” “Thanks to her owners for being brave enough and supportive enough to run her on a track which probably isn’t to her liking.” “Annabel would have been cheering very loudly back home, she loves this mare as does everyone involved with her.” “It worked out really well. James came and galloped her a couple of weeks ago and said she’s spot on, which gave us all the confidence we needed. We were still a bit worried about the ground, but we didn’t need to in the end because it all worked out very well.” “Rothfire was very brave and he’s a very good horse in his own right,” Archibald added. “So it was a real fight over the last 50 metres, and I’m just so pleased she managed to get her head in front.” While Rob Archibald was one of the proudest on course, Sunshine in Paris’ rider James McDonald was also heaping credit on his charge. “She thoroughly deserved this win,” McDonald said. “She’s been competing against the best horses all the way through the autumn.” “She was very tough and it’s great to get a big result for the Archibald team. They’ve done an extremely good job with this mare.” “Rothfire was as tough as they come. I was worried at the furlong that we weren’t going to get to him, but he probably had a tougher run than we did and my mare kept on surging. He gave us one hell of a fright.” Sunshine in Paris was a $3.9 million buy for James Harron Bloodstock on behalf of the Camilleri family’s Fairway Thoroughbreds at the 2023 National Broodmare Sale. Since her purchase she has won a Group One Champions Sprint at Flemington and now a Group One Doomben 10,000 and her earnings have rocketed to over $6 million. She was sold a year earlier at the same sale to Champagne Bloodstock for $90,000 via the Blue Sky Premium Consignment draft prior to winning her first Group One. A daughter of ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Invader (Snitzel), Sunshine in Paris is one of two group winners produced by the Zabeel mare Zenaida. As well as Sunshine in Paris the winning and Sydney placed Zenaida is the dam of the Group Three Typhoon Tracy Stakes winner Macroura – who also won the Listed Woodlands Stakes for two-year-olds at Scone on this corresponding weekend in 2000. Macroura only raced on nine occasions for four wins before retiring to stud. Sunshine in Paris wasn’t the only winner at stakes level on the day for a Magic Millions graduate. Other Doomben stakes winners included Brookhaven (Spieth) in the Listed Bernborough Handicap, Cool Archie (Cool Aza Beel) in the Group Two Spirit of Boom Classic and In Flight (Flying Artie) in the Listed Magic Millions Bright Shadow. Across the Tasman the exciting juvenile Do You Just (So You Think) romped home in the Listed Champagne Stakes at Ellerslie, while former Gold Coast March Yearling Sale top seller The Instructor (Russian Revolution) won another black type race in Scone’s Luskin Star Stakes (LR). Winner: Sunshine in Paris Breeding: Invader-Zenaida (Zabeel) Race: BRC Doomben 10,000 G1 (1200m) Sold for: $3,900,000 Sale: 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale Earnings: $6,067,775 Breeder: Aquis Farm Vendor: Newgate Consignment Buyer: James Harron Bloodstock Owners: Fairway Thoroughbreds (Mgr: J Camilleri) Trainers: Annabel & Rob Archibald (Eagle Farm) |
