RACING NEWS RACING NEWS MELODY BELLE EQUALS MALLORY, ZETHUS THE MIGHTY SUNLINE WITH TAKE SYDNEY JUVENILE TRENTHAM VICTORY - PAGE 11 FEATURES - PAGE 4 Sunday, January 31, 2021 | Dedicated to the Australasian bloodstock industry - subscribe for free: Click here HUNGRIER AND MORE POLISHED ISKANDAR, A PARTING GIFT FROM FREEDMAN | PAGE 12 Read Tomorrow's Issue For Enthaar electrifies The Week Ahead What's on Caulfield in Stakes races: Bunbury (WA) - Western Australian Breeders’ Classic (Listed, 1400m) Race meetings: Murwillumbah (NSW), Chairman’s Stakes Sapphire Coast (NSW), Sale (VIC), Gatton Gimcrack winner makes it two from two and heads markets (QLD), Strathalbyn (SA), Bunbury (WA), for Blue Diamond, Golden Slipper Pukekohe (NZ) Barrier trials / Jump-outs: Murwillumbah (NSW), Sapphire Coast (NSW) International meetings: Sha Tin (HK), Tokyo (JPN), Chukyo (JPN), Kokura (JPN), Scottsville (SAF), Sam Houston (USA) International Group races: Sha Tin (HK) - Centenary Vase (Gr 3, 1800m). Tokyo (JPN) - Negishi Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m). Chukyo (JPN) - Silk Road Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m). Sam Houston (USA) - Houston Ladies Classic (Gr 3, 8.5f), John B Connally Turf Cup (Gr 3, 12f) Enthaar RACING PHOTOS Blue Diamond Stakes and the $3.5 million Golden BY ANDREW HAWKINS | @ANZ_NEWS Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) since markets RACING NEWS nthaar (2 f Written Tycoon - Final opened, having created quite the impression with Agreement by Not A Single Doubt) an emphatic debut victory in the Gimcrack Stakes Five-star Savatiano is set to start the shortest-priced (Gr 3, 1000m) at Randwick in October. excels in Expressway Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) She tightened her grip at the head of the The Godolphin blue was back in the Rosehill Efavourite in a decade when she lines up in the market before she had even step foot onto the winners’ circle a few races later when Savatiano $2 million feature on February 20 after the hallowed Heath surface yesterday after Mallory (6 m Street Cry - Retsina by Redoute’s Choice) unbeaten filly cantered home in the Chairman’s (2 f Not A Single Doubt - Panorama Ridge by - who debuted in the Widden Stakes in 2017 - Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Caulfield yesterday. Empire Maker), a distant second in the Gimcrack, kept her strong first-up record intact by taking The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained returned to take the Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) out the Expressway Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m), her Enthaar has held down favouritism for both the earlier at Rosehill. Continued on page 2>> fifth Group 2 win. Racing News page 5 >> Follow us @anz_news | 1 | Brought to you by Enthaar electrifies Caulfield in Chairman’s Stakes | 2 | Sunday, January 31, 2021 << Continued from page 1 Mallory’s one-length win at her turn with aplomb, Zahra only rode the filly along hands and heels, not second start was both quicker and more impressive to the eye than Zethus needing to test her in the slightest as she ambled home an easy two and a (2 c Exceed And Excel - Melpomene by Elusive Quality) achieved in the quarter length victor. boys’ equivalent, the Canonbury Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m), a race later. Ingratiating held down second, with debutant Fortunate Kiss (Divine However, Enthaar’s return was the main attraction as she took on Prophet) picking up black type in third, three and a half lengths from the winner. Ingratiating (Frosted), who won the Maribyrnong Trial Stakes (Listed, The victory saw Enthaar shorten into $2.10 favourite for the Blue 1000m) at Flemington on the same day that she took the Gimcrack. Diamond Stakes and $4.50 for the Golden Slipper Stakes. Should she start that price in the Caulfield feature, she would be the shortest-priced favourite since Sepoy (Elusive Quality) scored by four and a quarter SHE’S FULLY FURNISHED AND READY TO GO. lengths as a $1.40 chance in 2011. SEPOY, HE HAD A REALLY GOOD TURN-OF-FOOT Zahra, who partnered the Darley-owned Sepoy at his first three starts AND I THINK THIS FILLY HAS MORE SPEED, I before Kerrin McEvoy jumped aboard for the Blue Diamond Stakes and RECKON. THEY’RE BOTH VERY GOOD HORSES beyond, said: “She’s built like a five-year-old. She’s fully furnished and ready to go. Sepoy, he had a really good turn of foot and I think this filly AND AT LEAST THIS ONE I’LL BE ABLE TO STAY has more speed, I reckon. They’re both very good horses and at least this ON FOR GRAND FINAL DAY - MARK ZAHRA one I’ll be able to stay on for grand final day. “That was very impressive. Credit to Dave and Ciaron because I Sent out the $1.24 favourite, there were few - if any - moments of trialled her at Werribee and I said she’s going to have to calm down a bit concern as Enthaar was allowed by Mark Zahra to lope along on the lead heading towards the Blue Diamond. I think she was a bit keen then and a in the five-runner field with her head firmly on her chest. bit keen in her work, but it’s easy to say that’s how the horse won and leave While Ingratiating, three-quarters of a length off Enthaar, was ridden it at that, but they listened. up by Damien Oliver approaching the 600 metres, the favourite was “They put the ear muffs on, crossover and a tongue tie, she was perfect simply cruising along. Handling the notoriously tricky Caulfield home today. Continued on page 4>> WAR DECREE WAR FRONT X ROYAL DECREE (STREET CRY) THE APPLES AREN’T FALLING FAR FROM THE TREE see for yourself at www.nzb.co.nz FIRST CROP YEARLINGS SELLING 2021 Follow us @anz_news | 2 | Brought to you by Enthaar electrifies Caulfield in Chairman’s Stakes | 4 | Sunday, January 31, 2021 << Continued from page 2 “I said to Oli pulling up that I had Final Agreement (Not A Single Doubt), a sister to Group 1 winner Secret harder work pulling her up than I did in the race. She’s a horse that does Agenda and Group 2-placed Stellar Pauline. her best. I didn’t know if she could have gone much quicker than I was A member of the prolific Denise’s Joy (Seventh Hussar) family, Enthaar riding her out. She does her best without much encouragement, but I counts the blue hen as her fifth dam. She traces back to the Joy And Fun definitely think there was a bit there. I could feel about the 300 metres, (Showdown) line, which features Group 1 winners like Sterling City she changed stride and if I really asked for it I probably could have gotten (Nadeem), Kementari (Lonhro), Bentley Biscuit (Peintre Celebre), Thorn away with it. Park (Spinning World) and Enthaar’s third dam Euphoria (Marauding). “The grand final is in a couple of weeks and I think there’s a bit there. Final Agreement produced an I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) colt As long as she can behave like she did today I think she’ll get the 1200 in 2019, who will be offered asLot 305 at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter metres.” Yearling Sale, while she missed to the Yarraman Park sire in 2020. She was The Blue Diamond Stakes has been something of a bogey race for served by Newgate Farm freshman Tassort (Brazen Beau) in September. Maher and his training partner Eustace. Maher was set to saddle up leading contender Jukebox (Snitzel) in the Mallory, Zethus take Sydney 2017 Blue Diamond but the colt was ruled out by Racing Victoria stewards juvenile features due to a foot issue. Two years later, Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible) was sent out as equal favourite after winning the Chairman’s Stakes at start one. She was another under a fitness cloud, but she was passed fit to start; in the end, a luckless trip saw her finish sixth. She would go on to finish fourth in the Golden Slipper and second in both the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), before winning two Group 1 races at three, with a further three placings at the highest level. I SUPPOSE THE NATURAL PRECOCITY OF HER AT SUCH A YOUNG AGE IS PROBABLY THE MOST OBVIOUS AND EXCITING THING AND SHE HAS SUCH A Mallory SPORTPIX BIG FRAME AND CAN OBVIOUSLY USE IT - CIARON MAHER While Enthaar was the belle of the ball, yesterday marked the unofficial start of the road to the Golden Slipper with two key lead-ups at Rosehill - both won by homebreds. Last year, Maher and Eustace had six of the 16 runners, with the The Golden Slipper may still be seven weeks away, but the race for a stakes-placed Muntaseera (I Am Invincible) rated their best chance ahead berth in the $3.5 million feature clicked up another gear yesterday with of Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Away Game (Snitzel). the running of the Canonbury Stakes for the colts and geldings and the In the end, they finished fifth and fourth respectively, with Away Game Widden Stakes for the fillies. arguably unlucky not to have won after taking a wide course throughout. With the Widden honour roll featuring the likes of Away Game, “It’s a race that has been eluding us,” Maher said. “Jukebox was the Mossfun (Mossman) and Overreach (Exceed And Excel) in recent one. I’ll get over that one day. She’s very exciting. God, all those horses, I years and the Canonbury being taken by Vancouver (Medaglia d’Oro), suppose the natural precocity of her at such a young age is probably the Hinchinbrook (Fastnet Rock) and Sebring (More Than Ready), it often most obvious and exciting thing and she has such a big frame and can throws up a contender for the two-year-old features.