Phenomenal Lass has certainly lived up to her name to date. Her racecourse debut resulted in victory and she will go into the history books as the first ever winner for her young sire Country Reel.
Her length-and-half win came at Randwick in Sydney on Saturday in the Australian Income Protection Plate over 1000m (five furlongs). The first northern hemisphere-bred yearlings by Country Reel, who stands at Haras du Logis in France at a fee of €4,500 for 2009, have proved popular at the sales this autumn. He recorded an average of €36,000 (A$72,000) for 21 sold with a top price of €90,000 (A$180,000).
Country Reel’s fellow Logis stallion Slickly was represented by a Listed winner on Friday when four-year-old colt Stikine won the Prix du Grand Camp over 2400m (12 furlongs) at Lyon Parilly.
Meanwhile, Refuse To Bend's excellent first season continued when Alaiyma, bred by HH The Aga Khan from the Darshaan mare Alasana, became her sire’s sixteenth winner in Europe when scoring at Dundalk on Friday evening. She is a half-sister to the Guineas place-getter Alasha, who is also by a son of Sadler’s Wells (Barathea), and to six-time winner Alafzar, by Green Desert.
Goffs’ foal sale drew to a close in Ireland with a son of Shamardal and a daughter of Exceed And Excel featuring among the top six lots. The Shamardal colt out of Indian Express sold to BBA Ireland for €130,000 (A$260,220) and the Exceed And Excel half-sister to Group Two-winning sprinter Moss Vale (ex Wolf Cleugh) made €120,000 (A$240,200), knocked down to Lynn Lodge Stud.
