With a winner in New Zealand and another in Singapore, two-year-old gelding Counter Sign became the fifth in Australia for his sire Gonski, the Stakes-winning son of Danehill.
After a last start third over 1100m at Morphettville, the Leon Macdonald and Andrew Gluyas-trained Counter Sign dropped back in distance to record his first victory, defeating the Stakes-winning Eramor by an impressive three-and-a-half length margin.
Bred and raced by Dr R G Lehman and Mrs J R Lehman, Counter Sign is out of the four-time-winning Geiger Counter mare Counter Sue. From the family of Stakes winners Vowed, Stick Around, Charm Scene Land and Kingsgate, the gelding is the second foal and second winner for his dam Counter Sue, who has a weanling by Darley stallion Hard Spun, who incidentally recorded his sixth individual winner over night in the UK, while the mare is currently in foal to Gonski again.
The progeny of the Darley stallion were seen in action 30 minutes later at Rosehill where the Exceed And Excel two-year-old colt Extraceed recorded his second race win, defeating Gonski gelding Skip Town.
Taking his tally to seven individual winners internationally, Gonski’s first-crop of runners are highlighted by the Stakes performers Gone Skiing and Gonski Girl. Standing the forthcoming breeding season at Darley’s Northwood Park at a fee of $6,600 (inc GST), the enormously popular son of Danehill defeated no fewer than nine G1 winners during his career including Perfectly Ready, Stratum, Apache Cat, De Beers and Red Dazzler.
