Shamardal's G1 VRC Oaks heroine Faint Perfume capped a good day for Darley, taking out the first G1 race at Rosehill, the Vinery Stud Stakes in thrilling fashion. In the process, the Bart Cummings-trained filly also gave the Darley stallions back-to-back victories in the race, after the win of Commands filly Purple in last year’s running.
Rounding the home turn, Faint Perfume was still 10 lengths from the leader, but demonstrated her superior ability over a mile and a half to storm down the outside of the field to claim Valdemoro in the final stride, with the third-placed horse another five lengths back.
Bred by Wynyarra Stud and part-owner Dato Tam Nim Cham, Faint Perfume is out of the Zabeel mare Zona, a full-sister to Stakes winner Zingam and a half-sister to Stakes winner Banc De Fortune.
Faint Perfume’s grand-dam Danendri (Danehill) was successful for Bart Cummings in the very same race 13 years ago before going on to further G1 glory in the AJC Oaks, the same double that Faint Perfume will be aiming to emulate when she starts the favourite for that race in a few weeks’ time.
Shamardal is experiencing a stellar southern hemisphere racing season, with Faint Perfume being one of 10 Stakes horses for the four-time G1-winning Champion European two-year-old.
Faint Perfume is a graduate of the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, which in recent years has also produced Camarilla (Elusive Quality), Wilander (Exceed And Excel), Exceedingly Good (Exceed And Excel), Villain (Carnegie), Dissolved (Lonhro), Mrs Kipling (Exceed And Excel), Custard (Lonhro) and Outdo (Exceed And Excel).
The G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes saw Strategic mare Illuminates come from the rear of the field to finish runner-up to Red Ransom’s five-time G1 winner Typhoon Tracy. Although Illuminates is already a multiple Stakes-winning mare, adding G1 black-type to her resume is a considerable pedigree update for the five-year-old mare who is the epitome of toughness, having finished in the top-three on 24 occasions.
Earlier in the day, Commands recorded his 28th Stakes winner when the victory of the Peter Snowden-trained Skilled in the Listed Schweppervescence. Racing in the colours of Sheikh Mohammed, the colt scored a decisive one-and-a-quarter lengths victory over the Clarry Conners-trained Fashion, whose Nadeem half-sister will be offered as lot 218 at next week’s Easter yearling sale. Bred by Woodlands Stud, Skilled is out of the G2-winning Quest For Fame mare Dextrous.
Commands three-year-olds Kanzan and Rarefied kept their sire further in the fray when finishing second and third respectively in the Listed Derby Munro Stakes.
Currently the leading Australian sire based on individual winners, Commands has a fine draft of 13 yearlings represented in the upcoming Inglis Easter yearling sale, set to commence on Tuesday March 6. Further information on Commands can be found by viewing his sire information card.
At the Easter meeting at Oakbank in South Australia, consistent four-year-old Exceed And Excel mare Very Discreet recorded her fourth Stakes win, scoring by a length in the Crompton Stakes. Never very far away, the Richard Jolly-trained mare was stepping back in class after finishing just over two-lengths from the winner at G1 level last start.
Bred by David Peacock, Very Discreet is a half-sister to last Saturday’s Listed winner I’m Discreet (Elusive Quality), both being out of the G3-winning Euclase mare She’s Discreet, who was covered last season by 2006 World Champion Bernardini.
Exceed And Excel has an extensive line up of 30 yearlings set to for auction at next week’s Easter yearling sale. With a higher career percentage of winners to runners than the likes of Fastnet Rock, Rock Of Gibraltar and Charge Forward, as well as having a higher percentage of career Stakes winners to runners than Lonhro, Fusaichi Pegasus, Choisir, Danehill Dancer and General Nediym, Exceed And Excel’s yearlings are certain to be in demand.
Across the Tasman, Dubawi two-year-old Cellarmaster proved he is one of the most consistent colts in training, with his gutsy second place in the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes. Having either won or placed in eight of his nine starts, six at Stakes level, the Kevin Gray-trained colt has enjoyed a successful campaign which has stretched since November.
One final mention must go toCrystal Snip, the dam of the G1 Golden Slipper winner Crystal Lily, who foaled a bay colt by the G1 King’s Bishop Stakes winner Hard Spun.
