First to salute was three year-old Snitzel filly Right as Rain, a homebred for Don Storey and half-brother to his former top class galloper Rain Affair.
Resuming from a spell following a debut second at Gosford last August, Right as Rain showed plenty of the family brilliance to dash clear and win the 1000 metre maiden by a length in a brisk 56:59 seconds.
Right as Rain is the fifth winner from five foals to race from Octagonal mare I Believe, whose best offspring Rain Affair won 12 races and over $1.5 million prizemoney with a strong of Group II wins and Group I placings.
I Believe produced a colt in 2016 by Shooting to Win and was subsequently covered by Fastnet Rock.
Bringing up a quick double for the stable was stunning Lonhro filly Archangel, an $825,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Anthony Penfold/ China Horse Club from the Highgrove Stud draft.
Also resuming from a spell following a second and fourth at her only two
previous runs last August, Archangel was a hot favourite and motored to the
line to win the 1300 metre maiden running away by nearly two lengths.Raced by Coolmore, Emmaroo Bloodstock and the China Horse Club in whose colours she runs, Archangel was the most expensive yearling sired by Lonhro in 2015.
She is a half-sister to Group II winner Fravashi and Group III winner Pure Joy and is the sixth winner from terrific producer Angelic Smile.
Angelic Smile was sold at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2015 with Rosemont Stud / Blue Sky Bloodstock paying $200,000 to secure the proven stakes producer.
She produced a colt by Starspangledbanner in 2016 and was then covered by Rosemont Stud's new stallion Nostradamus, a fast Group III winning son of Medaglia D'Oro (USA).
