It’s starting to sound like a broken record but it was another good day at the office for Mill Park Stud graduates with one of their star pupils, Dalasan, making it three stakes wins on the day for the leading South Australian operation following his win in the Chairman's Stakes (2035m).
On the same programme earlier in the day the Mill Park consigned 2yo filly Ecumenical captured the Group III Breeders Stakes while up in Sydney the top-class Mill Park graduate Dawn Passage enhanced his reputation with a bloodless win in the Group III Hawkesbury Guineas.
Dalasan can be a quite tricky conveyance to ride however the in-form Jason Holder executed his part brilliantly coming with a well time run on the son of Dalakhani to defeat the Good Journey gelding Themoonlitegambler by one and a quarter lengths with the Group 1 Victoria Derby hero Warning (Declaration Of War) doing his best work at the finish to be a further three-quarter of a length back in third.
It was the fifth stakes win for the Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas-trained colt advancing his overall record to 7 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third from 14 starts with earnings of $2,035,795.
It was the fifth win in the race for Macdonald but only Rebel Raider went on to complete the double in the SA Derby.
“He always looked good in the run, he did have to chase the leader but he did it comfortably and he was very kind in the last bit,” Macdonald said.
“I think he can win (the SA Derby), he can stay. He is very fit and if he pulls up well from this he can have a few days at the beach then we will get into him again towards the weekend, he will be fine..
“He’s been very good since coming back from Melbourne. This horse has more brilliance than Rebel (Raider) and can make his own luck.”
An $80,000 Inglis Premier purchase for his trainers from the Mill Park draft, Dalasan was bred by the SA based Toorak Thoroughbred Breeding Trust and is the second winner from stakes-placed Kitten's Joy (USA) mare Khandallah, who was purchased by Hancock Quality Bloodstock for $35,000 out of the Widden Stud draft at the 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Broodmare Sale.
Khandallah comes from an international family featuring Group winners Galic Boy, Smokey Stover and Dreadnaught.
Mill Park sold a colt by Dissident from Khandallah at the 2019 Inglis Premier this year for $110,000. Named Ichibansan and trained by Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas, he has yet to place from four starts. Including an eighth behind Ecumenical earlier in the day in the Group III Breeders Stakes.
Khandallah has a weanling filly by So You Think and was covered by American Pharoah (USA) last spring.