It was a Boxing Day to savour for Robert and Barbara McClure’s Morning Rise Stud with their homebred Splendoronthegrass winning at Eagle Farm before Splendoronthegrass’ half-sister Jazz Etude made a winning debut in Japan.
On the Group 1 Hopeful Stakes undercard at Nakayama, the 2yo I Am Invincible filly Jazz Etude made the best possible start to her career when leading at every call over 1600m.
Ridden by Yukito Ishikawa for trainer Yoichi Kuroiwa, Jazz Etude defeated the favoured Italian-bred Danon Ballade colt Ballade in Milano by one and a quarter lengths with Fenomeno colt Shining Mars a further seven lengths back in third.
Owned by Kazuko Yoshida, Jazz Etude was bred by Morning Rise Stud and was consigned by Coolmore Stud to the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Katsumi Yoshida had the last say at $650,000 for the daughter of I Am Invincible, and two months later she was on a plane to Japan.
The McClure’s raced the dam of Splendoronthegrass and Jazz Etude, Mumbai Rock.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock was purchased through bloodstock agent James Bester for $1,550,000 at the 2013 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
She returned just $29,735 of that on the track,with a lone win at Kembla Grange but there are exciting times ahead.
On October 6, Mumbai Rock produced her fifth consecutive filly, a daughter of Zoustar.
And to top it off, the David Vandyke-trained Splendoronthegrass has won five and been runner-up four times in a 17-start career to date that has netted $237,000. The 4yo daughter of So You Think will be chasing some black-type following her win over 1400m at Eagle farm under a peach of a ride by Stephanie Thornton.
Previously trained at Lindsay Park, Splendoronthegrass was winning for the second time in three starts for her new stable.