Two prestigious races for the fillies and mares, the Group 1 Furphy Robert Sangster Stakes and the Group II Queen Of The South Stakes, highlight a champagne day of racing at Morphettville on Saturday.
In the Queen Of The South, last year's winner Silent Sovereign (Dalakhani) and runner-up Foxy Freda (Foxwedge), return to do battle. There are two inform 3yo fillies in the impeccably bred Waltz On By (I Am Invincible) and the last start Nitschke Stakes winner Caste (Sir Prancelot).
Yulong's 4yo Frankel mare My Whisper has three Group III wins to her credit, including the Auraria Stakes at Mprphettville last year before finishing third in the Group 1 Austrasian Oaks.
Two highly-regarded imports add some spice to the race.
The Mick Price and Micheal Kent Jnr -trained Miss You Ella (USA) (Declaration At War) has some excellent form in America but has not raced since winning over a mile at Gulfstream Park last November.
The one we like is the Danny O'Brien-trained Sparkle (JPN), who has started to hit her straps since arriving from Japan.
The daughter of Epiphaneia (JPN) has won her last two starts at Flemington impressively.
Spar
A first-up second in a 2yo Newcomers race over 1600m at Chukyo in September 2020, Sparkle (JPN) broke her maiden over the same track and distance, defeating the subsequent Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Commemorative Cup winner Geraldina (Maurice x Gentildonna).
After rounding out her 2yo season with a second at Hanshin, Sparkle (JPN) seemed to have progressed at three with two wins and a third from four starts. She struggled when she stepped up to stakes company. Sparkle (JPN) was on a plane to Australia after two unplaced runs at four.
Unplaced after a torrid run at Sandown at his first start in almost a year, Sparkle (JPN) improved to finish third over 1600m at Flemington on March 4. She broke through a week later over 2000m at Flemington and showed that was no fluke when winning over the same course and distance a fortnight later.
Sparkle (JPN) comes from the second crop of Epiphaneia, the most expensive stallion in Japan in 2023. who sits at the top of the Shadai Stallion Station roster at Y18,000,000 (A$200,000). The 2014 Japan Cup and St Leger hero has sired a champion in his first three crops - Daring Tact in his first crop, Horse of the Year Efforia in his second and champion two-year-old filly Circle Of Life in his third.
A half-brother to champion 3yo colt Saturnalia (Lord Kanaloa) and champion 2yo colt Leontes (King Kamehameha), out of the champion 3yo filly Cesario, Epiphaneia has an Australian connection.
Cesario is a daughter of the Group III winning Sadler's Wells mare Kirov Premiere (GB), who lived out her life at Arrowfield Stud.
Her stakes-placed daughter Savannah's Choice (Redoute's Choice) is the dam of Widden Stud's Overshare, while another daughter Kirovskaya (French Deputy), is the dam of Snitzel's dual Group III winning daughter Irithea.
Sparkle's dam Eyes Only (Neo Universe) won one of her eleven starts.
Her dam Island Fashion (Pentionville) won six stakes races, highlighted by three at the highest level, the Alabama Stakes, La Brea Stakes and the Santa Monica Handicap. She was a US$950,000 purchase for Katsumi Yoshida at the 2009 Keeneland January horses of all ages sale.
