Champion French stallion Siyouni has been riding high in Europe this year thanks to his outstanding three year old colt Paddington and dominant three year-old filly Tahiyra with his considerable talents on show in Australia last Saturday at Flemington where star mare Amelia’s Jewel and Cups contender Carini (Fr) were both in the winner’s circle.
A fast Group I winning two year-old as a racehorse, Siyouni has proven far more versatile as a sire producing 71 stakes-winners over a wide range of distances with 10 Group I winners successful from 1400m to 2400m headed by Arc winner Sottsass, Champion French 3YO and six time Group I winner Laurens, not to mention 2021 European Horse of the Year St Mark’s Basilica (FR), who is currently covering his second book of mares at Coolmore Australia.
Amelia's Jewel wins the G2 Let's Elope at 1400m - image Grant Courtney
That versatility was on display at Flemington with Western Australia’s champion mare Amelia’s Jewel resuming from a spell to win the Group II VRC Let’s Elope Stakes over 1400m.
The Simon Miller trained four year-old is already a G1 winner at 1800m and has multiple lucrative options for this spring including the King Charles Stakes, Golden Eagle and possibly the Cox Plate. Read about her here.
Carini (Fr) wins at his second start in Australia - image Brett Holburt / Racing Photos
Danny O’Brien had to wait all day before unleashing his Cups contender Carini (Fr) in the final race at Flemington and the expensive import scored a length win over 1700m at his second start in Australia.
Stakes-placed in France for the Aga Khan in a brief career that yielded three wins from six starts, Carini was purchased for Australia at the Arqana Deauville Horses in Training Sale last November for €600,000 by Equos Racing/ Astute Bloodstock and topped the sale. He runs for a big group of owners headed by Brae Sokolski’s Yes Bloodstock.
"We've had him since Christmas time and the horse could've run a mile-and-a-half (at Flemington) if we wanted," said O'Brien.
"I'm glad he got the job done and we can probably step him up in higher distance races where he'll be better suited.
"We'll have a chat to everyone, potentially he'll be back here (Flemington) in three weeks for the Bart Cummings."
Victory in the Bart Cummings would secure Carini a guaranteed Melbourne Cup start. His Saturday win drew plenty of attention and saw him firm from $51 to $26 in TAB Melbourne Cup betting and from $101 to $34 in TAB's Caulfield Cup market.
Carini is from a Group II winning Dalakhani mare Candarliya that won up to 2800m and her stakes-winning siblings Canessar and Canndera were also long distance stayers, so you can see why pedigree would fuel optimism for his prospects as a serious Cups contender.
St Mark's Basilica is the only son of Siyouni at stud in Australia this spring, click for more info.
Versatility was certainly a hallmark of St Mark’s Basilica, who won the Group I Dewhurst Stakes at Newmarket over 1400m at two before training on to win all four Group I starts at three – French 2000 Guineas (1600m) and French Derby (2100m) followed by the Coral Eclipse Stakes (2000m) and Irish Champions Stakes (2000m) against the older horses.
St Mark’s Basilica has some outstanding foals on the ground and is already working through an even better second book of mares in Australia with dual Group I winner Global Glamour and Maastricht (dam of Champion 3YO Filly Loving Gaby) among his early covers this spring. He is the only son of Siyouni at stud in Australasia and stands at a fee of $44,000.
