Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday November 17

Saturday’s Listed Merson Cooper Stakes at Sandown gives fans the first chance to see a son of that mighty little warrior Dundeel in battle.

The Team Hawkes-trained Irukandji will carry the Spendthrift Farm colours in a race which roll call of winners includes Pago Pago, Star Affair, Storm Queen, Quezette, Biscay, Vain, Dual Choice, Vivarchi, and Rancher.

Irukandji was purchased for $500,000 out of the Musk Creek Farm draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

That made him the second most expensive yearling from the first crop of Dundeel after the $900,000 colt out of Miss Finland.

Like the champion Pierro, Irukandji was another successful pinhook for Musk Creek Farm, which snapped him up for a not insignificant $240,000 from the Riversdale draft at the National Weanling Sale.

A half-brother to the 3-time winner Deanna Jean, Irukandji is the third foal of the stakes-placed General Nediym mare Cerberus Gal who was a more than useful performer for trainer Garry Kennewell.

She was stakes-placed four times most noticeably when second to Champagne Harmony in the Group II Yallambee Classic (1200m) at Morphettville.

Cerberus Gal is out of Idesa Bay (Civic Hope), a 3-time winner for her trainer/breeder John Zielke, whose dam Western Beauty (Best Western) was a half-sister to the stakes-placed Kaoru Star mare Confidentially.

Bred by the late Tony Freedman, Confidentially became the dam of Danzero, a first crop son of Danehill, who won the 1994 Golden Slipper, setting his sire on the road to fame and fortune, before carving out a successful career at stud in his own right.



Advertisment
More Reading...
More Stakes Success for Air Assault
Group I placed last season in the SA Derby, talented gelding Air Assault kept the winning run going for Victoria Derby winning trainer Andrew Gluyas when taking out the Listed SAJC John Letts Cup (1800m) at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup Day.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.
Rosemont and Partners Stakes Quinella on Cup Day
Written Tycoon posted his second new stakes-winner on Melbourne Cup Day when promising three year-old gelding Catoggio took out the Listed VRC Amanda Elliot Stakes (1400m)  for Rosemont Stud and partners, who also race the second horse Bosustow.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.