With the defection of Pericles to the Hill Stakes at Rosehill, it leaves the door ajar for another son of Street Boss (USA), Another Wil, to register his first Group 1 success in the Hyland Race Colours Toorak Hcp (1600m) at Caulfield.
Though Another Wil's dam Arohanui may not have matched the deeds of Pericles dam Accessories (GB), the daughter of Bianconi (USA) provided untold joy for Colin and Janice McKenna.
Another Wil (image Scott Barbour/Racing Photos)
Arohanui was one of the first horses Ciaron Maher bought for McKenna's. She won at Kyneton and Cranbourne and was never off the board in five starts.
That's the beginning of the journey.
Arohanui only had five named foals before she died in 2021.
Her first foal, Aroha Te Mana (Von Costa de Hero), was a 3-time winner.
Then came Wil John. The son of Reset provided his owners with some magical moments, including wins in the Grand National Hurdle and Thackeray Steeplechase and an emotional success under 70kgs in the 2021 Jericho Cup at Warrnambool.
Wil John bowed out with 12 wins and eight places from 32 starts, with earnings of over $700,000.
Third foal Wahine Toa (Dalakhani) banked over $315,000 with four wins and seven places from 24 starts, earning black-type when third in the Listed VRC St Leger at just his third start.
Next came Another Wil. There are few more honest horses racing than this lightly raced 5-year-old gelding, who made his debut as a June 3-year-old with a luckless second at Werribee.
The son of Street Boss (USA) won four on the trot in a campaign that started at Sandown in January and culminated in his first stakes win in the Group III Doncaster Prelude on March 30.
Another Wil wins the Doncaster Prelude (image Steve Hart)
It earned him favouritism for the Group 1 Doncaster Mile at Randwick, missing a place for the first time. On a heavy track, he was far from disgraced in finishing seventh, beaten less than two lengths behind the winner Celestial Legend, with Pericles second and Militarize third.
Off the scene for 21 weeks, Another Wil returned to winning form over 1400m at Caulfield, then added the Listed Testa Rossa Stakes at Caulfield.
Ciaron Maher purchased Arohanui for $30,000 at the 2010 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Her dam Tiffany's Best was a hard-knocking daughter of Soviet Lad. In a 39-start career, Tiffany's Best won six and placed 13 times, including a second in the Listed Bagot Handicap (2500m) at Flemington.
Tiffany's Best had ten foals, all made the racetrack, with seven winners. Her daughter Xaar Best (Xaar) was an 8-time winner and multiple stakes-placed over the hurdles.
Another daughter, Tiffany's Lass (Artie Schiller), won four races and finished fourth in the Group 1 Schweppes Oaks.
Tiffany's Best's dam Magic Breakfast (Lunchtime) is the half-sister to Group 1 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes winner Alf and Group III BATC Doomben Stakes winner Gladful.
Trained by Dave O'Sullivan, Alf (Masterclass) crossed the Tasman after winning The NZ Magic Millions.
After separating Laurie's Lottery and Iglesia (sire of Written Tycoon) in the Group II Todman Slipper Trial, Alf bypassed the Golden Slipper to triumph over Mossman in the Group 1 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes and earned his way to Hong Kong.
There have been many success stories for the Antipodeans in Hong Kong. Alf was not one of them.
He took 27 starts to ring up number one in the former colony, a feat he could not equal in a further twelve starts.
