Godolphin Discard Wins Godolphin Crown

Mark Smith - Saturday April 28

Godolphin discard Pecans put a dagger in the heart of the sponsor of Saturday's Group III Godolphin Crown (1300m) at Hawkesbury when she edged the royally-bred Ghisoni in a driving finish.

The Joe Pride-trained filly was making her first start since opening her stakes account in the Group III Belle Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) at Gosford in December.

Given a positive ride by Josh Parr, Pecans defeated Ghisoni (Lonhro) by a neck with Invincibella (I Am Invincible) half a length back in third. (photos Steve Hart ). 


Purchased by the Tricolours Syndicate at the Inglis August Thoroughbred Sale for $50,000, Pecans advances her record to 5 wins and 5 seconds from 13 starts with earnings of $285,515.

The 4yo daughter of Skilled had just a solitary win, a maiden at Newcastle at her first start on her resume at the time of her sale although she had been runner-up in the three starts before she was sold.

"I just wanted to see a good run from her today, she had a little set-back so for her to come back and do that is a pretty fair effort," Pride said.

"I'm not sure I'll take her to Scone, especially on the back of a really nice win like that. It might be a bit of a rush to get her there, so I might just freshen her up and find a nice race in Brisbane for her".

Parr said the win had an extra special meaning for him.

"It's nice to get a black-type winner for my man Skilled who was my first Group 1 winner, so that's cool, Parr said.

A half-sister to the Listed MRC Merson Cooper Stakes winner Secession (Lonhro) and the stakes-placed Purdy (Lonhro), Pecans descends from a family that served Woodlands well for many decades.

Pecans is the 11th and final foal of Walnut who died in 2013. The daughter of Procul Harum was a stakes-winning half-sister to the dam of Listed Stakes winner Finishing Card (Platinum Scissors).

Pecans is the only stakes-winner to date by the 2010 Group 1 AJC Champagne Stakes hero Skilled (Commands.

The brother to Cornerstone Stud Farm's Ambidexter and half-brother to Darley Stud's Sidestep (Exceed And Excel), Skilled stood at Riverbank Farm in 2017 at a fee of $3,300.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Three Fillies Share Top Honours at MM Tasmania
The three top sellers all sold for $80,000 with local buyers competing with those from interstate and overseas to secure the next generation of racetrack stars from the Apple Isle.
G1 Pedigree Watch – Helen Street Making Her Presence Felt
We saw two brand new Group I winners in Australia on Saturday and both super interesting on the pedigree front with one of them a $1.4million yearling and the other a Kiwi bred sprinter, who continued the G1 winning run for the Street Cry sireline and we also take a look at why you need to know more about Helen Street.
Sires With Winners - Sunday February 23
Here is the full list of 73 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
A Torryburn Gasp Before their Plain Bay Fellow Wins G1 No 4
The Torryburn stud team, watching as they always do when their ‘plain bay fellow’ races, would have had a gasp or two mid race but it ended up as easy as it comes with Voyage Bubble making it three Group I wins from his last three starts in the Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.
Trelawney Stud Excited to Offer Shanwah Half-Brother at Inglis Easter
Shanwah’s victory in the Gr.2 Autumn Classic (1800m) at Caulfield on Saturday was timely for his breeder’s Trelawney Stud, who are set to offer his half-brother at Inglis’ Australian Easter Yearling Sale in April.
How Do You Measure Success?
There are a lot of ways to measure the success of a stallion, but for elite breeders looking to produce serious racehorses it’s all about Black Type horses and this young stallion has really spread his wings.
World First G1 Success for Rachel King in Japan
Leading Australian jockey Rachel King is no stranger to Group I success, but achieved a first in Japan on Sunday in becoming the first woman to ride a G1 winner on the JRA circuit when steering Costa Nova to victory in the February Stakes (1600m) on the dirt.
Wrote 3YO Impressive on Sunday
Bruce Wallbank describes Midnight Edition as his one-in-a-million horse and the exciting three-year-old gave the Pukekohe horseman plenty to cheer about on his home track on Sunday.
'I always thought he was a seven furlong, miler' - Ka Ying Rising Delivers
If we’re talking turf, Hong Kong can justifiably claim to have the best two horses in the world and Ka Ying Rising cemented his part in that brief with another powerful win in the Group I Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday.
G1 Bonecrusher Stakes Next for Orchestral
Cambridge trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood will head into next week’s Champions Day at Ellerslie with a trio of leading chances, with all three pleasing in their final hit-outs at the Auckland track on Saturday.