Best On Breeding - Melbourne Cup Edition

Mark Smith - Monday November 5

Enable assured her place in history as one of the all-time greats when adding Saturday's Breeders' Cup Turf to her Arc double but she was made to fight down the length of the Churchill Downs straight by the 3yo filly Magical, which ties in nicely with our Melbourne Cup tip.

Winner of the Group 1 Champion Fillies & Mares at Ascot on October 20, Galileo's Magical and Tuesday's Melbourne Cup hope Cross Counter (GB), by Galileo's son Teofilo (IRE), descend from the half-sister's Cassandra Go and Persian Secret who are also half-sisters to that underrated stallion Verglas who won the Coventry Stakes and was runner-up in the Irish 2000 Guineas.

The winner of the winner of the King Stand Stakes and runner-up to Mozart in the July Cup, Cassandra Go (Indian Ridge) far exceeded her half-sister on the track and is setting up a dynasty of her own at stud. That's not to say Persian Secret hasn't added to the family fortunes but just look at what Cassandra Go has achieved in recent years.


Coolmore's decision to invest in three daughters of Cassandra Go has reaped huge dividends.

It began at the Goffs Million in 2005 when John Magnier outlaid €400,000 for the Rock Of Gibraltar filly Theann. At the same sale the following year Demi O'Byrne needed to go to €450,000 for Cassandra Go's Pivotal filly Halfway To Heaven.

Eleven year's later MV Magnier had the final say at 1,600,000 gns for the Invincible Spirit x Cassandra Go filly Fantasy who has been stakes-placed twice in a very busy season at two in 2018.

Theann was a Group III winner and started her broodmare career the right way by producing the dual Group 1 winner Photo Call (Galileo) and this year's Group II Richmond Stakes winner Land Force (No Nay Never).

That is beginning to pale alongside Halfway To Heaven's achiements. After a stellar career on the track that brought three wins at the highest level, Irish One Thousand Guineas, Sun Chariot Stakes and Nassau Stakes, Halfway To Heaven has just about cemented her blue hen status with Magical, triple Group 1 winner Rhododendron and the Group III winner Flying The Flag. All three had a great start to life being by the champion Galileo.

So back to Persian Secret who is a daughter of Persian Heights.

From his time at stud in Australia Persian Heights sired the Caulfield Cup and MacKinnon Stakes winner Paris Lane and in Europe sired David Elsworth's mighty warrior Persian Punch. As game a horse that has ever looked through a bridle, Persian Punch finished third in Ethereal's 2001 Melbourne Cup and the same place again in Jezabeel's 2003 Melbourne Cup.

A stakes-winner in France, Persian Secret has produced 11 winners led by the stakes-winner Sheba (Alzao) who was third in the G1 Mother Goose Stakes, and the Gr III Prix de Meautry Royal Barriere winner Do The Honours (Highest Honor) who won 5 of her 10 starts.

To a mating with Kingmambo, Do The Honours produced the stakes-placed Waitress who is the dam of Cross Counter. (photo Godolphin)

While still only a Northern Hemisphere three-year-old, Charlie Appleby set the Melbourne Cup as a goal for Godolphin's colt when easily defeating Epsom Derby runner-up Dee Ex Bee in a record-breaking performance in the Group III Gordon Stakes over a mile and a half at Goodwood on August 4.

He was sent out a red-hot favourite when second behind his stablemate Old Persian in the Voltigeur Stakes at York a fortnight later but he didn't shirk his task to be beaten a head.

A standard-bearer for his sire Galileo in Australia, Teofilo (IRE) has been a wonderful success despite not having the best fertility.

After four seasons at Darley Australia at a fee of $22,000, Teofilo (IRE) missed two years before returning triumphant in 2016 and 2017with a fee of $44,000 after leaving the likes of Kermadec, Humidor, Happy Clapper, Palentino and Sonntag.

Cross Counter (GB) had a slight setback when cutting his leg in training however the Godolphin team are happy that he is best possible shape for Tuesday. We will put our faith in Kerrin McEvoy to navigate a path from barrier 19.

Selections

1 Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo)

2 Youngstar (High Chaparral)

3 The Cliffsofmoher (IRE) (Galileo)

4 Best Solution (IRL) (Kodiac).

Best Outsider – last year's Melbourne Cup favourite Marmelo (GB) (Duke Of Marmalade).

Advertisment
More Reading...
Best On Breeding
A winner of five Group 1’s and a trio of Group II’s now rated as Group 1 in Europe, a daughter of a top-class broodmare sire, from a family that has rewritten the record books, and a regular consort to the best stallions on offer – all the ingredients for a top broodmare, right? Well in the case of this mare it was an emphatic no.
Storm Boy Headed to Ireland
Coolmore have today announced via Twitter that top class Justify (USA) colt Storm Boy will be continuing his racing career in Ireland in 2025 under the care of Aidan O’Brien.
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.
Teofilo's Happy Clapper Thrills the Crowd at Randwick
It will be a sad day when the curtain comes down on the career of Happy Clapper because the biggest cheer of the day at Randwick was reserved for the 9-year-old son of Teofilo (IRE) following his fighting performance in the Group III Yulong Australia Craven Plate (2000m).
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.
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.
Magic Nick Strikes Again – Fastnet Rock x Galileo
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo nick has been on fire in Melbourne this spring producing Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (IRE) and leading Melbourne Cup contender Buckaroo (GB) and it struck again overnight in the UK with a brand new stakes-winner in Military Academy, who captured the Listed Floodlit Stakes (1m4f) at Kempton.
Cup Day Stakes-Winner for So You Think
The Listed VRC TAB Trophy (1800m) for three year-olds on Cup Day at Flemington drew a competitive field of up and comers with So You Think gelding Opening Address stamping himself as a bright prospect for the future with a stylish victory.
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.
Knight's 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.