Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday August 2

The first Saturday of a new season and a rare stakes-free weekend however there are several very interesting races for the newly turned three-year-olds.

There have been quite a few American-bred mares that have made a lasting impact on the breed in Australia and the Nijinsky mare Dancing Show (USA).

A granddaughter of the blue hen Best In Show, Dancing Show right off the bat showed she was going to be something special when the Miswaki foal she was carrying at the time of her importation ranked up with the best sprinters in the land.

His name was Umatilla who won the Group 1 WATC Karrakatta Plate and was runner-up to Canonise in the Blue Diamond Stakes at two.


Two year’s later Dancing Show’s son Hurricane Sky (Star Watch) atoned for his half-brothers defeat in the Blue Diamond Stakes and would later add the Group 1 AJC All-Aged Stakes.

Both Umatilla and Hurricane Sky became successful stallions while Dancing Show’s daughters have taken it to another level.

The star of the show has been Shantha’s Choice (Canny Lad) the dam of Redoute’s Choice, Manhattan Rain, Platinum Scissors, Sliding Cube and Echoes Of Heaven.

Show Dancing (Don’t Say Halo) is the dam of Al Maher and Salameh while the stakes-placed Makarova (Thunder Gulch) is the dam of Listed winner Ruling Dynasty and the winning Danehill mare Twyla is the dam of Group III winner Murjana as well as the dam s of Group 1 winner Gathering and Group III winner Florentina as well as the Group II winner Niagara.

Murjana (Giant’s Causeway) was purchased by Tim Staksmire, on behalf of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, for $300,000 at the 2006 Magic Millions.

In a troubled history at stud, Murjana has just four live foals in 11 seasons.

Her second foal Isstoora did not see the racetrack. The daughter of High Chaparral is the dam of the very talented Asateer  (pictured as a yearling) who finished second on debut at Bendigo before two wins on the synthetic at Pakenham and Ballarat.

The son of I Am Invincible races in the colours of his breeder Sheik Khalifa after failing to make his $400,000 reserve when offered by Coolmore at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

The Lloyd Kennewell-trained colt shapes as the one to be in Saturday’s 3-Y-O C&G Hcp (1000m) at Moonee Valley, which is a race heavily influenced by the descendants of Dancing Show.

Her granddaughter Sliding Cube is the dam of the exciting stallion Rubick who has two leading chances in the race in the Michael Moroney-trained Alburq and the Richard Laming-trained Condo's Express.

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
$1.3million Snitzel Colt Ready to Fire on Debut for Te Akau
Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson are confident they have the young firepower to make an early impression in the first of the black type features at Pukekohe Park on Saturday.
City of Troy Crowned 2024 Cartier European Horse of the Year
Outstanding Justify colt City of Troy was crowned Horse of the Year at the 2024 Cartier awards on Wednesday night in London at a star studded ceremony at the Dorchester Hotel.
First to 100
It’s probably no surprise to anyone that this stallion is the first to sire 100 Australian winners this season.
Magic Millions 2025 Magazine Online
The 2025 Magic Millions magazine is now online with a great mix of gallery images, editorial and vendor profilies.
$2,000 Gavelhouse Bargain Keeps on Winning!
The Grey Goose continued to belie her purchase price last start when recording her fifth win at Wingatui, bringing her career earnings to more than $225,000.
Pinhook Winners 2024 NZB Ready to Run – Churchill Colt the Star
A record breaking NZB Ready to Run Sale this week at Karaka delivered plenty of pinhook success with 18 two year-olds selling for $300,000 or more above their yearling purchase price, so let’s take a look at some of the best of them.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Castelvecchio has gone from nowhere to somewhere during the course of this spring with three stakes-winners putting his name in lights and he had a promising three year-old colt salute at Hawkesbury on Thursday that has now won two of three starts.
Halo Racing Reduction features in November (Late) catalogue
Shares in reigning G1 Caulfield Cup champion Duke de Sessa, G1 Toorak Hcp winner Attrition and tomorrow’s G1 Railway Stakes favourite Light Infantry Man headline an exciting Inglis Digital November (Late) Online Sale.
Invincible Colt on Target for Blue Diamond
The open juvenile event at Randwick on Saturday always looked good on paper with some highly rated fillies and two expensive colts engaged and at the winning post it was I Am Invincible’s Rulership that claimed the victory and he did it in style!
$1,050,000 Colt for I Am Invincible
Tipped as one of the stars on day one at Magic Millions, the I Am Invincible colt from Group II winning Zabeel mare Adrift duly set the sale ring alight when selling for $1,050,00 with Guy Mulcaster signing the docket in conjunction with Waller Racing.