Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday September 13

Just eight runners but what a quality field of three-year-olds Saturday’s $200,000 Group II Run To The Rose (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens has drawn.

And there are any number of our old favourites like Exceedance, Yes Yes Yes, Bivouac and Kubrick in the field but we might go for a bit of value in the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Dawn Passage. 


The son of Dawn Approach (IRE) has won two of his three starts including a last start win in the Listed Rosebud (1100m).

He had Bivouac behind him when he made a winning career debut at Randwick in January.

He was then a troubled third behind the top-class Castelvecchio and Accession in the valuable Inglis Millennium.

Off the scene for 26 weeks he finished fast for his maiden stakes win in the Rosebud at Rosehill on August 10.

The industry in South Australia may be facing some difficult times but Dawn Passage’s pedigree screams South Australia.

Bred by South Australian Hall Of Famer Harry Perks and raised on the hallowed grounds of Mill Park Stud, Dawn Passage is a half-brother to the Group III SAJC Jansz Stakes winner Dinkum Diamond (Keep The Faith), out of Raja Lane, a crack racemare by Devaraja, who earned earned over $428,000 with seven wins highlighted by the Group III SAJC Dermody Stakes.

Raja Lane is out of a mare by Francis Bacon, who is out of a mare by Habeas Corpus, who is out of a mare by Boysie Boy.

It doesn’t come any more South Australian than that.

Dawn Passage is the eighth foal and the sixth winner for the now pensioned Raja Lane.

With his win in the Rosebud Dawn Passage became the second stakes-winner in Australia, after Diamond Thunder in the Listed Oxlade Stakes at Doomben, for Darley stud’s 4-time Group 1 winner Dawn Approach (IRE).

The son of New Approach (IRE) covered just 34 mares last spring and did not return in 2019.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Diamond Thunders Home to Win $100,000 MM Wyong Stakes
Last seen winning the Listed ATC Sir Brian Crowley Stakes at Randwick in late October, the Mark Newnham trained three year-old Diamond Thunder booked his ticket to Magic Millions day at the Gold Coast with a brilliant win in the $100,000 Magic Millions Wyong Stakes on Thursday.
First Australian Stakes Winner for Dawn Approach
Mark Newnham said he had to pinch himself after his two-year-old Dawn Approach (IRE) gelding Diamond Thunder overpowered the erratic favourite California Zimbol in Saturday’s Listed Authentic Security Oxlade Stakes (1200m) at Doomben.
Dawn Approach's Dawn Passage Stakes Claim for the Golden Rose
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Dawn Passage stamped himself a colt with a future when he defeated a handy field by upwards of three and a half lengths when making his career debut at Randwick in January and it did not take long for the son of Dawn Approach (IRE) to stamp himself as a player in the big three-year-old races in the spring.
Pedigree Watch – UK -3YO - Derby Hopeful
Spring is in the air in the UK with the Listed Betfred Blue Riband Trial (1m2f) run at Epsom overnight and there was some Aussie interest with Chief Little Rock, a Galileo colt from Australian Group I winning Fastnet Rock mare Amicus engaged, but he came up short finishing third to a promising colt by Sea the Stars.
Sioux Nation Filly Sioux Spirit Makes Exciting Debut
After winning her last two jumpouts, the 3-year-old Sioux Nation (USA) filly Sioux Spirit was favoured to make a winning debut in the Dean Holland Memorial Maiden Plate at Geelong on Wednesday and did not disappoint anyone.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
It was all happening at the Rosehill trials on Tuesday morning with a runaway Golden Slipper winner, the first public outing of 2019 for glamour colt The Autumn Sun and a typically understated trial from the world’s best racehorse Winx who hit the line hard in third gear under a hold.
Kiwi Trained Invincible Mare Imwonderfultonight Headed for Adelaide G1
Sam Mynott has been ticking up the air miles over the Tasman Sea this week and she is hoping it will all be worth it when she lines up her first horse in Australia on Saturday.
Embellish 3YO Wins for Te Akau
Consistent three-year-old Beau Brummell commenced a successful journey south for jockey Warren Kennedy, who picked up a trio of winners at Phar Lap Raceway on Wednesday.
Cambridge Stud Announce 2024 Fees
Off the back of announcing a world class addition to the 2024 stallion line-up, Cambridge Stud has announced service fees for its full roster.
Shall Be Takes Aim at Inglis Challenge
The promising 2-year-old Shalaa (IRE) colt Shall Be will target the $200,000 Inglis Challenge to be run on May 17 at Scone Racecourse after breaking his maiden in the New Era Technology Maiden Plate at Newcastle on Wednesday.