Sparta Racing | Sparta Racing News 62086 Queensland Derby Time And Stable Update

Statuario - Queensland Derby Favourite

We were not too disappointed when last weekend's Eagle Farm meeting was abandoned, confident with how our boy Statuario had travelled and settled in, but not so rapt with the weather conditions!

However, this week It's mainly sunshine forecast for the lead up to the postponed Gr.1 Queensland Derby, a race in which Statuario is favourite on the back of his brave second in the Gr.1 South Australian Derby in early May.

Thriving since then, the popular grey is suited by a little gap in between races and Emma-Lee has been delighted with him - "he travelled super and has been perfect, we can't fault him."

"He has done a bit of travelling but he had a month between his Caulfield win (the Listed Galilee Series Final) and the South Australian Derby and he has had five weeks since that run so he has been lightly raced."

Statuario was a bargain buy for the stable, secured for just $18,000 at the 2023 Inglis Melbourne Gold Yearling Sale, already amassing over $430,000 in stakes.

We are confident that the son of So You Think's Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas winner D'Argento has what it takes to win a staying feature, Emma-Lee noting that "he is just so relaxed... and a bit playful as well; I think that has helped him with his travels, he takes everything into stride."

To jump from barrier five, Statuario will be ridden in the 2400m $1 million feature by John Allen who was aboard for his South Australian Derby second, his Listed win and his Alister Clark placing.


Pictured here in Queensland

Basilinna bound for Flemington in November

Everyone's favourite mare Basilinna is enjoying her time in the paddock as her connections dream of what glory that famous First Tuesday In November could bring!

Earning herself automatic entry into the 165th running of the Gr.1 $8 million Melbourne Cup by winning the Listed Andrew Ramsden Stakes, Basilinna has a big spring ahead.

Basilinna skipped a possible run in last weekend's Listed Sandown Cup to ensure she had plenty of time to get ready for her big spring target.

"We put her out, and we will focus on the angles on getting her to the Cup in the right shape," Emma-Lee said. "We want to pick the right path and make sure she gets to the day in the best possible condition.”

 

Does Basilinna have what it takes for Cup success?

On her easy Listed win over 2800m coupled with her game third in the 2023 Gr.1 VRC Oaks, Basilinna looks just the sort of horse you need for the famous Flemington two miles.

And she has the pedigree too, let's have a look at it...

Her sire Staphanos by the great Deep Impact, who himself won the Gr.1 Tenno Show over 3200m, won four races. He was never tried over a staying trip but he had outstanding form in major 2000m races in Japan and Hong Kong.

He has been passing stamina on, several of his progeny winning races around the 2500m distance range. Basilinna's dam So Royal meanwhile was competitive up to 2400m and whilst her sire Shinko King was a sprinter, he hailed from the same family as the Gr.1 Epsom Derby winner Dr Devious.

Also from that family was Archway who sired a number of Classic winners including the Gr.1 South Australian Oaks winner She's Archie who was a fast finishing second to the mighty mare Makybe Diva in the 2003 Melbourne Cup.

So Royal's dam Queen The Cape is by Sir Tristram's son Kaapstad and that's a sire line to have had great influence in the Cup... Sir Tristram siring three winners of the big race; Brew, Empire Rose and Gurner's Lane. And his son Zabeel another three; Jezabeel, Efficent and Might And Power.

Queen Of The Cape's half-brother Sir Silver Lad won a couple of feature events including the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby over 2400m whilst her dam's half-brother Wiedersehen took out the Gr.1 Metropolitan Handicap over 2600m.

Fingers cross Basillina adds to the fine legacy of her family!


Pictured here enjoying the Sun at The Garfield Farm

 

Gabor Going Places

Speaking of John Allen, he was aboard the stable's promising youngster Gabor when she recorded a very smart win at Pakenham on May 8.

Sent out favourite when fifth at her debut at the same track, the daughter of Grunt had got herself a bit worked up before the race but derived plenty of benefit from that experience and was able to turn things around with a dominant performance in a 1400m maiden.

Settling nicely mid-field, the two-year-old swung widest into the straight and really let rip over the final stages - quickly gathering in her rivals in a style that suggests she had plenty more to offer.

"She is a nice filly," John Allen reported, adding that "she was a lot more professional today though still quite green and a little raw - but I like the way she ambled up to them and had the race at her mercy at the furlong pole without having to put too much pressure on her."

"She caught us a bit by surprise at first start as she had been lovely and relaxed at all her trials," David said, "she got a bit hot but today she was a lot better - and she got a bit of cover and was able to switch off, that makes a difference."

Bred by Yulong by their Gr.1 Australian Guineas and Gr.1 Makybe Diva Stakes winner Grunt, Gabor is the third foal and second winner produced by the stakes placed five time winning Dane Shadow mare Cinematic. 

Also the dam of Grunt's Warwick Farm winner Cinematic Star, Cinematic was served last spring by Champion Sire Written Tycoon after foaling a filly by Diatonic. She is one of the five winners for the stakes winning Success Express mare Snapshots whose Gr.1 Karrakatta Plate winning dam Hold That Smile won the title of WA Horse Of The Year as did her triple Group winning brother Carry That Smile. 

The Gr.1 winners Sea Siren, Warm Heart and Ruthless Dame hail from the same branch of the prolific Cinna family - that great mare being ancestress of big race winners around the globe... including Basilinna's great grandsire Sunday Silence.

Gabor was purchased online by her enthusiastic managing owner Earl Sakareassen for just $5,000 as a yearling in April last year. He was keen to get in on the Yulong success story, also buying and sending to us a nice Alabama Express filly called Toy Queen.

Earl is a welcome new addition to the stable, racing horses in his silks of red with a royal blue cross and white sleeves/cap - paying tribute to his Norwegian background.

Horses For Sale - Join In The Fun!

You don't have to be a millionaire to have lots of fun racing horses and we are proud of our record of providing great value for owners. We have several horses on offer at the moment including lovely geldings by Casino Prince and Captivant.

Casino Prince x Chevaria

"This horse took our breath away," Emma-Lee said of the first, a horse whose high achieving sire Casino Prince retired just recently. 

That Gr.1 Chipping Norton Stakes winner has been a marvel over his 17 seasons at stud, doing a great job with his 24 stakes winners including the outstanding racehorse and stallion All Too Hard.

Maintaining a very good strike rate just shy of 69% throughout his career, Casino Prince is also sire of 13 stakes placegetters and a host of metropolitan winners with over 30.5% of his runners being at least city class!

This colt is the second foal produced by Chevaria, a winning granddaughter of the great Zabeel. She is one of the four winners (from as many foals to race) for the two time winning Not A Single Doubt mare Holly Molly - half-sister to the stakes winner Huiskes.

The globe-trotting multiple Gr.1 winning sprinter Scenic Blast (Newmarket Handicap, Lightning Stakes, Royal Ascot King's Stand Stakes) hails from this family as does the WA Horse Of The Year Gilded Venom.

This is the Meer Rose family which has had such a great impact on local racing - that mare being the ancestress of 107 stakes winners - 22 Gr.1 winners including the great gallopers Lonhro, Empire Rose, Grosvenor and Lankan Rupee.

Captivant x Rupavari

The Captivant also really caught our eyes at the sale - he is a big, well developed, strapping boy with presene and a great walk. 

He hails from the first crop of a Gr.1 Champagne Stakes winning son of the Golden Slipper hero Capitalist, in turn son of the Champion Sire Written Tycoon.

This is sire line that fares particularly well with members of the Redoute's Choice sire line as this fellow's dam Rupavari is.

There have been 36 stakes winners with this Written Tycoon/Redoute's Choice combination (one which results in a cross of the famed matriarch Best In Show) with Velocious, Captured By Love, Private Life, Vibrant Sun and La Luna Rossa all successful at Gr.1 level.

And ten of those stakes winners are by Capitalist.

A lightly raced winner over a sprinting trip, Rupavari (whose sire Redoute's Choice is an outstanding broodmare sire influence - 176 stakes winners including 30 Gr.1 horses) is a proven broodmare whose first four foals are all winners.

Amongst that tally is the tough and consistent New Zealand galloper Lhasa who is currently racing in great heart, winning seven races including his last two by impressively wide margins.

Rupavari is a daughter of the high class mare Clean Sweep, winner of the Gr.1 NZ 2000 Guineas from a high class American family which has produced another Classic filly - the Gr.1 Kentucky Oaks heroine Gal In A Ruckus.

Soft Falling Rain, Sky Classic, Always A Classic, Regal Classic and Habibti are also big race winners from this family, one which has also fared well in Australia with the likes of Just Polite and So You Win winning stakes races.