Feast of feature winners at Ascot

Tuesday, 10 December 2013 - Ascot’s Kingston Town Classic card was a moving feast for Sunspeed breeders Ron Sayers (Yarradale Stud) and Eddie Rigg (Geisel Park).

The Perth businessmen have been active in the broodmare market and their recent buys include the dams of Saturday’s feature winners Ihtsahymn (G1 Kingston Town Classic), Petrol Power (G3 Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic) and Knightlike (LR Towton Cup).

IHTSAHYMN (3g Ihtiram – Umatune by Umatilla) is a homebred for Oakland Park owner Neville Duncan and he sold the sire and dam before the gelding embarked on a career that has already harvested the G2 WA Guineas – G1 Kingston Town Classic double.

Duncan bought Umatune for $37,500 from Yarraman Park at the 2003 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale and sold her for $55,000 at a Perth Magic Millions Sale in April 2011.

She has since foaled fillies by Yarradale stallions War Chant and Musket.

PETROL POWER (3g Snitzel – Diamonds and Dust by Charnwood Forest) was also bred at Oakland Park and is raced by Sam Trimboli after changing hands for $240,000 at the 2012 Perth Magic Millions.

He is the dominant three year-old sprinter in Perth after doubling up in the LR Placid Ark Stakes and G3 Sir Ernest Lee-Steere Classic. Trainer Jim Taylor will set him for the Magic Millions 3YO Trophy at Ascot in February.

Petrol Power’s dam Diamonds and Dust is an unraced half-sister to G2 Bill Stutt Stakes winner Burrito. Duncan sold her to Sayers and Rigg for $11,000 and, like Ihtsahymn, she foaled fillies by Yarradale residents Musket and War Chant in 2012 and 2013.

KNIGHTLIKE (7g Viscount - Academy Girl by Scenic) became the 10th stakes winner for Woodlands Stud - Oakland Park stallion Viscount in the LR Towton Cup.

Bred by Bob Peters, Knightlike had been placed in two Tattersalls Cups before the black-type breakthrough on Saturday. Rookie trainer Jemma Hayman has him firing on all cylinders for the G2 Perth Cup.

Knightlike’s dam Academy Girl won 8 races and second-dam Tarare was a G2 winner of the A V Kewney Stakes at Flemington. Academy Girl has a yearling filly by Yarradale sire Scandal Keeper.

SAINT BRO (3g Flying Pegasus - Parole by Jade Hunter) is another recent feature winner with ties to Geisel Park. Rigg negotiated a deal to buy Parole from De Grey Park owner Dick Vincent earlier this year.

Trained by Simon Miller, Saint Bro won the Fairetha Stakes last month and was then placed behind Ihtsahymn in the G2 WA Guineas.

Darley sprinter-miler Offenders (Canny Lad) was Parole’s first black-type galloper and he was last seen winning at Caulfield in July.

Parole foaled a Scandal Keeper colt in September and was then bred back to War Chant.

BLACK TYCOON (8g Blackfriars - Dame Fontaine by Last Tycoon) upgraded a Geisel Park pedigree with a Listed victory in the WA Tattersalls Cup on November 23.

He is from a half-sister to the dam of Marooned mare Lip Service.

Geisel Park sold a Danehill Express - Lip Service colt for $42,000 at the 2011 Perth Magic Millions. Registered as Express Service, he won the Magic Millions 3YO Trophy and LR Challenge Stakes at Ascot earlier this year.

Lip Service has been served by Blackfriars and Black Tycoon can add more black-type for the family in the G2 Perth Cup (2400m) on January 1.

Rigg also sent Private Vintage to Blackfriars. The Serheed mare has already foaled the Blackfriars stakes performers Vintrack and Miss Vinnoire.

- Karl Patterson