5
INGLIS Sires’ Produce Stakes
The Slipper fits
The Group 1 Tooheys New Golden Slipper
(1200m, Rosehill) is the best guide to finding
the winner of the Group 1 ATC Sires’ Produce
Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, despite the fact
the races are only seven days apart.
While the records show that 20 horses have
completed the VRC Sires’ Produce-ATC Sires’
Produce double compared to 14 who have
backed up after winning the Golden Slipper, the
Slipper is easily the best modern-day guide.
Since Todman won the first Golden Slipper (and
was beaten by Tulloch in the Sires’) in 1957,
only four horses have won the two-state Sires’
double, including the champion Tulloch—the
other three are Full On Aces (1981), Desirable
(1976) and Wenona Girl (1960).
That record doesn’t read well for the David
Hayes-trained
Zululand
, who easily won
the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) at
Flemington, but dodged the Golden Slipper.
Importantly, it is rare for an ATC Sires’ Produce
Stakes winner not to compete in the Slipper. As
a snapshot example, since 1990, only seven
Sires’ Produce winners didn’t use the Golden
Slipper as a lead-up race. Of the 17 who ran in
the Slipper, only six were able to complete the
double—Pierro (2012), Sebring (2008), Dance
Hero (2004), Merlene (1996), Burst (1992) and
Tierce (1991).
So on those facts, winning the Golden Slipper
is not that important to winning the Sires’
Produce Stakes, as the filly Guelph proved
last year after she finished fourth behind
Overreach in the Slipper.
However, what is important is a solid
performance at Rosehill because since 1990,
only Guelph has been unplaced in the Golden
Slipper and won the Sires’—seven finished
second at Rosehill and three came in third
(along with the six who won both races).
The rare path
Lucky Raquie
is aiming to be the second horse
to win a Listed Black Opal Stakes (1200m,
Canberra)—run this year on March 9—and a
Sires’ Produce Stakes.
St. Covet won the Black Opal in 1994 before
beating Danzero in the Sires’ Produce at
Randwick. In between, Danzero narrowly beat
St. Covet in the Golden Slipper.
Trainer Gerald Ryan elected to miss the Slipper
with Lucky Raquie after she finished fifth behind
Earthquake in the Reisling Stakes (1200m) at
Rosehill on March 22.
The trainers
Gai Waterhouse
is the record holder for
training ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes winners—
her seven winners is one more than her late
father Tommy Smith.
Tulloch won Smith’s first in 1957 and Rhythmic
Charm his last in 1990; the famous father-
daughter combination has won almost a quarter
of all ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes—13 of the 57.
The jockeys
There are only eight jockeys currently riding
who have won ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes. Dual
winners
Kerrin McEvoy
, with two wins (Guelph
2013 and Helmet 2011) and
Nash Rawiller
(Pierro 2012, Manhattan Rain 2010) share the
top of the table with Danny Beasley (based in
Singapore) and Grant Cooksley (Queensland),
who are not riding at the meeting.
Hall of Fame jockeys Shane Dye and George
Moore share the record for Sires’ Produce
Stakes winners with six.
The breeding line
Lucky Raquie
is a three-quarter sister to the
2009 ATC Sires’ Produce winner Manhattan
Rain. Both are by Encosta De Lago; Lucky
Raquie is out of Monsoon Wedding, a
daughter of Manhattan Rain’s famous dam,
Shantha’s Choice (also the dam of champion
sire Redoute’s Choice, the sire of 2005
winner Fashions Afield).
Worth a million, or more.
One colt who cost more than $1 million
as a yearling was —
Zululand
—who is
on track to contest this year’s ATC Sires’
Produce Stakes. In 2013, 11 yearlings sold
in Australia and New Zealand for $1 million
or more.
Zululand (b c, Fastnet Rock-Dream Play) cost
$1.5 million at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
Only six horses sold as yearlings, who sold
for $1 million or more in Australia—out of
146 of racing age—have won a Group 1
race in Australia. Two of them, All Too Hard
($1.2m yearling) finished second behind
Pierro in the 2012 ATC Sires’ Produce
Stakes and Samantha Miss ($1.5 million
yearling) finished second behind Sebring in
2008.
In Focus
