Leading Newcastle conditioner Kris Lees made it five successes since its inaugural running in 2015 when Spangler showed a clean set of heels in the $500,000 Polytrack Provincial-Midway Championships Final at Randwick on Saturday.
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Restricted to eligible horses through the Provincial-Midway Championship Qualifying regional races, its 2023 winner, Spangler, exploded away to defeat Lonhro gelding Loch Eagle - another in the Lees' camp. The Brad Widdup, Hawkesbury, trained Cross The Rubicon (by Dissident) was third after missing the start by three lengths.
Raced by Newcastle-based Australian Bloodstock, in partnership, Spangler is an Irish-bred grey gelding by English and Australian group one winner Starspangledbanner (a chestnut son of celebrated Choisir), which spent several intermittent northern hemisphere stud seasons in Ireland since 2009.
The dry conditions brought out a huge Randwick crowd to enjoy the group one autumn racing.
While crowd favourite and Godolphin bred and raced Anamoe finished third, rival Dubai Honour gave his Newmarket, England, trainer William Haggas his third win in the $5 million ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes-G1.
Like Spangler, Dubai Honour is Irish-bred and by an Australian-bred stallion - Pride Of Dubai, a Street Cry horse which shuttled to Coolmore Stud's Ireland-located farm Kildangan Stud for three northern seasons.
While Tom Kitten (by Harry Angel) and Kristilli (Hellbent) won the stakes juvenile events, it was interesting to see the win of Pennyweka in the $1 million Australian Oaks-G1.
Winning the New Zealand Oaks-G1 at her previous start and at her maiden Australian run, New Zealand-bred Pennyweka won convincingly, and belongs to the first crop by Japanese-bred and performed Satono Aladdin, a son of Japan's deceased champion Deep Impact.
Easter delights
While being represented with his first million-dollar yearling, young stallion The Autumn Sun, which stands at Arrowfield Stud, Scone, hit new heights when his daughter from Via Africa sold for $1.8 million to top the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale last week.
Bred by Newhaven Park, Boorowa, the filly was sold at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale for $600,000 before being resold for the sale's top.
The filly sold from Steve and Eliza Grant's Southern Highlands property, Silverdale Farm, and went to a partnership including Arrowfield Stud - home of The Autumn Sun.
A half-sister to recently retired group one winner In The Congo, the top filly was one of 26 lots which sold for $1 million or more during the two days of selling.
In total, buyers spent $137.67 million on the 352 sold horses for a $391,000 average, compared to 372 horses sold, for a $151.32 million gross and a $406,700 average at last year's auction.
A filly by Pierro (and a half-sister to Learning To Fly) fetched the second top price at $1.75 million, selling from Coolmore Stud, also the purchaser of the next highest at $1.6 million for the Snitzel colt from Ultimate Fever, selling from Lime Country Thoroughbreds.
The Kelly family owned and managed Newhaven Park, also had a high price when they sold the first foal from their home-bred champion galloper English for $1.55 million, the colt by I Am Invincible going to a partnership including the mare's former trainer Gai Waterhouse.
Next on the sale's live list of auctions is the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Yearling Sale, conducted by Inglis at its Riverside Stables on Sunday, April 23.
Formerly known as the Scone Yearling Sale, the auction has 299 listed lots and by 99 different stallions, commencing at 10am.
While finishing second in the VRC Bob Hoysted Stakes at Flemington at his last start, The Bopper (by Nicconi) is one of numerous successful sale graduates and has now earned over $500,000. Other recent winning sale horses include Smart Missile gelding Bazooka (has won $509,000) and group winners Rocketing By (by So You Think and earner of $2.5 million), and Lope De Vega mare Monegal, winner of 10 races and over $686,000.
Purchasing a HTBA yearling will not only qualify their youngsters for the Inglis Race Series but also be eligible for its $200,000 Inglis Challenge on Scone Cup day, this year held Friday, May 13.
