Described by owner Trish Dunell as “my lovely girl”, South Australian Fillies Classic (Gr 3, 2546m) winner Fringes (Niagara) has another side to her. The evidence is the filly’s rugged determination from the 200-metre mark as favourite Cushioned (Ghaiyyaith) bore out, effectively closing the gate for Fringes.
Instead of being halted, Fringes shouldered her way alongside the Godolphin filly and forged a way through. This put her off stride for a second or two but there was still a race to be won and she had two to pass. Showing true grit she knuckled down to catch the leader, Certainly Quiet (Dundeel), and put her head in front a stride off the line. “It wasn’t pretty, but we got the job done,” said rider Ben Melham. “It was a really good, tough effort by the filly.”
Fringes’ race career began with an unexpected 1400-metre win on debut at Otaki on Boxing Day. She won well that day with a bold and wide run from well back, prompting her connections to accept for the Desert Gold Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) in mid January but the filly had to be scratched on the morning of the race.
Two weeks on was the Group 2 Lowland Stakes over 2100 metres and the step up in class was perhaps a little ambitious at just her second start, but she handled the extra distance, plugging away for ninth when the race was over.
Her last race in New Zealand was a fair seventh over 1600 metres at Otaki before she was sent to Michael Hickmott in South Australia, her initial run from her new stable taking place at Morphettville over a too short 1400 metres.
So too was the Clare Lindop Stakes (Listed, 1600m) – causing Hickmott to look elsewhere, settling on a mid-April 2200-metre Class 1 race at Balaklava, which she won comfortably, doing her best work late. This effort was reminiscent of her Otaki win, from back and wide, setting her up for the Fillies Classic, the distance of which allowed her to take up a handier spot in the running where, again, she was doing her best work late.
It should be no surprise that Fringes would appreciate the 2500 metres. Her mum, Miss Jaydeejay, is a Golan (Spectrum) sister to a Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) winner in Kibbutz. Their half-sister, Miss Andrea (King’s Chapel), produced Riverton Cup (Listed, 2147m) winner Our Boy Ritchie (He’s Remarkable).
Miss Jaydeejay’s grandam is Forn Vell (Air Trooper) whose Scandinavian race record included 15 wins up to 2800 metres. Forn Vell was successful in three Listed races. Dunell found Miss Jaydeejay at the NZB Karaka Mixed Sale in 2014. The mare was carrying her first foal.
The busiest race and sales photographer in New Zealand, Dunell has been consistent in her praise and support for Niagara (Encosta De Lago). Miss Jaydeejay, herself a winner over 2200 metres, visited him six times for four foals. Fringes is her second last foal. Her last is an unnamed 2YO colt by Ocean Park (Thorn Park) as she died in 2024.
Fringes becomes the eighth individual stakes winner for Niagara, whose winning strike-rate is a very respectable 62 per cent, comprising 134 winners from 216 to race.
Oaks bound
Nightline (Redwood), winner of Saturday’s Gold Coast Bracelet (Listed, 2100m) to become the 16th individual stakes winner for Westbury Stud’s Redwood (High Chaparral), put herself on the front line of chances in the upcoming Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m).
The Bracelet was the filly’s eighth raceday start and she has won four of them but this effort has Queensland Oaks written all over it as she looked a forlorn chance when the field straightened for the run home.
Behind a wall of runners at the top of the straight she found a gap but had to fight for it, after which there was a clear run to the line. She had to gather herself but once in full flight, she raced past the leader at the 50 metres and was going away at the line.
Nightline opened her account at start two at Caloundra, adding wins two and three at Doomben in December and Eagle Farm in January, the latter over 2100 metres. A short spell saw her back at Eagle Farm on Anzac Day and a game finish for third over a mile in the Princess Stakes (Listed, 1600m), the perfect set up for Saturday’s breakthrough stakes win.
Found by astute bloodstock agents Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggerman for $75,000 at the 2024 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2), Nightline is from the unraced El Roca (Fastnet Rock) half-sister to Fontelina (Testa Rossa), a dual Group 2 winner (at Flemington) and three-times Listed winner. Fontelina was merely a notch below top class evidenced by his seconds in the William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) as well as the Rupert Clarke Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
Nightline and Fontelina could credit some of their inherited ability from Fontelina’s grandam Electrique (Zephy Zip), who may have won just three times but two of her wins were Randwick’s Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and Rosehill’s Ansett Australia Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), not to mention her placings in the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and The Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) at Caulfield.
Redwood’s male stakes-winning progeny number 11, compared to five females. Topping his output are three Group 1 winners, including Classic winner Sharp ‘N’ Smart, winner of the 2023 New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m). Nightline has the talent to add a fourth.
Class wins
“She is a good, tough mare and that is her tenth win today. Not many horses do that.” So said Chris McNab, stable representative for the Tony Pike stable regarding Churchillian (Churchill), winner of the Rotorua Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at weight-for age for fillies and mares.
Churchillian not only went into the race the best qualified, she also enjoyed a clever ride from Joe Doyle. That combination was undeniable. Doyle had her in front throughout but when the field turned for home he kept her tight to the running rail which allowed her skip clear. The result was never in doubt all the way to the line.
The now 6YO mare has raced just 25 times and Saturday’s win was her tenth. She did not race at two but landed her maiden win on debut at three, coincidentally at Rotorua. Along the way she progressed through the grades, taking out wins at Awapuni, Tauranga, Hastings, Te Rapa, and Pukekohe. Her seventh win was her best, the Anniversary Handicap (Gr 3, 1600m) at Trentham. Perhaps not the most consistent form-wise, but when she’s on, she’s on.
Mild lameness soon after her Trentham win in January 2024 meant one start in 17 months but in ten current season starts, she has added wins eight, nine and ten for career earnings of $358,890.
At six this might be her last season of racing and she will make a lovely broodmare, something that respected bloodstock agent Paul Willetts would no doubt have considered when he purchased her at the 2021 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 1). Her bloodlines are highly desirable.
The writer was in the ring at the time of her purchase for $100,000 from Pencarrow Stud and her page shows a series of check marks next to the sires of each of the three dams on the page. Her dam, Fond Du Coeur, is a Fastnet Rock (Danehill) sister-in-blood to French multiple Group winner One Foot In Heaven. Her grandam is a Peintre Celebre (Nureyev) sister to triple Group 1 winner and champion mare Pride (Peintre Celebre), the dam of One Foot In Heaven.
Pride’s half-sister Specifically (Sky Classic) produced The One Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1m) winner Speciosa (Danehill Dancer) and Churchillian’s great grandam, Specificity, is a Listed winner by Alleged (Hoist The Flag) as well as a half-sister to the dual St Leger (Gr 1, 14f) winner Touching Wood (Roberto). The family traces to a half-sister to influential sire Bold Ruler (Nasrullah).
Churchill (Galileo) is responsible for 34 stakes winners including the recently highlighted The Foxes, who is to stand his first season at Novara Park this coming spring. Churchillian is one of two winners from her dam. Quality black-type abounds in the family and she will be a most attractive proposition for any stud to consider.
A string to his bow
The stock of Waikato Stud’s Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) are largely sprinters and sprinter-milers. Ardrossan himself was a 1200-metre sprinter who nabbed a third placing in the BCD Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m) at Te Rapa but due to a very short race career, we will never know if he could have succeeded beyond 1400 metres.
Interestingly, three of Ardrossan’s now nine individual stakes winners have landed black type wins beyond 1600 metres, namely Beau Dazzler in Eagle Farm’s Grand Prix Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) and Saltcoats in the Wyong Cup (Listed, 2100m). Number three is Pacifico, from Ardrossan’s first crop, winner of Saturday’s Rotorua Cup (Listed, 2200m). Versatility is a good trait to possess in a stallion.
In Pacifico’s case, he did not race at two and at three took six starts to break maiden status and that was also at Rotorua right at the end of his 3YO season. It took a further six starts to post win two the following spring but his winter preparation as a late 4YO brought three successive wins last June, at Te Aroha, Tauranga and Ruakaka, the last in open company, namely the Whangarei Gold Cup (2100m).
This season he again scored an open handicap at Te Aroha two starts before his maiden stakes success, arriving at Rotorua off a steady third in the Hawkes Bay Cup (Listed, 2200m). Clearly he is a tough customer as six of his seven victories (from 26 starts) have taken place on heavy tracks. Hard ridden after turning for home, Pacifico looked as if second would be his lot at the 100 metres but he refused to buckle and ground out a tough win.
Pacifico was offered but passed in at the 2022 NZB Karaka Ready To Run Sale. His reserve was $75,000 and to date his bank stands at $249,665.
His tough staying prowess might be due to his female family. First, he is from a Montjeu (Sadler’s Wells) mare, Carib, herself successful up to 2100 metres. Carib has foaled six winners as well as Sade (Savabeel), the dam of Desert Gold Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) winner Force Of Will (Power).
Carib’s half-sister is the talented filly/mare My Tusker (Volksraad) who landed three Group 2s and also placed second in the Waikato International Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m). Another half-sister is Special Favour (General Nediym), dam of Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) and Toorak Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) victor Mr Quickie (Shamus Award).
However, all mentioned so far are overshadowed. Pacifico’s grandam, Stella Artois (Star Way) ranks as a half-sister to Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Brew (Sir Tristram) as well as to Latte (Maroof) – who foaled Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Fiumicino (Zabeel).
They are each out of Horlicks (Three Legs), the outstanding mare of her time and winner of 17 races, five of which were at Group 1 level, and that does not include her win against the best in the world in the 1989 Japan Cup (2400m).
