Credit: Race Images
A lot can happen in the space of five days. On New Zealand’s Labour Day, Monday October 26, Wootton bassett (Iffraaj) colt Coniston raised his hoof as a contender for the upcoming New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
Coniston defeated a quality field in Te Rapa’s James & Annie Sarten Memorial Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m), always one of the better indicators regarding the outcome of the Group 1 Guineas. In taking his record to two wins in four starts, he was doing his best work late and will likely relish the extra 200 metres at Riccarton.
Over in Melbourne for Flemington’s Derby Day, Coniston’s not-too-distant relative De Armas (Ardrossan) backed up her recent Group 1 form by landing the Wakeful Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m). Among the better performed New Zealand 2YOs from last season, De Armas faced the starter just three times here, arriving at Ellerslie for the Karaka Millions 2YO (RL, 1200m) unbeaten including in the Counties Challenge Stakes (Listed, 1100m).
The Millions saw her putting in big strides late yet far too late, for a very solid fourth. Her sectionals for the last 200 metres and 400 metres of the race were the fastest. She was just getting warmed up.
Sent to Chris Waller’s stable subsequent to her partial sale, she has proved herself as worthy of the transfer. Her four starts there began with a flying finish for fifth in a Benchmark 68 (1200m) at Warwick Farm in September which was enough for the stable to step her up to the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m).
Her second was top rate, looking the winner with 50 metres to run but she was swamped late. Off to Melbourne for Caulfield’s Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), she emerged from the pack and again was finding late for a good fourth.
Saturday’s fast-paced 2000 metres combined with Flemington’s long straight was perfect. She made her run from midfield at the 600 metres and once straightened gobbled up the field. The co-leader at the 300 metres, she lowered her head and drove clear. Inside the 200 metres there was no doubt and Blake Shinn only had to keep her going with a length and quarter to spare. Post race, Shinn commented that the filly had it won at the 400 metres.
The Blandford line
De Armas was found by her original trainer, Central Districts based Johnno Benner for $16,000, out of NZB’s 2025 National On-line Yearling Sale. The filly is the second of two winners from Regal Winks (Rip Van Winkle), a dual winner whose half-sister Angel Child (Anabaa) produced $600,000 earner and Brisbane Listed winner Kronenbourg (Vadamos).
Regal Winks is one of five winners from Regal Thrills (Royal Academy), a winner in Hong Kong and Listed placed in Sydney, herself a daughter of Soleil Rouge (Red Tempo), the first foal of Polly Soleil (Roi Soleil), the latter purchased privately in 1977 by the Bax family of Blandford Lodge to become their foundation mare.
Polly Soleil was in foal to Red Tempo (Mussorgsky) at that time and the resultant foal Soleil Rouge landed Ellerslie’s Great Northern Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m). Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) winner All Thrills Too (St Covet) is Soleil Rouge’s grandson.
Another daughter of Polly Soleil was the unraced Soleil Etoile (Star Way), dam of ten-time winner and dual Group winner Silky Red Boxer (Casual Lies). Also from Soleil Etoile is Gretchen (Bahhare), who raced in Australia as Star Of Gretchen. She scored twice in Melbourne and was Group 1 placed in Adelaide. Gretchen was never considered for sale. She was too small according to Graham Bax but has proved to be a gem at stud.
Apart from two stakes-placed winners, Gretchen foaled Night Danza (Danzero), dam of dual Group 1 winner Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman) as well as Coniston’s Listed winning dam Le Gai Soleil (Tavistock).
However, the star of the family is Lucia Valentina (Savabeel), whose dam Staryn Glenn (Montjeu) is a half-sister to Silky Red Boxer and Gretchen. Lucia Valentina’s seven wins included three at the elite level. Her win in Randwick’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) was an absolute stunner.
A fourth Group winner from this line is recent Canterbury Stakes (Gr 1, 1300m) winner Lady Laguna (Overshare) whose grandam Katie O’Neill (Zabeel) is another daughter of Polly Seleil from whom 51 stakes performers descend, 27 being stakes winners.
Blandford Lodge and the Baxes began Saturday with Sweet But Psycho (Proisir) who took out the Gartshore Construction 2100 Handicap (2100m) at Tauranga. The six-year-old mare, who recorded her fourth win, is another member of the family, as her grandam Za Star (Zabeel) is a daughter of Soleil Etoile.
Traditionally, the Wakeful winner returns to Flemington for Thursday’s VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) and so has De Armas. There was a possibility that she would be spelled and freshened for the rich NZB Kiwi (Listed, 1500m) next March. If so, she might be able to say hello to Coniston on her way to the starting stalls.
Immediate beneficiaries from De Armas’s feature win are Waikato stud and New Zealand Bloodstock. November is not too late for last minute bookings and Waikato Stud is sure to get a call or two this week. Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) will also likely get a boost at this month’s Ready To Run Sale where 14 colts and geldings as well as two fillies will be available for sale.
The family
Although no stakes races were held in New Zealand this past weekend, the family theme was evident at Tauranga where the final two races were won by half-sisters from The family, or should I write the “THE” family.
The famous Dennis Brothers of Woodlands Stud near Invercargill named all their mares with the prefix “the” and they were mighty successful. Sadly, two of the four brothers are no longer with us but together they have certainly left a massive legacy.
Group 1 winners from their line include the triple Group 1 Noble Bijou (Vaguely Noble) brothers The Phantom and The Phantom Chance plus The Twinkle (Gate Keeper) and The Jewel (O’Reilly).
At Tauranga, Khafre (American Pharoah) returned fresh up to add win eight to his record when taking out the Bayley’s Handicap (1300m) for open class gallopers. The seven-year-old, a former Matamata Cup (Listed, 1600m) winner bolted in by almost five lengths and had not won since April 2025, his Listed win in the Wanganui Anzac Mile (Listed, 1600m).
Up-and-comer La Prima Dama (Justify) only had a nose to spare in the Benchmark 75 over 1400 metres but she is putting together a nice record of three wins in six starts in a light career for the five-year-old.
Their dam is La Dama (High Chaparral), a three-quarter sister to New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner La Diosa (So You Think) and half-sister to two further stakes winners. Their grandam A Star Affair (Star Way) won the Travis Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) and ranks as a half-sister to champion 3YO The Jewel, also a winner of the New Zealand 1,000 Guineas.
Family of sires
The Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), formerly known as the Ascot Vale Stakes, has a long history of producing successful sires. From the 1960s was Vain (Wilkes). The 1970s gave us Century (Better Boy), the 80s Kaapstad (Sir Tristram) and Zeditave (The Judge) and the 90s Encosta De Lago (Fairy King). This century, Northern Meteor (Encosta De Lago), Zoustar (Northern Meteor), Brazen Beau (I Am Invincible) and Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) have emerged.
Previous winners also include the outstanding fillies Surround (Sovereign Edition), Courtza (Pompeii Court), Alinghi (Encosta De Lago) and Sunlight (Zoustar) but today we are focussed on sire-making credentials.
A $2.8 million Magic Millions sale purchase, The Next Episode is just the second Coolmore winner sired by multiple champion sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) whose progeny earned $4.5 million on Saturday alone. For all of Snitzel’s dominance his initial Coolmore success occurred via Switzerland fairly late in proceedings, in 2024. Switzerland’s brother St Gotthard was the close runner up this time around, providing Snitzel a rare quinella. As a potential sire, how does The Next Episode stack up?
Race record-wise, his strike rate is five from seven of which three were achieved as a two-year-old including a Listed win in Brisbane followed by a blinding win in the rich Magic Millions National 2YO Classic (1000m). He arrived at Flemington as the winner of the Danehill Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m), also over the straight course. Exhibiting some versatility, his Danehill victory was on a Heavy 9 surface. Saturday’s Coolmore win was run in 1:10.06 on a Good 4.
The winning of the Coolmore took place between the 300 metres and the 200 metres where The Next Episode’s now known explosive turn of foot took him from the back half of the field and into the lead, a lead sufficient to hold off bold challenges from St Gotthard and Mbube (Rubick).
His dam Humma Humma (Denman) was well above average on the track, winning six races including three stakes. She recorded nine stakes placings as well. His grandam and great-grandam were both city winners and both produced stakes winners.
His fourth dam, Follies Bergeres (Pas De Seul), a half-sister to the great stayer Gildoran (Rheingold), was imported to New Zealand in 1986, had one foal (which died) and then sent to Australia. She returned to New Zealand in 2000, had fillies by Carnegie (Sadler’s Wells) and Zabeel (Sir Tristram) and again sent to Australia in 2003.
Interestingly, both Carnegie and multiple champion sire Zabeel are closely related to Follies Bergeres. Carnegie’s dam, Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Detroit (Riverman), and Follies Bergeres’ dam Durtal (Lyphard) are half-sisters, which is an ultra close double up to the female line. Zabeel’s grandam Valderna (Val De Loir) is yet another half-sister to Follies Bergeres’ dam Durtal, herself winner of the Cheveley Park Stakes (Gr 1, 6f) at Newmarket.
Zabeel is the standard against which all non-shuttle Australasian sires are measured, such is his record of 166 individual stakes winners (10.88 per cent) including 46 Group 1 winners (3.01 per cent). However, there is another sire from this family who can rightly challenge Zabeel, at least proportionately.
Champion sire Le Filou (Vatellor) is from Fileuse (Casterari) whose half-sister Vaneuse (Vatellor) is the fourth dam of Follies Bergeres. Vaneuse and Le Filou are three-quarter relations. Le Filou sired 313 runners for 56 individual stakes winners, which translates to a remarkable ratio of 17.89 per cent. Of those, 22 were Group 1 winners or 7.02 per cent. When The Next Episode is retired to stud he will have a sire family to emulate.
