A waltz back in time

A study of the pedigrees of any weekend’s Stakes winners is usually a step down memory lane, and this week was no exception.

I notice the third dam of Golden Millennium, winner of the Listed Keith McKay Stakes (1200m) at Randwick, is the former fast filly Vienna (ch f 1963, Renegade (GB)-Blonde Rose, by Empyrean (GB)).

Anyone of my vintage – I’m 56 – will know Vienna. The filly was a sensation when she burst on the scene as a 2YO in the late spring of 1965, around the time my juices were starting to flow for racing after Light Fingers’ win in the Melbourne Cup. I first saw Vienna at the popular 2YO barrier trials, in those days run on a Sunday before a big crowd at Flemington.

Vienna, a powerful, imposing filly, had speed to burn. She went so fast her speed became as much of her trademark as her rich chestnut coat and flashy white markings.

Her rivals of the time were Valour (by Wilkes), Cendrillon (by Landau) and Golly (by Orgoglio). When Vienna lined up as top weight (9st 3lb – 58.5kg) in the Talindert Stakes (1000m) at Flemington in February 1966, she was unbeaten in three starts. The form comment in The Age (thanks to Google) read: “Brilliant filly and has had a slight let up. Easily beat Gold Chain and Miss Gilders MV 5f 2YO Nov 27, and then easily beat Cendrillon and St. Renown, Sandown 5f 2YO Dec 4. Hard to beat.”

Vienna went on to win the Talindert and she was labelled the best 2YO in Victoria. Unfortunately, she couldn’t sustain her form to win another race and she was retired to stud 12 months later.

Unlike Valour (dam of Stakes winners Artist Man, Worth and Sudden, the dam of 1992 Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Burst) and Golly (dam of the classy Gosh, who sired Group 1 Flight Stakes winners Goleen and Judyann), who went on to become wonderful broodmares, Vienna left only five named foals, none of whom amounted to much on the racetrack.

Her last foal was Etoile De Vien (by Kaoru Star), who was born in 1979 and left an orphan after Vienna died in December that year. However, Etoile De Vien produced two Stakes winners – the very slick Miss Kariba (by Lunchtime), who inherited her granddam’s speed to win the 1995 Group 2 Canterbury Stakes (1200m), and the 1990 Listed Rockhampton Cup winner Supersnack, also by Lunchtime.

Etoile De Vien’s last foal was Manyara, born in 1998, by Danehill’s moderately performed brother Eagle Eyed. Manyara, who died in 2009, was unplaced in one start, but produced Golden Millenium in 2007 from a mating to Darley’s Dubawi (by Dubai Millennium (GB)).

Golden Millennium, trained by Anthony Cummings (pictured) will be remembered by most as the first Australian Stakes winner by Dubawi, but for me she has brought back some wonderful memories of an exceptional filly and a time when racing made a big impression on a 12-year-old.