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Classic fillies miles apart
It’s a fair distance between Warrnambool and Gosford—you’d need a lot more than a cut lunch to take the drive—but within the space of 15 minutes today, I witnessed two fillies, racing more than 1200 kilometres apart, that could easily clash in an Oaks race in 2012.
At Warrnambool, the lightly framed filly Catalina Sounds powered home to snatch a first-start maiden win over 1400 metres for trainer Peter Moody (pictured) and jockey Linda Meech.
Not long after, a beautiful filly by Singspiel, Zauberflote, in the Darley colours but wearing the gear of trainer Guy Walter (rather than usual Sydney trainer Peter Snowden), charged home late at the end of 1200 metres at Gosford to win at her first start.
Both fillies gave promise of much better things to come, especially when their distances are stretched beyond 1600 metres.
Catalina Sounds (b f 2008, Testa Rossa-Mya, by Desert King (IRE)) is a dead-ringer for her mother, an underrated mare who was part-owned by Moody’s wife Sarah and a group of stable clients; and the group stayed together to breed and race Catalina Sounds.
Mya (b m 1999, from the mare Katie’ ONeill (NZ), by Zabeel (NZ)) was a more than handy galloper for Moody when he first settled to train in Melbourne. She won two of eight starts, including over 2040m at Moonee Valley in 2002, beating Umbula and Mintaka, after which she was injured and spent a year on the sidelines. Mya also was placed at Listed level at Flemington.
The mating to Testa Rossa is a clever one, as it introduced some speed into the pedigree, which allowed Catalina Sounds to be competitive at her first start. The pedigree also boasts a double cross of Danzig, 3×3—a cross that seems to be working well and one that you would rarely see outside of Australia.
Meech said after the race that Catalina Sounds is very immature. “She needs to fill out and strengthen, but she will develop into a good filly when she gets to 2000m or further,” she said.
Zauberflote (b or br f 2008, Singspiel (IRE)-Ideal Lady (IRE), by Seattle Slew (USA)) looks a bit more ready made for the autumn racing, when I expect the Group 1 AJC Oaks (2400m, Randwick), in April, will be her aim. Walter has a fine record of getting lightly raced fillies to peak for that race, and nothing would give him more pleasure than to do it with a filly owned by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s Darley Australia.
Zauberflote (means magic flute in German) went into the Gosford race on the strength of a late-closing second in an 800m trial on a slow track at Warwick Farm, but it was expected the 1200 metres may be a little too short for her. The filly, ridden by Nathan Berry, settled just off midfield, copped a bump early in the straight, before powering home to grab a win on the line.
It was a very impressive performance from a filly with a touch of class, both in her looks and talent.
Her dam, the unraced Ideal Lady (1996 mare), was originally owned and imported by Sheikh Mohammed’s late father’s Gainsborough Stud. She was sold in 2010 to Tony Bott in foal to Street Cry for $80,000 at the Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale. She went through the ring in the same sale again this year, in foal to Bernardini, but didn’t make her reserve (passed in on a bid of $60,000).
Ideal Lady’s dam, Insijaam (by Secretariat) won twice at Listed level in France over 1800m and 2000m. She is a half-sister to Stakes winners Hatoof, Irish Prize and Fasateen (check her pedigree)
From six names foals, Ideal Lady is the dam of five winners, including the Stakes-placed Bouboulina (2003 f by Grand Lodge), who was runner-up in the Listed Surrey Stakes at Epsom.
She was one of 17 mares in foal to Singspiel, bred to southern hemisphere time, imported into Australia in 2008. Singspiel stood only one season in Australia, in 2001, when he covered 102 mares at Collingrove Stud in the Hunter Valley. The son of In The Sings (by Sadler’s Wells) sired nine Stakes winners from that single crop, including the very fast mare Rewaaya.
Catalina Sounds might not be as forward as Zauberflote for the autumn racing, so Moody is likely to look at the South Australian Oaks for the filly rather than Sydney. However, not matter what is on their agenda in 2012, their futures are well beyond a couple of country maidens.
What can you tell us about a Moody debutante ffrom yesterday by Dylan Thomas out of La Pepite called Aeronwy ?
Lovely family that of Catalina Sounds. Blandford Lodge have strategically kept most of the fillies. Traditionally not big types either.
It is a good family to buy into. Lots of nicely bred, young fillies. Peter Moody has an affinity with it. He has bought a couple of fillies out of Tricia Ann from this family.
It’s a good story. I’ll do some more research. Aeronwy is probably the only granddaughter of the great Franfreluche racing in the world. Aeronwy was bred in Ireland, born in April 2009. She was bought at the 2009 Tattersalls December foal sale by agent Dermot Farrington for 85,000 guineas. She is a three parts sister to the Stakes winning filly Soldera. Her dam was born in 1985.