It has been another good year for Phoenix Park, Janine Dunlop justifiably proud of the racetrack performances of such high class gallopers as Princess Jenni and The Chosen One.
A graduate of the 2017 Karaka Premier, Princess Jenni won four races in 2019 including the Australasian Oaks-Gr.1, 2000m at Morphettville, the Stocks Stakes-Gr.2, 1600m at Moonee Valley and the Alexandra Stakes-Gr.3, 1600m at Moonee Valley. From her first 11 starts winning five races and amassing over $690,000 in stakes, the daughter of High Chaparral (also sire of fellow Group One winning Phoenix Park graduate Montoya’s Secret) has done a great job for trainer David Brideoake and for her owners, the Ottobre family.
Dunlop has fond memories of Princess Jenni as a yearling, describing her as “a very well balanced filly by one of my favourite stallions.”
The Chosen One has also done very well for his connections, the talented Savabeel four-year-old winning three races over the course of the year, all at stakes level; the Herbert Power Stakes-Gr.2, 2400m (defeating the twice Melbourne Cup-Gr.1, 3200m placed Prince Of Arran), the Frank Packer Plate-Gr.3, 2000m and the Manawatu Classic-Gr.3, 2000m.
These were two very classy horses to have graduated from drafts that have never been especially big, and they are not the only Phoenix winners with Dunlop always keeping a close eye on results both here and in Asia.
We are consistently getting winners at all levels both in New Zealand and Australia as well as in Hong Kong and Singapore.”
“Janine’s clients have a number of really good, proven producers and some lovely young mares as well,” she said, pleased to be presenting the progeny of such mares at Karaka 2020; 14 well related yearlings by a variety of stallions.
Phoenix Park’s Book 1 sale kicks off early with Lot 2, an imposing colt with an interesting pedigree (bred on a 6mx5m cross of Best In Show’s influential daughter Sex Appeal) from the first southern hemisphere crop for the Triple Crown hero American Pharoah.
The first foal for the multiple city winning O’Reilly mare Jennio, he hails from one of New Zealand’s most prolific families with his stakes winning grandam Espurante (dam of Listed winner Jennifer Lynn) being a daughter of the Listed winner La Rose Noir from the family of Group One gallopers Savvy Coup, Vision And Power, Glamour Puss and Steps In Time.
Also by a highly rated first season sire is Lot 142, a son of High Chaparral’s All-Aged Stakes-Gr.1, 1400m winner Tivaci and the O’Reilly mare O’Gio whose dam is the wonderful mare Giovana; winner of four Group One races, dam of two stakes placed performers and third dam of last season’s South African Champion 2YO Colt Got The Greenlight.
Next up for Phoenix is Lot 225, a colt by the regally bred Echoes Of Heaven (half-brother to Redoute’s Choice) who is doing a good job off limited opportunities with his best to date being this fellow’s brother Countofmontecristo, the Singapore star whose eight wins include four at stakes level.
There is more to come for that classy six-year-old (who, along with this colt, carries that great Best In Show cross) who was Group One placed just a few weeks ago. He is one of four winners (from as many to race) for the Towkay mare Replicate, also dam of the nine times winner I Suggest and the five times winner Final Suggestion.
“Darci Brahma has been enjoying one of his best ever years,” Dunlop noted, very happy to have two sons of that five times Group One winning son of the mighty Danehill in her draft. The first of those is Lot 226, the first foal for the imported Group One winner Ride Of Valkyries who hails from a strong South American family with her grandam being a sister to the Group One winners Basko Pinton and Esposado.
Phoenix’s second Darci Brahma is Lot 552, a half-brother to the seven times winner Kiwi Eletist out of a daughter of the NZ Filly Of The Year Staring, grandam of the high class racehorse and stallion Dundeel, the six times Group One winner who has done such a good job siring nine stakes winners in his first two crops.
Meanwhile Darci Brahma’s Group Three winning half-brother Burgundy has two in the draft; Lot 343 a colt out of the terrific broodmare The Dazzler (dam of the triple Listed winner The Solitaire, the Group One placed The Sparkle and two metropolitan winners) and lot 521 a half-brother to the Challenge Stakes-Gr.2, 1100m winner Aotea Lad.
Also fitting the bill in regards to high class proven stallions is the dual Group One winner Tavistock who has two in the Phoenix draft; Lot 360 being a half-brother to the metropolitan winner Konstantina out of a half-sister to the NZ Champion 2YO Filly Katana (dam of the US Group Two winner Broken Sword) whilst Lot 407, bred on the highly successful Tavistock/Zabeel cross (responsible for eight of Tavistock’s nine stakes winners), is a half-sister to the ten times winner Pin Your Hopes out of a daughter of the four times Group One winner Giovana.
Choisir is another stallion with winners week in, week out and Lot 281 is just one of four opportunities to secure one of his yearlings at this sale, and a well bred one she is too being out of a granddaughter of the dual Group One winner Showella, dam of the stakes winners Showcause, Safwan and Safwa. This filly traces to one of NZ’s all time greats Showgate.
The 2020 yearling sales will be the first for the Australian based but New Zealand bred dual Group One winner Xtravagant and the son of the late Pentire is represented in the Phoenix draft by Lot 268 (a colt boasting three crosses of the great mare Special), the first foal for a Medaglia d’Oro mare whose stakes placed dam Seduced is out of the speedy Group Three winner Dama de Noche.
Also due to have his first yearlings through the ring in 2020 is the well related Street Cry stakes winner Telperion, sire of Lot 486, a half-brother to the Listed winner Global Thinking out of a half-sister to the dual stakes winner See The World.
Dunlop is also excited to be presenting yearlings from the families of her two 2019 stars; Lot 263 being a Shocking colt out of Princess Jenni’s 3/4 sister Scorpio whilst the already mentioned Burgundy – The Dazzler colt hails from the family of The Chosen One as does Lot 305, an El Roca colt out of the Group Two winning Star Way mare Star Affair, dam of the Group One winner La Bella Diosa, the Group Three winner Solid Billing and the dual Listed winner Thy. ✦
