3 minute read
Four-year-old lands Sapphire Stakes in Queensland.
The Chris Waller-trained Sure Knee (4 m ex Shawnee Girl by Encosta De Lago) handed Australia's three-time champion stallion Snitzel (Redoute's Choice) - who is on the cusp of winning his fourth title - with his 103rd stakes winner after the she landed the Sapphire Stakes (Gr 3, 1630m) at Doomben on Saturday.
Raced by the Ingham Family, who also raced her dam, Sure Knee handed her trainer a treble on the day when she beat Krone (Eurozone) by a length with another neck back to Baccarat Baby (Casino Prince) in third.
Waller's Queensland manager Paul Shailer said the mare's future was up in the air and it would be up to the trainer whether she stays in Queensland for the rest of the winter.
"Like everyone at this time of the year Chris was looking for black-type for her. He is a master at finding the right races for these mares," Shalier said.
The filly is out of four time winner and Group 2-placed mare Shawnee Girl (Encosta De Lago), who was purchased by the Ingham Family for $1 million at the 2008 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and she has also produced Group 1-placed mare Oklahoma Girl (Fastnet Rock).
Meanwhile, Shawnee Girl herself is a three-quarter sister to 2008 Coolmore Stud Stakes (registered as Ascot Vale Stakes) (Gr 1, 1200m) winner and late successful sire Northern Meteor and Listed winner Kiss From A Rose.
This is also the family of Group 2 winner and now Twin Hills Stud-based sire Smart Missile (Fastnet Rock) and Group 3 winner Queen Of The Hill (Danehill).
In 2016 Shawnee Girl produced a filly by Exceed And Excel (Danehill), before missing to Yarraman Park's I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) the following season. In 2018 the mare foaled a colt by Fastnet Rock (Danehill), before producing a filly by Coolmore Stud's Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) last season, and she has most recently been covered by Arrowfield Stud's young stallion The Autumn Sun (Redoute's Choice).
The filly is bred on the same cross as Group 1 winner Summer Passage and Invader.
The Arrowfield Stud-based Snitzel is currently leading Pierro (Lonhro) in Australia's champion stallion title by earnings, while he is also on track to win the leading two-year-old sire title by both earnings and winners at the end of the season.
The son of late breed-shaping stallion Redoute's Choice (Danehill) will stand the 2020 season for a reduced fee of $165,000 (inc GST) having stood the previous two seasons for a career high price of $220,000 (inc GST).
Sydney trainer Waller enjoyed a good day Doomben, sending out Starla (Sntizel) to win a three-year-old handicap, while Another Dollar (Ocean Park) added a second stakes win to her CV when she took out the Premier's Cup (Gr 3, 2200m).
The daughter of Ocean Park (Thorn Park) will be offered as Lot 114 as part of the Blue Sky Premium Consignment at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Broodmare Sale which gets underway on July 20.