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Grandslam produces scintillating performance in the Alister Clark
The Ciaron Maher and David Eustace-trained Grandslam (3 c ex Mine Game by General Nediym) finally stepped out of his sister Jameka’s shadow on Saturday when he produced an exhilarating performance to win the Alister Clark Stakes (Gr 2, 2040m) at Moonee Valley and in the process became stakes winner number 21 for former shuttler Myboycharlie (Danetime).
In a change of tactics, Grandslam was taken to the front by Jamie Kah before racing to a six and a quarter length victory, providing Maher and co-trainer David Eustace a winning treble following earlier wins with Playoffs (Tavistock) and Persan (Pierro).
Grandslam defeated VRC Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) placegetter Young Werther (Tavistock) with Tasmanian Derby (Listed, 2200m)-winning stablemate Explosive Jack (Jakkalberry) three quarters of a length away in third. Cherry Tortoni (Night Of Thunder), the odds-on favourite, finished fourth seven and a quarter lengths from the winner.
Grandslam will now head towards the Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) at Randwick on April 3 and Maher is hoping he can go one better than his dual Group 1-winning sister who finished second behind Tavago (Tavistock) in the 2016 edition.
"He's en route to the Derby now," Maher said. "She (Jameka) was second in it and hopefully he can go one better.
"I've got a lot of time for this horse," Maher said. "His sister is probably my favourite horse - Jameka.
"We've always had a lot of faith in him. He's had some favourable gates this time around and race happened to pan out right.
"We were keen to get Jamie on just because he does have the tendency to overdo it. She rode him beautifully.
"The horse has got a beautiful action and he's a really strong stayer. The races haven't panned out for him. But today it looked good on paper and Jamie, a 10-out-of-10 and it all worked out."
The colt, who finished third behind Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) in the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) in October, has now won two of his ten starts, which has seen him earn $348,090 in career prize-money.
Raced in a partnership that includes Colin and Janice McKenna, who also raced Jameka, the colt was purchased by Maher from the draft of his breeder Gilgai Farm for $600,000 - the most money paid for a yearling by Myboycharlie - at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2019.
Grandslam is one of four winners out of winning General Nediym (Nediym) mare Mine Game, whose progeny is headed by the aforementioned Jameka, whose three top-flight wins came in the 2015 VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m), 2016 Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) and 2017 BMW Stakes (registered as HE Tancred Stakes) (Gr 1, 2400m).
Further back this is the same pedigree as Group 1 winner Jymcarew (Danzero) and Group 3 scorer Arigna (Sackford).
In 2018 Mine Game foaled a colt by Aquis Farm’s Divine Prophet (Choisir), while in 2020 she produced a colt by Arrowfield Stud-based sire Dundeel (High Chaparral) and was served by the same in October.
Myboycharlie shuttled to Australia for nine seasons, first to Vinery Stud in the Hunter Valley before standing his last season at Bowness Stud in 2017. Having previously stood at Haras du Mezeray in France, the son of Danetime (Danehill) was sold to the Turkish Jockey Club in 2019.
The colt’s sister Jameka is one of five Group 1 winners for the stallion with the others: Sistercharlie, Euro Charline, Peggy Jean and Begood Toya Mother.