Godolphin fillies win unique 2YO treble

The Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond both carry Group 1 status and are considered the elite 2YO races in Sydney and Melbourne respectively while the Magic Million 2YO Classic - held at the Gold Coast - is a restricted Listed race due to limited entry to MM sale graduates.

Equally impressive is the fact that all three races were won by fillies - two home-bred and the third bought at the Magic Million yearling sale at the Gold Coast. That was Exhilarates - a $600,000 purchase at the 2018 MM yearling sale - who won this year's Magic Million 2YO Classic in January. The second leg was the Blue Diamond Stakes held at Caulfield in February won by Lyre while Kiamichi completed the treble when she won the Golden Slipper. Kiamichi and Exhilarates are both trained by James Cummings at Warwick Farm, Sydney, while Lyre is trained by Anthony Freedman at Mornington near Melbourne.

Kiamichi and Lyre were also part of a unique Godolphin Golden Slipper trifecta running first and third. Splitting the pair was 2YO colt Microphone which gave Cummings the quinella. Kiamichi is by Golden Slipper runner-up Sidestep currently standing in Queensland at Telemon Thoroughbreds, Innisplain, while Microphone is by Sidestep's sire Exceed And Excel. Lyre is by Lonhro and Exhilarates is a daughter of Snitzel. In fact, Godolphin provided six of the 16 starters - five trained by James Cummings - with five individual sires represented. A seventh Godolphin horse Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) - also trained by Cummings - was First Emergency but did not get a start.

Kiamichi has an outstanding pedigree. In addition to her sire Sidestep being crowned Champion 2YO of Australia, her dam Ouachita (Canny Lad) is an unraced sibling to three stakes winners including Group 1 winners Denman (ARC Golden Rose) and Preserve (VRC Sires' Produce). The 2YO filly is also cleverly named after the Kiamichi River in south-eastern Oklahoma, USA with its headwaters rising in the Ouachita Mountains.

ALTHOUGH the longest priced horse (25-1) of the six Godolphin Golden Slipper starters, Kiamichi became the first Godolphin 2YO winner this season when she won a 1200m race at Rosehill on November 10 last year.

Sandwiched between her winning debut and Golden Slipper triumph were three more starts - a second at Rosehill, fourth in the Group 2 Sweet Embrace Stakes at Randwick and first in the Group 3 Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill. Those five starts have returned total earnings of more than $2.245 million.

Having trained his first Golden Slipper winner, James Cummings paid tribute to his grandfather Australian Racing Hall of Fame trainer Bart Cummings who won four Golden Slippers - the last being Century Miss 40 years earlier. "My grandfather taught me to train my horses tough," he said.

The 'tough love' has certainly paid dividends! Godolphin's 'Blue Army' has totally dominated 2YO racing this season with 15 individual winners of 25 races. At least 13 were black type races including two Group 1s and the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

The Golden Slipper win also gave Cummings the second leg of a Group 1 race-to-race double with English import Avilius winning the 2000m Ranvet Stakes. Those races were two of five Group 1 races on the nine race program - the other three went to Rosehill trainer Chris Waller courtesy of Winx (George Ryder Stakes), The Autumn Sun (Rosehill Guineas) and Nature Strip (The Galaxy).

The Golden Slipper win was the ninth Group 1 Australian win this season for the broader Godolphin team whose successes include the Melbourne Cup (Cross Counter), Caulfield Cup (Best Solution) and Caulfield Stakes (Benbatl).

IN last week's column I wrote "A Group 3 winner in their first racing crop is always an excellent advertisement for a 'freshman' sire - even better if the sire now stands in Queensland."

Here's a pedigree update: "A Group 1 winner in their first racing crop is always an excellent advertisement for a 'freshman' sire - even better if the sire now stands in Queensland."

The team at Telemon Thoroughbreds is ecstatic with the Group 1 Golden Slipper win by Godolphin filly Kiamichi (Sidestep/ Ouachita) on Saturday  and what it means for her first season sire Sidestep and breeding opportunities in Queensland.

Sidestep (Exceed And Excel/Dextrous) stood last season for $7700 at Telemon Thoroughbreds located at Innisplain near Beaudesert. It was the first year of a two-year partnership agreement with Darley/Godolphin for the son of Exceed And Excel to stand at Telemon Thoroughbreds. The win in the richest 2YO race in Australia, the Group 1 Golden Slipper, by Kiamichi has shot Sidestep to the top of the first season sire tables by earnings.

Telemon Thoroughbreds owner Dan Fletcher said: "Congratulations to Godolphin, trainer James Cummings, jockey Damian Lane and breeding operation Darley. The past week has been unbelievable with Kiamichi winning the Group 3 Magic Night to secure a place in the Golden Slipper and then leading almost the entire 1200m to win the most prestigious 2YO race in the world.

"It's what dreams are made of and it was a dream result for her sire Sidestep. He was runner-up in the Golden Slipper in 2013. Now his daughter has gone one better but what it means for his stud career is exciting. It's a coup for us as a new operation on a property that has an esteemed breeding history, and a coup for the Queensland Thoroughbred breeding industry to have another Group 1 producing stallion in its ranks," he said.

Telemon Thoroughbreds general manager Joe Heather said: "The win by Kiamichi is a fantastic result for Sidestep and also for those breeders who sent their mares to him last season. Many people all over Queensland and Australia will be celebrating tonight [Saturday].

"Sidestep served 57 mares last season and already the phone and emails have been running hot with early bookings for next season. We'll celebrate with 'Sidey' down at the stables - he deserves a few carrots!"

FORMER North Queensland galloper Tyzone is now a black type winner and taken his earnings past $550,000 following victory in the Listed Goldmarket Handicap (1200m) held at the Gold Coast on Saturday, March 23.

A 5YO gelding by Written Tycoon from the winning Hussonet (USA) mare Rezonet, Tyzone had two prior black type placings in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich and the Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.

The Goldmarket and the Aquis 3YO Jewel were two of three races rescheduled from the Gold Coast the previous Saturday, March 16 when stewards made the decision to abandon the final three races on the card due to visibility concerns caused by wet weather. The Goldmarket remained at the Gold Coast while the 3YO Jewel was transferred Brisbane's Eagle Farm track.

Tyzone began his racing career in North Queensland after being sold for $60,000 through Kenmore Lodge, Dulacca at the 2015 Magic Millions 2YOs in Training sale at the Gold Coast after earlier being withdrawn from the Inglis Premier Yearling sale in Melbourne.

The buyer was a North Queensland syndicate headed by prominent Cairns owner Tom Hedley. Although racing predominantly in North Queensland with 10 wins for Roy Chillemi, connections decided to send Tyzone south to Gold Coast based Toby Edmonds in March last year. Since then the horse has started a further nine times with five wins at the Gold Coast and Doomben plus his two black type placings.

A day earlier at Bowen, the Hedley/Chillemi combination gained further success when Loveisall Youneed won a QTIS 3YO Maiden to earn $17,700 - $9200 first prizemoney plus an $8500 QTIS bonus. By Love Conquers All from the General Nediym mare General Intent, Loveisall You Need is following in the hoof-prints as Tyzone having also been sold for $25,000 at the 2017 MM 2YOs in training sale. He becomes the fifth winner from the dam whose latest foal - a filly by Spill The Beans - was passed in for $25,000 at this month's Magic Millions March yearling sale at the Gold Coast.

THREE-year-old colt Mishani Hustler has boosted his impressive race record to seven wins and a second from 11 starts after victory in the QTIS 3YO Jewel (1200m) held at Eagle Farm on Saturday.

Having displayed his potential a 2YO last season when he won the Listed Dalrello Stakes and was second in the Group 2 Champagne Classic - both at Doomben - Mishani Hustler has now won his last three starts at Doomben and Eagle Farm for Toowoomba trainer Ben Currie.

By Exceed And Excel's Group 3 winning son Exceedingly Good from the winning Falvelon mare Mishani Sinner, Mishani Hustler is a home-bred for Mike Crooks and his late wife Patty who built a big team of horses at Mishani Farm near Beaudesert. Other home-bred black-type performers include Mishani Warrior (Listed Tatt's Qld Members Cup) and Group 3 place-getter Mishani Bullitt.

Mike Crooks was also active at this month's Magic Millions March yearling sale spending $416,000 on six fillies and one colt to head the buyers' list. Top price was $120,000 paid for a Rich Enuff/Kalseru filly followed by $100,000 for a Deep Field/Hancora (Fr) filly.