Tracked – The Saturday Racing Review – April 27

In a hotly contested finish to the Group 1 Australasian Oaks, it was Vibrant Sun who had her nose down at the right time, in a race that produced a rare elite-level trifecta for a stallion.

Arrowfield Stud’s sophomore sire The Autumn Sun sired the first three fillies across the line, with little separating Vibrant Sun, second-placed Private Legacy and third-placed Coco Sun.

Vibrant Sun is the second Group 1 winner for her sire, joining the ATC Australian Oaks winner Autumn Angel. 

The Group 1 Robert Sangster Stakes produced another close finish, with Climbing Star clinging on from Learning To Fly to cause an upset in the 1200-metre feature. 

Previously successful in the Listed Matrice Stakes, the Phillip Stokes-trained mare cut the corner as the field peeled to the centre of the course, and had enough in the tank to claim victory.

CLIMBING STAR WINS THE SANGSTER! ⭐️

LACHLAN NIENDORF WINS HIS FIRST GROUP 1!@pstokesracing @LNeindorf @RacingSA pic.twitter.com/bqxVvebHHX

— 7HorseRacing (@7horseracing) April 27, 2024

She is the eighth Group 1 winner for Zoustar, with the Widden Stud resident collecting a black-type double on the day.

Growing Empire made it two wins in stakes grade on the bounce at Morphettville, winning the Group 3 Breeders’ Stakes in comfortable fashion. 

Having won the Listed St. Albans Stakes at Moonee Valley in March, the colt by Zoustar stepped into Group company for the first time, handling his rivals with ease after peeling to the middle of the course for jockey Mark Zahra. 

The wins help Zoustar strengthen his grip on second in the Australian Champion Sires title, where he narrowly sits ahead of So You Think.

Earlier in the day, Skybird added a second Group 2 success to her resume, running away from her rivals to win the Group 2 Tobin Bronze Stakes at Morphettville.

Already a winner of the Group 2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic, the Mitchell Freedman-trained filly dashed clear of her rivals under jockey Beau Mertens.

She is the second dual-Group 2 winner for Exosphere, with his son Easter having also completed the feat in the United States. 

Winning Rupert will commence stallion duties in Western Australia with a new Group 2 winner, after Seonee proved too strong for her fellow fillies and mares in the Queen Of The South Stakes at Morphettville. 

SEONEE salutes and gives Patrick Payne a Stakes Double @TheBeeegan pic.twitter.com/1ILuJet7JB

— 7HorseRacing (@7horseracing) April 27, 2024

The five-year-old mare has been gradually worked through the grades by trainer Patrick Payne, with her success at Morphettville her second in black-type company. 

Winning Rupert was purchased by trainer Luke Fernie for $80,000 in the Inglis Digital February (Late) Online Sale earlier this year. 

Payne pulled off a Tasmanian-South Australian Derby double last year with Dunkel, and his hopes of doing it all again received a big boost with Bold Soul winning the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Morphettville. 

The gelded son of Embellish thundered home in the concluding stages to snatch victory away from Air Assault, who had led for the majority of the 2000-metre contest.

Bold Soul remains the sole stakes winner to date for Embellish.

Extremely Lucky made a winning return to the Will Clarken and Niki O’Shea stable, lunging late to win the Group 3 John Hawkes Stakes at Morphettville. 

Already a winner of the Listed Lightning Stakes from his previous stint in South Australia, Extremely Lucky is one of 12 stakes winners for Extreme Choice. 

At Ascot, trainer Dan Morton picked up a second black-type win with a Darley Australia stallion in as many weeks, with Sapphire Street finishing over the top of her older rivals in the Listed Sheila Gwynne Classic.

The daughter of Street Boss collected her first black-type win under apprentice Luke Campbell, taking her sire to 71 individual stakes winners.

Having finished last in his first run in Australia, the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, Mighty Ulysses improved sharply under the Queensland sun to take out the Listed Brisbane Mile at Eagle Farm.

One of six black-type for winners for Ulysses, Mighty Ulysses achieved success at Group 3 level in the Sovereign Stakes in the United Kingdom before relocating to Australia. 

Michael Freedman and Vlad Duric combined at Eagle Farm, delivering a narrow win in the Listed Princess Stakes for Waikato Girl.

The Savabeel filly earned her first win in black-type company, and second overall, taking her sire to 145 individual stakes winners. 

Rich Enuff filly Tiger Shark latched onto the lead in the Listed Mick Dittman Plate and could not be caught, giving his sire his ninth stakes winner to date.