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30.
Widden Make
Clean Sweep Of The Classics
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07/11/2002 |
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At
one time you could enter the beautiful Widden Valley, drive past the historic
Widden Stud, home of a multitude of champion Australian stallions, past Baramul
Stud, home of the incomparable Star Kingdom, past Oakleigh Stud, home of the
wonderful old stallion Red Gauntlet and at the end of the Valley come to the
Harris family’s Holbrook Stud home of the grand galloper Persian Lyric and his
sire Persian Book.
At the dawn of the 21st century only Widden Stud had risen to the challenge of
standing commercial stallions. Yet in the new millennium times were also
changing at Widden. After achieving unparalleled success with Vain, Bletchingly
and Marscay, Widden entered the year 2000 without any of these great stallions.
On the ground that year were weanlings by three stallions, Helissio, Filante and
Belong To Me, which entered Widden in 1998. When Belong To Me’s daughter Bulla
Borghese swept to a ½-length win over Lashed (Encosta De Lago) and Antique
(Metal Storm) in the $628,000 Group One Crown Oaks (2500m) at Flemington today
she completed a clean sweep of Victoria’s three-year old Classics for Widden
stallions following the victories of Helissio’s son Helenus in the Group 1
Caulfield Guineas and Group 1 MRC Victorian Derby and Filante’s daughter
Macedon Lady in the Group 1 Caulfield 1000 Guineas.
For former champion jockey Ron Quinton it was his second Group 1 winner since
taking up training. The Flemington carnival has been kind to Quinton who earned
his first Group 1 victory in the VRC Salinger Stakes in 2000. "That was a
Neville Begg preparation, said Quinton. “We've followed the same sort of
preparation that Neville always did with his fillies and it worked.
”I had great success with Neville when I was a jockey and he was the first to
ring me this morning to wish me luck.
"Chris (Munce) gave her a perfect run, he's a very good distance jockey, he
can always get them to relax under him.
"This has to be the biggest thrill of my racing career. I had a few great
moments as a jockey but this one tops them all.
"I doubt I'll ever get a bigger thrill."
Bulla Borghese was bred by by Senga Bissett and Ivan Woodford-Smith who for many
years ran the Willow Park Stud at Scone. The daughter of Belong To Me was
offered for sale at the 2001 Magic Millions where respected bloodstock agent
David Lamond purchased her for $45,000.
Belong to Me won seven sprints races, four stakes, from 16 starts in America. He
boasts a superlative pedigree being a son of the breed-shaper Danzig out of the
stakes winning Exclusive Native mare Belonging a daughter of the Champion Older
Female, Straight Deal (Hail To Reason) the winner of 21 races from 99 starts.
Straight Deal’s dam No Fiddling is a half sister to the champion mare
searching (War Admiral) the dam of champion Affectionately (Swaps), Admiring
(Hail To Reason) and Priceless Gem (Hail To Reason.
Admiring produced the multiple Group 2 winning mare Glowing Tribute (Graustark),
the dam of a multitude of stakes winners including Kentucky Derby winner Sea
Hero (Polish Navy).
Priceless Gem produced the great racemare Allez France (Sea Bird) and the
unraced Noble Bijou (Vaguely Noble) who became a great stallion in NZ.
No Fiddling is out of Big Hurry (King Cole) a daughter of the remarkable La
Troienne the most influential broodmare of the twentieth century.
Bulla Borghese is the second foal of the unraced Crested Wave mare Fionnay a
half sister to stakes winners Andermatt (Amalgam), St Gallen (Decies) and Ascona
(Decies). Fionnay’s third dam Volitime (Summemtime) is one of five daughters,
Jennifer Joy, Fairene, Fleetmistress and Summer Girl are the others, of the
remarkable broodmare Volifox (Foxbridge) to leave a line of superior stakes
winners.
Jennifer Joy is the dam of Wellington Derby and Great North Derby stakes winner
Ben Lomond; Fairene is the granddam of the Caulfield Cup winner Swell Time,
fourth dam of Hong Kong International winner (Our) Grey Invader, dam of NZ 1000
Guineas winner Pace Invader.
Summer Girl is the granddam of VRC Derby winner Handy Proverb and Fleetmistress
is the fourth dam of Adelaide Cup winner Cronus and Avondale Cup winner Cariere.
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