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9.
Blue Gum Farm
strikes stakes double
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18/8/2003 |
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The strides the Victorian Thoroughbred industry has made in upgrading its
stallion strength was demonstrated in the two Listed events for three-year olds
at Moonee Valley on Saturday.
All six three-year olds to finish on the board are progeny of stallions
available in Victoria this season. The Listed William Crocket Stakes (1000m) for
three-year old fillies was won in fine style by the very promising Dilly Dally,
a daughter of Blue Gum Farm’s Rubiton, who made it three consecutive wins by
defeating Carlton Spirit (Fraar) by 1 ¼-lengths with Arena Star (Spartacus)
3-lengths back in third.
Dilly Dally is the sixth name foal and the third winner for the Millionaire mare
Faricca. All three winners have now won at stakes level with Dilly Dally’s
full sister Linga Longa Lucy successful in the Listed SAJC Walter Brown Stakes
(1100m) and half sister Li Lo Lill (Umatilla) winning the Group 3 SAJC Sires'
Produce Stakes (1600 m) in addition to placing in the Group 1 VRC Oaks, Group 1
MRC 1000 Guineas, Group 2 VRC Edward Manifold Stakes, Group 2 MRC Angus
Armanasco Stakes, Group 2 VRC Wakeful Stakes.
Faricca has a two-year old colt by Umatilla and was served by the son of Miswaki
again last season.
The Campbell family’s Blue Gum Farm had another magnificent season in 2002/03
with Encosta de Lago ranking sixth leading sire in the nation, Rubiton twelfth
and Umatilla eighteenth. Considering they are the only stallions at Blue Gum
with progeny of racing age it is a wonderful achievement. There is little doubt
that Encosta De Lago is the stallion most Hunter Valley stud farms cast an
envious eye on. The son of Fairy King has produced what looks to be another
rising young star in the undefeated Jim Marconi-trained colt Lago Delight.
The inexperienced three-year old has still to learn a lot about racing but his 1
¼-length win over Cross Current (Keltrice) and boom youngster Great Is Great in
the Listed Mitchell McKenzie Stakes (1000m), following a hollow first up win at
Flemington, stamps his as one of the more promising three-year old in training.
Lago Delight is the second foal and second winner for the stakes winning Rancho
Ruler mare Sweet Delight. Her first foal Tycoon Ruler has earned $330,000 with
two wins from 20 starts while he has been runner-up in the Group 1VRC Australian
Guineas, Group 2 MVRC Alister Clark Stakes and Group 3 C.S. Hayes Stakes.
Sweet Delight has a yearling colt by Brief Truce and was served by Last Tycoon
last season.
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