Stakes Double for Sebring
Our much missed sire Sebring added two new stakes-winners to his tally on Saturday with three year-old filly Grace and Harmony winning the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m), while the Widden Stud bred and sold two year-old Biscayne Bay captured the Group III SAJC Sires Produce Stakes (1400m) at Morphettville.
Biscayne Bay was a well backed favourite, but punters were on tenterhooks for all but the final 50 metres of Saturday’s race with the filly locked up back in the field.
Desperately searching for a run in the straight, Damien Oliver found a seam on the Lindsay Park trained filly to defeat Blushing Tycoon by a head.
A two-length winner at Sandow on March 21, Biscayne Bay was edged out by Three Kings after a torrid run in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes at Flemington.
“We have a high opinion of her. I thought she was a bit stiff last start when she drew the wide gate, went right back and made a long, sustained run and she was just nutted on the line,” Ben Hayes said.
“Today, not everything went to plan. It was a hard watch, full of emotions, but it was great ride by Ollie and great to get the result.
“We were hoping to be a bit closer, but she missed the start and didn’t look to be travelling. She was on and off the bit. But there was a lot of merit in the run. She has so much improvement and to take that inside run and win like she did was a great result.”
A $410,000 Magic Millions purchase for Sun Bloodstock from the Widden Stud draft, Biscayne Bay has two wins and second from four starts and has already won over $130,000 in prizemoney.
She is a half-sister to Group II ATC Reisling Stakes winner Tenley and is the third winner from Fratianne, a winning Lonhro grand-daughter of Group I winner Skating.
Widden Stud purchased Fratianne from a Godolphin Reduction at the 2017 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale for $185,000, the well related mare coming from the family of Golden Slipper winner Vancouver and Group I winner Juste Momente, who was raced by Widden Stud.
Fratianne produced a filly by Trapeze Artist last spring and is now in foal to Zoustar.
A homebred for Greg Perry’s Greenwich Stud, Grace And Harmony won her first Black Type assignment when taking out the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet by over a length.
Trained by Chris Waller and ridden by James McDonald, Grace and Harmony has won her last three starts in a row from five in total and has won over $164,000 in prizemoney.
Grace and Harmony is a three-quarter-sister to the Group I ATC Flight Stakes runner-up Sezanne (More Than Ready) out of the top-class Choisir mare Champagne Harmony.
The winner of the Group II SAJC Yallambee Classic, Champagne Harmony was purchased by the late Steve Brem on behalf of Perry for $700,000 at the 2012 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Biscayne Bay and Grace and Harmony bring Sebring’s tally of lifetime stakes-winners to 69.
