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Gelding becomes Charm Spirit’s ninth stakes winner

Windsor Park shuttler Charm Spirit (Invincible Spirit) chalked up his ninth stakes winner on Saturday as his son Sansom (4 g ex Bryony by Fastnet Rock) landed the Chatham Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) at Flemington on Saturday.

The Phillip Stokes-trained four-year-old gelding stayed on strongly to fend off Morvada (Mossman) to score by a short-head, with Bold Star (Needs Further) a further long head away in third.

Stokes said 1400 metres was as far as Sansom wants at present and the likely target was the Magic Millions Cup (1400m).

“He’s relaxing a little better,” Stokes said. “He’s got stronger so we’ve always had a good opinion of him. I think 1400m is as far as he wants but he’s got plenty more wins in him.”

Purchased by his trainer for $140,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the Kitchwin Hills draft, the Qatar Racing-bred gelding is the only winner out of winning Fastnet Rock (Danehill) mare Bryony. 

Bryony is herself a half-sister to Group 1-winning pair Triple Honour (Honours List) and Heroic Valour (Fastnet Rock). Further back this is the same family as Group 2-winning mare San Pauli Girl (Western Symphony). 

Charm Spirit’s progeny is headed by Group 2-winning pair Aretha and Fascino and he is covering his sixth book of mares at Windsor Park Stud in New Zealand.