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Good Idea’s victory in Adelaide Cup takes stallion’s stakes tally to 32
The often underrated stallion So You Think (High Chaparral) enjoyed a good day on the track when he sired a stakes double on Monday with Mr Marathon Man (7 g ex Marie des Fleurs by Smart Strike) added a second stakes victory to his CV in the Canberra Cup (Listed, 2000m), while Good Idea (6 g ex Faint Perfume by Shamardal) broke through at stakes level for the first time in the Adelaide Cup (Gr 2, 3200m) which saw the stallion’s total stakes tally swell to 32.
Trained by Phillip Stokes, Good Idea ran second in the race 12 months ago and he went one better on Monday, pulling clear to beat Eperdument (Americain) by three and a half lengths. Long Arm (Rock Of Gibraltar) was a further neck away in third.
The six-year-old gelding is part-owned by Think Big Stud, who also bred the horse, and Ben Thompson wore the colours of Dato Tan Chin Nam, who also raced So You Think himself.
Good Idea was saddled by Stokes' son Tom, who runs the Adelaide stable.
"The team at Pakenham have done a great job," Stokes said.
"Dad was very confident, I was hesitant. It's a massive honour. I can remember growing up and watching those colours going around.
"I'm sure the owners will be very proud."
Good Idea is out of dual Group 1-winning champion mare Faint Perfume (Shamardal), making him a half-brother to Group 3 winner Chains Of Honour (Redoute’s Choice).
The gelding’s third dam is dual Group 1 winner Danendri (Danehill), who in turn produced Group 3 scorer Zingam (Zabeel) and Listed winner Banc De Fortune (Galileo) - the dam of fellow stakes winner Eagle Island (Fastnet Rock).
In 2019 Faint Perfume produced a filly by Thronum (Snitzel) and she has most recently been covered by Yarraman Park-based sire I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).
The second leg of the stakes double was formed by the Richard Litt-trained Mr Marathon Man when he landed the Canberra Cup - his second stakes victory and first in Australia, having landed the Prix Jacques Laffitte (Listed, 1800m) when trained in France by Carlos Lerner.
Mr Marathon Man led home a European bred 1-2-3 in the Listed race, beating Dadoozdart (Dawn Approach) by a neck, while Aussie Nugget (Dansili) finished another length and a half away in third.
Mr Marathon Man is from the first European crop of So You Think, who shuttled to Coolmore’s Ireland base for four seasons and he is one of two winners out of Marie Des Fleurs (Smart Strike), who is herself a daughter of Grade 3 winner Ozone Bere (Verglas).
So You Think has enjoyed a good season so far, siring eight stakes winners which see him placed fifth equal by number of stakes winners in Australia’s leading sires table, while he is placed fourth in the sires table by earnings and he has 17 lots catalogued at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
