3 minute read

Hard Spun; Golden Snake; Delago Deluxe

• HARD Spun’s talented two-year-old Hard Empire ended his season undefeated after another brilliant performance to win the Tasmanian Sires Produce Stakes in Launceston on May 25.

The Adam Trinder-trained youngster won at his previous two starts and sounded a clear warning that he was a serious racehorse with his Sires Produce win over 1400m after travelling three wide and four wide.

“I have been confident about this horse making the grade for a long time. He is a horse with a good future,” Trinder said.

“He will go for a spell undefeated from three starts and if he comes back as well as I expect him to he could be a genuine Guineas prospect next season.”

Shuttle sire Hard Spun has enjoyed a good season in Australia led by his G1 Randwick Guineas winner Le Romain.

A son of Danzig, the G1 winner Hard Spun was a visitor to Northwood Park Stud in Victoria six times from 2008 to 2013, leaving nearly 500 foals.

His US-bred progeny have included seven G1 winners and he has more than 150 winners in Australia, 13 of them in stakes races. His Australian-breds include G1 winner Ertijaal in South Africa.

• REGALLY-bred G1 winner Golden Snake has been represented by a number of up-and-coming winners including his Ararat double Blue Viper and Vanilla Gold.

The Mitchell Freedman trained Vanilla Gold was having just her fourth start and could not have been more impressive stepping up to 2000m for the first time. Freeman is looking forward to testing her at metropolitan level.

Blue Viper recorded the second success from seven starts under 61.5kg over 1700m. Both Vanilla Gold and Blue Viper are raced by their breeders.

Other recent Golden Snake winners include Aagas, Strikes Twice, Snake Farley and Hissing Sid's promising brother Dusty Mamba.

Golden Snake is the sire of local stakes winners Gilded Venom (WA Horse Of The Year), Hissing Sid, Antidotes and Vipera Gold.

Overseas Golden Snake, who boasts progeny earnings in excess of $10 million, has been represented by the Italian G1 winner Quiza Quiza Quiza and the two times Singapore G3 winner Super Gold.

• ENCOSTA De Lago’s G1-winning son Delago Deluxe will stand for an unchanged fee of $11,000 including GST) at Newhaven Park Stud in 2016.

Delago Deluxe achieved remarkable returns on his service fee with his first yearlings. He will cover a maximum of 140 mares in 2016.

Delago Deluxe has had 12 yearlings sell so far this year for upwards of $100,000 and six for upwards of $200,000. At the 2016 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Delago Deluxe had 10 yearlings average $169,000, second only I Am Invincible in terms of the most profitable sire.

He was the leading first season sire at the Classic Sale in Sydney where nine yearlings averaged $60,000 and finished the season with his only Australian Easter Yearling Sale entry making $240,000.

Across all sales this year, Delago Deluxe has had 33 yearlings average $93,455.