3 minute read

Star Witness; Artie Schiller; Redoute's Choice; Le Havre

• TEAM Hawkes prepared metropolitan doubles in both Sydney and Melbourne on Saturday with the win by Firsthand at Moonee Valley the horse that captured most attention.

The lightly raced Star Witness three-year-old survived a protest to remain unbeaten from two starts when scoring a narrow first-up win over 1200m.

A $125,000 Easter Session 2 yearling, Firsthand is a half-brother to five winners including the stakes-placed Bale Star and Public Holiday from the Generous mare Thanskgiving.

Thanksgiving comes from the Great Klaire branch of the famous Eight Carat family that has produced G1 winners Bonanova, Fraternity and Telesto.

Thanksgiving has been back to Star Witness very year since Firsthand was born.

The Hawkes stable also won with Longeron (Lonhro) at Moonee Valley while their Rosehill double came from Himalaya Dream, a French import by Stormy River, and Elemenohpee (Henny Hughes).

Initially trained by Eric Libaud, Himalaya Dream has been out of the winner's enclosure since February when he beat the subsequent Ipswich Cup winner Maurus.

• ARTIE Schiller’s promising two-year-old Artie Dee Two made it two wins from two starts with a determined success at Moonee Valley.

The Darren Weir-trained youngster raced deep but still managed to score by a three-quarter length winning margin.

Artie Dee Two, who recorded a decisive debut success over the same 1200m distance on Geelong’s synthetic surface, is one of seven individual 2YO winners by Artie Schiller in this current season.

The Emirates Park stallion has been amongst the leading sires of the division since the start of spring and is now accredited with more than $1.35 million in 2-year-old progeny earnings in 2015/16.

Artie Schiller breaks new ground this coming breeding season when he is set to feature on the Hunter Valley stallion roster of Emirates Park for the first time in his stud career.

The proven sire-son of El Prado is standing at a fee of $22,000 (inc GST).

• THE valuable Redoute’s Choice mare Clemency, a game winner at Moonee Valley on Saturday, will retire to stud this year.

Trainer Robert Smerdon is hoping the mare, a daughter of the classy G1 winner Eskimo Queen (Shinko King), can win at stakes level before she goes to stud.

Clemency has three city wins on the board and will be given a freshen up before targeting black type races early in the spring before she is retired.

"To enhance her value going forward, she'll need some black type," Smerdon said.

• LE Havre filly Le Cressonniere completed the French classic double when she won the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly on Sunday.

Trained by Jean-Claude Rouget, the French filly followed up her success in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Pouliches (1000 Guineas) with her Diane (Oaks) win to remain unbeaten after seven starts.

Held up early by jockey Cristian Demuro Le Cressonniere gained the lead with a decisive surge passing the 300m as Armande clipped heels and unseated her rider.

She was driven out to hold Left Hand by a half-length with Volta 1 1/2 lengths behind in third.