3 minute read
The breeders of top shelf filly Baccarat Baby rolled the dice when they sent their Johannesburg mare Meerlust to the Flying Spur stallion Casino Prince.
Breeders Matthew Irvine and the Harris family were seeking a foal that would feature the great Canadian-bred broodmare Fanfreluche, a daughter of the legendary Northern Dancer, on both sides of the pedigree.
Fanfreluche, who Canadian Horse of the Year who produced 14 winners from 16 foals to race, is Baccarat Baby's fourth dam on her maternal side and appears as the third dam of Flying Spur.
Their planning has paid off as the product of their Casino Prince/Meerlust mating is Baccarat Baby, who took her record to seven wins from 15 starts in Saturday's G3 Sunshine Coast Guineas at Caloundra.
She is the first winner from Meerlust and the first stakes winner under her first three dams.
Meerlust has an unraced 2YO filly by Nicconi and a yearling filly by Shamus Award.
Casino Prince is the sire of 18 stakes winners with Baccarat Baby now a dual black type winner for trainer David Vandyke.
She was set to be spelled after her unplaced effort in the G1 Tattersall's Tiara at Eagle Farm last week but Vandyke had a late change of mind.
"I told the owners she would be going straight to the paddock when I rang them on Sunday but I turned up Monday and she was so well I decided we could go again," Vandyke said.
"She is just so tough and she tells me when she is ready to race.
"She's had such a great preparation and won a Group race, a Listed and second in a couple of Group races – you couldn't ask any more of her."
Casino Prince enjoyed more notable success on Sunday when his classy mare What's New proved that winning the first Leg of the Singapore 4YO Challenge was no fluke when she doubled up in the second leg, the $S400,000 Stewards' Cup at Kranji.
Trained by Cliff Brown, What's New is out of Pussycat Dream (Oasis Dream) and was bred by New Zealand's Greg Perry under his Greenwich Stud.
With six wins and another seven placings from 16 starts, What's New has amassed more than $550,000 for the Tarnpirr Stable plus a $50,000 bonus for winning the first two legs of the 4YO Challenge.
What's New is the first foal of Pussycat Dream, a daughter of the G1 winner Good Faith, and is closely related to G1 ATC Oaks winner Daffodil (No Excuse Needed).
