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He was last seen in Australia in 2013 but the long term impact former shuttle sire Hard Spun has made on Australian racing continues unabated.
A son of Danzig, Hard Spun sired his 11th G1 winner on Saturday when the Perth star Gatting pulled off a huge upset in the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
A 6YO gelding trained by Darren McAuliffe, Gatting (Hard Spun x Stubborn by Lonhro) had finished last in his previous start in Perth and started at triple figure odds in the crack wfa event over 1600m.
Gatting, a G2 WA Derby winner, has now won 11 of his 38 starts earning $1,896,200 in prize-money, making him one of the most successful Australian-bred products by Hard Spun among a host of stakes winners that include his three-time G1 winner Le Romain.
Hard Spun is now based in Kentucky at Darley's Jonabell Farm.
Gatting is raced by WA-based Impressive Racing and was bred by Kingston Thoroughbreds
She is the first foal from the maiden Lonhro mare Stubborn, a sister to the G3 winner Trim.
Impressive Racing paid only $17,000 for Stubborn from the Darley draft at the 2013 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale when she was carrying Gatting.
Trim and Stubborn, the dam of one other winner from three to race, are from the G3 winner Firm (Night Shift).
Trim is the dam of Listed winner Manicure (Exceed And Excel while the family also includes the G3 winner Faithful Thought (Water Mil), a placegetter in the G1 SA Oaks, Listed winner Diamond Thunder (Dawn Approach) and G3 winners Sustaad (Kaapstad) and Desuetude (Strategic).
Stubborn has a 2YO filly by Hinchinbrook, a yearling by So You Think and has been served this season by Merchant Navy after she was sold in 2018 at the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale for $200,000.
The ever increasing quality of Perth racing was also underlined on Saturday by the brilliant Sydney debut of the outstanding Pierro mare Arcadia Queen in the G2 Theo Marks Stakes at Rosehill.
Bred and raced by Perth's leading owners Bob and Sandra Peters, Arcadia Queen is out of his valuable Redoute's Choice mare Arcadia.
Arcadia has been the source of a bevy of winners for the Peters including G3 winner Arcadia Prince (Pierro), G2 WA Derby winner Arcadia Dream (Domesday) and Listed winner Arcadia Rose (Kheleyf).
Arcadia is a sister to the Listed winner Broadway Belle, dam of Pierro's G2 WA Derby winners Regal Power and Action. Arcadia's other sisters include the stakes winner Antique Belle and stakes placed Antique Dream.
Arcadia Queen's second dam Antique (Metal Storm) won the G1 VRC Oaks and is a sister to the stakes winner Kalatiara.
Arcadia has an unraced 3YO gelding by Sebring and a 2YO filly by Domesday. She will have a full sibling to Arcadia Queen this year after she was covered by Pierro last season.
Pierro is the sire of four G1 winners.
