Eighteen-or-so months ago Mick Dee was outgunned by Damien Oliver’s power in a desperate G1 Crown Oaks finish, as the experienced ‘Ollie’ lifted the favourite Willowy over the top of Dee and the Patrick Payne-trained Douceur. 

Dee’s Group 1 fortunes have altogether turned around since, with the New Zealander enjoying a career-best run of form across Australia’s most recent spring and autumn carnivals. 

Dee has produced some artful demonstrations of big race timing of late, snatching the G1 Australian Guineas on star Kiwi filly Legarto a week after giving Little Brose a dream transit in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes.

At Rosehill on Saturday Dee once again combined successfully with Chris Waller – the trainer for whom Dee won last year’s G1 Caulfield Cup on Durston and G1 VRC Derby on Manzoice, both again with perfectly-timed closes – in taking out the G1 Coolmore Classic aboard the class mare Espiona. 

It was another powerful display from Dee, propelling Espiona along the rails to outscrap Pride Of Jenni and Sheeza Belter, so landing a maiden Group 1 victory for the long-touted daughter of Extreme Choice. 

Satono Aladdin’s southern hemisphere stocks continue to rise after unbeaten gelding Tokyo Tycoon added a first Group 1 to his already impressive resume in the Sistema Stakes at Pukekohe on Saturday.

A winner of the Karaka Million back in February, Tokyo Tycoon made it five wins from five starts when surging past Ulanova in the final furlong for jockey Opie Bosson. 

Winner of the 2017 G1 Yasuda Kinen, Satono Aladdin is himself a son of Deep Impact, the late stallion who on Sunday eclipsed his own sire Sunday Silence’s record in becoming the fastest stallion to sire 2,700 JRA winners when his son Rhinebeck won the Hochi Stakes at Nakayama.

Before the emergence of Tokyo Tycoon Satono Aladdin had already made a big impression shuttling to his Rich Hill Stud base, having also produced Australian stakes performers in G2 Blue Sapphire Stakes winner Grand Impact and the now Group 1-placed Japanese Emperor. 

That bloodline looks set to be bolstered in New Zealand with news that another son of Deep Impact, the eye-catching Profondo, is set to join Windsor Park. 

An immensely talented winner of the G1 Spring Champion Stakes at just his third start, it was a case of what might have been for Profondo on the track, with some perhaps puzzling placement leaving the entire winless from his next eight starts, including a tailed-off last in Anamoe’s Cox Plate before again failing to beat a runner home first-up in the G3 Liverpool City Cup. 

As the below footage demonstrates however, you simply could not find a more magnificent looking thoroughbred, so if Profondo can stamp his progeny there should at the very least be some more extremely well put together horseflesh coming through the Karaka sales ring in the coming years. 

😄 Excitement is real!

Announcement to follow…. #watchthisspace 🏇🏇🏇 pic.twitter.com/OZEaIPTN75

— Windsor Park Stud (@WindsorParkStud) March 12, 2023

AUSTRALIA

Four-time Flemington winner Supido often saved his very best for the straight course and it looks like his progeny do too. 

Matthew Smith’s talented Supido colt Buenos Noches continues to perform with distinction on the Flemington straight course but on Saturday he was overshadowed by another son of Supido in What You Need, the dominant winner of Race 2 over 1100m. 

Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr appear to have a serious colt on their hands with What You Need shaping as a potential flagship horse for the Widden-based stallion, currently operating off a $8,800 service fee. 

Lofty Strike continues to run out of his skin and a Group 1 breakthrough looms for Julius Sandhu’s impeccably-bred three-year-old, who was enormous on the grandstand side in the G1 Newmarket. The Snitzel colt’s scratching from last year’s G1 Blue Diamond Stakes due to ‘lameness’ must surely still burn connections, who at the time insisted that the horse was sound. 

JAPAN

Not to be mistaken for Sodashi’s white relative Hayayako, who did find the line nicely, it was the grey mare Maria Elena who might be worth following out of Sunday’s G2 Kinko Sho at Chukyo. Kohei Matsuyama could not find an out on the daughter of Kurofune, who was well fancied at 3.1, in what must be classified as a ‘forgive’ run. 

金鯱賞GⅡ
1着⑫番プログノーシス
2着⑩番フェーングロッテン
3着①番アラタ pic.twitter.com/lzgW0XTZ7B

— れいぽん (@Being__withYou) March 12, 2023

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