Blackfriars stretched his lead at the top of the WA sires’ premiership when All Friared Up won the LR Beaufine Stakes (1000m) at Belmont on Saturday.
Blackfriars (Danehill) is based at Durham Lodge and his earnings this season total $3.36 million. Next best among Sunspeed based stallions are Viscount ($2.03 million) and Oratorio ($1.68 million).
All Friared Up (3f Blackfriars – Proto’s Path by Protos) delivered a breathtaking burst to defeat Kid Chosir by three-quarters of a length in 57.87s. It confirmed her rating as one of Perth’s most promising sprinters.
All Friared Up has won 7 of her 10 starts for Oakland Park owner-breeder Neville Duncan and trainer Stan Bates. Her last loss was behind Playing God in the G2 WA Guineas in November 2010.
“I believe 1000 metres is too short for the filly,” Bates said at the presentation. “She will head for the Belmont Newmarket (1200m) and Goodwood Sprint (1300m) next month.”
Playing God and his older brother God Has Spoken have led the way for Blackfriars this season and, together, they will help lift his prizemoney earnings to another level in 2011-12.
All Friared Up is from a half-sister to Listed Aquanita Stakes winner Chantes Path (Chanteclair).
Second dam Round Path (Brahms) is a half-sister to Perth flyer Ever Ready who defeated Fimiston by five lengths in a memorable edition of the Beaufine in 1987.
Sent to Melbourne, Ever Ready franked the Beaufine form by defeating Lindsay Park’s champion mare Special in the G2 Chirnside Stakes at Caulfield.
Bates would remember Ever Ready from the old days working for his brother-in-law Buster O’Malley in the 1980s.
O’Malley trained for Laurie Connell and the stable’s top sprinter Concrete scored his finest (and final) victory in the G3 Prince Of Wales Stakes at Ascot.
In front of a huge 1986 Melbourne Cup day crowd, Concrete gave Ever Ready five lengths at the furlong but nailed her a nose right on the line.
Bates has been around long enough to keep his feet on the ground but even he must be getting All Fired Up with All Friared Up.