Aussie bred gallopers dominated feature racing at Turffontein last Saturday.  Seattle Ice won the Group 2 Charity Mile, Sidera added the Listed Starling Stakes while Flying Tristram opened his account first-up after a six month spell.

Seattle Ice (4g Xaar – Seattle Rhyme by Seattle Dancer) was always in control in the G2 over 1600m.  He stalked the leaders and then skipped a few lengths clear for a convincing victory in the R100,000 event.

At the beginning of 2009, Seattle Ice was being touted as a classic contender but he was unplaced in the South African Classic behind Forest Path and the Natal Guineas won by Big City Life.

He has looked a happier horse in the last couple of months and it appears he has finally come into his own for trainer Geoff Woodruff.

Seattle Ice (Aus) is a half-brother to six winners including fellow Turffontein stakes winner Profit Report (Noverre).  He was a Listed winner of the Falcon Sprint and was also G1 placed in the Golden Horseshoe at Greyville.  Another half-brother Triumphant Feeling (Varick) won 6 races in Hong Kong and was placed in the G2 Sha Tin Vase.

Their dam Seattle Rhyme is a winning half-sister to Northern Drake (Varick) who was a G1 winner of the VATC Yalumba Stakes before finishing runner-up to Might And Power in the 1998 Cox Plate.

Seattle Ice was bred by Larry Nestadt and was sent to South Africa in May 2006, two months after Profit Report was exported.  Woodruff won’t be tempted to stretch Seattle Ice out to 2000m for the G1 Summer Cup at the end of November.  He believes the Xaar gelding is a specialist miler.

SIDERA (3f Galileo – Freja by Danehill) is trained by Mike de Kock and was a $45,000 buy from Think Big Stud at the 2008 Inglis Classic yearling sale.  She is raced by John Koster who stands champion sire Captain Al and G1 winner Jay Peg at Klawervlei Stud in the Westeern Cape.

Sidera could develop into an Oaks candidate this season.  She is by Coolmore’s champion sire Galileo and her dam won over 2000m.  Second dam Royal Tiara (Blanco) was a G1 winner of the Auckland Cup.

FLYING TRISTRAM is the latest Australian bred winner for trainer Charles Laird and owner Marcus Jooste.  He was a $280,000 buy from the Brooklyn Lodge draft at the 2008 Gold Coast Magic Millions.

Flying Tristram (3g Flying Spur – My Southern Bell by Octagonal) had been placed twice at his only other starts at Clairwood in May.  He is also bred to get over more ground than 1400m being from a Sydney mare who won twice up to 2200m.

My Southern Bell is a half-sister to the dam of Perth stakes winner Wolfe Dreams (Sequalo) and the immediate family also includes Golden Slipper winner Dance Hero (Danzero).