Darley captured the second leg of a stakes winning double at Warwick Farm on Saturday courtesy of promising colt Blackball in the G3 Up And Coming Stakes (1200m).

Blackball (3c  Canny Lad – Excommunicate by Grand Lodge) did it the hard way out wide but was good enough to pip Brisbane raider Buffering by a half-neck.  “This bloke only had a short prep at two,” trainer Peter Snowden explained.  “He’s furnished since then and will progress to the Ming Dynasty Quality next month.”

Blackball’s victory came hot on the heels of Darley filly Parables in the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes.  He had won on debut at Rosehill last November and came back to finish second to Brightexpectations in the G2 Pago Pago Stakes in March.  There was talk of paying a late-entry fee for the Golden Slipper but wiser heads prevailed and he was given a 19 week winter spell before resuming on Saturday.

His sire Canny Lad has been a great servant to Woodlands and Darley and is about to cover his 20th book of mares at Kelvinside for a $16,500 fee.
Canny Lad (Bletchingly) has sired 645 winners of 1890 races at a 67.5% strike-rate.  Blackball is his 48th stakes winner.

Blackball is from Excommunicate, an unraced half-sister to Hosannah (Octagonal) who was a G2 winner of the AJC Surround Stakes, STC Queen of the Turf Stakes and STC Magic Night Stakes.