Scenic Lodge champion Blackfriars upped the ante for the Sunspeed sires’ premiership when Eclair Surprise claimed the LR Murray Bridge Gold Cup (1600m) on Wednesday.

Eclair Surprise (5g Blackfriars – French Scene by Scenic) has been restricted by injuries since winning the Listed UCI Stakes (1800m) at Flemington at just his third start for trainer Peter Moody.  “He has always shown ability at home,” Moody said after the black-type breakthrough.  “He is still learning and physically is not quite there yet.  But the horse has a ton of upside.”

Eclair Surprise went amiss prior to the G1 Victorian Derby and he was injured again when Moody brought him back for an autumn campaign.  He finished midfield behind Shamrocker in the G1 Australian Guineas and then spent the next year on the sidelines.

After a short stint with Robert Smerdon earlier this year, connections transferred Eclair Surprise to Phillip Stokes in Adelaide.  He put in a ‘black-booker’ first-up at Morphettville earlier this month and parlayed that into another black-type victory at Murray Bridge on Wednesday.

Eclair Surprise was a $65,000 buy at the 2009 Perth Magic Millions.  Blackfriars got him from French Scene who is a daughter of G2 Winterbottom Stakes winner French Sound (Ksar).  Bunbury based breeder Dan Love bought French Scene for $37,000 at the Perth Magic Millions April Sale and has sent her back to Blackfriars this year.

Blackfriars has won the last two Sunspeed titles and is winding up to land a third in 2012-13.  He sired a winning double with Full Reign and Pop Culture at Belmont on Saturday.  Both four year-olds won stakes races last season – Full Reign (LR Challenge Stake) & Pop Culture (G3 WA Oaks) – and are sure to play a hand at the Perth summer carnival.

Blackfriars flag-bearer Playing God is also heading for a hat-trick of his own this summer in the G1 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot on December 8.  He returns to racing in the G3 Prince of Wales Stakes on October 27.

Blackfriars (Danehill) stands at Scenic Lodge for a $16,500 (inc gst) service fee.

– Karl Patterson

ECLAIR SURPRISE
Blackfriars galloper wins his first stakes race at Flemington