Up-and-coming Kiwi sire Darci Brahma lifted his profile again last week with feature winners at home and abroad.
Darci Brahma (Danehill) retired to The Oaks Stud after G1 victories in the T J Smith Classic at Eagle Farm and the NZ 2000 Guineas at Riccarton. He made the leap to Group 1 level as a sire when Artistic won the NZ Oaks on March 17.
The winners kept coming last week with Waterford (Te Rapa) on Wednesday, Super Easy (Singapore) on Friday and Malandrino (Awapuni) & Brela Belle (Ellerslie) on Saturday.
Waterford (NZ) oozed quality when defeating what appeared to be a quality group of juveniles in the Moirai – Leanach Lodge Juvenile (1200m) on Wednesday. She unleashed a powerful finishing sprint and looks a classic candidate for the spring.
Trainer Tony Pike will target a final hit-out for the season in the LR Champagne Stakes (1600m) at Ellerslie on April 14 before giving her a winter spell.
Waterford (ex Crystal Hailey by Greinton) is a half sister to stakes winners Veronica Franco (Johar) and Diamond Hailey (Zabeel). She was bred by Pike’s parents Wayne and Vicki who operate Longlands Stud in Cambridge.
Darci Brahma’s Singapore’s star Super Easy maintained his unbeaten record at Kranji in the G3 3YO Sprint (1200m) on Friday night. Winning jockey Joao Moriera paid the ultimate compliment to the Michael Freedman trained colt after the first leg of the Singapore 3YO Challenge.
“If he’s not the best horse that I have ridden then I’m sure by the time he has finished he will be,” Moreira claimed. “I’ve won Derby races and Cup races on some very good horses in other countries but this horse is something special.”
Super Easy (ex Parfore by Gold Brose) is unbeaten in 8 starts at Kranji. He ran second to Anabandana (Anabaa) in the G3 Eclipse Stakes and fourth in Karaka Million as a two year-old in New Zealand.
Malandrino is another Darci Brahma destined for higher honours on the strength of his G3 victory in the Manawatu Classic at Awapuni.
Trainer Murray Baker is toying with the idea of sending him to Sydney and paying a late-entry fee for the G1 Australian Derby at Randwick. He could cross the Tasman as early as this week in time for the G2 Tulloch Stakes at Rosehill this Saturday.
Baker has won the Tulloch Stakes with Our Palliser (Palatable) in 1987, The Bill (Grosvenor) in 1993 and Harris Tweed (Montjeu) in 2009. He also prepared Rios (Hussonet) who was runner-up in 2008.
“He did it with his ears pricked,” winning jockey James McDonald said after dismounting from Malandrino. “He will go right to the top.”
Malandrino (ex Staryn Glen by Montjeu) was bred by the Bax family at Blandford Lodge and his dam is from a half-sister to G2 winner Silky Red Boxer (Casual Lies) and G1 South Australian Oaks runner-up Star Of Gretchen (Bahhare).
Darci Brahma’s NSW based colt Darci Be Good is currently quoted at $17 for the G1 Australian Derby on April 14. He won the G3 Newcastle Spring Stakes in September and was an eye-catching closer in the G1 Randwick Guineas (1600m) won by Mosheen on March 17.
