What a huge – HUGE – weekend for EPI stallions…

Bel Esprit got the ball rolling on Friday night with Sistonic’s thrilling win at Moonee Valley.  The unbeaten 3YO is now being targeted at the G3 Typhoon Tracy on February 27.

Bred and raced by Robert Crabtree, Sistonic is out of the Danehill mare Danavia, a half sister to Black Caviar’s dam Helsinge.  Both mares are out of the blue-hen Scandinavia whom Crabtree also raced.

Bel Esprit sired five winners in less than 48 hours.  Lady’s Persuasion and Gaelstorm chimed in on Saturday while Hi Viz and Beluga Gold pulled a deuce on Sunday.

Statue of Liberty was right in the mix too with Lucky Liberty retaining his unbeaten record via a thriller at Flemington.  He is now on the second line of betting for the G1 Australian Guineas.

Statue of Liberty is one of the best value stallions in the nation and there’s been plenty of late to keep Lucky Liberty company.

And while it doesn’t exactly constitute a ‘weekend’ – unless you can remember the long lunches from the 1980s – Magnus sired a double on Friday (Magnesia and Revanche) and followed up with a tremendous win for Magnus Reign at Flemington on Saturday before the lightly raced Rock Spur proved too good for his rivals over 1300m at Geelong.

And let’s not forget the under-rated Redoute’s Choice stallion Sharkbite.  The Tony McEvoy trained Saskenkile boosted his earnings into six figures with a strong win over 2000m at Rosehill and another Sharkbite from the same crop – Crossbite – got the money second up on Sunday.

But perhaps the biggest highlight of the weekend was Chris Waller’s resolute Astronomer Royal gelding Weary who took out the G2 Expressway at Rosehill in a thriller.

Winning the Doncaster Prelude last Spring, Weary was first up on Saturday and has now pushed his earnings to $722,196.  The stable is now targeting the Apollo Stakes – two of the last three Expressway winners have also doubled up in the Apollo.