Chris Waller delivered the last rites for the Australian bred stayer at Randwick on Saturday. And the former Kiwi conditioner hammered the final nails in the coffin with a pair of European imports!
My Kingdom Of Fife (GB) repelled Doncaster Mile winner Sacred Choice and stablemate Syreon in a gripping finish to the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).
Less than an hour later, Waller was back in the enclosure receiving all the plaudits after Stand To Gain (Ire) did best in a slogging finish to the G1 Sydney Cup (3200m).
Waller said there was no secret to his success with European imports. He didn’t have to. Leaving New Zealand out of the equation, their second-stringers are a cut above the stayers bred in this part of the world.
My Kingdom Of Fife (6g Kingmambo – Fairy Godmother by Fairy King) was trained by Sir Michael Stoute for Queen Elizabeth and had won three races over 2000 metres at Sandown (2) and Redcar from 19 starts in England.
Purchased for 60,000 guineas (AUD 102,650) at Tattersalls in October 2010, he’s paid that back with prizemoney from the Queen Elizabeth ($303,000) and the G3 Doncaster Mile Prelude ($75,000).
His sire Kingmambo is one of the great stallions of all time. The 21 year-old son of Mr Prospector is in retirement at Lane’s End Farm after a stud career that produced champions like Lemon Drop Kid, El Condor Pasa and Divine Proportions.
Shadwell Estates sent his son Tawqeet to Australia for G1 victories in the 2006 MRC Caulfield Cup and AJC Metropolitan.
My Kingdom Of Fife hails from one of The Queen’s most famous families. His dam Fairy Godmother carried the Royal silks to a Listed victory in the Ballymacoll Stud Stakes at Newbury. She is a direct descendant of English 1000 Guineas winner Highclere (Queens Hussar) as are influential European stallions Nashwan, Unfuwain and Nayef as well as Japanese superstar Deep Impact.
Waller bought Sydney Cup winner Stand To Gain for 105,000 guineas (AUD 207,000) at Tattersalls in October 2009.
Like Americain, he originally raced in France. But while the Melbourne Cup winner arrived with a G2 at Deauville on his scorecard, Stand To Gain had only been credited with restricted wins at Saint-Cloud (2200m) and Chantilly (2800m).
Stand To Gain (5g Hawk Wing – Plum Fairy by Sadler’s Wells) is from an unraced half-sister to LR Cheshire Oaks winner Valentine Girl (Alzao).
He is by former Coolmore sire Hawk Wing (Woodman) who reached a career high with an 11 length victory in the G1 Lockinge Stakes at Newbury in 2003. He retired as Europe’s highest-rated miler since El Gran Senor but didn’t fire at stud. Coolmore sold him soon enough to stand at Jeju Stud in South Korea.