Cellermaster overcame difficulties in running to post an eye-catching victory in the Listed Wentwood Grange Stakes (1100m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Cellarmaster was well-placed outside the leader Icepin but was carted wide when the Pins youngster drifted off the fence turning for home.  Rider Michael Coleman balanced the Dubawi colt for the run in and he responded with a brilliant finishing burst to score by a half-length.

Cellarmaster (2c Dubawi – Oenology by Sound Reason) is a half-brother to Our Bahare (Bahhare) who won five races and was G1 placed in the VRC Derby won by Elvstroem.  He is also related to Victoria Derby winner Second Coming and will only improve over longer trips than 1100 metres.

Darley sire Storming Home was also among the placings with his last-start winner Lion Tamer who collected third money another length away.

Cellarmaster is a Judge John Clapham homebred and, despite not being eligible for the Karaka Million, appears to have a very exciting future.

His sire Dubawi is home and hosed for the Europe first-season sires’ premiership for winners this year.  His total number of juvenile winners is 34 and he needs just one more to equal the record held by Invincible Spirit which was set in 2006.

Fellow Darley sire Shamardal is also going great guns in both hemispheres.  His northern first-crop winner tally reached 24 when Handsome John won his maiden at Hollywood Park on Saturday.

Handsome John (2c Shamardal – Moonavvara by Sadler’s Wells) is trained by Melody Conlon for Dream With Me Stables and Finsbury Bloodstock.  He raced to an early lead in the 1200m event and scored by 1.5 lengths.

Handsome John was passed-in for $US375,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September yearling sale.  His dam is an unraced half-sister to Rumplestiltskin (Danehill) who was a G1 winner of the Moyglare Stud Stakles in Ireland.  Second-dam Monevassia (Mr. Prospector) is a sister to champion sire Kingmambo.

Shamardal’s first Australian bred crop was headlined by G1 Victoria Oaks winner Faint Perfume and G3 Norman Robinson Stakes winner Shamoline Warrior.

His second Australian bred two year-olds got off to a great start when Run for Wilson was a Listed winner of the NSW Breeders’ Plate at Randwick in October.  And he’s got a live chance in the Magic Millions 2yo Classic in January with unbeaten colt Mundi Gully who was a brilliant winner of the $100,000 Magic Millions Mackay 2YO Plate (1050m) last week.