Blackfriars surged to the top of the Sunspeed sires’ premiership after Eclair Surprise won the G3 Eclipse Stakes (1800m) at Sandown on Saturday.

The Scenic Lodge stallion has won the last two Western Australian titles and, even at this early stage of the season, is odds-on to make it a hat-trick in 2012-13.

Eclair Surprise (5g Blackfriars – French Scene by Scenic) completed a treble of his own in the $150,000 Eclipse Stakes.  The South Australian based gelding was coming off Listed victories in the Murray Bridge Cup and Diamond Jubilee Plate at Flemington.

Eclair Surprise is raced by Hong Kong based clients of trainer Phillip Stokes and he will be set for the G1 Singapore Cup in May.  “He will go straight to the paddock and that win will boost his rating – he’s definitely going in the right direction,” Stokes said.  “I think 2000 metres will be ideal and he travels very well so that won’t be a problem, either.”

A $65,000 buy at the 2009 Perth Magic Millions, he is by Blackfriars from a daughter of G2 Winterbottom Stakes winner French Sound (Ksar).

Blackfriars (Danehill) has sired the winners of $820,040 this season to lead Bletchley Park ($731,441) and Oratorio ($562,240) on the WA ladder.  He holds the whip-hand among local sires in next Saturday’s G1 Railway Stakes with Playing God, God Has Spoken, Kerrific, Rosie Rocket and Full Reign all in the market for the $1 million Mile.

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

– Karl Patterson