Vinery sire Testa Rossa broke through the 100 winner barrier last weekend and the till kept ticking over on Wednesday.
His four year-olds Sophrosyne and Gossip Girl doubled up at Sandown and their year younger counterpart Willow Bridge completed a midweek treble of wins at Belmont Park.
Sophrosyne races in the same Red, white and green colours that Testa Rossa carried to seven Group 1 victories from the 1999 VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes to the 2000 VRC Emirates Stakes.
Ebullient owner John Cappellin raced Testa Rossa and his wife Gillian is the managing part-owner of Sophrosyne. The gelding is trained by Mike Moroney and has won 4 times in 18 starts. His dam Polenista is a British bred half-sister to Give Notice (G1 Longchamp Prix du Cadran) and Sovinista (LR Ascot October Stakes).
Gossip Girl improved her record to 4 wins in 11 starts at Sandown. Prepared and part-owned by Caulfield trainer Jim Mason, she led at every panel to score by three lengths. Her dam Secret Scoop (Rory’s Jester) won 5 races in Sydney and the provincials. Second dam Jase Ali (Karayar) is a sister to G1 winner Karaman.
In Perth, Aquanita trainer Simon Miller will set Willow Bridge for stakes races during the winter season after the gelding’s win at Belmont.
Willow Bridge made a most encouraging start to his career with a close second at Pinjarra in April and kept improving to win by a half-length in town. “It was a terrific run on debut when he had to track deep from a wide draw,” Miller said. “I think he’s a nice stayer in the making.”
Miller will set Willow Bridge for the LR Dayana Stakes (2000m) and LR Belmont Classic (2200m) in July. The gelding is from a winning daughter of G3 AJC Chairman’s Hcp winner Just Trish (Sovereign Red).
Testa Rossa has a sired Perth Listed winners Ranger (WA St Leger), Mighty Rossa (Belmont Guineas) and Sportivo (Gimcrack Stakes). His Melbourne based mare Ortensia also won the G2 Winterbottom Stakes in 2009.
Testa Rossa goes into this weekend’s round of racing with 103 winners of 138 races in Australia this season.