All Too Hard mares' stakes double

12 Dec 2024

Saturday's racing provided Vinery Stud sire All Too Hard with a trans-Tasman stakes winning double, both mares representing Willow Park as graduates and purchases respectively.

 

Speed machine Babylon Berlin (pictured) got us rolling, picking up her seventh stakes win in the Group 3 Concorde Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie under Vinnie Colgan. It was the 10th career win for the Ben and Ryan Foote trained mare, who has finished in the top-three placings at 24 of her 32 starts - 17 of those results in black type races.

 

With four Group 1 placings to her credit, including second by a head to superstar Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) in the 2023 Gr1 Sistema Railway, connections are again aiming the tough seven-year-old at New Zealand's premiere sprints in the New Year.

 

The eighth and final foal from the unraced, but regally-bred, You Can't Say That (Fusaichi Pegasus), Babylon Berlin was foaled and raised at Willow Park for Kiwi breeder Scott Williams, who retained her to race.

 

Her half-sister, Reply Churlish [NZ] (O'Reilly), still resides on farm and has a stunning filly at foot by The Autumn Sun. Another half-sister, Shush (Redoute's Choice), is currently in New Zealand, but also resides at Willow Park when in Australia.

 

The excitement stepped up a notch later in the day, when Danny's St Darci scored her first black type victory in the Listed Just Now Stakes (1300m) at Eagle Farm for Goulburn trainer Matt Dale.

 

Previously stakes placed on three occasions, Danny's St Darci has thrived with a change in environment earlier this year, after Glenn purchased her following the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale.

 

It wasn't the usual sale acquisition however, with Glenn having shortlisted the mare before noting she had passed in through the ring, with a reserve of $130,000. He asked Stud Manager, Jade Rossington, to re-inspect Danny's St Darci, only to find she had been sold for $70,000 to North Bloodstock's Mick Malone.

 

Keen to purchase her and having valued her around the $100,000 mark, Glenn made Mick an offer and the rest is history!

 

With Magic Millions raceday ambitions in mind, Danny's St Darci is likely to start next in the Listed Nudgee Handicap (1200m), a race won twice by Willow Park graduates - Coincidental (Redoute's Choice) in 2007 and Tahitian Dancer (Dawn Approach) in 2019.