Second Gr1 for Sunshine In Paris
11 Nov 2024
Champions Day at Flemington provided another great result for WP-sold broodmare Zenaida (NZ), courtesy of Sunshine In Paris claiming her second Group 1 victory in the Darley Champions Sprint (1200m).
The Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald trained Sunshine In Paris (Invader) has proven to be one of Australia's top sprinters in the past two seasons, with her previous Gr1 win coming in the Surround Stakes (1400m), as well as notching consecutive wins in the Gr2 Sheraco Stakes (1200m). The five-year-old mare has amassed $4.76million in prizemoney from just 13 starts.
Sunshine In Paris is the the third foal of Zenaida (Zabeel, a provincial winning half-sister to NZ Horse Of The Year, Vosne Romanee (NZ). Zenaida was sold by Willow Park at the 2021 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale for $240,000, to the bid of Paul Willetts Bloodstock.
At the time of the sale, Zenaida was the dam of one foal to race - Gr3 winner of four, Macroura (Snitzel) - while Sunshine In Paris was an unnamed yearling.
Her new connections capitalised on the Group 1 success achieved by Sunshine in Paris in the Surround Stakes, re-offering Zenaida (pictured) at the 2023 edition of the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale, where she sold to Yulong for $1.4million.
In New Zealand on Saturday, Geriatrix (NZ) added further black type to his record running third behind WP graduate Babylon Berlin in the Listed Legacy Lodge Sprint.
A $675,000 Karaka yearling, Geriatrix (Almanzor) is out of It's Our Showtime (NZ), who was sold by Willow Park at the 2019 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale for $150,000 to Cambridge Stud, Bruce Perry Bloodstock and David Redvers.
A dual-winning half-sister to Listed winner Ruettiger (NZ), It's Our Showtime (Showcasing) was offered carrying her first foal by So You Think and is another broodmare that experienced big pedigree updates for her new owners.
At the time of her sale, It's Our Showtime's younger half-sister Inspirational Girl (NZ) was a winner of two races at Pinjarra. That mare went on to claim three stakes wins, including the Gr1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot.
Geriatrix is the second foal from It's Our Showtime and has four wins to his name, including an Eagle Farm win during a two-start trip to Australia, plus two stakes placings to Gr3 level.