War Front In The Frame For Australian Breeders

Australian breeders will have noted the win of Helene Super Star in the G1 Champions & Chater Cup at Sha Tin on Sunday with good reason.

The Tony Cruz-trained Helene Super Star became the second G1 winner in Hong Kong for the Danzig stallion War Front, a sire who will have a growing influence in Australia in the future with three of his sons standing here this year.

The Irish-bred 5YO Helene Super Star (War Front x Black Speck by Arch) was formerly trained by Aidan O’Brien when he raced as Lines Of Battle and won the 2013 UEA Derby.

He has now won six of his 28 career starts and has amassed more than $22 million prize money.

Out of champion sire Dynaformer’s half-sister Black Speck, Helene Super Star is a half-brother to the French G2 winner Homebound, Listed winner Blue Exit and the G1 placed Battle Paint, a son of Tale Of The Cat now at stud in New Zealand.

His half-sister Photograph, by Unbridled’s Song, is the dam of War Front’s G3 winner War Dispatch.

Helen Super Star is the eighth G1 winner worldwide for War Front, who stands in Kentucky at Claiborne Farm. His first HK winner at the top level was Sweet Orange in the G1 Classic Mile.

War Front’s sons booked to stand in Australia this spring are Declaration Of War, The Factor and The Brothers War.

Declaration Of War is on the shuttle rosster at Coolmore Australia, The Factor will be standing his second Australian season at Newgate Farm and The Brothers War will make his stud debut at Kooringal Stud at Wagga.

• WAR FRONT also featured in the G1 Prix du Jockey Club at Chantilly on Sunday when his 3YO colt War Dispatch finished third in the French classic.

Dubawi colt New Bay became the 18th G1 winner for his champion sire when he won the Prix Du Jockey Club (French Derby) for trainer Andre Fabre.

Ridden by France’s champion jump jockey Vincent Cheminaud, New Bay had finished second in the G1 Poule d’Essai des Poulains (2000 Guineas) in his lead up to the classic.

A son of the Zamindar mare Cinnamon Bay bred by Juddmonte Farms, he came from a wide draw to beat Highland Reel (Galileo) and War Dispatch (War Front).

• NOT LISTEN’TOME, a 4YO son of Dylan Thomas who was second in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington as a 3YO, won the G3 Sha Tin Vase on Sunday.

The 4YO, now trained in HK by his owner John Moore, as now won four of his 12 career starts and earned $677,292 prize money.

The gelding began his career with the Hawkes stable in Australia and was second to Zoustar in the 2013 Coolmore Stud Stakes before winning the G3 Zeditave Stakes in 2014.

A $270,000 graduate of the 2012 Inglis Sydney Easter Yearling Sale, Not Listen’tome is out of the Listed winner Flame Of Sydney (Encosta De Lago) and is a half-brother to the winner Quick Spur (Flying Spur).

Flame Of Sydney was sold in foal to Snitzel for $605,000 at the 2015 Inglis Australian Broodmare and Weanling Sale at Newmarket.

• CHAMPION sire Redoute’s Choice also had an impressive winner at Sha Tin on Sunday when Thewizardofoz on over 1200m for trainer John Size.

Thewizardofoz is the second winner to race out of Encosta De Lago’s four-time G1 winner Princess Coup and is unbeaten in two Hong Kon starts.