There is a strong Sangster connection in the pedigrees of the two siblings by South American import Host who won at Moonee Valley last Saturday.
The winners were the 4YO mare Marli Magic, trained by John Sadler, and Hong Kong Captain, a three-year-old from the David Hayes/Tom Dabernig stable.
They are the first two foals of the Swettenham-bred Unlimited Passage, a half-sister by Giant’s Causeway to Recast, the champion Hong Kong galloper, and Gonski, a Melbourne stakeswinner and sire.
Unlimited Passage is from Abonnement, a Marauding half-sister to G2 Bill Stutt Stakes winer and G1 placed Schubert from Rossignol (Bluebird).Rossignol was from River Dane, a half-sister to the dam of Lion Hunter, the brilliant Danehill winner who enjoyed great success during a brief stud career in Queensland before an early death.
Abonnement and Rossignol were both bred by Swettenham Stud when it was headed by the late Robert Sangster.Host has enjoyed increasing success in Australia, being the sire of numerous Group winners and performers including G2 winner Philippi, who won in Hong Kong last weekend under the name of Vanilla,
Other notable Australian performers by Host include Hosting, Mighty Like, Flying Hostess, Anfitriona and Tronador.Host wasa prominent performer in Chile, North America and Dubai. His ten wins included the G1 Chile Guineas and G1 Keeneland Turf Mile and he was second in the G1 Canadian Turf Handicap and fourth in the G1 Dubai Duty Free.
He is a genetic three-quarter brother to Husson, another son of Hussonet who was an Argentinian unbeaten champion at two and miler at three.Host and Husson are from mares by Mr. Prospector’s grandson Roy, a South American super sire.
Unlimited Passage is the dam of an Equiano filly entered by Swettenham Stud in the 2015 Inbglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale while Husson has five yearlings in the catalogue from including one from Soorena, the Encosta de Lago mare who produced Philippi from a mating with Host.