Luckygray’s Elevation In Railway Well Deserved
28-11-2011
LUCKYGRAY’S elevation by the stewards from second to the winner’s stall after the running of the million dollar Group1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Perth’s Ascot on Saturday November 19 appeared well deserved. After battling through the wruck from a wide barrier in the16-runner field, the Bradbury’s Luck first crop 4-year-old gelding lived up to his favouritism with an awesome finish reminiscent of that of the source of his grey colouring, the England born Raffindale, in taking the Epsom Handicap in Australian1600m record time at Randwick in1977.
Swamping the first past the post Kiwi visitor He’s Remarkable, a 4-year-old Pentire stallion, on the line, Luckygray confirmed in his effort in the Railway, an event that was first held in1887, that he is one of Australia’s most exciting gallopers.
Another good advertisement for Queensland breeding, Luckygray was appearing for the ninth time and recording his seventh win when awarded the Railway, his second successive stakes victory. It came three weeks after he came from last on the turn to win the Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes (1400m) on the same track by 3.3 lengths.
Luckygray’s success on Saturday also added to the rising stature of the young Redoute’s Choice sire dynasty and provides leading Queensland stud Glenlogan Park with another sire who has a Group1 winner, sharing this distinction with champion Queensland sire Show a Heart.
Another of the 47 first crop winners by Bradbury’s Luck, Ringa Ringa Rosie, just missed Group1 success earlier, finishing second at two in the T.J. Smith over 1600m at Eagle Farm.
So far Bradbury’s Luck, a Redoute’s Choice winner of two successive stakes at two, the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic and the Canonbury at Randwick, in a six start career, has 41 grey coloured performers among 70 offspring which have won or placed. It is a colour possessed himself by the impressive looking 16.1 hands Bradbury’s Luck and which was inherited from his grey dam Skating, a champion Australian 3YO Sprinter and Doncaster Handicap winner by imported Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq and out of the Raffindale minor winner Raffett.
Bred by C.V. McWhinney,Queensland, Luckygray was sold twice at sales, going for $31,000 as a weanling in Sydney and bought by his Ascot based trainer Gino Poletti for $46,000 at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling sale. He was offered by Riverslea Farm, Hunter Valley.
Luckygray is the only runner from the six foals out of Damah Lady, a winner of four races to 1400m in Canberra in 26 starts by the Widden stud shuttled Storm Bird good class European juvenile and miler Mukaddamah. A 1997 foal bred by Pine Lodge Thoroughbreds, Scone, Damah Lady has had a number of owners over the years, including Harry Mitchell of Yarraman Park stud. Mitchell bred at Yarraman Park, a neighbour of Pine Lodge, the Catbird gelding Diego Garcia, a winner of two stakes in Sydney at two and later placed in three Group 3s in Hong Kong.
After producing a sister to Luckygray in September 2009, an in foal Damah Lady changed hands in 2010, picked up privately by prominent Muswellbrook, Hunter Valley trainer and agistment farm owner Justin Drake. He now has a yearling colt out of her in the paddock by another grey sire, Doomben track record setter Natural Destiny (Willowbend, Beaudesert).
Damah Lady is from Pine Lodge Lady, a minor Sydney winner by Sir Tristram and from Better Sal, a sister by Better Boy to Tolerance (10 wins, including the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, Ascot Vale Stakes, MRC Blue Diamond Stakes), Pterylaw (13 wins, Doomben 10000) and Prujoy (Melbourne winner, second Victoria Oaks).
Courtesy of Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Services
