WA sire sensation Blackfriars progeny continued to rack up the dollars on Saturday at Belmont Park, his weekend results pushing his progeny earnings over the $4 million dollar barrier for the 2010-2011season.
To consider nearly all of this has been won in Western Australia on our local tracks is truly an amazing and unbelievable achievement.
Friars Luck stamped himself as a horse of the future and was super impressive when recording a comfortable win in the 2yo hcp over 1600 metres and later in the day classy three year-old Rohan claimed the Listed Belmont Guineas over 1600 metres after resuming from a spell.
Already a winner of the Group II WATC Derby, Rohan (pictured) was stuck down on the fence before driving through a narrow opening to claim victory in the final stages.
Black Uma the other Blackfriars representative in the Guineas showed great fight to hold on to third after being given no piece in front throughout the event.
Blackfriars day nearly got better when the tough mare Rosie’s Rocket dead heated for second in the Group III Hyperion Stakes only half a length behind the local superstar Luckygray and in an earlier event Blackfriars promising three year-old filly Just Wicked left her run a fraction late when a close finishing second.
Blackfriars has now sired eight individual stakes-winners for this season which sees him ranked equal fourth in the nation behind Australian heavyweight sires Fastnet Rock, Redoute’s Choice, Encosta De Lago and Commands.
Leading Sires by Individual Australian Stakes-Winners 2011/2012
| Rank | Stallion | Rnrs | Wnrs | SW(SWins) | Earnings | Best Performer |
| 1 | Fastnet Rock | 260 | 123 | 16(31) | $12,003,861 | Mosheen – 1,976,000 |
| 2 | Redoute’s Choice | 256 | 126 | 12(16) | $8,111,360 | Master of Design – 770,700 |
| 3 | Commands | 281 | 131 | 10(16) | $6,511,742 | Rain Affair – 813,400 |
| 4 | Encosta de Lago | 292 | 125 | 10(11) | $5,837,694 | Polish Knight – 420,725 |
| 5 | Lonhro | 267 | 124 | 8(16) | $8,880,943 | Pierro – 2,946,150 |
| 6 | More Than Ready (USA) | 230 | 94 | 8(15) | $7,380,490 | More Joyous – 2,033,400 |
| 7 | Mossman | 187 | 82 | 8(10) | $4,993,197 | Buffering – 975,500 |
| 8 | Blackfriars | 154 | 64 | 8(11) | $4,009,236 | Playing God – 476,750 |
A Victoria Derby winning son of champion sire Danehill (USA), Blackfriars currently sits at 18th in the nation on the Australian Sires premiership for earnings and is close to $2.5 Million ahead of his nearest local rival in Aussie bred Oratorio. Blackfriars fee for this season is $16,500 and his book for this season is extremely close to capacity and is likely to be finalised and closed this week.
Please contact Durham Lodge General Manager Jeremy Smith on 041 994 3356 or 9571 0155an urgent basis this week if you were considering sending your mare to Blackfriars this season.
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