Royally Bred Fastnet Fillies Salute

Fairway Thoroughbreds have had a great year with horses they have bred including Golden Slipper winner Vancouver and Queensland Oaks winner Winx, but it was royally bred filly Unassailed (3f Fastnet Rock x Park Esteem, by Singspiel) that had their colours in the winner’s circle at Moonee Valley on Wednesday. Unassailed was placed at her first two runs back from a spell after breaking her maiden at Ararat earlier in the year and found the 1600 metres on a heavy track to be just what she was looking for. The Peter Moody trained filly led throughout and coasted clear to win by two lengths, her second win from six starts. A $1million Inglis Easter purchase from the Cressfield draft, Unassailed is a three-quarter sister to stakes-winner High Esteem and stakes-placed Great Esteem being the third winner from three to race for stakes-placed imported Singspiel mare Park Esteem. A three-quarter sister-in-blood to Group I Dubai World Cup winner Moon Ballad, Park Esteem is a sibling to Group I winner and Melbourne Cup runner-up Central Park as well as Group winners Velvet Moon and Mellow Park. The progeny of Park Esteem have been a goldmine for Cressfield, her first three foals to be sold generating $2.45 million in turnover, while her current yearling, a colt by Fastnet Rock, sold for $350,000 this year at Inglis Easter to John Warren/ Tom Magnier. She is due to foal again to Fastnet Rock this spring. Making it a two state metropolitan double for Fastnet Rock was lightly raced Rockolicious (3f Fastnet Rock x Rock Diva, by Woodman), who scored impressively at Warwick Farm for the Chris Waller stable. Two solid efforts in recent barrier trials indicated she was ready to run and under a good ride from Blake Shinn, Rockolicious surged late to win the 1300 metre contest by the best part of a length at her second start. “She has a lot of talent and has a lot of improvement to come,” said Chris Waller. “The owners have been very patient as she’s had a lot of little setbacks, but nothing serious. “We’ll look to start slowly stepping her up in grade, but nothing too quickly as she’s still quite soft.” A $360,000 Magic Millions purchase from the draft of Glastonbury Farm for Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock/ McKeever Bloodstock, Rockolicious was bred by Limerick Lane Thoroughbreds and is a sister-in-blood to Group II winner and sire Rothesay being the fourth winner from superbly bred producer Rock Diva. A minor winner by Woodman, Rock Diva is a daughter of triple Group I winner Canny Lass and is a sibling to stakes-winners Causeway Lass and Astute Angel as well as Schiaparelli, the dam of Rothesay, who is also by Fastnet Rock. From the family of Golden Slipper winners Canny Lad and Sepoy, Rock Diva is due to foal to Golden Slipper winner Pierro this spring.