Well, that’s never happened before. It’s rare enough to have two representatives in a black type event but a one-two finish is pretty much the stuff of dreams.
El Gladiador has looked like a good horse in the making since his 2YO days but until yesterday appeared to be indicating that more time and more distance would be required for him to show his best form. The long-striding Ghibellines – Querella gelding cruised over the 1500 metres of the Listed event for a dominant victory and there appears to be plenty more in store for him if he continues to be ridden in such a positive style.
I’ve always liked Querella’s pedigree as she has three lines of Cinna. (Her grand-dam Quorn Vale is 2 x 5 to that great mare). She was a speedy racemare and, although her sire Haafiz was of little account (69 foals in 10 seasons), he had two significant pedigree advantages. He was by that excellent source of speed, Green Desert, and his dam was inbred to Ribot via Alleged and His Majesty.
When considering Ghibellines, it was his Danehill line which really appealed. The inbreeding to His Majesty had already worked well (Keeper being a case in point) and I reasoned that yet another line of Cinna would be no bad thing. Another factor in his favour was that he appeared to be an exceptionally well-made horse who would suit Querella very well from a conformational point of view.
Runner-up Tears of an Angel is by the under-rated Echoes of Heaven out of the Storm Creek mare Trickle. She is yet to finish out of the money and will hopefully pick up some bold black type in the remaining events in the South Island Filly of the Year series.
