Over The Bridge (Toronado), a filly bred as much for geographical convenience as for pedigree savvy, became not only the latest stakes winner for her sire but for her illustrious family at Caulfield on Sunday.
In claiming the Scarborough Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) to remain unbeaten from two starts, the Ciaron Maher-trained three-year-old became Toronado’s (High Chaparral) 32nd Australian stakes winner from 666 runners at a solid 4.8 per cent.
Her win was another feather in the cap for Victoria’s leading stallion, as he continues to make up for lost time having missed almost half of last year’s breeding season due to a hock injury.
And with his oldest runners since a service fee boost to $88,000 (inc GST) now three, Swettenham Stud’s Adam Sangster is tipping a boom time for the 16-year-old, given the increase in mare quality that fee hike brought.
Five of Toronado’s seven Group 1 winners have come in Australia, explaining the move to have the former shuttler be based only in this country from 2022. Over The Bridge could become No.6 when she lines up in the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) on October 17, for which she’s on the third line of betting at $6.
And if she can be successful there it would not only continue a phenomenal run of success at the top level for her breeder and part-owner Mick Johnston, but would also mark another golden laurel for her family.
It starts with sixth dam Summoned (Crowned Prince), who produced no fewer than five Group victors. They’re headed by the outstanding sprinter Zeditave (The Judge), winner of ten stakes races including five at the top level.
Summoned also threw Alannon (Noalcoholic) – sire of dual Group 1-winning sprinter Falvelon – as well as the Group 3-winning Zedegal (The Judge), dam of dual stakes winner Unison (Marauding).
Over The Bridge’s fifth dam Pampas Fire (Prince True) won the VATC Debutante Stakes (Gr 3, 900m) and was twice stakes placed.
But it is fourth dam Cloister (Marauding) who provides this pedigree with a real kick.
The mare also won the Debutante Stakes but achieved more in the breeding barn by throwing Melito (Redoute’s Choice), a five-time stakes winner who claimed two Group 1s, including Randwick’s TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), and who was the top filly on the 2009-10 Australasian 3YO Classification.
Cloister also left the stakes-placed Across The Moon (Stratum), who bore Sydney Group 3 winner Rocketing By (So You Think), and the dam of Pariah (Redoute’s Choice), the winner of two Group 3s who’s now at stud.
Over The Bridge’s third dam Lightning Spur (Flying Spur) not only threw Over The Bridge’s black type-winning second dam You’re So Good (Savabeel) but her stakes-placed full-sister Indrabeel, dam of another stakes winner in Madeira Sunrise (I Am Invincible).
You’re So Good won a Moonee Valley Listed but also ran second in an Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) among four stakes placings, and threw Waafiya (Snitzel), Over The Bridge’s dam.
The nine-year-old Waafiya won once for Peter Snowden, at Scone, in a career truncated by health issues to just four starts. She came into the ownership of Johnston and his long-time associate Maher, who bought her for $420,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale of 2022, in a 75-25 split.
“I wish I could say I was the 75, but that’s Ciaron,” Johnston tells It’s In The Blood.
Apart from her black-type rich family, part of the reason Johnston and Maher rang the bells for Waafiya time was that she was in-foal to Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj). The resultant colt was High On The Hill, who won at Morphettville and Kilmore amongst seven starts for Maher, and was recently sold to Hong Kong.
Maher and the Melbourne-based Johnston had brought Waafiya to Victoria to foal High On The Hill, and this helped determine her next mating would be with Toronado.
“High On The Hill was a late foal, and we didn’t really want to travel the mare back up to the Hunter Valley after that,” said Johnston, who also works closely with Rhys and Chloe Smith from Victoria’s Kulani Park.
“So we decided we might as well go to a Victorian stallion, and we thought Toronado was kicking a few goals. Rhys is very particular with his crosses, and he thought with putting a Snitzel mare to Toronado, something good might be on the cards.”
It has worked, in this case, with Over The Bridge now the first stakes winner from 12 runners for the Toronado-Snitzel nick, at eight per cent.
The filly’s pedigree is an advertisement for hybrid vigour, with good old Danzig (Northern Dancer) the only piece of inbreeding at a distant 5m x 5m.
But deeper in, there are a few repetitions of superior mares that give the pedigree some power.
Natalma (Native Dancer) is there 12 times from the fifth to the ninth generations. The 9.18 per cent of the blood she contributes ranks third in the pedigree behind the 16.21 per cent of Northern Dancer (Nearctic) – who has 11 spots all the way from the fourth to the ninth column – and the 9.38 per cent of Danehill (Danzig), who’s doubled in Waafiya.
The great Best In Show (Traffic Judge) is doubled at 7f x 7f through two daughters. Flower Bowl (Alibhai) is at 8m x 7m, 8m through Graustark and His Majesty (twice), while Somethingroyal (Princequillo) is there six times, twice in the stallion’s half, with the first mention coming through Secretariat and the rest through Sir Gaylord.
Johnston has been involved with no fewer than 25 Group 1 winners. Many have been trained by Maher, including Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai), Kenedna (Not A Single Doubt), Circle Of Fire (Almanzor) and Explosive Jack (Jakkalberry), while others include Dissident (Sebring), Tosen Stardom (Deep Impact), Brave Smash (Tosen Phantom) and Humidor (Teofilo).
“Let’s hope Over The Bridge can be the next one,” Johnston says.
Meanwhile, Toronado has a strong chance of pulling off Caulfield’s Guineas double, with Chris Waller’s JJ Atkins (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Tron Bolt also at $6 for the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
Sangster says Toronado will be on track to sire 125 live foals from his matings this spring. He covered only 86 mares in his disrupted season last year, after averaging 162 through his previous three springs when his fee had leapt to $88,000.
“His fertility is exceptional, he’s busy, and the stat I like is he’s got 350 progeny from the $88,000 fee, who are three-year-olds, two-year-olds and yearlings,” Sangster said.
“He’s been really well supported by breeders from all over Australasia, and when you see the quality of mares he’s had since his fee went up, it’s really exciting times.
“Let’s see in a couple of months’ time. He’s got Over The Bridge and Tron Bolt in their respective Guineas coming up. I think we can expect big things from his three-year-olds. Talking to trainers, most of them say they have a good one in their stable.”
Mares already covered by Toronado this spring include Brigite (Casino Prince), a full-sister to All Too Hard and a half-sister to Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) who’s also the dam of Group 1 winner Nepotism (Brutal).
The stallion has also served Samarmeteors (Northern Meteor), the dam of dual Group winning sire Prost (Snitzel) and Omolong (Extreme Choice), a dual Sydney city winner from three starts. Toronado’s mating with Samarmeteors will also create a full-sibling to Mr Incredible, who’s won three of four in Hong Kong.
Toronado has also covered Progressive (Street Cry), the dam of Matt Smith’s Group 1 winner Idle Flyer (Dundeel).
“It’s all looking like onwards and upwards for Toronado,” Sangster said. “Plus the great thing is he’s still a young stallion at 16.
“We couldn’t be happier with how he’s going, and hopefully Over The Bridge will keep going and prove as special as she’s looked so far.”
CREDIT – Trevor Marshallsea