Mark Smith – Friday January 5
The Tait breed 3yo, Wings Of Song captured Friday’s Ladbrokes Tasmanian Guineas (1600m) at Hobart and honour Coolmore Stud’s one-season shuttler Mendelssohn (USA) with his first Australian stakes-winner.
Wings Of Song (image Jay Town/Racing Photos)
The only ride for the day for Jye McNeil, the Patrick Payne trained filly came clear in the straight to defeat the Frosted (USA) filly Island Warrior by a length and a half with the Bolt D’Oro (USA) gelding D’oro Star a half length back in third.
Carrying the famous red with white cap silks of the Tait family, Wings Of Song advances his record to three wins, a second and a third from eight starts, with earnings of $120,830.
“I began a bit slow, which put me behind the eight ball. From the 1200m mark where I was able to get three wide with cover, I was confident she would run well,” McNeil said.
“She stuck out the mile well so 2000m won’t be an issue.”
Wing
s Of Song is a half-sister to Group II MVRC Moonee Valley Vase winner, and near $1million earner, Cherry Tortoni (Night Of Thunder), and stakes-placed Jenny Jerome (Churchill).
They are among the five winners from as many to race for the Strategic mare Tortoni, is a half-sister to the 13-time Group 1 winner Tie The Knot (Nassipour), who banked $6.2 million when trained by the late Guy Walter.
Also, a half-sister to the Listed winners Hood (Shamardal) and Dream Ballad (Singspiel), Tortoni is the final foal of the Group 1 VATC One Thousand Guineas heroine Whisked (Whiskey Road).
Tortoni has an unraced 2-year-old colt by Too Darn Hot (GB). After foaling a St Mark’s Basilica (FR) filly in September, Tortoni was covered by Churchill (IRE).
Wings Of Song is the seventh stakes-winner worldwide for Mendelssohn (USA). The Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf winning son of Scat Daddy, left just 38 live foals in his lone Australian season.
