The wins by Endless Drama and Redkirk Warrior in the feature Group races at Randwick and Flemington last Saturday underlines how much imported gallopers have come to dominate the upper levels of Australian racing in recent years.
While the Australian breed remain dominant in the two and three-year-old categories there has been a big shift to the imports when it comes to upper echelon racing for the older age groups.
Our world class wonder mare Winx is a notable exception, but without her dominating presence most major races in Australia for older horses from 1600m upwards are now the domain of imported stars.Since the start of the 2016-17 season the major G1 winners over distances from 1600m to 3200m include the imports Almandin, Rekindling, Hartnell, Tosen Stardom, Gailo Chop, It’s Somewhat, Foundry, Sir John Hawkwood, Polarisation and Our Ivanhowe.
Their wins include Melbourne Cups, Doncaster Mile, Caulfield Stakes, ATC Metropolitans, Sydney Cup, Turnbull Stakes, Cantala Stakes, Toorak Handicap and Ranvet Stakes.The imports are also making inroads in the sprinting ranks, led by dual G1 winner Redkirk Warrior who now boasts victories in the Newmarket Handicap and Lightning Stakes, a double reserved for the most elite of sprinters.
The Chris Waller-trained Endless Drama may well be Australia’s next imported G1 winner following the Irish-bred’s win in the G2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last Saturday.Without the ominous presence of his stablemate Winx, Endless Drama stamped his class on the weight-for-age event to become the 32nd stakes winner for his sire Lope De Vega, the French Derby winner who enjoyed a brief shuttle career in Australia.
Lope De Vega, who shuttled for four seasons (2011-2014) from Ballylinch Stud in Ireland to the now defunct Patinack Farm, has sired six G1 winners worldwide including his Australian-bred products Vega Magic and Santa Ana Lane.
The 6YO entire Endless Drama (Lope De Vega x Desert Drama by Green Desert) boosted his appeal as a future stud prospect with his classy win in the Apollo Stakes, his third success from only 14 career starts.His early form in the UK included a second to Gleneagles in the 2015 Irish 2000 Guineas before he was acquired by the Waller stable.
The Qatar Racing-owned entire has been set for the G1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on April 7, a race that fell to the Godolphin import It’s Somewhat in 2017."This puts him on the path to the Doncaster," Waller said after the Apollo Stakes. "He is starting to get back to being a commercial stallion."
Endless Drama is one of 10 named foals out of the Listed winner Desert Drama, a half-sister to the Listed winners Sharpest Image, Tycoon’s Hill and Tycoon’s Dolce.Endless Drama himself is a half-brother to three winners and also the dam of stakes winner Champagne Or Water (Captain Rio).
His second dam is the G3 winner Tycoon’s Drama (Last Tycoon).
