Melbourne Metro Win for Musidora

9th January 2008

Rock of Gibraltar is the leading second season sire in Australia by individual winners and added another to his tally on Wednesday when Musidora (3f Rock of Gibraltar - Nice Dancing, by Bering) won easily at Sandown.

The David Hayes trained filly led throughout to win the Ratings 72 event over 1300 metres by close to three lengths.

A winner on debut in Adelaide back in May, Musidora had been unlucky in two runs back this preparation being blocked for a run at Caulfield on December 8 and then striking a heavy track when fourth at Sandown on December 22.

Not offered at public auction after being withdrawn from sale as a yearling, Musidora (pictured as a yearling) runs in the navy blue Coolmore colours and is the seventh foal of superbly bred Bering mare Nice Dancing, a half-sister to the dam of Golden Slipper winner and leading sire Flying Spur.

Her dam is American stakes-winner Grand Luxe, a daughter of legendary matriarch Fanfreluche, whose many superior descendants include leading sire Encosta de Lago.

Already the dam of several winners and two stakes-placed performers in the Northern Hemisphere, Nice Dancing (USA) was exported back to the Northern Hemisphere in December of 2004 after producing Musidora.

Rock of Gibraltar has sired 18 individual Australian winners so far this season including the stakes-winners Sliding Cube, Pillar of Hercules, Gamble Me and Gibraltar Campion.

He has just completed his fifth consecutive season at Coolmore in Australia at a fee of $82,500 and is due back in Ireland for the Northern Hemisphere season after spending last year’s NH breeding season in Japan.