Causeway Queen Takes Tassie Oaks

24th February 2008

The Tony Vasil trained filly Causeway Queen (3f Giant's Causeway x Soul Singer, by Danehill) posted her sixth consecutive win in Launceston in Tasmania on Sunday when she scored a stylish victory in the Listed Tasmanian Oaks over 2100 metres.

The daughter of Giant’s Causeway has not put a foot wrong this preparation and notched her first Black Type success last start in Tasmania when winning the Listed Strutt Stakes.

In the Oaks she had no problems in repeating her previous good effort, proving far too good in a performance that has her trainer considering a trip to Adelaide for the Group One SAJC Australasian Oaks.

A maiden winner at Seymour as a two year-old, Causeway Queen has been a revelation this preparation in leaping through the grades and has put together the imposing record of seven wins from 11 starts and prizemoney of $263,880.

A $90,000 purchase for renowned syndicator Harry Lawton from the draft of Curraghmore Stud at the 2006 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, Causeway Queen is one of 39 stakes-winners worldwide for former shuttler Giant’s Causeway, now based permanently in Kentucky where he commands a fee of $US125,000.

Causeway Queen was bred by prominent Sydney owner Peter Horwitz out of his good metropolitan winning Danehill mare Soul Singer.

A half-sister to stakes-winner Sir Linford and stakes-placed performers Our Axeman and Soul Queen, Soul Singer was also bred by Mr Horwitz being from his stakes-winning mare Aretha(sold to WA in 2005), a daughter of former champion racehorse Sir Dapper, who carried the well-known Horwitz grey and red colours to victory in the 1983 Golden Slipper.

Giant’s Causeway shuttled to Australia for three seasons and then Coolmore and partners imported a number of mares to Australia in foal to him Southern Hemisphere time in late 2005.

The resulting foals from those pregnancies are now yearlings so there are a small number of Giant’s Causeway youngsters that will be offered at Australian sales in 2008 including two at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne, two more at the Magic Millions Sale on the Gold Coast and four star studded lots for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale including the half-brother to champion sprinter Fastnet Rock and the first foal (filly) of triple Group One winner Shamekha.