By Peter Wharton
Runningonempty, a three-year-old gelding by Fly Like An Eagle, provided the undoubted highlight of October when he effortlessly won the Great Southern Districts Derby at Narrogin. Earlier in the month he scored at Gloucester Park and finished second in the South Western Districts Derby at Bunbury.
Fly Like An Eagle, the leading WA sire of three-year-olds for the past two seasons, produced five individual three-year-old winners for the month. Besides Runningonempty, he was represented by the Gloucester Park winners Travelban (1:56.9), Allaglow (1:57) and Velocipede (1:57.6) and Eagle Major (Cobram).
The champion mare Wonderful To Fly 1:58.4 (Gloucester Park), The Wildcard (Gloucester Park), The Mercenary (Kellerberrin and Collie), Eagle Art 1:56.9 (Eugowra), Eugene Bromac 1:58.1 (Gawler) and Didmeselfamischief 1:59.5 and Hugh Go (both Port Pirie) were other recent winners sired by Fly Like An Eagle.
The Mach Three horse has left 55 individual winners this season to date and progeny earnings of more than $1million.
Follow The Stars, who is standing at Medowie Lodge, Newcastle (NSW), enjoyed another brilliant month with 11 winners including five three-year-olds headed up the Gloucester Park victor Indomitable Symbol (1:58.8).
Other three-year-old winners by Follow The Stars were Flashing Ark 1:56 (Bunbury), Gliding Star and Trunkey Mon Star (both Narrogin) and Ellucifer (Collie), while four-year-old and older winners included Galaxy Warrior 1:58.4 (Pinjarra), Wheresthetowrope (Narrogin), Follow The Music (Collie), Spun Silver 1:57 (Geelong) and Beejay’s Star and Startup (both Mildura).
The ill-fated Rock N Roll World, Australia’s second leading first crop sire, left no less than six individual two-year-old winners in October. The list includes World Secret 1:57.3 (Gloucester Park and Pinjarra), Worlds Above 1:58.4 (Pinjarra and Narrogin), Queenie Daisy (Pinjarra), Ourfirstimpression (Kellerberrin), Rox The World (Collie) and Art Of Rock (Redcliffe).
Allwood Stud bred 14 winners of 16 races for the month to take their overall tally to 1,570 winners including 438 at Perth metropolitan tracks.
The haul for October was World Secret, Travelban, Allaglow, Worlds Above, Flashing Ark, Queenie Daisy, Galaxy Warrior, Gliding Star, Wheresthetowrope, Ourfirstimpression, Rox The World, Ellucifer, Follow The Music and Beejay’s Star.