BLACK Caviar’s scheduled appearance in Saturday’s Lightning Stakes is a timely reminder of Vinery resident Testa Rossa’s epic win in the Group 1 sprint in 2000.
The Dean Lawson trained champion was first up since finishing fourth behind Sunline, Tie The Knot and Sky Heights in the Cox Plate in the spring immediately after he ran second to Redoute’s Choice in an unforgettable Caulfield Guineas.
Still only a 3YO, Testa Rossa proved far too good in the Lightning racing away from Falvelon to win by 1 1/4-lens in a time of 56.04s.
He went onto to add the Group 1 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at his next start beating Miss Pennymoney and Redoute’s Choice.
The Lightning was one of six Group 1 wins for Testa Rossa.
Fast forward to the present day and Testa Rossa has firmly established himself as one of the most successful sires on the national roster with 40 individual stakeswinners at winners to runners strike rate of 71.6 percent in Australia.
Testa Rossa finished fourth in the past two seasons by number of individual winners and is currently placed third with 84 winners behind Commands (98) and Redoute’s Choice (91).
Testa Rossa has sired a cavalry of winners over the last few weeks including the Summer Championship Final winner Over Quota and the autumn feature race candidates Fontelina and Speediness.
