Sons of Iffraaj fill first and third place in New Zealand Derby

Gingernuts and Jon Snow, both sons of Iffraaj, filled first and third place respectively in the New Zealand Derby on Saturday at Ellerslie.

Bred by Goodwood Stud and trained by Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, the three-year-old Gingernuts held off Rising Red by a length to win his third consecutive race following last month's win in the Group 2 Avondale Guineas at the same course.

Jon Snow was a further one and a half lengths back in third.

Gingernuts, who was picked up by Te Akau Racing for NZ$42,500 (£24,300/€28,200) from Stainley Park at the New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Two-Year-Olds Sale in 2015, is out of the winning Generous mare Double Elle.

So You Think serves up Guineas winner

Ten-time Group 1 winner So You Think, a champion in both hemispheres, has had his first Australian Group 1 winner with Inference, who landed the Randwick Guineas for Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes.

Inference is out of the Redoute's Choice mare Pontiana, who also has a two-year-old filly by Pierro, a yearling filly by So You Think and a colt foal by Pierro. She is in foal to Golden Slipper winner Vancouver.

The three-year-old colt won by a head from Invincible Gem, a filly by the in-form Australian sire I Am Invincible.

So You Think stood last season at a fee of A$49,500 at Coolmore in Jerrys Plains, Australia.

Hard-fought winner for Hard Spun

Le Romain, a four-year-old son of Hard Spun out of the Strategic mare Mignard, battled hard to beat Chautauqua by a short head in the Group 1 BMW Stakes at Randwick.

Bred and part-owned by Mark Carusi, Le Romain secured his third success at the highest level having won the Randwick Guineas at the same course a year ago and the Cantala Stakes at Flemington in October 2016.

Le Romain is the third foal of maiden winner Mignard, who was purchased for A$18,000 from Darley and is a half-sister to the multiple Group 1-placed Pursuits. She visited Darley's reverse shuttle sire Exosphere last year.

Hard Spun is standing at Darley's Jonabell Farm in Kentucky at a fee of $45,000.

Stakes double for Snitzel

Snitzel, a 14-year-old son of Redoute's Choice, recorded a stakes race double for the second weekend in a row.

Samantha kicked things off when she beat Glenall by half a length in the Listed Fireball Stakes at Randwick, while the last stakes race on the card saw Elle Lou beat Alegria by a neck in a Group 3 handicap.

Samantha is out of the Tale Of The Cat mare Icedginger from the family of Blue Diamond Stakes winner True Jewels and dual Group 2 scorer Wager. She failed to sell as a yearling when the bidding reached A$65,000.

Elle Lou was sold as a yearling by Widden Stud for A$70,000 as a yearling, and is out of the Listed-placed mare Snipify, from the family of Group 1 Honda Stakes winner Pontormo.

Saturday's results edged Snitzel back ahead of Fastnet Rock at the top of the Australian leading sires' table. He stood last year at Arrowfield Stud at a fee of A$110,000.

So You Think gets his first Group 1 winner