Scenic Lodge Blasts Boulder Cup

Red Blast led home a black-type quinella for Scenic Lodge in the LR Boulder Cup (2100m) on Sunday.

The son of former Scenic Lodge stallion Universal Prince defeated the favourite Ram Jam (Blackfriars) by a half-length on the opening day of the Goldfields carnival.

Red Blast (5g Universal Prince – Classy Charmer by Regal Classic) was runner-up in the Coolgardie Cup last month and he will back-up in the LR Kalgoorlie Cup next Saturday.  The gelding took time to mature and trainer Dan Morton helped him settle by applying hooded blinkers.

The Boulder Cup winner is closely related to Australian Horse of the Year Scenic Blast and was retained by Scenic Lodge owner David Smith.  His dam Classy Charmer won races at Northam (3) and Belmont and, besides Scenic Blast, she is also a half-sister to G1 Railway Stakes winner Gilded Venom.

“Classy Charmer has a yearling filly by Blackfriars and she’s just about due to foal to him again,” Scenic Lodge general manager Jeremy Smith said.  “We are sending her to Universal Ruler this year to get that Scenic cross again.”

Universal Prince (Scenic) was initially based at Inverness Stud in NSW before transferring west to Scenic Lodge.  He sired Scenic Lodge homebred Newton Prince to a Listed victory in the Aquanita Stakes (1800m) at Ascot last December.

Universal Prince is now standing with Sue Nolan at Murray Bridge and he covered four mares last year.  Nolan is a sister-in-law of Terry Hogan who raced Universal Prince to Group 1 victories in the AJC Derby, AJC Spring Champion Stakes, STC Canterbury Guineas and STC Ranvet Stakes.