The Kitkat Kid gets the chocolates

Gonski gelding proves too powerful on debut at Geelong

With two winners from six runners so far this season, the first three-year-old crop by Danehill's Stakes-winning son Gonski are highlighting their sires' extreme value. Making his debut in a Geelong Maiden over 1100m on August 19, the Robert Smerdon-trained The Kitkat Kid saluted by three-and-a-half lengths over Canny Lad debutante Glows.

Starting the punter’s elect, the chestnut gelding settled on the speed before powering away for what was an extremely exciting debut win.

Bred by Elizabeth Park Lodge, The Kitkat Kid is out of the city-winning Dolphin Street mare Sharna Cabarna, herself a daughter of the Stakes-placed Rising Taipan. Sharna Cabarna has a two-year-old Gonski filly and is due to foal to fellow Darley stallion Any Given Saturday, the four-and-a-half length winner G1 Haskell Invitational, before a return visit to the son of Distorted Humor.

The enormously popular son of Danehill defeated no fewer than nine G1 winners during his career including Perfectly Ready, Stratum, Apache Cat, De Beers and Red Dazzler. Already the sire of Stakes performers Gone Skiing and Gonski Girl, Gonski has recorded eight winners to date, with 26 of his 30 runners earning prize money for their connections.

Earlier in the day fellow second-season sire Ad Valorem recorded his fourth individual when three-year-old filly Boredom scored over 1900m at Geelong. The victory of the Anthony Freedman-trained filly placed her sire on top of the second-season sire table in terms of the number of individual winners.

Gonski and Any Given Saturday will stand the forthcoming breeding season at Darley’s Victorian property Northwood Park at a fee of $6,600 (inc GST) and $13,750 (inc GST) respectively, while Ad Valorem will stand at Kelvinside at a fee of $11,000 (inc GST).