Darren Weir’s string of European imports helped bring his Warnambool carnival haul to twelve wins last week, beginning with HANDSOME THIEF (IRE)’s win in the Listed Wangoom Handicap worth $150,000 on Wednesday. It was a second successive victory in the six furlong sprint for trainer Darren Weir, who afterwards said the Waratah Thoroughbreds-owned winner may now head north for the Brisbane winter carnival.

Paul Fudge’s Waratah Thoroughbreds bought HANDSOME THIEF (IRE), a son of Shamardal, in utero and next sent his dam to Dylan Thomas (IRE), producing maiden winner Thunder Speed (IRE). Their Galileo (IRE) dam, Insoumise (IRE), is a half-sister to Group 1 victor Plumania and Group 2 winner Balladeuse, while the third dam produced Group 1 winning sire Groom Dancer. French Guineas winner Falco and Kinshasa No Kiseki, a dual Group 1 winner in Japan, feature further down the page, as do Australian Oaks heroines Abbey Marie and Absolutely.

Two days later, Darrein Weir continued his success with European imports when winning the feature Warrnambool Cup with GALLIC CHIEFTAIN, a son of Derrinstown Stud sire Tamayuz. It was a fifth consecutive victory for Weir in the $200,000 contest, his previous winners including Tall Ship (IRE), Akzar (IRE) and High Church (IRE).

GALLIC CHIEFTAIN rallied bravely to beat stablemate Yogi by the shortest of margins, with just a nose also separating them from the Jarrod McLean-trained Romanesque (IRE). It was a second Listed success for the OTI Racing-owned five-year-old, who has also been placed at Group level. His sire, Tamayuz, saw his fee rise to €12,500 this year after the Classic success of daughter Precieuse (IRE).