In an amazing sequel sprinters bred almost within the sound of the ocean waves on the NSW south coast starred on racetracks in both hemispheres last week.They were world champion sprint title aspirant Takeover Target, the Australian owned and trained winner at the Royal Ascot carnival in England early in the week of the prestigious King's Stand Stakes and then on Saturday third in the Group1 Golden Jubilee Stakes, and Australia's newest sprint star Natural Destiny, a blistering 2.25 lengths winner of the Group 3 Healy Stakes (1200m) at Brisbane's Eagle Farm the same day.

  Both horses were bred by former NSW Racing boss Tony Hartnell on his Meringo Stud, one which is perched on a ridge running down to the ocean a short drive south of Moruya and which also produced another grand sprinter in Mr Innocent.
  The main spotlight  last week was on Takeover Target as he attempted to emulate the feat of Choisir, the first Australian bred, owned and trained performer to win at Royal Ascot, annexing the coveted sprint double, the same two races, in 2003. Bought by his owner and trainer, Queenbeyan taxi driver Joe Janiac, as a supposedly dicky legged untried two-year-old in Sydney for only $1,200 and now earner of over $2million, the six-year-old gelded Takeover Target, like Choisir, had established himself as a first class sprinter back home. His 11 wins here have included two Group1s at Flemington, the Salinger Stakes and Lightning Stakes, and two Group1 thirds were appearances in the Doomben 10,000 and Oakleigh Plate.

  Early in his career he was the winner of historic Ramornie Handicap at Grafton, just up to road from Coffs Harbour, the base for his two younger half-sisters Shady Henrietta (seven wins including one in Sydney) and Saskarla (four wins at north coast tracks from eight starts).Trained and part owned by Ken Lantry, they are by the Mr. Prospector sire Mr. Henrysee, a resident now at the Lamont's Kooringal Stud near Wagga Wagga but initially used at the Meringo Stud where he also sired Mr Innocent, one of the best horses ever trained at Coffs Harbour.

  Takeover Target, Shady Henrietta and Saskarla are nearly three-quarter relations as last week's Royal Ascot hero is by Celtic Swing, a champion European two-year-old and French Derby winner by the Mr. Prospector sire Damister.

  They are the only three live foals produced by their dam Shady Stream in seven seasons at stud. She had dead foals in 1998 (from her debut service), 2002 and 2003 and missed in 2004. Shady Stream is an unraced half-sister by the former good Lomar Park sire Archregent (CAN) to the Fred Brown Glen Avon Lodge, Southbrook, Qld bred Brisbane winners Admiral Spy and Roadspy and is from the Spectacular Spy (USA) stakes winner Merry Shade.

  Merry Poppins, the grandam of Merry Shade, was a half-sister to Sports Queen, the dam of Top Charger (won five stakes sprints Sydney) and Olympic Flame (four Sydney wins). Olympic Flame is a veteran producer for the Woodlands stud with her eight winners including the high class sprinters Sports and Seika.

  Also trained at Coffs Harbour (Gordon Yorke) is budding new champion sprinter Natural Destiny, a three-year-old colt  by AJC Derby and Rosehill Guineas winner and Tokyo Japan Cup second Naturalism and from another Meringo Stud Archregent  mare, the unraced Force of Destiny.

   Now winner of seven of nine starts including the Group 3 W.J. Healy Stakes (1200m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday, Natural Destiny is another big sale bargain, being sold for only $10,000 at the William Inglis Sydney Classic sale.

Despite his defeat in the weekend's Golden Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot, Takeover Target will start as favourite when the Global Sprint Challenge continues in Japan and Hong Kong later this year.

Takeover Target kept alive his hopes of claiming a $1.5 million bonus for his owners when he won the King's Stand Stakes on the first day of the royal carnival at Ascot last week.

He finished third in the weekend's Golden Jubilee Stakes after fatigue set in during the final 400m. Les Arcs reeled in the leader to win with Balthazaar's Gift second.

Hong Kong Jockey Club's senior handicapper, Ciaran Kennelly, said Takeover Target would still be the most fancied runner when the sprint series, won last year by Hong Kong-based Cape of Good Hope,

"It is not easy to travel halfway around the world and win so I believe it was a great training achievement [to win the King's Stand] especially as it was the trainer's first runner abroad," Kennelly said.

"He would start favourite in Japan and Hong Kong on present form and it would be great if another horse from Asia or Australia could win [the sprint challenge]."

Janiak said the horse was almost certain to compete in the July Cup in Newmarket, near Cambridge, before traveling to Japan in September.

He said it was highly unlikely Takeover Target would run in the first of two Japanese races, the Centaur Stakes, as it would be run on a tight track with a curved section run anti-clockwise.

Instead Takeover Target would be directed towards the Sprinters Stakes at Nakayama Racecourse.

"Well go and have a look at [the Centaur] before we decide. But a tight track and running the wrong way, I'm not sure about that," Janiak said.

After the biggest week of their lives, Takeover Target and his training team awoke yesterday morning to enormous praise from the English press, despite their failure to repeat Choisir's 2003 Ascot sprint double.

The Telegraph reported Takeover Target's third-placing in the Golden Jubilee Stakes was "the most honourable of defeats for the little, white-nosed hero from Queanbeyan, whose engaging young jockey and grizzled old trainer/owner Joe Janiak have won many friends this week."

The Sunday Times said: "It was highly appropriate the handsome redevelopment, which has turned Ascot into a modern international racecourse fit the match the best in the world, was anointed by a horse and trainer of such obvious and impressive humility."

Takeover Target is likely to be ranked the world's No1 sprinter in July or August, taking over the top spot from US dirt runner Silver Train.

STUDENTS have had their hospitality skills put to the ultimate test serving the rich and famous at Royal Ascot.

The 14 youngsters from Blackburn College waited on the great and good at Berkshire's world-famous racecourse last week during one of the biggest dates on the horse racing calendar.

The students were among the thousands of hospitality staff attending to the every need of dignitary racegoers attending the refurbished racecourse and facilities officially opened by The Queen on Tuesday.

They are all taking NVQs and BTEC qualifications in hospitality and were joined for the week by catering chief lecturer Iain Steele and colleague Louise Ashworth.

The college has long-running links with the racecourse and the group was picked for displaying dedication and high levels of motivation during studies and at the college's student-run restaurant Scholars.

With a range of restaurants, marquees, suites and 265 private boxes, Royal Ascot is the largest hospitality event in Europe And throughout the week the students were able to get hands-on experience serving high-brow diners and drinkers in the Premier Pavilion marquee.

Mr Steele said although they were based in impressive surroundings, the students were incredibly focused on their work.

He said: "It was a wonderful opportunity to see first hand what goes on behind the scenes of the whole of the hospitality area. Royal Ascot is an event without comparison and one of the most prestigious.

"The hours are long but the sense of achievement at the end of the week was their greatest reward."

He said the skills the students had picked up at college and in Scholars, held them in good stead during the week. "This was the ultimate way to get them ready for the world of work.

"Blackburn College has a commitment to give the students a chance to get real-life experience and I am confident our students will be the chefs, waiters and have other jobs associated with the hospitality industry of tomorrow."

l As part of the course's revamp catering and hospitality teams at the event worked in new facilities including a central kitchen in the heart of the new stand where food was distributed to all parts of the racecourse.