Around the world: Sire Southern Halo takes the honours.

Byline: Robert Carter 

Southern Halo dominated the six events in the Carreras de las Estrellas, Argentina's version of the Breeders' Cup, at San Isidro on Saturday. The son of Halo, who now shuttles from the Coolmore-owned Ashford Stud in Kentucky, sired three of the winners and was responsible for the dams of two more.

Mr Mat, the 153-10 winner of the pounds 166,667 Classic, over ten furlongs, was the only exception. He is a son of another Kentucky-based shuttle stallion, Numerous, a Grade 3 winner by Mr Prospector.

Guarachero started favourite, even though he had not run since his shock win in the Gran Premio Carlos Pellegrini in December. He looked the likely winner when taking over in the straight, but Mr Mat wore him down inside the last furlong to score by one and a half lengths.

Coalsack, winner of the Carlos Pellegrini in 1998, stayed on for third, another four lengths back. Mr Mat, one of seven three-year-olds in the field, is trained by Ernesto Romero and was ridden by Juan Paule.

Southern Halo sired both Ivory Tower and Petit Club, the unbeaten youngsters who scored odds-on victories in the pounds 80,000 juvenile mile events. Ivory Tower had only a neck to spare over La Belga, a daughter of Roy that she had beaten by four lengths in their previous race.

Petit Club made it five out of five with an easy four-length defeat of the Brazilian-bred maiden, Oh Take (by Latin American). He is owned by Stonerside Stable while Ivory Tower carried the colours of Syd and Jenny Craig.

Both will shortly be on their way to the States, although they may struggle there against older rivals without any weight allowance. It may be better to leave them in Argentina, where there is no break between the two- and three-year-old seasons and the Classics begin in August.

Southern Halo's third winner was the four-year-old Tamazov in the Sprint, in which none of the first five started at less than 10-1. Refine, who had won her only previous race, took the Junior Sprint by nine lengths from the favourite, Queen's Bench. She is by the former John Gosden-trained Mutakddim while Guernika-victorious in both versions of the 1,000 Guineas last year and a five-length winner of the Distaff on Saturday-is by Luhuk, who began his career with John Dunlop. Both are out of Southern Halo mares.