23/5/2013 Award winner associated with thoroughbred excellence

  FEW at high level in Australian stud management have had as close association with thoroughbred excellence in the past quarter century as Derek Field, the recipient at Scone last week at the Hunter Thoroughbred Breeders Association’s annual dinner of the President’s Award for Life Time Achievement.
  Currently the General Manager, Derek has been one of the principals at the historic Widden Stud in the Widden Valley for thirty years, appointed by the Board that took over the direction of the stud following the untimely death of the then owner James ‘Bim’ Thompson. Continuing today in the ownership of Bim’s son Antony, Widden has been in the Thompson family since the 1850s.
  During the first half of last century, Widden was the dominant sire force in Australia, but never as big or busy as it has been in the years that have followed Derek Field’s participation in management. In his early years the stallion line up included Bletchingly, Vain and Marscay, all earners of Australian sire titles, and also Lunchtime (sire of Snippets), Minor Portion and Military Plume.
   The success story of Widden has continued in the current century with sires used including General Nedym, Success Express, Snippetson, Stratum, shuttler Anabaa and current booming first season sires Sebring and Northern Meteor. Sebring is one of four Golden Slipper winners who have called Widden home during Derek’s tenure, the others being Vain, Marscay and Stratum.
  The widespread respect earned by Derek Field during his service to Widden has seen him become an important player in administration in the breeding industry.This is recognised by the Breeders’ Award which was for his many years of dedication to thoroughbred breeding, research and development and campaigning to preserve and protect breeding heritage.
   Currently Vice President, he has been a longstanding member of the NSW Thoroughbred Breeders Association and throughout his career has been instrumental in building and shaping organisations that today play pivotal role in developing the industry.
  Derek Field was one of two prominent breeding industry people who have served on the NSW Thoroughbred Breeders Association committee to be honoured at last week’s dinner at Scone.The recipient of the Murray Bain Service to Industry Award, one that is a memorial to an icon Hunter Valley veterinarian, the other is Andrew Bowcock.
  Now a Brisbane based bloodstock agent, Andrew is a third generation of his family to have bred successful horses in the famous Segenhoe Valley near Scone.The dynasty began in the early 1940s when his grandfather, Sydney businessman Ray Bowcock, established the Alabama Stud next door to the Segenhoe Stud, now Vinery.
  After the death of Ray, one of the biggest investors in breeding stock in his time, his son Jim, one now in retirement at Scone, conducted Alabama for many years, in the latter part assisted by Andrew.
  At the beginning of the new century, Andrew and his wife Lasca established a new stud in the Segenhoe Valley called Alanbridge, a named derived from the nearby bridge across the Paiges River.
  They headed a syndicate which imported the brilliant American galloper Beautiful Crown, now a highly respected winner getter. He stood initially at Alabama and then became the foundation sire at Alanbridge.
  In 2008 Andrew and Lasca accepted a big offer from Nathan Tinkler that saw Alanbridge become the first of his major investments in building a thoroughbred empire. Tinkler’s principal breeding farm is now Patinack, Sandy Hollow, Hunter Valley and is home for Beautiful Crown.
   Besides being involved as a stud owner and breeder, Andrew Bowcock has raced horses from country to Group level. He was a member of the HTBA Committee for twenty years and a long term member of the Scone Horse Festival Committee.
   In presenting the Breeders Award to Andrew, the HTBA President, veterinarian, Dr Cameron Collins, said it recognised the effort of valued member of the industry who works in it at hands on level and not at a safe distance.
   Annual Hunter Breeders Horse Awards were bestowed on connections of Guelph (Exceed and Excel – Camarilla, by Elusive Quality) (Darley; Champion 2YO Filly), Sidestep (Exceed and Excel – Dextrous, by Quest for Fame) (Darley; Champion 2YO Colt), Nechita (Fastnet Rock – Artistique, by Peintre Celebre), (Jason Abrahams, Ms Judy Sommers; Champion 3YO Filly), Pierro ( Lonhro – Miss Right Note, by Daylami) (Darley; Champion 3YO Male as well as HTBA Champion Racehorse for the second time), Dextrous (Quest for Fame – Many Hands, by Handy Proverb) (Darley; Champion Broodmare), Sebring (More Than Ready – Purespeed, by Flying Spur) (Widden Stud; Champion First Season Sire) and Exceed and Excel (Danehill – Patrona, by Lomond) (Darley; Champion Sire). Pierro has been retired to stud at Coolmore.

23/5/2013 Hero of polo fields dies on threshold thoroughbred career

  ONE of the greatest satisfactions that John Kenneth Mackay, a distinguished Australian horseman best known as Jaime who was only 63 when he died suddenly mid afternoon on Friday, enjoyed in a decade of expanded involvement with thoroughbreds was the breeding and racing of the winner of the Keith Mackay Quality for 2-year-olds at Randwick in April 2010, the Dubawi filly Golden Millennium.
   The extra pleasure that Jaime, and his wife Jennifer, secured from the success of Golden Millennium flowed from the fact the race’s name honours that of an earlier member of his family, one which has been respected in thoroughbred racing and the sport of Polo in Australia since the late1800s.
  The family’s Australian horse history began in the1830s when they were among the pioneers of the Dungog region, one in foothills of the mountains in north east Hunter Valley.The Mackays established Cangon, cattle and horse producing country which five generations on was conducted by Jaime Mackay.
  His great love and expertise was on the polo field, one on which he was one of the most outstanding of his time in Australia. He was captain of the Australian Polo team for ten years from1986 and led them to victories over New Zealand (1987) and the United Kingdom (1988). He also captained a Commonwealth team on a tour of the United States in1989.
  Like his father Ken, inducted into the Hunter Region Sporting Hall of Fame, Jaime also played a role in Polo organisation and recently was co-coach of Australian teams involved in Test Matches played in the Sydney region. His only son, Jock, was in the teams and, at the time of his father’s shock death, was competing in England.
  Jaime Mackay also built up a big reputation for producing quality Polo Ponies on Cangon that were sought by both Australian and overseas players.
  In the past twenty years, he and Jennifer, a grandaughter of Guy Raymond, an icon of Victorian breeding, increased their involvement in Thoroughbred breeding and racing. From a small number of mares they produced the stakes winners He’s No Pie Eater, Miss Kariba, Katima, Whoever, Vanquished and Golden Millennium.
  More recently they swung into standing Thoroughbred sires commercially, suffering a grievious blow when a newcomer to the stallion yards last year, the Ireland bred proven Danehill sire Spartacus, died midway through the season.
  There are still four sires at Cangon, namely Hot Danish’s sire Nothin’ Leica Dane and Choistar (by Choisir), Recapitalize (Royal Academy) and Sea Battle (Quest for Fame).
  At the time of his death, Jaime Mackay and Jennifer were at Byron Bay on the NSW north coast and were celebrating after viewing on television their Darren Smith (Newcastle) trained More Than Ready mare Southern Girl blitz the field in taking the opening race on the Scone Cup program.They bred Southern Girl and her first two dams.
  Jaime Mackay is survived by Jennifer, Jock and his sister Catriona Murphy. Catriona manages her grand aunt Ann Raymond’s Sledmere Stud at Scone and her husband, Royston Murphy, runs Segenhoe Thoroughbred’s new facility, Fairlight, a world class agistment complex along the Hunter River at the south eastern end of the Segenhoe Valley.
   The funeral service is to be held this Friday, May 24, at 12.30pm at the St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church at Dungog.

23/5/2013 Taxman losing no sleep over Scone $500,000 race winner

  DESPITE the fact that there has been a big capital gain on investment, the taxation gougers won’t be losing any sleep over chasing a share of returns from the earnings of Taxmeifyoucan, the three-year-old gelding who on Saturday came from near the rear 200m out to easily win the richest race over the $2million two day Scone Cup carnival, the $500,000 Inglis Scone Guineas-RL (1400m).
  For one, there is an exuberant tribe of owners to share the balance of $322,500 prize money after trainer and jockey rewards from the win in the Guineas, a race for graduates of the Inglis national yearling sale circuit.
  The Guineas victory took Taxmeifyoucan’s record to ten starts, two wins, the other as a late 2-year-old at Warwick Farm (second start), five minor placings, including two stakes thirds, the Gosford Guineas and Royal Sovereign Stakes (Rosehill Gardens), and $439,900.
  The money is a big capital gain on the $16,000 that he cost his trainer Greg Hickman (Warwick Farm) at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney. It is a sale series that has earned Greg a reputation as one of the most astute bargain buyers in the business. An earlier acquisition at the Classic sale at only $8,000 was Sportsman (by the Mr. Prospector grandson Supremo), a winner of ten races and earner of nearly $800,000.
  Greg Hickman was stimulated to buy the yearling out of the Toolooganvale Farm, Scone draft at the 2011 Classic sale that was to become Taxmeifyoucan by a resemblance to Sportsman (dam by Centaine), a quality that may have flowed from appearance in both their maternal pedigrees of the prepotent sire Century, a brilliant Australian champion racehorse.
  Although Taxmeifyoucan is a bargain buy, an even bigger one was his dam Tis Hopeful, a mare who cost his breeder G.K  Harris only $2,500 at the 2005 Inglis Australian Select Broodmare Sale carrying a foal by Danehill’s brother Nuclear Freeze. Tis Hopeful has produced a foal every year since – two died just after birth – and is due to foal in September to Taxmeifyoucan’s sire Ad Valorem (USA), a Darley, Hunter Valley Danzig Group1 winning visitor.
  Both Ad Valorem (also won Queen Anne Stakes) and Lycius (USA), the sire of Tis Hopeful, won England’s premier sprint for 2-year-olds, the Middle Park Stakes. A Mr. Prospector product who placed in the English and Irish Two Thousand Guineas at three, Lycius paid one visit to Australia, standing at the Inverness Stud at Bowral, NSW.
  The success to date of Taxmeifyoucan brings fresh black type to an immediate family that has thrown up a lot of good winners. A winner at Ballina, runner up at the Gold Coast and a debut third at Kembla Grange, his dam Tis Hopeful is one of ten winners produced by Miami Vice, a Century filly who won one race but who picked up four minor stakes cheques at Flemington at two.
  She is a sister to Stage Hit, a champion Australian juvenile filly and producer of three stakes winners, and Indian Raj, a winner of the Newcastle Gold Cup and STC N.E. Manion Cup and runner up in the AJC Metropolitan and Spring Champion Stakes.
   Their dam Oh Calcutta (by Streetfighter (GB), won five sprint races in Tasmania and also supplied ten winners.

23/5/2013 Daughter of Hall of Fame jockey stands sire of Scone winner

 ONE of the greatest jockeys of last century was 1922 Queensland born Neville Sellwood, a winner of most of Australia’s big races, including the Cox Plate, Melbourne Cup, Caulfield Cup, Sydney Cup, Brisbane Cup, Adelaide Cup, Victoria Derby and Golden Slipper.
  Among the horses he guided to victory were Tulloch, Todman, Delta, Sailor’s Guide, Sky High, Noholme, Wenona Girl and Monte Carlo.
  Neville was also creating a niche of greatness in Europe, including winning the1962 English Derby on Larkspur, when he suffered fatal injuries in a fall when riding in France later in the year and was lost to racing at only 39.
  His skill has been recalled following the victory of the Sue Grills trained 6-year-old gelding Get That Indya in the Country Cup, the race that wound up racing at Scone on Friday.The connection to Neville Sellwood lies in the fact that his daughter Ann Hill stands the winner’s sire, the powerfully bred Storm of Indya (USA), at her Delta Pines Stud near Blayney in central western NSW. It is not far from where her father had a breeding farm in the1960s.
   Initially at stud in Queensland, the source of Get That Indya, Storm of Indya, is an unraced 16-year-old by A.P. Indy and from South Sea Colony, a mare by the Ribot grandson Pleasant Colony and out of South Sea Dancer, a sister by Northern Dancer to Storm Cat’s sire Storm Bird.
  Storm of Indya has had very restricted opportunity from 12 seasons at stud and has had less than a 100 foals and only 34 starters.The best of them have been Indiana Storm (won Gold Coast, second J.F. Meynink Stakes at Eagle Farm), Get That Indya (seven wins including the Scone Country and races at Caloundra and Toowoomba), Missy Windy Weepu (6 wins, Ballina, Lismore, second Eagle Farm) and Crackaway (5 wins, 4 at the Gold Coast).
   He is a sire mare owners who would like get A.P. Indy into their pedigrees at a modest cost could give consideration to using.
   His latest winner, Get That Indya, was bred in theToowomba region by Mrs H. Yeates using the Canadian Silver winner Silver Bells, a mare she bought as yearling in Brisbane for $12,000 and who died after only two foals, both winners.
All of Get That Indya’s first six dams were bred by the Krugers a the Lyndhurst Stud, Warwick, Qld and all are by Lyndhurst sires.

23/5/2013 156 lots sold on Day Two of Great Southern Sale

73 weanlings and 83 broodmares were traded in Melbourne on Wednesday during the second day of the 2013 Inglis Great Southern Sale .
The average price recorded for weanlings across the last two days was up 12% on last year, while there was a 50% rise in the median recorded. The clearance rate was a realistic 77% at days end.
“The well-presented weanlings sold particularly well,” commented Inglis Melbourne Director Peter Heagney. “The sale gained momentum from start to finish both days as buyers and sellers gained a better understanding of the market.”
In all 213 weanlings sold on Tuesday and Wednesday for a total gross of $2,140,350.
“We have been striving to get breeders their desired results in the ring or, as evidenced by today’s top priced weanling, working to get passed-in lots sold privately after,” Heagney added.
Merrivale Farm’s colt by Testa Rossa from Riverina passed-in short of his reserve when offered as Lot 282 but was purchased later in the day for $57,500 by John Hymet, who previously raced Testa Rossa filly Rostova to Group 1 success.
Complete buyer, vendor and sire statistics for the 2013 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale can be viewed on the sale page at www.inglis.com.au
During the afternoon session on Day Two of the sale 83 broodmares were sold for $273,850.
The Inglis Make-An-Offer service is available to buyers wishing to put in an offer any Broodmares or Weanlings that failed to reach their reserve prices through the Oaklands sales ring.
216 lots are catalogued for the third and final day of the 2013 Great Southern Sale, comprising 118 broodmares, two stallions, 16 yearlings and unbroken stock, 50 racefilles and mares, plus 30 race colts and geldings.
The 118 broodmares will be offered first from 10:30am tomorrow; Lots 431 to 533 and Lots 597 to 611.
Consistent sire Ne Coupez Pas will then be offered as Lot 534 followed by multiple Group 2 winning stallion prospect Sound Journey as Lot 612.
Racing stock (Lots 535 to 584) will then be sold and finally the supplementary racing stock (Lots 613 to 658).
Day Three of the Great Southern Sale will be broadcast on Inglis Sale Day Live from 10:15am. Online Bidding and Make-An-Offer will again be available to buyers that are unable to attend Melbourne sale.
Great Southern Weanling Sale statistics

21/5/2013 "Warrior" racehorse retires to stud in Victoria.

Jungle Ruler, one of Victoria's most consistent and durable racehorses over the past six years has retired to stud at Christoph Bruechert's Bombora Downs on the Mornington Peninsula.

A stakes placed winner of 20 races and over $875,000 in prizemoney, Jungle Ruler was versatile, talented but especially durable and courageous. He won his maiden at Yarra Glen as a spring three-year-old in 2006 and went on to win 10 metropolitan races - five at Caulfield, two at Flemington and three at Sandown. Jungle Ruler also won the Peninsula Cup at Mornington in 2009 and 2011.

Jungle Ruler's 20th and last win personified the horse and was arguably his finest. He took out the Open Handicap over 1400 metres on Warrnambool Cup Day last year as an eight-year-old carrying a career-high winning weight of 61 kilograms conceding seven kilos to  second-placed LuckyI'mbarefoot.

Jungle Ruler was placed three times at stakes level. He ran third behind Rothera and Sniper's Bullet in the Group 3 MRC Betfair Stakes on Caulfield Cup Day 2010 and was a close-up second behind Nine Tales in the 2009 MRC Sandown Stakes.  Jungle Ruler ran at Group 1 level in the 2009 MRC Rupert Clarke Stakes finishing  just under four lengths behind Turffontein and beating such notable horses as Mr Baritone, Von Costa de Hero, Pillar of Hercules and Orange County.

"If a horse's courage could be translated to human endeavours, then Jungle Ruler is the soldier I would want to be standing with in battle" Bruechert told AAP this week.  "He was a born warrior. "It's what made him a crowd favourite whenever he ran. He gave punters a great run for their money and it is now those admirable qualities as a racehorse that I expect many rank-and-file breeders will seek in a stallion" he said.




Guts and determination - Jungle Ruler's brave qualities should pass-on to his progeny at stud. Photo by Bruno Cannatelli

Bruechert says Jungle Ruler's will to win and determination is a quality the stallion is likely to stamp his stock with at stud. "It's very important - competitiveness and courage are highly inheritable traits that should make Jungle Ruler a very attractive option to the many owner-breeders.

Jungle Ruler's sire Lion Hunter (by Danehill) has made a significant impact at stud. With just six crops to represent him, Lion Hunter sired 17 stakes winners including Gold Edition, Lovely Jubly, Chinchilla Rose, Barbaricus, Ferocity, Street Smart, Any Suggestion, Rampant Lion and Leone Chiara.  Lion Hunter boasts the outstanding strike rates of over 71% winners to runners and 87% runners to named foals. His 27 black type horses was achieved from 529 starters.

Lion Hunter's sire son Any Suggestion - a stakes winner and second in the Group 1 MVRC Australia Stakes behind Miss Andretti, now stands at Rich Hill Stud in New Zealand where he was leading first-season sire and leading two-year-old sire last season.

Jungle Ruler's dam Calista is by Zeditave out of the Alleged mare Valanga, a half sister to the successful stallion Tobougg and a host of other European black type horses.

Bruechert says Jungle Ruler has already attracted plenty of interest from breeders with a number of early bookings.

Jungle Ruler will stand his first season at a fee of $2,500 + GST .

Enquiries can be made to Christoph Bruechert at Bombora Downs
on 0419 534 961 or (03) 5983 6802.

21/5/2013 Discorsi tops Yarradale Stud yearling sale

First-season sire Discorsi topped the Yarradale Stud yearling sale on Sunday with a colt that made $110,000.

A total of 48 lots were offered on a perfect autumn afternoon in the Perth hills at Gidgegannup – 34 changed hands and Yarradale owner Ron Sayers leased another 12 yearlings to various owners and trainers.

The Discorsi leader is a half-brother to Darley stakes winner Raspberries and was purchased by Serpentine trainer Stephen Miller.  “He’s a terrific looking individual and there were a few on him,” Yarradale’s bloodstock adviser Grant Burns said.  “Discorsi is siring big, strong types and they’re lovely movers.”

Discorsi (Galileo) was a 2YO Listed winner of the VRC Gibson-Carmichael Stakes at Flemington for owner-breeder Keith Biggs.  He is a half-brother to G1 winning mare Sea Siren and Champion Sunspeed sire Oratorio.

A Danzero half-brother to Victorian stakes performer You Sexy Boy was next best at $70,000.  He was knocked down to Paul Jordan and the Ascot trainer also bought an All American half-brother to Caulfield G3 winner Get Square for $42,500.

Discorsi filled third spot on the leader-board with a half-brother to Peter Moody’s G3 sprinter Ready To Rip.  He made $57,500 to the bid of Mike Fagan who races with premiership trainer Neville Parnham.

Sayers also donated proceeds from the sale of the Musket - Meedan filly to Redkite, a charity that provides support for children and young people with cancer.  The filly sold for $25,000 to Tony Patrizi.

Turnover at the fifth annual Yarradale Sale reached $1.08 million at an average of $31,800.

Discorsi x La Melba colt

National sale commences next week

Monday, 20 May, 2013

Horses have begun arriving on the Gold Coast with Australia's leading breeding stock sale due to commence next Monday.

With over 2,050 lots catalogued, the sale has attracted an outstanding line up of weanlings, race fillies, broodmares, stallions, stallion shares and racehorses.

Adding great quality to the auction is the 470 lot Patinack Farm Unreserved Reduction Sale, a draft which subject to any injuries, will go under the hammer in its entirety.

The two day National Weanling Sale kicks off the auction from next Monday (May 27) before the National Broodmare Sale takes centre stage.

Inspections commence on Friday for weanlings and broodmares.

The best ever National Yearling Sale catalogue will be next from June 4 to 6 before the quality packed National Racehorse Sale on June 7.

Yearlings can be inspected at the sales complex from Sunday, June 2.

All sessions of the sale will commence at 10am (Qld time).

"The sale has attracted an outstanding catalogue through all sections of the sale and we look forward to hosting vendors and buyers from all over Australia and abroad," Magic Millions Managing Director Vin Cox said.

"There are some outstandingly bred and conformed weanlings and yearlings as well as Group One winners and producers among the fillies and mares and the racehorse sale is without doubt the best presented by Magic Millions," he added.

To view the catalogues click the relevant link below:

• National Weanling Sale - May 27-28
• National Broodmare Sale - May 29-31
• National Yearling Sale - June 4-6
• National Racehorse Sale - June 7

Stakes winning sweep for Magic graduates

Sunday, 19 May, 2013

Wins came thick and fast for Magic Millions graduates yesterday headlined by five stakes victories around the country.

Sir Moments (Choisir-Colourful Moment) kick started the winning afternoon when he scored a brilliant win in the listed Dalrello Stakes.

It was just a matter of getting a split in the home straight, as the promising youngster appeared to be "bolting" in the home straight.

The split came and the Steven O'Dea trained two-year-old showed great acceleration to burst to the front and win with his ears pricked.

"I can't wait to get him to longer races on the bigger track at Eagle Farm," O'Dea told reporters after the race.

Winning rider Michael Cahill said the exciting juvenile possessed immense ability.

"I came up to Eagle Farm to gallop him on Tuesday and he went as good as any two-year-old I've ridden."

Sir Moments, by Choisir, was purchased by Jamie Walter's Proven Thoroughbreds for $40,000 from the Widden Stud draft at last year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

He is likely to have his next start in the listed The Phoenix (1400m) at Eagle Farm on Saturday week.

Sir Moments is the first winner for the twice winning and city placed Zabeel mare Colourful Moments - a half sister to stakes winner Magsaya - who is by Choisir's sire Danehill Dancer.

Missy Longstocking (Sequalo-Linyanti) made it a stakes double for Magic Millions graduates when she proved too strong in the Lancaster Stakes (1200m) just over half an hour later.

A $7,500 bargin buy from the 2011 National Weanling Sale, Missy Longstocking notched win five and stakes success three at her seventh start yesterday.

The Sequalo filly has been an incredible money spinner for her owner Judith Clairs with over $500,000 earned in her initial season on the track.

Trainer Liam Birchley said the quality filly would almost certainly back up next Saturday to run in the Group Two Sires' Produce Stakes at Eagle Farm.

Winning rider Damian Browne said Missy Longstocking would come on from yesterday's run where she just got home as an odds on favourite to win by a short head.

Missy Longstocking is the sole winner to date from the three time winning Thunder Gulch mare Linyanti. She in turn is from an unraced Ron Bon half sister to Karrakatta Plate winner Highpak and fellow group winner Duendee.

Dear Demi (Dehere-Shirley) showed she was on track for a tilt at another Oaks victory when she scored a narrow but impressive win in the Doomben Roses at Group Three level.

With Luke Nolen in the saddle Dear Demi produced a strong, sustained run from the second half of the field before ust holding out a charging Gondokoro by a short head.

An amibitious protest by the runner-up's rider Rhys McLeod was quickly dismissed by stewards and Dear Demi gave her owner John Singleton plenty to smile about.

A $130,000 Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate from the 2011 sales, Dear Demi is by Dehere and from the unraced Zabeel mare Shirley.

A daughter of Golden Slipper winner Merlene, Shirley is a half sister to the South African Group Two winner Merlene De Lago. Merlene in turn is a daughter of Magic Millions Classic winner and grand producer Bold Promise.

Smart kiwi based three-year-old Platinum Kingdom (Magnus-Miss Rangoon) made it two Australian stakes victories in three runs when he cruised to victory in the Group Three Fred Best Classic at Doomben.

A three time stakes winner in New Zealand, Platinum Kingdom is back in South East Queensland for the first time since his purchase for $62,500 at the 2010 National Weanling Sale.

New Magic Millions bloodstock consultant Paul Beamish purchased Platinum Kingdom for connections and recalls the quality galloper as a "quality individual."

Trainer Lisa Latta said Platinum Kingdom would run next in the Group Two $350,000 Queensland Guineas.

By Magnus, Platinum Kingdom is a graduate of Rothwell Park and that farm has another quality draft heading to this month's National Weanling Sale on the Gold Coast.

While the Doomben meeting delivered great results for Magic Millions graduates, Planet Voyage (Exceed and Excel-Pasikatera) extended the streak to Adelaide with victory in that city's feature, the listed Manihi Classic.

A member of the all conquering Peter Moody stable, Planet Voyage showed speed throughout and then good fight late to hold out talented local Esprit De Bullet by a neck.

The three-year-old gelded son of sire sensation Exceed and Excel, Planet Voyage was heavily backed following his last start win at Caulfield.

Moody took a shine at Planet Voyage when offered through the Widden Stud draft at the 2011 Gold Coast Yearling Sale and he went to $190,000 to secure him.

Now having earned over $256,000 from just 15 starts, Planet Voyage has done a great job for his South Australian based owners.

The quality on speed three-year-old is the only runner to date for the group winning Thunder Gulch mare Pasikatera. She in turn is a three quarter sister to Adelaide and Sydney Group One winner Tempest Morn.

PICS - Dan Costello.

19/5/2013 Taxmeifyoucan proves elusive in rich Inglis Guineas

$16,000 yearling sale purchase Taxmeifyoucan proved too elusive for his competitors in the $500,000 Restricted Listed Inglis Guineas at Scone on Saturday, generating euphoric scenes in the mounting yard from his large group of owners.
Taxmeifyoucan ($16,000 2011 Classic, 3g Ad Valorem-Tis Hopeful settled midfield in the rich 1400m event and given a clean run down the centre of the straight by jockey Blake Shinn the gelding dashed away to a one length victory over Group 3 winner Lunar Rise, with second emergency Chewychop back in third.
Trainer Greg Hickman had to hold back the tears when interviewed after one of his training careers biggest moments.
“It means as much as any win I've had but it's also great for the owners, there are new owners and long-time owners in the horse and anything like this means a lot,” said Hickman.
Hickman purchased Taxmeifyoucan from the 2011 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale because the youngster shared similar looks to $800,000 earning Group 2 winner Sportsman, which Hickman purchased for just $8,000 from the Classic Sale.
"When I looked at him [Taxmeifyoucan] he reminded me of Sportsman, he was a nice leggy little black horse, much like Sportsman. I just liked the look of him,” Hickman recounts.
There was good reason for Taxmeifyoucan’s owners to give their horse three cheers as he came back into the mounting yard before bursting into song, as the gelding had just netted $300,000 in first place prizemoney.
This was the fourth running of the lucrative Inglis Guineas , which marks the end of the Inglis Race Series for horses purchased at Inglis’ Select Yearling Sales. Previous winners have been Pampelonne ($140,000 Easter), Sincero ($8,000 Classic) and Star Of Octagonal ($23,000 Scone).
2011 Inglis Select Yearling Sale graduates such as Taxmeifyoucan to win Inglis Race Series events over the last 18 months include Diamond Earth, Cavalry Rose, Snitzerland, Red Excitement, Edgewood, Murcielaga, Elkaydee, Tinszelda, Under The Leaner, Proper Madam, Specific Choice, Soapy Star, Road Trippin and High Esteem.
The $50,000 Trainers Bonus that is awarded to the trainer with the most wins in each Inglis Race Series has been split four ways for the just completed season for 2011 sale graduates. Greg Hickman, Anthony Cummings, Gerald Ryan and Neville Layt all recorded two wins each.
Cummings’ two wins were recorded by Diamond Earth ($60,000 2011 Classic, 3f Choisir-Face of the Earth in the $250,000 Inglis Banner and $250,000 Inglis Nursery as a two-year-old in late 2011.
The filly recorded her fourth career victory earlier on Saturday afternoon when winning the Listed Denise’s Joy Stakes at Scone. The win in the 1100m black type event took Diamond Earth’s earnings past $600,000.
Satin Shoes ($700,000 2010 Easter, 4m Flying Spur-Star Satire then completed a great two days in Scone for Inglis yearling sale graduates when she won the Listed Ortensia Stakes over 1100m.
Big crowds flocked to both days of the popular Scone Carnival. Many were on hand on Friday to watch Speediness and Sweet Serendipity claim the $200,000 Listed Scone Cup and $100,000 Inglis Challenge respectively.
Speediness ($18,000 2009 Premier, 5g Testa Rossa-Fine Glass) finished second to Sincero in the 2011 Inglis Guineas at Scone and the familiarisation with the track paid big dividends this year with the enigmatic galloper taking his earnings to $480,000 when winning Friday’s 1600m Scone Cup over Mouro and Kaypers.
Sweet Serendipity ($9,000 2012 Scone, 2g Excites-Sweet Rory) netted more than six times his yearling sale purchase price when taking out the $100,000 Inglis Challenge by nearly three lengths from Rock My Fuji and Husswick.
The Inglis Challenge is part of the $5million Inglis Race Series. A 1100m two-year-old set weights event held on Scone Cup Day, the race is restricted to graduates of the Inglis HTBA Scone Yearling Sale that are paid up for the race series.
The 2013 Inglis HTBA Scone Yearling Sale will be held at White Park tomorrow, Sunday 19 May. 193 lots have been catalogued for the sale which will begin at 10:30am.

Hot Two Year Old Run Continues for Choisir
(18th May 2013)

The brilliant season being enjoyed by Choisir with his juveniles continued at Doomben on Saturday when promising gelding Sir Moments (2g Choisir x Colourful Moments, by Zabeel) scored a stylish victory in the Listed BRC Dalrello Stakes.

Prepared by Steven O’Dea, Sir Moments showed ability earlier in the season when finishing second on debut in the Listed BRC Phelan Ready Stakes and was having just his third race start in this 1200 metre assignment.

He travelled strongly for Michael Cahill and let down well to the line to win by three parts of a length over El Toronado (2c Encosta de Lago x Suppose by Danehill) and Chosen Idol (2c Choisir x Academy Idol, by Made of Gold) to give Coolmore sires the trifecta.

Cahill described Sir Moments as “not really switched on yet as a racehorse”, but will benefit from the additional distances of the upcoming races.

“He’s got plenty of ability but he’s not concentrating,” he told Sky Racing World. “He just wanted to have a good look inside the last 100 metres.

“Eagle Farm, a mile, that’ll be his race.”

A $40,000 Magic Millions purchase for Proven Thoroughbreds from the draft of Widden Stud, Sir Moments is entered for the Group I BRC Patinack Farm JJ Atkins Stakes over 1600 metres on June 8.

Bred by Gooree Stud, Sir Moments is the first winner for Colourful Moments, a half-sister by Zabeel to stakes-winner Magsaya from the family of Group I winner Princess Talaria.

Sir Moments is the 52nd stakes-winner for Coolmore stalwart Choisir and is bred on the exact same cross as last week’s Group III SAJC Fillies Classic winner Wowee, who is also from a daughter of Zabeel.

Choisir stands this spring at a fee of $27,500 and is the leading sire of Australian two year-old winners this season with 18 to his credit.

19/5/2013 Exceed And Excel gelding has speed to burn

Planet Voyage leads all the way to become the 71st Stakes winner for his sire

Having been Stakes placed at his first career start in the Listed Debutants Stakes behind Commands colt Jimando, Exceed And Excel three-year-old Planet Voyage has been a model of consistency throughout his career and deservedly won his first Stakes race on 18 May, winning the Listed Mahini Classic over 5f at Morphettville in Australia.

Jumping straight to the lead from barrier three, the Peter Moody-trained gelding never allowed another horse to pass him, fighting the whole way down the home straight to record his fifth career win and become the 71st Stakes winner for his sire.

Enjoying a stellar 2013, particularly in Australia, Exceed And Excel has sired the winners of not only the Two-year-old Triple Crown with Overreach and Guelph, but has been represented by Aerobatics, Camporella, Kulgrinda, Just Discreet and Sidestep, to name but a few.

Bred by Gooree Park Stud Pty Ltd, Planet Voyage is out of the G3 Breeders Classic Stakes winner Pasikatera, a three-quarter sister to the dual G1 winner Tempest Morn.

As the sire of 71 Stakes winners highlighted by six G1 winners; Guelph, Overreach, Margot Did, Excelebration, Reward For Effort and Darley stallion Helmet, Exceed And Excel is standing the current breeding season at Dalham Hall Stud at a fee of £35,000 October 1st SLF, while Helmet is standing at Kildangan Stud at a fee of €10,000.

17/5/2013 Mapperley plan moves forward with Group One performer

Simms Davison's long-term vision for Mapperley Stud has taken another major step forward with the acquisition of Group One performer He's Remarkable (NZ) (Pentire).
After a successful career as a professional rugby player with the Waikato Chiefs and with Clermont in France, he took over the reins at the Matamata farm with a future intention of
a resident stallion on the property.
"Mapperley has been a boutique agistment farm and it's been on my mind for a while to go to the next level and I've been on the look-out for the right horse for a fair while,"
Davison said.
With the financial support and advice of Waikato Stud's Garry Chittick, Pentire's handsome son He's Remarkable was selected and secured in a joint venture between the two
parties.
"Garry made it clear that in his eyes the way forward was to take on a stallion and that led to He's Remarkable," Davison said. "He ticks all the boxes as a beautifully-bred horse who
was Group One placed at three, four and five and we wanted a horse with Australian form.
"He was the Group Three winner of the Newmarket Newcastle Handicap, third at Group Two in the Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley and then of course won and was relegated in
the Group One Railway Stakes."
Bred and sold by Rich Hill Stud, He's Remarkable was the winner of six of his 22 starts for trainer Roger James and was narrowly beaten in the Gr.1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas by
Jimmy Choux (NZ) (Thorn Park). He subsequently added a further top-flight domestic placing in the Gr.1 NZB Spring Classic.
"He was a serious horse and I feel very fortunate to be able to stand him at Mapperley," Davison said. "He's the type of horse I can be very proud of – he's a beautiful-looking animal,
very correct and with a great chance of success at stud.
"There's been a few stallions here in the past and (champion sire) Volksraad stood here for $4000 to kick him away."
He's Remarkable is out of the Zabeel mare Axiom (NZ) and a family Waikato Stud has enjoyed great success with.
The grand-dam Arletty was a dual Group Two winner while the pedigree features Legs (NZ) (Pins), who won the Gr.1 NZ Oaks and Gr.1 Kelt Capital Stakes in the
Chittick family colours.
"He's a stunning-looking horse and that's why he made NZ$360,000 as a yearling,"
Chittick said. "My involvement is a business arrangement that I'm happy to be part of. Simms is close to the Waikato Stud team and Mapperley is a beautiful
property and it would be a shame not to have a stallion on it."
He's Remarkable will stand his first season at Mapperley Stud at NZ$4000 + GST.


He's Remarkable in action on the track

17/5/2013 Scone Yearling Sale this Sunday

Value buyers are reminded that the one day 2013 Inglis HTBA Scone Yearling Sale will be held this Sunday 19 May at White Park, Scone.
193 yearlings have been catalogued for this year’s sale, with all offerings eligible to be nominated into the $5million Inglis Race Series .
Included in the lucrative Inglis Race Series is the $100,000 Inglis Scone Challenge , a 1100m two-year-old set weights event held on Scone Cup Day restricted to graduates of the Scone Yearling Sale that are paid up for the race series.
Runners in this year’s Inglis Challenge, which will be held tomorrow Friday 17 May, were purchased as yearlings last year for between $1,000 and $47,000. The winning connections could earn themselves $80,000 when adding the $20,000 BOBS Bonus available to the $60,000 first place cheque.
Many of the Hunter Valley’s leading breeders are represented with yearlings in this year’s Scone Yearling Sale including Arrowfield Stud (19 lots), Widden Stud (14), Middlebrook Valley Lodge (11), Attunga Stud (9), Goodwood Farm (8), Vinery Stud (8), Edinglassie Stud (7), Lincoln Farm (7), Southern Cross Breeders (7) and Yarraman Park Stud (7).
The Scone Yearling Sale is renowned for being great value, exampled by $32,000 purchase Hot Danish which earned over $2.3million on the racetrack. Recent stakes winners include $23,000 buy Wowee and $36,000 purchase The Huntress, while $18,000 graduate Goal Keeper will look to add to his S$400,000 in earnings when he lines up in the Group 1 KrisFlyer International Sprint in Singapore this weekend.
The 2013 Scone catalogue includes the progeny of a wide range of stallions including first season sires All American, Denman, Dreamscape, Duporth, I Am Invincible, Krupt, Manhattan Rain, Nicconi, Onemorenomore, Red Arrow and Time Thief.
Proven and emerging sires with yearlings in the sale also include Ad Valorem, Al Maher, Authorized, Bel Esprit, Choisir, Commands, Dane Shadow, Danzero, Domesday, Flying Spur, Hussonet, Magic Albert, Mossman, Northern Meteor, Not A Single Doubt, Ready’s Image, Rock Of Gibraltar, Sebring, Snitzel, Spinning World, Starcraft, Statue Of Liberty, Tale of the Cat, Teofilo, War Pass and Zizou.
Siblings to stakes winners Budriguez, Rock Me Baby, Johnny Reb, Tenzing, Terror Force, Cocinero, Brakim Lass, Forest Frolic and Mrs Kipling are set to be offered, as are the progeny of stakes winning mares Made Of Diamonds, Patpong, Shapira, Starstruck and Before Too Long.
The 2013 Inglis HTBA Scone Yearling Sale begins at 10:30am on Sunday. Buyers are welcome to inspect yearlings at White Park on Saturday.

15/5/2013 Champion Queensland sire reinvigorating Star Kingdom

  THE INFLUENCE in the second half of last century of Star Kingdom, the brilliant imported son of the Hyperion sire Stardust, who stood at the Baramul Stud in the Widden Valley, was considered the most powerful in Australia last century.
  Despite the modest respect major studs had at the time for the local product as sires, it threw up many eminent sources of winners, including the brothers Todman and Noholme (in America), two other brothers in Biscay and Star of Heaven and also Luskin Star, Bletchingly, Marscay, Canny Lad, Zephyr Bay and Sky High (in Australia and America).
  The Star Kingdom paternal influence has greatly diminished in the current century through the avalanche of excellence flowing through dual hemisphere used Danehill, dwindling down to two mainstays. They are 25-year-old Canny Lad (at Darley, Hunter Valley; by Bletchingly) and ten years younger Show a Heart (Glenlogan Park, Innisplain, Qld; by Bletchingly grandson Brave Warrior).
  A Queensland bred, owned and trained performer who was one of the best in Australia up to1600m at two, three and four, winning four Group1s and placing in four others, Show a Heart has re-invigorated Star Kingdom as a sire, at this time charging to his fifth successive Queensland Champion Sire title and being in the leading twenty nationally by winners and wins.
   It is rare a week goes by that Show a Heart doesn’t have a prominent winner. For instance last Saturday two of his performers were the Glenlogan produced 2-year-old Vo Heart (dam by Red Ransom), winner of the $175,000 Group 2 Bollinger Champagne Classic at Eagle Farm, and the Jacaranda Thoroughbreds, Macksville, NSW bred Dars Auto (Royal Academy), the winner of his fourth race from 14 outings in Hong Kong when successful in the Arculli Trophy over 1650m. Now earner of HK$2,154,600, Dars Auto has finished in the first three in all his last eight starts, including the four wins.
  Last weekend’s contributions have taken the Show a Heart statistics for 2012-13, including successful runners in Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Macau, to 92 winners and earners of nearly $3.2million. He looks certain surpass $4million in earnings for the fifth successive year.
  The scoreboard for that period reads: 2008-09, 74 winners,125 wins, $4,454,928; 2009-10,105 winners, 177 wins, $4,788,741; 20010-11, 99 winners, 156 wins, $4,705,447; and 2011-12, 106 winners, 174 wins, $4,836,516.
  His career statistics, including overseas representation, read 340 winners, 958 wins and $28,366,532. He has recently surpassed the Danehill’s deceased Lion Hunter for the highest earnings by progeny of a Queensland sire. 
  The best of the Show a Heart progeny include five million dollar earners in Heart of Dreams (dam by Royal Academy; seven Group1 cheques, wins VRC Australian Guineas, MRC Underwood Stakes, second MRC C.F. Orr Stakes – twice, Yallumba Stakes, third AJC All-Aged Stakes, fourth VRC Australian Cup), Toorak Toff ( Grand Lodge; 6 wins, won STC Golden Rose-Gr.1, MRC Sir Rupert Clark Stakes-Gr.1, fourth MRC Caulfield Guineas-Gr.1), Woorim (Canadian Silver; 11 wins, MRC Oakleigh Plate-Gr.1), Mimi Lebbrock (St. Covet; five wins, won MRC Tristarc Stakes-Gr.2, Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic, third VRC Emirates Stakes-Gr.1, VRC Myer Classic-Gr.1, fourth STC Queen of the Turf Stakes-Gr.1) and Heart of the Citi (Citidancer; 9 wins, Gold Coast Magic Millions 3YO Classic).
  Leading New Zealand Juvenile Sire 2007-08, Show a Heart has included among his overseas runners Crossyourheart (Centaine; champion New Zealand 2YO Filly), Handsome Nic (Rocket to Mars; won Perak Sultan Gold Vase, second Singapore Juvenile Championship) and I’m Your Venus (Rory’s Jester; in New Zealand won CJC Easter Cup).
  Show a Heart has already shown he can transmit Star Kingdom further through his daughters, 28 of them to date producing 12 winners and seven others placed. One result is the Commands colt Saluter, a current 3-year-old who won the Magic Millions 3YO Classic at the Gold Coast in January.
  Saluter has extra significance as Commands is by Danehill, a giant force who has had very limited exposure to Show a Heart, a sire who appeals as an ideal outcross for him. A guide is the production of Toorak Toff, one of Show a Heart’s best sons, using a mare by a grandson of Danehill’s sire Danzig.
  Now on the path to keeping a niche open for Star Kingdom in the future, Toorak Toff was retired to the Rosemont Stud at Ceres in Victoria last year, looking after 99 mares. Like his sire and so many of his offspring, Toorak Toff is a good sized showy chestnut.
  He stood the season on $16,500, the same as that being asked for  Show a Heart (plus GST) in the 2013 season. It is a fee that appeals among the best value available, the more so when it is noted that eight of his ten yearlings offered at the Gold Coast in January sold at $160,000, $120,000, $115,000, $80,000, $75,000, $50,000, $40,000 and $35,000.
   Show a Heart shares top service fee billing at Glenlogan Park with boom first season sire Real Saga (by Tale of the Cat), Australia’s leading first crop sire, Queensland’s leading sire of 2-year-olds and second top behind Exceed and Excel nationally.
  They are two of a complement of seven brilliant Australians who call the Glenlogan Park home.The others and the before GST fees are the already successful sires of stakes winners Falvelon (by Alannon) $9,000, Bradbury’s Luck (Redoute’s Choice) $11,000 and Jet Spur (Flying Spur) $11,000 plus Red Element (Red Ransom), oldest yearlings, $7,000 and Rothesay (Fastnet Rock), first crop weanlings, $11,000.
   There are seven weanlings by Rothesay, a Group 2 and 3 winning miler related to Canny Lad, among the 411 catalogued for the Magic Millions National Sale on May 27-28 at the Gold Coast and six daughters of  Show a Heart among the 800 plus in the the broodmare section that follows on May 29, 30 and 31.
  GLENLOGAN PARK STUD, Innisplain Road, Innisplain, 4285 by Beaudesert, Qld, Steve Morley 0428 617 367, (07) 5544 1106, fax (07) 5544 1273, email steve@glenloganstud.com.au, web www.glenloganstud.com.au.

15/5/2013 Lyndhurst Dragon to be on fire in Luskin Star at Scone

  HIDDEN WARRIOR’S front running win in class record time over older horses in the One Solutions Handicap over 1350m at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday suggests this very promising 3-year-old gelding by the emerging Danehill sire Hidden Dragon, a resident at the Kruger’s Lyndhurst Stud at Warwick in Queensland, could fire again next Saturday if he backs up in the $140,000 Yarraman Park – Horse Power Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) at the Scone stand alone.
  One of ten horses Newcastle trainer, Paul Perry has accepted for the $2million two-day (Friday and Saturday) Scone Carnival, Hidden Warrior is the Lyndhurst Stud sold $105,000 Gold Coast sale graduate who, following a seven lengths trial win at Newcastle, opened his racing career with a head second to subsequent superstar Pierro in the Breeders’ Plate at Randwick, despite hanging out.
  Since then his performances, besides Saturday’s success, have included all the way wins at Newcastle (900m, by 1 ¼ lengths) and Moonee Valley (a Group 3 at 1200m; hung out) and seconds at Wyong (Magic Millions Wyong Classic, a neck) and Canterbury (1100m, again hung out).
   Showing the benefit of Star Kingdom getting together with Danehill, Hidden Warrior was produced on Lyndhurst for Anton Koolman Bloodstock, the agents who organised for Hidden Dragon, an Australian bred Hong Kong performer who won six races to 1400m and Group1 second placed at 1600m, to stand in the historic stud’s stallion yards.
  A winner and fourth in the AJC Kindergarten Stakes at Randwick at two, Hidden Warrior’s dam Marcovette is by the Luskin Star grandson St Covet (a big loss when he died at the Glenlogan Park Stud after three seasons of use) and from Marscay Magic, a Marscay winner. Both Luskin Star and Marscay are Star Kingdom male line sires.
   Hidden Dragon’s result at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday capped a day’s racing that confirmed him as a very worthwhile sire. His tough daughter Hidden Kisses, a winner six times, pushed her earnings over $400,000 with a nose second at Eagle Farm and, for any sire a rarity, he supplied a treble at the one meeting, the Gold Coast.
  His only three runners at the Gold Coast were all winners succeeding for the first time.They are the 2-year-old filly Helen’s Angel (dam by Piccolo) and 3-year-olds Alpine Dragon (gelding out of a Monashee Mountain mare) and Spirit of Amber (a filly from a mare by Falvelon’s sire Alannon).  
  The oldest progeny of Hidden Dragon are 5-year-olds and so far he has nearly 150 winners, headed by stakes performers Hollowlea (dam by Scenic; 4 wins, MVRC Bill Stutt Stakes-Gr.2, VRC Henry Bucks Stakes-LR, third MVRC AAMI Vase-Gr.2), Hidden Warrior, Miss Imagica (Shedad;10 wins, historic Toowoomba Weetwood-LR twice), Hidden Jewel (Jan Murray; BRC Princess Stakes-LR), Obsidian Dragon (Monde Bleu; 9 wins, won Melbourne, Adelaide, three Listed thirds, fourth SAJC D.C. Mackay Stakes-Gr.3), Saraji (Al Hareb; 6 wins, four Brisbane, two Listed thirds), Hidden Kisses, I’llbetricked (Twig Moss, 7 wins, three Brisbane, second Brisbane Tatt’s Members’ Cup) and Steel Dragon (Volksraad; 8 wins, Brisbane, Townsville at two, Listed third).
  Hidden Dragon stands at Lyndhurst with the highly regarded leading Queensland sire Sequalo (528 winners and 16 stakes winners) and 2011 newcomer Drumbeats (Redoute’s Choice – Delicate Choice, by Last Tycoon), a winner of three stakes to Group 2 and second or third in five others. He finished fourth in the Doncaster Handicap and fifth in the Epsom.
    Jeff Kruger 0429 076 610, email jeff@lyndhurststud.com and his brother Griffith 0427 010 096, griff@ipstarmail.com.au are the third generation management team.The website is www.lyndhurststud.com.

15/5/2013 Kentucky Derby winner’s cousin at Scone agistment farm

  THE METCALFES, David and Verna, the popular long time managers of one of the Hunter Valley’s most prestigious agistment farms, Middlebrook Valley Lodge, ten minutes drive north of Scone, were very pleased to note the maternal breeding of Orb, the winner this month of the Kentucky Derby.
  Their pleasure at the success of Orb, a son of the A.P. Indy sire Malibu Moon and the Unbridled mare Lady Liberty derives from the fact that one of the many quality mares entrusted to their full time care can be described as his cousin.
  She is Western Passage, a 2004 American France placed product of a mating with Gone West, one of the best Mr. Prospector sires, and Mesabi Maiden, a Group 2 winner by Cox’s Ridge, a high class racehorse and sire of three performers named champion in America.
  Another foal out of Mesabi Maiden is Orb’s dam Lady Liberty, a winner herself of four races from 6 ½ furlongs to 1 ½ mile and a Group 3 fourth in America.
  Western Passage started breeding in Australia in the ownership of Orange Grove Thoroughbreds, Tamworth NSW, producing three foals for them, the Choisir filly Make A Choice (3yo), the Sebring gelding Flying Sebring (2yo winner) and then a Henrythenavigator (USA) filly.
   On the advice of David Metcalfe, Western Passage was purchased by Brian Chegwidden of Chegwidden Consulting & Bloodstock Pty Ltd, Perth carrying a foal by Not a Single Doubt for $34,000 when offered at the Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale in Sydney.
  The foal is now one of the weanlings in the care of the Metcalfes at Middlebrook Valley Lodge. She was served by the young Fastnet Rock sire Hinchinbrook at Yarraman Park, Scone late last season.
   Inbred to Native Dancer and Bold Ruler, Western Passage is one of two mares owned by Brian Chegwidden resident at Middlebrook Valley Lodge. The other is the Marju (IRE) Sydney winner Blumarju, dam of  the Chegwidden bred Couldn’t Agreemore, a Not a Single Doubt gelding who finished a nose second in the Listed Nitschke Stakes at Morphettville on April 20,.     
  Couldn’t Agreemore has been followed by a sister, Big On Bling, a yearling filly by Duke of Marmalade (IRE) and a 2013 service by the Widden Stud sire Snippetson.     
  Bisected by the Middlebrook, the tree studded undulating Middlebrook Valley Lodge property, the agistment farm at which Brian Chegwidden and number of other breeders call home for their mares and their offspring, is one of the best quality and successful in the Hunter Valley.
  Recent performers reared on the Farm include Terror Force (Al Maher 2yo; won first two starts, Including Listed Perth Stakes), The Huntress (Husson 2yo; three starts, two Melbourne wins, including Listed Stakes), Short Shift (Shaft 2yo; debut winner by 4.3 lengths Muswellbrook May 3) and Bernabeu (Fastnet Rock 2yo; unraced trial winner by four lengths Warwick Farm May 10).

International double for Ready’s Image

Monday, 13 May 2013

Lincoln Farm shuttler Ready’s Image doubled up on Sunday with his first winner in Australia and another stakes winner in the USA.
Trainer Nick Olive produced Akoonah to defeat older horses on her debut in the Samarkos Earthmoving Plate at Queanbeyan.
Akoonah (2f Ready’s Image – Cathead by Catbird) raced on the pace and got the better of pacemaker Zero De Brave after a duel in the final furlong.  She clocked 51.79s for the 900 metre journey which was only 0.05s outside the class record.
Akoonah is the first foal out of a winning half-sister to the stakes winners Touch Of Mahogany (LR VATC Rancher Hcp) and Lifeline Express (G3 HK Juvenile Sprint Trophy).
She failed to reach a $25,000 reserve at the 2012 Inglis Classic Sale when offered by Greg White of Invermien Stud.  The filly was then retained to race by the White and Robertson families.
Ready’s Image had his first Kentucky-bred two year-olds race last year and now has 15 winners of 21 races.
Leading the way among his North American gallopers is Leinan.  The Josie Carroll trained filly won the LR Glorious Song Stakes at Woodbine in November and added the LR Inaugural Stakes (1200m) at Presque Isle Downs on Sunday.
Leinan (3f Ready’s Image – Golden Mirage by Green Desert) claimed the $100,000 feature by five lengths on the shores of Lake Erie in Pennsylvania.  She cost $80,000 at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky yearling sale and has now banked $240,000 for owners James and Alice Sapara.
Ready’s Image (More Than Ready) shuttles from Walmac Farm to Lincoln Farm in the Upper Hunter for a $5,500 (inc gst) service fee.


Leinan

May 13, 2013 Your Song to retire to Widden

Brilliant three year-old Fastnet Rock colt Your Song has assured his future at one of Australia's most successful studs with a stunning five length Group I victory in the BTC Cup at Eagle Farm last Saturday.

Resuming from a spell, the Anthony Cummings trained colt turned in an explosive performance to thrash a quality field and win the 1200 metre weight-for-age sprint in a breeze from seasoned Group I performers Rain Affair, Buffering& Sea Siren.

He has long been seen by most major studs as a potential stellar sire prospect since his two impressive wins as a two year old and his 2nd placing behind Pierro in the Group III Run to The Rose defeating Group I winners Epaulette and All Too Hard.

A homebred for Gooree Stud, Your Song will now follow in the footsteps of Mr Eduardo Cojuangco's previous star colt and now leading young sire Northern Meteor in retiring to Widden Stud for the 2013 season.

“He has always been a special colt and we were so thrilled to see him come out and prove that last Saturday,”revealed Gooree Stud Racing Manager, Monica Barrera, who is the grand-daughter of Mr Cojuangco.

“He was an outstanding foal, probably the pick of all of our foals in fact, so we had always hoped he might develop into a sire prospect being by an outstanding sire in Fastnet Rock from such a great family.

“We are primarily breeders and the boss (Mr Cojuangco) likes his stallions to be lightly raced when they go to stud, so now that Your Song has proved himself at Group I level against top class opposition it's time to move on with the next phase of his career.”

Widden Stud are thrilled to secure the services of Your Song, the 13th individual Group I winner by his champion sire Fastnet Rock from a peerless international female family, his dam Zembu was a $450,000 Inglis Easter purchase for Gooree whose dam Wanice is a half-sister to the Champion racehorse and multiple Group I sire Fantastic Light.


Additionally, Your Song's glittering international pedigree spawns an impressive dynasty of stakes-winners around the world, tracing back to Kamar, whose descendantsinclude Group I winners Flashing, Alpha, Desert Lord, Cape Town, Golden Attraction, Seaside Attraction, Turbulent Descent, Swift Temper, Music Show and Gorgeous.

“He's a colt that has the pedigree, the good looks and that Group I winning brilliance. Fastnet Rock is Australia's dominant sire so to have the opportunity to stand arguably his most dominant son is incredibly exciting.”said Antony Thompson.

“Physical attributes are all important in a sire and in Your Song we could not be taking on a more impressive individual. It was interesting listening to the post-race comments from Saturday which back up our view that he is one of the best looking Fastnet Rock sons to look through a bridle.”

Your Song will have two more starts in the Group I BRC Doomben 10,000 on May 25 and the Group I BRC Stradbroke Handicap on June 8 with a fee to be announced onhis retirement to Widden this season.

ALAN THOMAS (Racecaller): “He is a magnificent looking animal. It's ok to be a good horse, but when you look like one it's even better! I'd go as far saying he's the best looking horse in the country. An absolute stand-out with the ability to match.”

PETER ROBL (Jockey): “A machine! A beautiful animal, beautiful attitude, beautiful mover. He's a real Group One power-house!”

ANTHONY CUMMINGS (Trainer): “He's always been a Group I class colt but we've just taken our time with him. Today hasn't surprised too much as we knew the ability he had. He's a clear standout on type to the majority of horses you see on a racetrack.”

RICHARD FREEDMAN (Commentator): “He's a Beauty! Clearly a good looking colt with a great relaxed attitude and being by the Champion stallion he's ticking all the boxes.”

BERNADETTE COOPER (Commentator): “I haven't seen a better style of horse in a long, long time.”

For further information: Antony Thompson 0427 470 507, Ryan McEvoy 0439 802 837, Derek Field 0408 492 495 or at the Widden office tel: 02 6549 9999 fax: 02 6549 9900

13/5/2013 Winter warming for Glenlogan Park stud

As the Brisbane Winter Carnival really starts to heat up, the Glenlogan Park stallions have seemingly also been timing their run, with some exceptionally promising performances from their offspring over the last few weeks indicating a prosperous carnival looks very likely.

Yesterday at Eagle Farm, Show A Heart reminded everyone why he has been crowned Qld’s Champion Sire for the last 4 consecutive seasons when his very talented 2YO Vo Heart took out the G2 Champagne Classic in terrific fashion.

Another Group winner for Show A Heart – Vo Heart taking out the G2 Champagne Stakes for juveniles yesterday!
Photo Courtesy – Trackside Photography
 
Trained on the Sunshine Coast by Darryl Hansen, Vo Heart had been a winner and runner-up from his two previous runs this campaign and his conditioner was positively glowing in his post-race comments.

“He is the best horse I have ever laid a hand on”, Hansen declared not long after the finish. “I said that before the race and I am happy to repeat it now – this fellow has a massive future and he is continuing to develop all the time.

“Right from the time we first put a bridle on him he has shown his class but he has just not been there mentally until now.

“In saying that, I am also confident that anything he does as a juvenile will only be a prelude to what he delivers as an older horse as I think he is going to be something very special this time next year.”

Vo Heart, who was a $65,000 purchase from the Magic Millions draft of Glenlogan Park, will now head towards the $250,000 G2 BRC Sires Produce Stakes (1350m) at Doomben on May 25, before a possible crack at the $500,000 G1 J.J. Atkins over the mile at Eagle Farm a fortnight later.

Other Glenlogan Park runners to really catch the eye at Eagle Farm yesterday included the Falvelon trio of Excellantes, I’m Cool and Gundy Son – who all put in outstanding efforts in the first race of the day. The two former of these finished 2nd and 3rd respectively, whilst Gundy Son produced arguably the run of the race when he was held up for much of the straight before flashing late and finishing right on the heels of the placegetters. This trio are expected to meet again in stakes company in two weeks’ time and, once again, will no doubt be knocking right on the door.

Falvelon also had another runner later in the day with a big, red, flashing light on him from a future viewpoint – with the Kelso Wood prepared Someday indicating he too can claim a black type victory this campaign after resuming with a super performance in the last. On a day when it was impossible to come from back in the field and figure in the finish, the son of Falvelon came from 3rd last on the turn to finish 2nd and to run the winner to within a head. He looks set for an enormous preparation and is a highly promising galloper.

Jet Spur also weighed in with some “black bookers” from yesterday’s Brisbane card. Early in the day (Race 3) Purfectress produced a barnstorming finish to end up just behind the first three across the line whilst the 3YO gelding Heza Jetsetter did everything his trainer Rob Heathcote was hoping for as he aims to peak him on Guineas Day in a few weeks’ time.

Not to be outdone, Australia’s Leading First Season Sire and 2nd on Australia’s Champion 2YO Sires table to Exceed And Excel, Real Saga, produced yet another winner last night when first-starter Real Favulous held off all comers at Toowoomba to take his tally of victors to 8. Real Favulous had been fitted up for his debut with two impressive winning trial performances and didn’t let his supporters down. The Donald Baker trainer youngster gained some valuable prizemoney and will now head to the city for his next assignment.  

Bradbury’s Luck also looks set to make a real impact over the coming months, with his stakes winning mare Fire Up Fifi registering a terrific performance in last week’s Silk Stocking at the Gold Coast. Her trainer, Rob Heatchote, is thrilled with her progress and looks to have her ready to challenge as her main goals draw nearer.

12/5/2013 Strategic mare triumphs again

Platelet makes it back-to-back G1 victories in G1 Goodwood

Bonny Strategic mare Platelet made it back-to-back G1 victories with a fast-finishing win in the G1 Goodwood over 1200m at Morphettville, May 11.

A last start winner of the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes over the same course, Platelet carried the same weight of 56.5kgs to this time beat the males in the G1 Goodwood.

The four-year-old mare proved too strong, coming from a midfield position turning for home with a strong run down the centre of the track to record a half-length win.

G2-winning Commands mare Altar worked hard early from an outside barrier to take up the lead. She fought doggedly in the straight and was only collared in the last 50 metres, holding on for third in what was her first G1 placing.

Platelet became the fourth mare in succession to claim the feature sprint following the wins of Velocitea (2010), Lone Rock (2011) and the great Black Caviar last year. Star galloper Takeover Target is the last male to win the G1 Goodwood, triumphing back in 2009.

Out of city-winning Dracula mare Bloodline, Platelet’s win took her record to seven wins from 19 starts and $945,000 in prizemoney.

The sire of four G1 winners including Champion two-year-old Meurice, Mistegic and Strategic News, Strategic will stand the coming breeding season at Northwood Park at a fee of $5,500 inc. GST while Commands, who has now had six G1 performers this season, will stand at Kelvinside at a fee of $55,000 inc. GST.

Motivado Selling at the Tattersalls Autumn Horses in Training Sale

11/5/2013 Strong Clearance Rate Concludes NZB 2013 National Sale

The Broodmare Session of NZB’s 2013 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale concluded proceedings today at Karaka, with 162 of the 232 broodmares offered through the ring selling for $1,026,900 at a strong clearance rate of 81%.
In quick succession, two lots provided early highlights to the Broodmare session with Lots 462 & 465 each fetching $90,000.

Chickens, dam of Gr.3 winner Do You Think, sells for the equal top price of $90,000

The first was at Lot 462 with Little Avondale Stud’s Centaine mare Centrefold Angel, dam of the dual stakeswinner Marquardt (Shamardal). Offered in foal to Darci Brahma, the mare was purchased by Victoria-based Uluru Stud, whose principal Jeff Dimery is also part-owner of top kiwi performer Shamexpress.
Uluru Stud was represented at Karaka by Stud Manager Rodney Conolan.
“My visit to the Sale was instigated by Mark Chittick via my employer at Uluru Stud.  He mentioned the horse to us as one of interest.”
“We were interested in her as we currently race Shamexpress who is off to London shortly and we felt that might be a nice cross in the future.”
“I had a good time at the Sale and spoke to a lot of people and received some great advice.  NZB does a great job and I enjoyed the experience and of course, came away with the horse we wanted.”
With one other Lot purchased (Lot 526 for $8,000) Uluru Stud was the leading buyer of the Broodmare session by aggregate.
At Lot 465 the Listed Doomben Slipper winner Chickens (Danehill), dam of Group 3 winner Do You Think (Starcraft), was knocked down to the bid of Curraghmore Stud’s Gordon Cunningham. She is carrying a positive test to first season covering sire Pour Moi, the Epsom Derby winning son of Montjeu who shuttles to Windsor Park Stud in Cambridge.
Gordon confirmed that the mare was purchased for a client of Coolmore Stud, and that she would be sent to Pierro in the spring.
Curraghmore Stud has been prominent throughout the Sale, as the leading vendor at the Weanling session and purchaser of yesterday afternoon’s top lot of the mixed sessions, at Lot 371.

Centrefold Angel also made $90,000 in the ring

Today it was Haunui Farm that headed the vendor table by aggregate, with 20 of 21 broodmares offered selling for $220,500 at an average of $11,025.  
Pencarrow Stud, with 11 mares through the ring, was the leading vendor by average for the session with 10 sold at an average of $14,290 and aggregate of $142,900. This included a top price of $45,000 paid for the Encosta de Lago mare at Lot 530 bought by Brian Clark of Queensland.
With a smaller offering than in 2012 and only one six-figure sale compared with six last year, after a total of 668 catalogued entries 458 have sold for $3,873,000 at a clearance rate of 79%. This represents a combined average of $8,456 (down 16% on $10,040 last year) and a median of $2,250 (down 10% on $2,500 last year).
New Zealand Bloodstock Co-Managing Director Petrea Vela says the Sale has enjoyed solid trade throughout the past three days.
“There was some good competition this week, particularly at the weanling session where buyers were reporting that it was hard enough to buy the ones they liked.
“As is usual with this Sale the quality and selection was wide and varied but overall it has been encouraging to see good demand throughout, with the 79% clearance rate across the whole Sale particularly pleasing.
“We thank buyers and vendors for their support and wish them all the best for the breeding season.”
Results from the 2013 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale can be viewed online or requested in hard copy from reception@nzb.co.nz. Don’t forget if you missed any Lot through the ring today you can rewind the live stream at www.nzb.co.nz.
2013 NATIONAL WEANLING, BROODMARE & MIXED BLOODSTOCK SALE RESULTS

2013 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale - Broodmare Statistics

2013 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale - Combined Statistics

Top Lots - Broodmares

Top Lots - Combined

Leading Broodmare Purchasers by Aggregate

Leading Combined Purchasers by Aggregate

Leading Broodmare Vendors by Aggregate

Leading Combined Vendors by Aggregate

Leading Broodmare Vendors by Average (three or more sold)

Leading Broodmare Sires by Average (three or more sold)

11/5/2013 Winter Book to enhance Classic success

The 2013 Inglis Sydney Classic Yearling Sale Winter Book is armed to enhance the success of the Classic Sale, with 213 lots to be offered during the inaugural winter session on 23 June.
“Not all yearlings are suited to a January sale such as later maturing types, while others are withdrawn from earlier select sales for various reasons. This new Winter Book provides vendors and buyers a convenient marketplace to trade those yearlings,” said Inglis Bloodstock Director Jonathan D’Arcy.
The new Winter Book has been split into a Select Session (Lots 1 to 144) and General Session (Lots 145 to 213)
The sale will begin at 10:30am on Sunday 23 June, just prior to the Inglis Australian Weanling and Bloodstock Sale on 24 and 25 June.
Inglis’ successful yearling selection formula has again been adopted by the company’s experienced bloodstock team for the Winter Book, with a strong emphasis on accepting the right type of young thoroughbred that will enhance Classic’s outstanding record of rewarding buyers on the racetrack.
Classic sale graduates victorious at stakes level in Australia this season include Fiveandahalfstar, Hioctdane, Direct Charge, Ringmeister, All Legal, Miss Solis, Lady Of Harrods, Sincero, Howmuchdoyouloveme, Cabernet, Cavalry Rose, Testarhythm, Budriguez, I’m All The Talk, Marseille Roulette and Everage.
“The Winter Book has been well supported by quality vendors, which have entered yearlings that will suit plenty of trainers, syndicators and pin hookers for our Ready 2 Race Sale in October,” added D’Arcy.
Leading studs that will bring drafts to the new Winter Book include Amarina, Bell View Farm, Blue Gum Farm, Bowness Stud, Cressfield, Fairhill Farm, Fairview Park, Holbrook Thoroughbreds, Kitchwin Hills, Luskin Park, Middlebrook Valley, Phoenix, Redbank North, Southern Cross, Torryburn, Turangga, Widden and Yarraman Park.
Stallions currently ranked in the top 25 on Australia’s General Sires List that are represented in the Classic Sale Winter Book are Exceed And Excel, Fastnet Rock, Commands, Lonhro, Snitzel, Stratum, Encosta de Lago, Choisir, Not A Single Doubt, High Chaparral, Mossman, Casino Prince, Al Maher, Flying Spur and Hussonet.
There is also a comprehensive array of emerging sires with yearlings catalogued including Dane Shadow, Domesday, Hard Spun, Magic Albert, Northern Meteor, Real Saga, Sebring, Snippetson, War Pass and Zizou.
Victoria Derby winner Fiveandahalfstar is one of many Group 1 winners to have been purchased from the first or second crops of their sire at the Classic Sale. First season sires represented in the Winter Book include All American, Big Brown, Bryannbo’s Gift, Dreamscape, Duporth, I Am Invincible, Nicconi, Onemorenomore, Pillar Of Hercules, Raheeb, Related, Swiss Ace, Time Thief and Wanted.
92% of the yearlings set to be offered at Inglis’ Newmarket complex on 23 June are BOBS eligible and ALL yearlings offered are also eligible for entry into the $5 million Inglis Race Series. Only those offered at Classic Sale Winter Book and Summer Book are eligible for the $250,000 Inglis Classic held at Rosehill in January 2014 as part of the series.

11/5/2013 Historic barred mare ancestress of South Aust Oaks winner

  ESCADO, the Casino Prince filly who at Morphettville on May 4 became only the third of her sex in the past 25 years to take out the Group1 South Australian Derby (2500m), joins a long list of top level winners descending from Frizette, a1905 American bred mare who carried the stigma of being a half-bred and whose descendants were initially excluded from the bible of world breeding, the British Stud Book.
  In much of the first half a last century many horses bred in America and Australasia were frozen out of this august register of blue blood by what was referred to as the Jersey Act. Subsequently lifted, it prohibited registration of horses in the Book unless all their ancestors had been registered.
   Although Frizette was pure maternally, she was by an influential American sire, Hamburg, who was debarred. Acceptance came after Frizette became a distinguished broodmare, and in particular the third dam of Tourbillon, a French Derby winner and later an influential sire.
   The paternal great grandsire of champion Australian sire Better Boy,Tourbillon was ranked as half-bred by the Stud Book until late in his life. His success is attributed to being an impetus for the lifting of the Jersey Act.
  If descendants of Frizette, the mother of four good daughters, had remained out in the cold it would have cost the world dearly. One of her daughters, Frizeur, was the fifth dam in separate branches of both Mr. Prospector and Seattle Slew, while another, Princess Palatine, is the eighth dam on the bottom line in the pedigree of Escado.
  Princess Palatine challenges as the strongest branch of Frizette in the world today for the production of goodness, earning a reputation as a versatile source of classic horses, top sprinters, sires and distinguished broodmares.
 One of the current brigade of the Princess Palatine descendants is Elusive Quality, the Darley America – Australia shuttler who is a world class sire. His progeny include Smarty Jones, a Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner, and Sepoy, a Blue Diamond and Golden Slipper winner embarking on a sire career with Darley in Australia and England.
  Inbred to Frizette as he is by a son of Mr. Prospector, Elusive Quality is from an unraced daughter of Ivory Wand, a first class Sir Ivor American sprinter who is a half-sister to four others who won races at Group level. One of them, the In Reality dual Group 2 and Group 3 winner Truly Bound, is the third dam of Escado.
  Bred by Kineld Thoroughbred Racing,Victoria and passed in at $55,000/$60,000 when offered by the Bombora Downs Stud at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, Escado, like Vinery Stud’s new sire All Too Hard, is from the first crop of the Patinack Farm located Flying Spur winner Casino Prince and is the first foal of Secret Cause, a winner in 15 starts in Victoria at Stony Creek (2100m) and Kyneton (1469m).
   Secret Cause is bred on an awesome sire cross, being an Australian bred daughter of Giant’s Causeway (USA), a Storm Cat  European Horse of the Year and, from his base at Coolmore’s Ashford in Kentucky, a world leading sire, and from Secret Truth, an unraced Canadian foaled daughter of one of America’s greatest ever racehorses, Secretariat.
  Giant’s Causeway visited Coolmore in the Hunter Valley in 2002, 03 and 04, leaving over 250 foals, including many females who should be valuable for breeding.
   Like Elusive Quality inbred to Frizette, resulting from Flying Spur being out of a Mr. Prospector mare, Escado has had 14 starts for three wins, two at 1400m at Cranbourne and the Oaks. Raced by ten owners and trained at Mornington by Matt Laurie, she has been tried twice at 2500m for the Oaks victory and a respectable sixth of 16 in the Victoria Derby.    

11/5/2013 AP Indy sire dynasty captures Kentucky Classic double

  THAT you do not have to be an outstanding racehorse to be a top sire has been demonstrated again by the very successful career to date in America of the Spendthrift Farm, Kentucky located A.P. Indy sire Malibu Moon, the source this month of the Kentucky Derby winner Orb.
  A product of a Group1 winner by Mr. Prospector, Malibu Moon only raced twice, appearances at two resulting in a win in a maiden over five furlongs at Hollywood Park and a second placing.This has not stopped him being considered one of the best among the imposing list of successful A.P. Indy sires.
  On a fee of $70,000 this year, this16-year-old has to date supplied over 500 winners (140 2yos,70 stakes winners) of 1600 races and $54million. However, until Orb won the Kentucky Derby, all his earlier eight Group1 winners had been fillies.
  Two of these were successful in the Ruffian Invitational, a race named after the ill-fated Ruffian, one of America’s great race fillies of last century. A relation of Orb, this massive 17.0 hands daughter of the Bold Ruler sire Reviewer and the Native Dancer mare Shenanigans won her first ten starts in effortless fashion and then, the next time out, in a match race against that year’s Kentucky Derby winner Foolish Pleasure, she smashed sesamoid bones in her right leg and later had to be put down.
  Named champion at two and three, a winner by margins of up to15 lengths and average of 8 1/3rd lengths, she set new stakes time records in each of her first eight races and equalled two track records.
  Her dam Shenanigans, an American Broodmare of the Year, had all her six foals win, three of them successful in major races, and two of them, Buckfinder and Icecapade, sire of Group1 winners.
  Another of her foals, Ruffian’s three-quarter sister Laughter (by Bold Ruler) was a handy race filly and then a high class broodmare, producing five stakes winners, including Steel Maiden (by Damascus), the third dam of Orb. Steel Maiden’s unraced sister Laughing Look produced three stakes winners, including $2million earner and good sire Coronado’s Quest (by the Mr. Prospector sire Forty Niner).
  This year’s Kentucky Derby winner Orb is from Lady Liberty, a good non stakes winner by Unbridled (by Fappiano), a Kentucky Derby and Breeder’s Cup Classic winner.
   Orb was the second leg of America’s principle Classic double for the A.P. Indy sires as 24 hours earlier Princess of Sylmar, a representative of the first crop of his son Majestic Warrior, rose up above two Listed wins and Group 2 second in six earlier starts to succeed in the Kentucky Oaks over nine furlongs.
  A resident at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky, the sire Majestic Warrior ran seven times for two wins at two at Saratoga, including the Group1 Hopeful Stakes. Out of a two-times Group1 winner
In Dream Surprise, a daughter of the Mr. Prospector sire Seeking the Gold, he got off to an impressive start with his 2-year-olds last year, leading the juvenile statistics numerically with 30 winners (69
runners) and on earnings finishing fourth top first season sire.
   Majestic Warrior is currently America’s leading two crop sire with contributors including four stakes winners headed by Oaks heroine Princess of Sylmar. Inbred 4x4 to Mr. Prospector and 4x3 to the
Influential Northern Dancer sire Dixieland Band and from mare by the Storm Cat sire Catienus, she is the first Group1 winner in the family in six generations.
  A son of the Bold Ruler male line champion racehorse and sire Seattle Slew and the Secretariat mare Weekend Surprise and himself a Horse of the Year and outstanding sire, A.P. Indy, the paternal
grandsire of this year’s winners of the Derby and Oaks winners, and also the sire of the dam of Kentucky Derby third Revolutionary (by Widden Stud’s briefly shuttled War Pass), has an illiustrious
honour board. He has had 142 stakes winners, including 29 successful at Group1 level, but none of them have claimed the Kentucky Derby.
  Possibly because of a lot usage, A.P. Indy has had a lot of success with mares representing the Mr. Prospector male line.Three, in addition to Malibu Moon and Majestic Moon, produced on this cross are Pulpit (dam by Mr. Prospector; eleven Group1 winners) and Hunter Valley shuttlers Bernardini (dam by Mr. Prospector grandson Quiet American; five American Group1 winners) and Congrats (Mr. Prospector; America’s Leading First Crop Sire 2010, two Group1 winners 2012),
   Bernardini, a visitor to Darley (from 2008), was assessed World Co-Champion 3YO and American Champion 3YO in 2006, while Congrats, a Vinery Stud sire from 2011, was a tough performer whose efforts included a Group 2 win by 5.5 lengths and two Group1 places.

11/5/2013 McEvoy could be among leading trainers competing at Scone

  TONY McEVOY, a trainer who suggested that he is a very welcome new force to Sydney racing when the imported Mouro (USA), one of two horses he started at the stand alone Hawkesbury meeting on May 4, took out the $150,000 Rowley Mile, may be one of the big number of national trainers with runners at the $2million two day Scone Cup carnival on Friday and Saturday May 17 and 18.
  Headquartered in the past three years on the famous Lindsay Park at Angaston in South Australia, McEvoy was having his first runners in the Sydney region since he purchased Bylong Park, a prestigious complex of 48 stables adjacent the Hawkesbury racecourse.
  So far he only has small team of horses in work, but owners are chasing his services, He expressed on radio that the move to Hawkesbury ables him to chase the marvelous prize money in NSW, pointing out that that there is easy access to seventeen tracks offering prize money of $15,000 or more.
  He will be certainly eyeing the lucrative rewards available at Scone on Friday and Saturday of next week, May 17 and 18. There is likely to be a big contingent of prominent horses, trainers and jockeys helping to make Scone the premier racing attraction for the week in Australia over the two days. Like Hawkesbury, the Saturday meeting is stand alone, replacing Sydney.
   Peter Snowden, the former Scone jockey and trainer who now heads preparation of Sheikh Mohammed’s massive collection of some 400 racehorses is certain to make a good contribution to the quality of the carnival. He provided three of the winners at Hawkesbury on Saturday.
   Chris Waller is another booked to have a strong team chasing the $2million in rewards. All told, the Scone carnival offers 16 races, eight each day, none worth less than $40,000, eight between $100,000 and $500,000, one at Group 3 level and six carrying Listed status.
  The features on the Friday are to be the $200,000 Emirates Park Cup-LR and $100,000 Inglis 2YO Challenge, while heading Saturday’s exciting program are the $500,000 Inglis 3YO Guineas, $200,000 Darley Dark Jewel Classic-Gr.3, and four at $140,000, the Prydes Easifeed Ortensia Stakes-LR, Yarraman Park – Horsepower Luskin Star Stakes-LR, Arrowfield Denise’s Joy Stakes-LR and Coolmore Woodlands Stakes-LR.
  The other races on the Friday are the Scone Country Cup, Segenhoe Stud Class 2, Dane Shadow Class1, Zizou @ Turangga Farm Maiden and Northern Meteor Maiden. Two $85,000 races on the Saturday, both benchmark 75, are the Kia Ora Sprint and Cressfield 2200m.
   Big crowds are expected to flock to both days of the carnival with many of them dining and wining in giant marquees overlooking the big Scone racecourse, one which was given a seal of approval after being tested by prominent jockeys on Friday.
   Challenging as the richest country racing carnival in the world, the two days at Scone are the social highlight of the annual two week Scone & Upper Hunter Horse Festival, one which commenced early May and concludes on Sunday May 19. The latter day hosts the prestigious Inglis Hunter Valley Breeders annual Scone Yearling sale.
    The week’s program includes the Hunter Valley Breeders Annual Awards Night (Wednesday), Inglis Scone Thoroughbred Sale (Thursday), Upper Horse Festival Calcutta (Thursday), Royal Hotel Scone Cup Luncheon (Thursday), Scone Golf Club ‘Breakfast with the Stars’ (Friday), Scone Cup program (Friday), Scone Inglis Guineas/Dark Jewel Race program (Saturday) and Inglis Hunter Valley Breeders Yearling Sale (Sunday).
   The guest speaker at the Royal Hotel luncheon is to be VRC Handicapper and International Advisor Greg Carpenter and the compere racing commentator Richard Hayne. Scone’s Yarraman Park Stud have donated a nomination to their highly credentialed young sire I Am Invincible for auction at the luncheon in aid of the Scone Strathearn Aged Care Village.
 
11/5/2013 A boutique Hunter Valley home for broodmares

   MOST people do not make money out of the lottery of breeding or racing, but their investment can add to the spice of life. It can be great joy to be the breeder of a new born foal, untangle the web of its breeding and watch it grow Into a potential new Black Caviar or Pierro.
  It can also be joyful to join with the elite if it is offered at the yearling market, if not retained, and follow its progress at the races, perhaps like many as the owner. You see it every week, the joy that the rich and famous, and the poor and infamous, get out of winning, city or county.
   It helps you get among the blue bloods if you have a lot of money, but the hobby breeder can find plenty of nice mares to call their own at a low cost and low fee sires to help them find thoroughbred joy. They do not have to own a property as there are plenty of studs and agistment farms who will look after them.
  One boutique specialist agistment broodmare farm in the heart of the Hunter Valley is that operated for over twenty years by one of the nicest ladies in horse breeding, Isis (Mary) Hallett. She has River Ridge, a farm bordered  by the Goulburn river near Sandy Hollow and fifteen minutes drive from Denman. It is opposite the Patinack Farm Stud (formerly Collingrove) and also has easy access to the sires at Coolmore, Widden, Darley, Arrowfield, Vinery and Yarraman Park.
Some of the River Ridge clients leave their mares year round, while others take advantage of the personal Hallett
care by using it as a base for their mares in the breeding season. She oversees the foaling, if necessary, gets the mares into shape for mating and ‘walks’ them in to sires.
  Isis, as she likes to be called, treats her clients, and their mares, as good friends and loves to talk to them about their breeding and racing. She has had some good results, including selling yearlings at $165,000. $130,000 and $125,000 and producing, right up until he was a 2-year-old, one of the highest money earners trained in the Upper Hunter, Newton’s Rings. He won 22 races, placed in 21 others and earned just under $800,000.
   Isis Hallett, River Ridge Agistment Farm, Sandy Hollow, Hunter Valley would welcome hearing from visitors, or locals, during the Scone Horse Festival, or at anytime. The contacts are (02) 6547 4474, mobile 0428  916  413


10/5/2013 Curraghmore to the fore with National Weanling sale topper


The sales topping black colt, by Savabeel out of Skeena.

Gordon Cunningham's Curraghmore Stud was again to the fore on day two of the New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale at Karaka yesterday, selling the top lot, a weanling colt by Savabeel, to respected pinhookers Bruce and Maureen Harvey of Ascot Farm for $115,000.
Out of the Commands mare Skeena, the black colt attracted interest from a host of good judges, with Bruce Sherwin of Raffles Farm, Melbourne bloodstock agent Sheamus Mills and Hong Kong-based couple Anthony and Sarah Shum all relegated to the role of underbidder.
"He is just a lovely horse with a great temperament and we have done well out of buying those attractive black colts in the past," said an elated Bruce Harvey. "We had a Savabeel
the year before last that we paid $40,000 for and then sold on for $270,000.
"It's good buying from Gordon because you know what you see is what you get and they have been properly prepared.
"We don't breed, so each year we start off with nil and then we try to build a draft around X amount. We try to buy fashion horses and progeny of sires that we think will sell
well. Thorn Park was a sire that we had to have this year and Savabeel as well. Of the young sires coming through we got two by Alamosa because they are doing well and we have a
lot of respect for Makfi – there has been good talk on them all around the world. He was such a high class racehorse and his foals in the UK have been so good.
"It's not about how many we get; it's just about getting the right ones.
"It has been a great sale for buyers. I think we only missed out on two horses that we bid on. We have been able to buy what we really wanted and we are very happy.
"Providing that we are happy with the way they continue they will all be coming back to Karaka for the yearling sale, unless something isn't ready and then it will be kept for a later sale."
The weanling session finished yesterday with solid trade across the 355 lots on offer.
With 234 lots sold for $2,540,650, the clearance rate of 77% matches last year's figure, with a median of $5000 (up 25% on $4000 in 2012) and an average of $10,857 (down 9%
on $11,977 in 2012).
The predominantly local buying bench also included Hong Kong buyer Josiah Ma, Coolmore Stud's Tom Magnier, and Darren Dance's Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock
amongst the most active buyers of the sale.
The top lot contributed to Waikato Stud sire Savabeel (Zabeel) coming out on top of the sires table by average, with seven of his eight lots through the ring selling for an average of $44,429.
Second on the leaderboard and heading the freshman sires was Westbury Stud's Makfi (Dubawi), with three lots sold for an average of $43,333, including a top price of $55,000
paid by Ascot Farm on Wednesday for the colt at Lot 55.
First season sire Shocking – the Melbourne Cup-winning son of Street Cry – has also had his first crop well received by the market with nine lots sold for an average of $14,700,
including a top price of $37,500 for Lot 160, to put him among the top ten sires of the sale.
Curraghmore Stud successfully defended its title as the leading weanling vendor at this sale for the eighth year in a row. With nineteen weanlings through the ring, seventeen have sold for $562,400, at an average of $33,082, including providing four of the top six lots.
"This has always been an important sale for Curraghmore and our clients," commented Cunningham. "It's terrific that we've gained good returns across the board again and I am
proud of our staff and what they have achieved.
"We had a lot of confidence in our draft coming into the sale and our prices and clearance justified us offering a draft of this quality to the market. I can only speak for ourselves
but our good colts were busy and in strong demand, and in the current climate it was good to be able to sell our fillies at reasonable prices too.
"Over the years we've grown our market at this sale by presenting quality, genuine horses and hopefully the pinhookers will achieve good returns on their purchases as they have done in the past."

9/5/2013 Written Tycoon Mare Highlights NZB Mixed Sessions

With the Weanling session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale completed earlier today, attention turned to the mixed sessions on offer, with horses-in-training, two-year-olds, yearlings, raced stock and racehorses offered through this ring this afternoon at Karaka.  
With 81 lots catalogued, including 7 supplementary entries, the highlight came in the Horses-in-Training session with the four-year-old racemare Prestigious Miss fetching $80,000.
Offered by Oxford Thoroughbreds at Lot 371, the Group 2 placed daughter of Written Tycoon was purchased by Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud for $80,000.
“She’s a lovely, quality mare with good performance, and I thought she was great value,” commented Cunningham. “She’s going to visit Pierro in the spring.”
The purchase capped off a highly successful two days for Curraghmore Stud who for the eighth year in a row was the leading vendor at the Weanling Sale. Curraghmore Stud also sold the top lot of the sale thus far with their weanling by Savabeel at Lot 304 purchased by Ascot Farm for $115,000.  
The 2013 Weanling session earlier in the day saw 234 lots sold for $2,540,650 for a clearance rate of 77%. For full details click here.
In total 58 of the 81 horses on offer this afternoon sold for $277,950, at an average of $4,792 and clearance of 78% providing total turnover of $2,819,750 across the past two days of selling.
The Broodmare session will complete the three-day Sale from 10am tomorrow at Karaka (Lots 430 – 658).
Get the latest NZB news instantly by following us on Twitter (@KarakaChat), or sign up to our regular e-news updates at www.nzb.co.nz.

2013 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale - Weanling Statistics

 Top Lots - Mixed Bloodstock

9/5/2013 Savabeel Colt Tops 2013 NZB Weanling Session

The Weaning session of New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2013 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale has wrapped up today at Karaka, with solid trade across the 355 lots on offer.
With 234 lots sold for $2,540,650, the clearance rate of 77% matches last year’s figure, with a median of $5,000 (up 25% on $4,000 in 2012) and an average of $10,857 (down 9% on $11,977 in 2012).

Lot 304 by Savabeel topped the session when knocked down for $115,000

The top price for this year’s edition came today at Lot 304 with the Savabeel colt from Skeena (Commands) fetching $115,000 to the bid of Ascot Farm’s Bruce & Maureen Harvey.
“He’s a lovely horse,” said Bruce Harvey. “He’s a lovely colour, a very athletic individual, and he was well sought after in the ring as we were pushed to get him.
“Curraghmore Stud do a great job with their draft, their horses are always well prepared and he looked great in the ring. All going well he will come back for the yearling sales.”
With six weanling purchases yesterday and another two today, Ascot Farm was the leading weanling buyer with a total spend of $404,500 at an average of $50,563. With purchases by Savabeel (2), Alamosa (2), Makfi, Pentire, Thorn Park and Tickets, Ascot Farm accounted for four of the top ten lots of the Sale.
“All up we have had a very successful Sale,” commented Harvey. “We purchased eight weanlings by performing sires this year and only missed out on two. It’s been great buying, there has been very good value for money and, all going well, the horses we have purchased will all return for the yearling sales next year.”
The predominantly local buying bench also included Hong Kong buyer Josiph Ma, Coolmore Stud’s Tom Magnier, and Darren Dance’s Australian Thoroughbred Bloodstock amongst the most active buyers of the Sale.
The top lot contributed to Waikato Stud sire Savabeel (Zabeel) coming out on top of the sires table by average, with seven of his eight lots through the ring selling for an average of $44,429.
Currently in second place on the NZ Sires Premiership behind O’Reilly, Savabeel has been represented this season on the track by the Group 1 Auckland Cup winner Sangster, plus stakes winners Soriano, Lopov, Ray’s Girl, Lady Kipling, Diademe, Nandowra, Savvy Dancer, and You’re So Good, who was also Group 1 placed in the Australian Guineas behind Ferlax. Savabeel has a total of 24 stakes winners to his credit thus far.
Second on the leaderboard and heading the freshman sires was Westbury Stud’s Makfi (Dubawi), with three lots sold for an average of $43,333, including a top price of $55,000 paid by Ascot Farm yesterday for the colt at Lot 55.
First season sire Shocking – the Melbourne Cup winning son of Street Cry – has also had his first crop well received by the market with nine lots sold for an average of $14,700, including a top price of $37,500 for Lot 160, to put him amongst the top 10 sires of the Sale.
Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud successfully defended its title as the leading weanling vendor at this Sale for the eighth year in a row. With 19 weanlings through the ring, 17 have sold for $562,400 at an average of $33,082, including providing four of the top six lots of the Sale.
“This has always been an important Sale for Curraghmore and our clients,” commented Curraghmore Stud principal Gordon Cunningham. “It’s terrific that we’ve gained good returns across the board again and I am proud of our staff and what they have achieved.”
“We had a lot of confidence in our draft coming into the Sale and our prices and clearance justified us offering a draft of this quality to the market.”
“I can only speak for ourselves but our good colts were busy and in strong demand, and in the current climate it was good to be able to sell our fillies at reasonable prices too.”
“Over the years we’ve grown our market at this Sale by presenting quality, genuine horses and hopefully the pinhookers will achieve good returns on their purchases as they have done in the past.”
Selling is continuing at Karaka throughout the afternoon with horses-in-training, yearlings, two-year-olds, unraced stock, and racehorses.
Results from the afternoon sessions will be provided at the close of selling today.
The Broodmare session will complete the three-day Sale from 10am tomorrow at Karaka (Lots 430 – 658).
Get the latest NZB news instantly by following us on Twitter (@KarakaChat), or sign up to our regular e-news updates at www.nzb.co.nz.

2013 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale - Weanling Statistics

Top Lots

Leading Purchasers by Aggregate

 Leading Vendors by Aggregate

Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold)

Leading Sires by Average (three or more sold)

9/5/2013 Harbour Watch (Ire) to stand at Emirates Park

Emirates Park have formed a new alliance with an emerging world thoroughbred power to stand the brilliant European 2-year-old Harbour Watch (Ire), beginning with the upcoming 2013 covering season.
An unbeaten son of Acclamation recognized by Timeform as its Champion 2-year-old of 2011, Harbour Watch is owned by Qatar Bloodstock and stands at Tweenhills Stud, England. The exciting stallion prospect is presently serving his first northern hemisphere stud season.
Emirates Park CEO, Trevor Lobb, confirmed that negotiations had been completed to stand Harbour Watch at its Murrurundi headquarters at an introductory service fee of $9900 (inc GST).
“Harbour Watch is a very exciting young stallion and we are greatly looking forward to becoming the first Australian stud to join forces with Qatar Bloodstock,” stated Lobb when announcing the development.
“For local breeders and ourselves alike, Harbour Watch offers juvenile speed and precocity in abundance, as well as a much sought-after outcross, making him a very exciting new stallion for the 2013 breeding season. 
“We’d been in discussion with David Redvers and Sheikh Fahad al-Thani since very early in the year,” added Lobb, “and then continued the negotiations during their recent visit to Sydney for the Easter Yearling Sale.”
Sheikh Fahad al-Thani and his bloodstock adviser David Redvers have become very well known figures in Australian thoroughbred circles following the enormous success they have enjoyed with 2011 Melbourne Cup and 2012 Caulfield Cup winner Dunaden.
A member of the Qatar Royal Family, Sheikh Fahad al-Thani is also the driving force behind Qatar Bloodstock, an operation steadily assembling a select band of outstanding young stallion prospects, as well as one of the finest strings of racehorses in European racing. It is Qatar Bloodstock’s intention to support Harbour Watch with high-calibre fillies and mares.
Harbour Watch offers top-class European juvenile performance, a very fashionable sireline, and the chance to source one of the world’s most celebrated female families.
Trained by the redoubtable English horseman Richard Hannon, Harbour Watch went through his 2-year-old season unbeaten, breezing through his first two racecourse assignments at Salisbury and Newmarket with near four and five lengths victories respectively.
Subsequently assigned the Group 2 Richmond Stakes at Glorious Goodwood at his third and only other outing, Harbour Watch landed one of the most prestigious events on the English juvenile racing calendar with consummate ease. Such was the manner of the win, Timeform declared it “the best performance by a two-year-old in 2011”.
Unfortunately, a freak accident prevented Harbour Watch from taking his place in last year’s Group 1 English 2000 Guineas, for which he was a one-time favourite, and he was subsequently retired to Tweenhills Stud. His first season at stud has seen him in high demand and the freshman is expected to cover over 150 mares.
Harbour Watch is a son of Acclamation, the leading First Season Sire of his generation and a champion sire of 2YOs in Europe now gaining an enviable reputation as a sire-of-sires. Dark Angel, Acclamation’s first son to stud, became the Leading First Season Sire in GB-Ire in 2011, and then backed that title up by becoming the Leading Second Season Sire in GB-Ire in 2012.
Harbour Watch’s catalogue page is equally as impressive. Produced by a grand-daughter of Fall Aspen also responsible for the dual South African Group 1 winner Europa Point, Harbour Watch hails from a family responsible for a plethora of revered stallions --- Dubai Millennium included --- that have left their imprint on every continent on the planet.
“Australian broodmare owners have always placed great importance on 2-year-old performance and that is why we were very keen on acquiring Harbour Watch’s services,” added Lobb. “He is also a magnificent individual standing 16.2hh and has all the attributes to be a world class prospect. We very much look forward to standing him.”

8/5/2013 Darci Delivers Highlight on Day 1 of NZB Weanling Sale

New Zealand Bloodstock’s three-day National Weanling & Broodmare Sale got underway at Karaka today with local sire Darci Brahma providing the highlight of the 220 weanlings on offer.
The top lot came early on in proceedings at Lot 6, with Curraghmore Stud’s colt by Darci Brahma (Danehill) fetching $85,000 to the bid of Shane Crawford’s Regal Farm.
The colt is from the seven-time winning racemare Anca (Howbaddouwantit), a sister to the top Singapore performer Ace Aleta, and from the family of Hong Kong Horse of the Year Ambitious Dragon.

Lot 6 by Darci Brahma topped day 1 when sold for $85,000

“We came to the sale just to purchase him,” commented Crawford.  “We thought we might have to go a little bit higher for him as the good horses sold well today.”
“He is a lovely type of horse, with a lovely way about him and he will be a part of our racing team. We will put him out in the paddock now and break him in as a yearling and then see how he goes from there.”
Windsor Park Stud’s freshman sire Rip Van Winkle (Galileo) provided the second-top price of the day with his colt at Lot 172 fetching $75,000 to the bid of Tom Magnier. Offered by Mapperley Stud, the colt is from the winning Volksraad mare, Linnet.
The top lot contributed to Darci Brahma (Danehill) heading the sires table for the day by aggregate with five of his seven entries sold for $157,500 at an average of $31,500.
But it was Thorn Park who headed the sires table by average with four sold for an average of $36,250, including a top price of $55,000 for Lot 163, Little Avondale Stud’s colt from La Serenissime (Machiavellian) bought by Ascot Farm.
Astute pinhookers Bruce & Maureen Harvey of Ascot Farm were very active throughout the day, securing six youngsters for a total of $261,500 at an average of $43,583, to be the leader buyer of the session so far. Their purchases included four of the top 10 lots, including the top priced filly of the day at Lot 78, Bluegables Farm’s Savabeel filly from the unraced Dehere mare Eaudechloe, bought for $47,000.
As the leading weanling vendor for the past seven years in a row, Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore Stud looks set to keep its record intact by ending Day 1 as the leader by both aggregate and average, with nine of the Stud’s 10 entries sold for $288,500, at an average just over $32,000.
Curraghmore Stud has another 10 weanlings catalogued for sale tomorrow.
With 220 weanlings catalogued for sale today, so far 131 have sold for $1,462,100 at an average of $11,161 and clearance rate of 72%. The median is currently $5,000.
The three-day Sale continues tomorrow (Thursday) with a further 135 weanling entries (Lots 221 to 355), followed by horses-in-training, yearlings, two-year-olds, unraced stock and racehorses. The Sale concludes on Friday with the Broodmare session from Lots 430 to 658.
All sessions can be viewed live online at www.nzb.co.nz from 10am each day.
For the full sale catalogue, including recent pedigree updates, results and news from the 2013 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale visit www.nzb.co.nz. 

2013 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale - Weanling Statistics

Top Lots

Leading Purchasers by Aggregate

 Leading Vendors by Aggregate

Leading Vendors by Average (three or more sold)

Leading Sires by Average (three or more sold)

Best Ever National Yearling Catalogue Online
Wednesday, 8 May, 2013
 
The best ever catalogue for the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale is now online for viewing.

The sale has already produced winners of such races as the Golden Slipper, AJC Oaks, Dubai Golden Shaheen, Kelt Capital Stakes, Oakleigh Plate, Krisflyer International Sprint and Vinery Stud Stakes.

The 2013 edition of the sale, to be held from June 4 to 6 comprises a catalogue of 662 yearlings by the best cross section of stallions in the industry.

Among the pedigree stand outs entered are (at least) half relations to stars including Bentley Biscuit, Carnegie Express, Lim's Objective, Lotteria, Road to Rock, Strategic News, Buffering, Downhill Racer, Fritz's Princess, Hanks, Longport, Natural Blitz, Palacio de Cristal, Sir Breakfast, Torio's Quest, Trusting, Real Surreal, Face Value, Camporella, Better Than Ready, Boban, Calcatta, See the World and Whittington.

There are 16 lots in the sale from Group One winners - those mares represented including Arapaho Miss, Bel Mer, Belle Bizarre, Crystal Palace, Devil Moon, Heavenly Glow, Il Quello Veloce, Linky Dink, Sun Classique and Victory Vein.

Other stakes winning mares with yearlings catalogued include La Zoffany, Laura's Charm, Legible, She Will Be Loved, Bianca, Patronyme, Royal Asscher, Spirited One, Danehill Smile, Maha Chakri, Pergram, Permissive and Serenote.

To view the online catalogue for the National Yearling Sale click here.

The National Yearling Sale catalogue, as well as the National Weanling and Broodmare Sale catalogue is also available for download on iPads via the equineline app.

8/5/2013 Eliza Park 2013 Service Fees

Leading, dual state stud operation, Eliza Park, has announced its service fees for 2013.
With 10 stallions based at the Victorian farm and two headlining the Queensland operation, the roster has been bolstered this spring by the addition of exciting Not a Single Doubt sprinter, Squamosa.

2013 SERVICE FEES

[Victoria]

BEL ESPRIT                                  $33,000
WANTED                                      $33,000
MAGNUS                                       $13,200
STATUE OF LIBERTY                  $11,000
BUSHRANGER                              $8,800
MOSHE                                          $8,800
ASTRONOMER ROYAL                $7,700
SHINZIG                                        $6,600
SQUAMOSA [new]                       $6,600
SHARKBITE                                  $5,500

[Queensland]

LOVE CONQUERS ALL                 $11,000
MONASHEE MOUNTAIN             $3,300

All prices are inclusive of GST while Eliza Park’s much sought after trading terms remain in place, including a transferrable free return for any mare sold in foal to an Eliza Park stallion and no payment of service fee until 31 March 2014.

For further information, please phone Eliza Park’s Sales & Nominations Manager, Mark Lindsay, on 0416 334 338.

8/5/2013 Nz National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale Live Online

The New Zealand Bloodstock National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale commences today and can be viewed via live webcast from 10.00am by clicking here.
The Sale will see 668 weanlings, broodmares and mixed bloodstock parade through the Karaka sale ring over the course of the next three days with Lots 1 to 220 set to be auctioned today.
To view the Sale catalogue online please click here.
For news and information from New Zealand Bloodstock visit www.nzb.co.nz.  

8/5/2013 Golden Archer to stand at Raheen Stud

Peter Moody’s outstanding sprinter Golden Archer has been purchased to stand at Raheen Stud in Queensland.

Moody retired Golden Archer after the flying sprinter was galloped on during the G1 The Galaxy (1100m).  “The injury wasn’t severe, however, we decided the time was right," Moody explained.  "Golden Archer has been great for our team.  Only Black Caviar has won more black type races for the stable in the last couple of years.”

Golden Archer was a precocious colt winning juvenile stakes races at Flemington and Moonee Valley and he trained on to win the G3 McNeil Stakes at three and LR The Heath 1100 as a four year-old at Caulfield.

He was part of a ground-breaking Group 1 trifecta for Moody in this year’s Lightning Stakes when Black Caviar broke the 1000 metre track-record at Flemington.  She clocked 55.42 seconds down the straight course and stablemates Moment Of Change (Barely A Moment) and Golden Archer (Rock Of Gibraltar) also ran time chasing the champion mare home.

In another vote of confidence, Moody will stay in Golden Archer at stud.  Even at the height of Black Caviar hysteria, he still found time for his other stable favourite.  "Golden Archer is just a professional racehorse.  A tremendous horse.  He’s done very little wrong throughout his career.”

Moody had flexed his juvenile muscle with a strong two year-old team in 2010-11.  By the time Golden Archer made his debut in the Western Health Sponsors Plate (1100m) at Flemington in December, Moody had already sent a half-dozen youngsters to the races.

The strapping colt had admirers on debut and Luke Nolen allowed him to quickly stride up alongside Darley colt Ardennais.  Asked to extend, Golden Archer dropped the leader and cleared out to a comprehensive two length victory.

“He’s the best youngster of the large number to have passed through to stable to date,” stable manager Jeff O’Connor said.  “He’s been the benchmark for our two-year-olds at home and he has brought that here on raceday.”

Golden Archer was just as impressive next time out on Boxing Day winning up front by another couple of lengths at Caulfield.  “He’s still having a look around,” Moody said.  “And Luke knew there was no value trying to gap them.”

After a placing to champion colt Sepoy in a LR Blue Diamond Preview, Golden Archer was a class above his rivals in the LR Gold Sovereign Stakes.  Nolan praised the colt after his win over gallant filly Triple Asset in Tasmania.  “He was never comfortable in the going,” Nolan claimed.  “He won it on raw ability and that says a lot for his character.”

The trip away toughened up the Caulfield colt and that was evident when he repelled several closers in a five-way finish to the LR Festival Of Racing Stakes at Flemington.  A fortnight later, he made it five wins from six starts in the LR St Albans Stakes at Moonee Valley.

The St Albans has been the launching-pad for stallions like Bel Esprit, Oratorio (Aus) and All American since the turn of the century.  The victory also helped Moody win a $130,000 Mercedes-Benz after his team amassed more than $1 million in prizemoney during the Moonee Valley night season.

The pressure was on Golden Archer to reproduce his scintillating juvenile form as a three year-old and he responded with a gutsy second to Sepoy in the LR Vain Stakes at Caulfield.  Moody wasn’t offering any excuses but he did report the colt had lost a plate in running.

Second-up, he overcame a check at the start to win the G3 HDF McNeil Stakes at Caulfield.  “You would love a stable full of horses like him,” Moody said.  “He could come back for the G1 Rupert Clarke Stakes or we might butt heads with Sepoy again at weight-for-age."

A spelling paddock accident sidelined Golden Archer for the rest of the season but he was just as effective as a four year-old winning the LR The Heath 1100 last September.  “Before the injury, I had him lined up for a trip to England - that's how highly I rate him,” Moody stated.  “'I think he’s in the top half-dozen sprinters in the country.”

Golden Archer followed up with a game second to Buffering in the G2 Schillaci Stakes at Caulfield and returned this year to play his part in that stable shut-out in the G1 Lightning Stakes.

Golden Archer (Rock Of Gibraltar – Viennetta by Pins) represents the Danehill sireline and is one of 82 stakes winners world-wide by Rock Of Gibraltar.  Among them is prominent Australian first-season sire Murtajill.  His NZ bred dam Viennetta was a Group 2 winner at Ellerslie and she is related to Moody’s G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Anacheeva.

Randwick Bloodstock’s Brett Howard brokered the deal with Raheen and he believes Golden Archer meets all the criteria for a sire prospect.  “He's a particularly good looking stallion and his yearlings will be well received in the sales ring," he predicted.  "He was a very good sprinter - fast, strong and tough - and he showed good form as a two and three year-old.”

Raheen will stand Golden Archer for a $6,600 (inc gst) service fee in 2013.  For further details, broodmare owners can call studmaster Basil Nolan on (07) 4666 1172 or 0407 140 711 and Basil Nolan jnr on 0407 162 296.