Archive for month: August, 2014

Victorian owner-breeders Ed and Robyn Shakespeare have won the 2013-14 Swettenham Stud Victorian Country Racehorse of the Year award with their classy stayer Hurdy Gurdy Man.

The Street Cry gelding won the Hamilton Cup and Murtoa Cup and was also placed in the Ballarat Cup and Werribee Cup last season.  He topped the poll ahead of Diamonds at Noon and Me Hungi.

Hurdy Gurdy Man

Hurdy Gurdy Man had won the G3 Hobart Cup and Woodend Cup at Warrnambool in 2012-13.  “This horse had few little niggling issues when he was younger,” trainer Darren Weir said.  “But Ed and Robyn have been very patient with him.”

Along with being crowned the Country Racehorse of the Year, the Shakespeares received a commemorative Americain framed head collar (one of only five) courtesy of Swettenham Stud.

Hurdy Gurdy Man’s dam Abalone is a daughter of former Swettenham Stud sire Bluebird.

“There were a number of horses who had outstanding seasons in contention for this year’s award,” Country Racing CEO Scott Whiteman said at the South Wharf Convention Centre.  “It’s a great achievement by everyone involved in Hurdy Gurdy Man and this award is great recognition of their hard work.”

Strong trade continued during the second session of the DBS Premier Sales in the UK overnight taking its final figures well ahead of what was a highly successful sale in 2013.

After an encouraging opening day, demand for yearlings was strong from the first lot in the ring on day two and a flourish of six figure prices later in the evening saw the sale average finish at a pleasing £37,111, up 14% on 2013 with the clearance rate at 88%.

Pictured: Canford Cliffs Filly from Decorative. Source DBS website.

A total of 21 yearlings made £100,000 or more, up from 16 last year with yesterday’s top price of £230,000 for Castletown Quarry Stud’s Starspangledbanner colt the overall sale-topper.

Setting the pace on day two was Manister House Stud’s Canford Cliffs fillyfrom minor winning Danehill Dancer mare Decorative who was knocked down to Tony Nerses for £180,000.

The top priced filly of the sale, she was one of three Canford Cliffs yearlings to make over £100,000, a great result for a young sire that shuttles to Blue Gum Farm in Victoria and will have yearlings at Australian sales in 2015.

Sharing top honours for the second highest priced offering of the day was The Premier Consignment’s Zoffany half-sister to last weekend’s Group I winner The Wow Signal that was bought by Chasemore Farm for £150,000.

A Group I winning son of Dansili that shuttles to Coolmore in Australia, Zoffany also had a colt from Chameleon fetch £120,000 and a filly from Promise of Love fetch £100,000 and he too will have yearlings at Australian sales in 2015.

Article by Breednet.

Victoria has another exciting crop of first-season sires beginning their stud careers next month and six of them paraded before the Inglis August Sale at Oaklands Junction.

FIORENTE  (Monsun – Desert Bloom by Pilsudski)
Eliza Park International
Fee:  $17,600 (inc gst).

Victoria’s 2013-14 Horse of the Year following Group 1 victories in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Australian Cup (2000m) plus Group 2 wins in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) and Peter Young Stakes (1800m).

Apart from those racing highlights last season, Fiorente (Ger) is a son of champion sire Monsun who is one of the world’s most successful sires with 17% stakes winners-to-runners strike-rate.

FIGHTING SUN  (Northern Meteor – Irish Darling by Ivory’s Irish)
Eliza Park International
Fee: $13,750 (inc gst)

Fighting Sun is the highest rated 2YO colt by ill-fated sire Northern Meteor whose legacy includes Zoustar, Romantic Touch and Eurozone.  He is out of Group 1 winning mare Irish Darling and is assured of tremendous support from EPI owner Sun International.

Gai Waterhouse flagged Fighting Sun as her Golden Slipper horse after a three length victory in the LR Canonbury Stakes but he was sidelined after suffering a suspensory injury.

POLANSKI (Rakti – Citrium by Citidancer)
Roycevale Stud
Fee:  TBA

Polanski won the LR Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington and G3 Norman Robinson Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield before a dream result in last year’s G1 Victoria Derby at Flemington.

Part-owner and trainer Robbie Laing brought the colt back for a G1 Australia Derby campaign but he broke down first-up in the G1 Futurity Stakes.

His sire Rakti – a Danzig line sire through Polish Precedent – was a five-time Group 1 winner in Italy and England and his dam Citrium was named Victorian Broodmare of the Year earlier this month.

UNENCUMBERED  (Testa Rossa – Blizzardly by More Than Ready)
Three Bridges Thoroughbreds
Fee: $13,200 (inc gst)

Retired sound and will begin stud duties eight years after his sire Testa Rossa transferred out of Victoria to the Hunter Valley.

Won on debut at Randwick and then added a Group 3 in the B J McLachlan Stakes at Doomben before cruising home in the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast.

UNUSUAL SUSPECT (Unusual Heat – Penpont by Crested Wave)
Moorookyle Park
Fee:  $7,700 (inc gst)

Group 1 winner of the Hollywood Park Turf Cup following stakes wins at Santa Anita, Del Mar, Golden Gate Fields and Bay Meadows.

Unusual Suspect is by champion sire Unusual Heat from NZ bred Riccarton winner Penpont who has also foaled G1 Santa Anita Las Virgenes Stakes winner Golden Doc.  After arriving in Australia from Dubai, he won the LR Werribee Cup at his penultimate start before retiring to Moorookyle Park.

WAR (More Than Ready – Deedra by Zabeel)
Blue Gum Farm
Fee: $8,800 (inc gst)

A $500,000 graduate from the 2012 Inglis Easter Sale, War was runner-up in the LR Breeders Plate at Randwick on debut and returned as a three year-old to win the G3 Up and Coming Stakes (1300m) at Warwick Farm.

War joined Snitzel, Fastnet Rock, Exceed and Excel, Testa Rossa and Marscay on the roll-call of Up and Coming Stakes winners and they all developed into top-class sires.

The Blue Gum newcomer is by Champion 2YO Sire More Than Ready whose sire sons include champion stallion Sebring and his second-dam is G1 Queensland Oaks winner Joie Denise.

All photos by Sharon Chapman at Fast Track Photography.

Flyingconi has been a marvellous money-spinner for Cranbourne trainer Shea Eden and he cashed another winner’s cheque in the $70,000 Mildura Cup on Sunday.

The son of Ridgeview Park stallion Bianconi bolted in by more than three lengths to give jockey Dean Yendall a Cup hat-trick following Out of Coober (2013) and Lord of Brazil (2012).

“He’s been an amazing horse for me and the connections,” Eden said.  “It’s a big thrill to win this.”

Flyingconi’s connections with Dean Yendall after the Mildura Cup (l –r) Shea Eden, Kent Eden, Glenn Trimble and Vince Del Nigro. Photo:  Clancy Shipsides / Sunraysia Daily

Flyingconi (7g Bianconi – Adulate by Flying Spur) sat at the back of the field while his stablemate Rambert set a fast pace in front.  Yendall angled wide at the top of the straight and the gelding swamped his rivals in the final furlong.

“I told Dean the horse needed to be ridden quietly,” Eden said.  “It’s no secret he needs a fast tempo and the firm track suited, too.”

Flyingconi won his maiden at Sale in May 2011 and he has also saluted at Flemington (2) and Moonee Valley for owners Vince del Nigro, Kent Eden and Glenn Trimble.

Bianconi (Danzig) will cover his first book at Ridgeview Park in Muskerry East this year.  Studmaster Phil Sloane is offering a two-for-one rate for bookings made in August.  Broodmare owners can send two mares to Bianconi for $5,500 (inc gst) this month.  A single booking has been discounted $3,300 (inc gst).

Eliza Park International champion Bel Esprit has sired his 20th stakes winner with a close relation of his world-champion mare Black Caviar.

Iconic (4g Bel Esprit – Danavia by Danehill) was a narrow winner of the LR Carlyon Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday for part-owner and breeder Rob Crabtree.  He was racing first-up following an autumn campaign that included an unplaced effort in the G1 Oakleigh Plate.

Bel Esprit stands at Eliza Park International

“He’s from a cracking family and there’s more nice races in him,” trainer Tony McEvoy said.  “Looking at his legs, you would walk past him but he hasn’t had a day’s unsoundness.”

Iconic had been threatening to break through at black-type level since a narrow victory over Trust In A Gust in the VOBIS Gold Rush at Bendigo in March 2013.  He was runner-up to champion sprinter Lankan Rupee in the G2 Rubiton Stakes at Caulfield in February this year.

McEvoy said the McEwen Stakes at Moonee Valley on September 6 is next on the agenda.  The Group 2 sprint is the likely spring launching pad for Lankan Rupee.

Iconic is from a half-sister to Helsinge – the dam of Black Caviar.  His dam is also a three-quarter sister to Group 1 winner Magnus who stands alongside Bel Esprit at Eliza Park International.

The Carlyon Stakes was the second-leg of a double for Bel Esprit at Moonee Valley.  Lindsay Park filly Afleet Esprit won the opening race on the card and her spring goal is the G1 Thousand Guineas.

Bel Esprit captured his seventh straight Victorian sires’ premiership last season and he will stand for a $24,200 (inc gst) fee at Eliza Park International this year.

Super Winner commenced his career in style with sizzling four-length victory at Kranji on Friday night.

The Kaphero youngster gave trainer Theo Kieser his 100th winner in Singapore and the result was never in doubt once he assumed the lead after a slow start.  “I’m very happy to have reached that milestone,” Kieser said.  “He was a little bit slow into stride but was pretty impressive in the end.

Super Winner

“I had a hunch he would win after beating Black Mamba in a barrier trial.  Black Mamba went on to win on debut so it was a pretty good form-line.”

Super Winner (3g Kaphero – Millie Rose by Testa Rossa) was sold for $35,000 by Basinghall Farm owner Tas Rielley at the 2013 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.  Basinghall is nestled on the shores of Lake Nagambie not far from Kaphero’s home base at Swettenham Stud.

His dam Millie Rose won three races around the Victorian provincials for Leon Corstens and she also scored at Caulfield on G1 Orr Stakes day in 2006

Winning jockey Soo Khoon Beng said the winner’s tactical speed compensated for the tardy getaway.  “He jumped a bit slow but made up for it.  He can improve a lot from that first run.”

Super Winner is the latest winner to emerge from the second-crop of Kaphero.  He sired the winners of more two year-old races than any other Victorian based stallion in 2013-14.

Leading the charge is Stingray who was runner-up in the G3 Vain Stakes last Saturday.  The John Moloney trained colt is on right track for the G1 Caulfield Guineas in October.

Kaphero (Danzero) will stand for a $5,500 (inc gst) fee at Swettenham Stud this year.

Group 2 performer Oriental Ruby topped the Inglis Melbourne August Sale when making $105,000 at Oaklands Junction on Friday.

Oriental Ruby (7m Street Cry – Oriental by Monde Bleu) was offered by Moloney Racing on behalf of her owners which included Hampton Heath breeders John and Debbie Pallot.  She was purchased by Inglis acting for a NSW client after a career that included wins at Caulfield (2), Moonee Valley and Bendigo (2) plus a Group 2 placing in the 2013 Stocks Stakes at Moonee Valley.

Oriental Ruby

“Oriental Ruby has given us a great ride,” John Pallot said.  “From planning her dam’s mating with Mark Dodemaide to selling her to Moloney Racing and retaining a share to race her up to Group level against Atlantic Jewel.”

Jesse’s Dream (Choisir) was next best on the leader-board at $85,000.  The four-year-old sister to Eloping broke through for a three length maiden win at Geelong on Tuesday and was purchased by Peter Morgan.

Darley’s draft was again popular with buyers, who snapped up their 19 lots for $556,7000.  They included Sakitto ($64,000), Langara ($55,000), Proverb ($52,500) and Entwined ($45,000).

A total of 201 lots were sold on a strong day’s trading for turnover of $1,939,350 at an 88% clearance rate.  “The Darley horses were very popular and we appreciate the support they give the Melbourne Sale,” Inglis Director Peter Heagney said.  “It was also pleasing to see new clients from China participating at today’s sale.”

The Boards of Thoroughbred Breeders Australia and Aushorse Marketing are delighted to announce Tom Reilly, currently the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, will become Chief Executive Officer of both organisations.

As well as being a leader in the media industry, Mr Reilly has a deep understanding of Australian politics and business, which will enable him to advocate strongly on behalf of breeders.

Mr Reilly has had a lifelong passion for racing and breeding. After finishing university he spent three years working for trainers Luca Cumani and Mick Channon in the UK, Coolmore Stud in Kentucky and Christophe Clement in New York. He has also owned shares in horses both here and in the UK.

TBA chairman Basil Nolan welcomed the appointment.

“I am thrilled that someone of Tom’s ability with an understanding and passion for the racing industry from an early age has accepted the role of CEO TBA/Aushorse,” said Mr Nolan. “I feel that Tom has the capacity to deliver a sound outcome for all breeders of Thoroughbreds in this very competitive environment.”

Aushorse Chairman Antony Thompson said; “We received a large number of outstanding candidates and we are delighted to be able to secure Tom as CEO. He has practical horse experience and knows the overseas markets and industry participants. I am sure he will quickly grasp the industry issues and complexities whilst working with all stakeholders for the benefit of both organisations.”

Mr Reilly, who was born in London, first came to Australia in 2007 for the Melbourne Cup. Within two months he had moved here permanently.

After starting as a reporter on the Sunday Age in Melbourne, he moved to the Herald in Sydney where he held a number of senior positions before, aged 35, he was made one of the youngest editors of the daily paper in its history.

“It’s a tremendous honour to become chief executive of TBA and Aushorse and I’m looking forward to starting in the role,” said Mr Reilly.

“The Australian breeding industry is recognised as a global leader and I’m keen to continue to develop the Aushorse brand overseas and further increase international investment in our bloodstock whilst ensuring we continue to support and cultivate domestic ownership and Australia’s love and passion for the Thoroughbred.”

“I hope to provide a strong voice on behalf of the breeding industry, both with other stakeholder groups and governments at all levels.”

Mr Reilly will commence the role in mid September.

TBA is the peak body of the six state breeding associations, representing more than 3,700 breeders and industry participants. Aushorse Marketing is a non-profit organisation founded with the aim of promoting the Australian Thoroughbred both domestically and overseas and increasing sales.

For further information contact:

TBA President – Basil Nolan 0407 140 711

Aushorse Chairman – Antony Thompson 02 6549 9999

Eliza Park International’s new kid on the block Fiorente has been named 2013-14 Victorian Horse of the Year.

Fiorente polled 116 votes to win the award which was announced at the at the Crown Entertainment Complex on Sunday evening.  Champion sprinter Lankan Rupee (103) was runner-up ahead of Shamus Award (25) and Atlantic Jewel (19).

The German bred stayer raced 7 times in Victoria during the season highlighted by Group 1 victories in the Melbourne Cup (3200m) and Australian Cup (2000m).  He also registered Group 2 wins in the Dato Tan Chin Nam Stakes (1600m) and Peter Young Stakes (1800m).

“I’m honoured to be here accepting this award,” trainer Gai Waterhouse said.  “It’s a special thrill to accept such a prestigious award with a horse who provided me with such a special moment in the Melbourne Cup.”

Fiorente (Monsun – Desert Bloom by Pilsudski) will stand his initial season at Eliza Park International for a fee of $17,600 (inc gst).

Eliza Park International Sales & Nominations Manager Mark Lindsay reiterated the comments he made when Fiorente was signed-up to the Kerrie roster in May.  “It’s hard to move away from what he did in the Melbourne Cup and Australian Cup but his win over 1600m at weight for age in the Dato Tan Chin Nam was something else,” Lindsay said.

“He’s got a lot to offer broodmare owners and his sire Monsun is one of the world’s most successful sires with 17% stakes winners to runners.”

Fiorente will be one of the front-runners when the Australian Horse of the Year winner is announced on Thursday, October 2.

Leading owner-breeder Ian Bell celebrated a successful start to the season in the Darwin Cup and the winning run will continue with his Bianconi mare Cannes Coni.

Bell bred and part-owns former Victorian gelding Saturday Sorcerer who scored a career-high victory in the $200,000 Darwin Cup on August 4.

Racegoers had to brave much colder conditions at Geelong on Sunday but Cannes Coni had her connections glowing after an unlucky second on debut over 1100 metres.

“She was caught wide and then had to push forward,” trainer Andrew Dillon declared.  “She was entitled to drop out in the straight but was only beaten a short-neck.”

Dillon prepares Cannes Coni for Bell and his wife Vicki who race under the Campolina Pty Ltd banner.  “She’s a big mare and took time to mature.  There’s plenty of upside and, on that effort, will be winning races.”

Cannes Coni (4m Bianconi – Cannes Resort by Scenic) hails from the family of G1 Blue Diamond winner Undoubtedly and she has a yearling half-sister by former Ridgeview Park sire Illustrious Blue.

August Special for Bianconi and Dr Doute’s

Bianconi (Danzig) is gearing up for his first season at Ridgeview Park in Muskerry East and studmaster Phil Sloane is offering a two-for-one rate for bookings made in August.

Broodmare owners can send two mares to Bianconi for $5,500 (inc gst) this month.  A single booking has been discounted $3,300 (inc gst).

Ridgeview Park is advertising a similar deal for its Redoute’s Choice sire Dr Doute’s.  The Flemington Group 3 winner has his first two year-olds ready to race this season and broodmare owners can take advantage of a $4,400 (inc gst) two-for-one offer in August.

A single booking to Dr Doute’s has been discounted to $2,750 (inc gst).

Breeders can contact Phil and Fiona Sloane for more information on (03) 5433 6306 or 0488 525063.