Archive for month: August, 2017

Americain had his first three-year-old winner in Australia last week when “Oaks quality” filly, Queen Consort, won dominantly at Ipswich for Toowoomba trainer John Zielke.

A great way to welcome her sire Americain back onto Aussie soil, the promising galloper easily broke her maiden over 1680 metres.

“I bought this filly down in Melbourne…to specifically target the Queensland Oaks. This filly will run two miles, and there is no doubt she will get the Oaks distance. She’s by Melbourne Cup winner Americain, and she seems like she’ll stay all day,” Zielke said

“This is only her second start, so there is still plenty of improvement to come. She can travel a bit up and down, but she stretched out today and really used herself correctly when she hit the line.”

Although now trained a long way from Americain’s Victorian base, the promising galloper started life at the Nagambie nursery.

Bred by Rob Harding, a loyal, long term client of the farm, she was prepped at Limerick Lane by Swettenham’s nominations and marketing guru, Rachel Ritchie, for the 2016 Inglis Premier Sale.

“She was always going to grow into a tall, rangy filly, a lovely staying type. I knew she would run well,” Ritchie said.

Breeder Rob Harding was very pleased to see one of his homebreds win, and especially an Americain.

“I just got a call from Adam (Sangster) who was thrilled to pieces too. As we are a shareholder in Americain and have nominations, it’s great to get an early win at this time of year.”

Queen Consort is from Harding’s well-bred Flying Spur mare Princess Isabella, who hails from the black type family of Group 1 winners Shogun Lodge, Referral and Singing the Blues.

Still waiting for their first foal to arrive this season, Harding has around 14 mares in his high-quality broodmare band due this season.

“We are bringing some mares back from the Hunter, and I would like to send them to Adam, as I like the way he conducts his business, very professional. He follows each and every runner, foal and mare like they are his own, he is so passionate,” Harding said.

“I have a lovely Toronado filly who has just turned one, from my class mare, Kellys Ocean Jewel (Dansili). She is a half to New Bay, who placed third in the 2015 Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, beating Treve and I am looking forward to seeing her grow up and race.”

Queen Consort was sold from Swettenham Stud’s 2016 draft at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $36,000 to trainer John Zielke on behalf of the current owners Dovedeen Syndicate, managed by Evan Hartley.

The filly is the second Australian winner for Americain, who stands at Swettenham Stud this spring at a competitive fee of $11,000 (Inc gst). The sire has had numerous winners in the Northern Hemisphere including the United States, France and Canada.

All potential breeders are warmly invited to come and see a full parade of the Swettenham stallions, including Americain at their upcoming Open Days, at 11am on Sunday 20th August and 10.30am on Sunday 3rd September.

For more information and to RSVP your attendance, please call Swettenham Stud on 5794 2044 or email office@swettenham.com.au

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture Barnaby Joyce issued a media release last week regarding the new Thoroughbred Breeding Industry levy which will start this breeding season.

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Thoroughbred horse levy at the starting gates

Thoroughbred horse breeders and the whole industry will soon have greater certainty about investment in priority long-term research and development, with a new research and development levy to begin on 1 September.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, said the government was delivering on its $1.2 million election commitment to support the industry’s request to establish a levy, which will fund research to develop better disease control, stronger foals and horse welfare measures.

“Stallion owners will pay a levy of $10 per mare covered per season and mare owners will pay a levy of $10 per mare returned per season,” Minister Joyce said.

“The government will match industry’s own contributions up to $400,000 per year, with the levy thus expected to generate a total of $2.4 million for R&D over three years.

“The R&D levy is aimed at maintaining a strong, productive and profitable thoroughbred horse industry.

“The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) will manage the levy funds collected by industry, and work with industry to develop a research and development plan.”

Mr Joyce said the levy was an important development for Australia, home to the second largest thoroughbred breeding industry in the world, after the United States, with 660 stud farms supplying thoroughbred horses to both domestic and overseas markets.

“The industry employs 65,000 people, particularly in rural and regional areas and is worth $5 billion per annum to the Australian economy, so there’s no room for horsing around with industry risks.

“The levy will fund projects for the benefit of the whole industry, such as those focused on reducing injury, the incidence and impact of diseases and parasites and improved foal development and breeding outcomes.

“It could also be used to fund research to improve the safety of industry participants and the welfare of horses; and enhance the environmental sustainability of the industry.”

As announced by RIRDC, the industry advisory group for the thoroughbred levy has been set up and met for the first time on 28-29 June 2017. Their first piece of work is developing the 5-year plan for how the thoroughbred R&D funds should be spent.

The advisory panel comprises:

• Professor Nigel Perkins from the School of Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland (CHAIR)
• Jacqueline Stewart, (Keeper of the Australian Stud Book)
• Dr Catherine Chicken (consultant to the Scone Equine Hospital on pathology and infectious disease)
• Judith Medd (Racing and Wagering Western Australia Industry Veterinarian)
• Derek Field (Widden Stud General Manager)
• Tas Rielley (owner/operator of Basinghall Broodmare Farm).

Fast Facts:

• The peak industry body for Australia’s thoroughbred breeding industry, Thoroughbred Breeders Australia, represents 3,780 individual breeders and industry participants.
• In the 2015-16 season, 19 406 mares were covered to produce 12,701 live foals.
• Stallion owners will pay a levy of $10 per mare covered per season. Mare owners will pay a levy of $10 per mare returned per season.

Melbourne Polytechnic’s Diploma of Horse Breeding (Stud Management) has been restarted this year, helping to provide a skilled workforce for the Victorian breeding industry.

Head of the Equine Studies Program, Lou Nunn from Melbourne Polytechnic’s department of Agriculture and Animal Studies is passionate about education, having years of experience at Melbourne University’s Glenormiston Campus.

“The industry is crying out for well-educated people to employ on studs and farms throughout Victoria,” Nunn said.

“With Marcus Oldham being a financial barrier for many and the brilliant Godolphin Flying Start, a numbers barrier, there are not enough education courses available to prospective employees wanting to work in the local thoroughbred industry.

“We are thrilled that the course has been restarted this year, as it allows young people to acquire the skills, knowledge and hands on experience to gain quality employment as an equine industry professional.”

Learning all facets of horse breeding, students gain an extensive education in mare mating procedures, raising young horses, foaling down mares, developing and implementing breeding strategies, nutritional needs of breeding horses, coordination of pastures, property and infrastructure and how to manage the reproductive outcomes of stallions and mares.

Hands-on practical training is provided at their Northern Lodge Training Centre, a state-of-the-art equine specific teaching facility, coupled with Victorian stud and broodmare farms.

“We have built strong and valuable relationships with Woodside Park Stud, Swettenham Stud and Supreme Thoroughbreds as well as with Macedon Ranges Equine Vets who specialise in reproduction,” Nunn said.

“Students are given the opportunity to do their work placements at these four operations, taught by industry leaders to enable positive education outcomes. They provide a safe learning environment and take the students seriously.”

Equestrian Australia Level Three General Coach Catherine Davies, an extremely knowledgeable and respected horsewoman, teaches the Horse Breeding diploma.

“It’s wonderful having such a youthful, enthusiastic and knowledgeable equestrian in this position to teach young people. She can relate to the students and ensures that, with her teaching qualification, she can achieve the best result from each and every participant,” Nunn said.

Other specialised lecturers that educate the students on specific course modules include Heather Wilson from LaTrobe University’s Agriculture Division who teaches pasture management; Kate Kirk who lectures Equine Nutrition and Equine Veterinarian; and Olivia Greenwood who specialises in horse reproduction.

“This Diploma is setting people up for a management role in the horse industry. Through the quality of our teachers, industry supporters and standard of delivery, we have lifted the whole course to a new level,” Nunn said.

“The entire thoroughbred industry will open up for our graduates, and along with studs and farms, they will be qualified to work in a range of occupations in the wider horse industry, including racing stables, licensing bodies, transport, media, publishing and bloodstock.”

In association with LaTrobe University, successful completion of this course can lead onto a Bachelor Degree in Agriculture & Technology, with an Equine stream.

Melbourne Polytechnic also offer Racing Certificate 2 & 3 (Stablehand) and Racing Certificate 3 (Track Rider) with all practical skills developed at their Northern Lodge Training Centre at Eden Park.

For more information on the courses offered, contact Lou Nunn, Head of Program Equine Studies at Melbourne Polytechnic on 03 9269 1169 or visit their website www.melbournepolytechnic.edu.au

The Robert Smerdon trained Ability and his sire Reward for Effort have given TBV plenty of content to report on when it comes to Victorian breeding success during the winter.

And both were in no mood to finish that trend when the five-year-old gelding took out the rescheduled Group 3 Bletchingly Stakes at Sandown on Sunday.

Ability, showed he is well worthy of his moniker, by swooping from last to first and winning by a neck from former Australian champion Lankan Rupee.

Ability has now won four on end: a reversal of fortunes which has largely been put down to a decision to geld the 5YO son of Reward For Effort.

Raced by the family of the late and very popular, Phil Sly, Ability’s Bletchingly Stakes was the biggest win of his career which now reads seven wins and four placing from 16 starts for $368,250 in prizemoney.

Peter Moody became a household name for his prowess as a trainer, but takes a bow on this occasion as Ability’s breeder, sending his Dubai Destination mare Paeroa to the Chatswood Stud based Reward For Effort back in 2011.

A half-sister to the Group Two Matriarch Stakes winner, Well Rounded, Paeroa’s only foal to race at this stage is Ability, who was sold to Matchem Racing, from the Yallambee Stud draft, for $150,000 at the 2014 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale.

Christie Woodard, who ran Yallambee Stud (now Spendthrift Australia) with husband Rick, for over 30 years, well remembers Ability and is not surprised as to his continued rise.

“Pete (Moody) had a few mares on farm and Paeroa was a very tough gal and had produced a very nice foal in Ability. ‘Moods’ made the decision to send her to Reward For Effort and clearly pulled the right rein there.”

Now managing the YuLong Investments property at Bayles in West Gippsland, Woodard adds that Ability was destined to be popular at the Inglis Premier.

“He (Ability) came together well as a foal and then all the way through his yearling prep and I guess that showed in the price he brought. He really had the right nature from day one and, as it turns out, he was worth every penny.”

After Ability, Paeroa produced a Sebring filly (an unraced 3YO colt with Henry Dwyer called April Sun In Cuba) but was later sold at the 2016 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale to Hancox Bloodstock, on behalf of the Esplin family, for $70,000.

Paeroa was in foal to Helmet and produced a three quarter brother to Ability last September and is now in foal to Reset.

In terms of the Helmet three brother to Ability, Hamish Esplin revealed that the colt would be offered at a major 2018 sale, adding:

“I saw him the other day and he is in much the same mould as Ability: a big, strong colt and I said to Peter (Moody) that I would sell it back to him for $200,000 … he didn’t find that funny at all!”

Meanwhile, Chatswood’s Reward For Effort was basking in the success of a record breaking racing season. He produced no less than 77 individual winners in season 2016/2017, more than any other Third Season Sire.

His progeny earnings, which included five stakes successes, were just a tick over $3.7 million, a Victorian Third Season Sire record.

Reward For Effort stands this season at Chatswood Stud for a fee of $16,500.

Written Tycoon is like a fine wine as he continues to improve year after year.

Held in the highest regards amongst the most astute thoroughbred judges, by the finest sommeliers, he would be comparable to a Grange.

Having taken out Champion First Season Sire of Australia in 2010/11, he has now been recognised for the second season in a row with the title of Champion Victorian Sire.

Written Tycoon had a break-out season in 2015/2016 with three of his progeny winning Group 1 races not least Golden Slipper winner Capitalist. He was also crowned Champion Australian 2YO Sire.

This past season he proved the previous season wasn’t a fluke. The progeny of the Woodside based sire earned $7.79 million across Australia. This included six individual stakes winners, 139 individual winners and, of course, Group 1 Tatts Tiara winner Tycoon Tara.

Added to that was his overseas success particularly in Hong Kong where he had seven individual winners and progeny earnings of HK$13 million (AU$2.09 million).

A son of Last Tycoon’s Iglesia and out of a Kenmare mare, an element of Written Tycoon’s success must be credited to providing breeders with an outcross that suits the majority of pedigrees.

With the Australian broodmare band being saturated with Danehill blood, he has achieved success from a diverse range of dam lines, not being restricted to suiting a particular nick.

In his early stud career Written Tycoon was well supported with mare numbers but not necessarily quality. Nevertheless he continually upgraded his mares, and by producing outstanding types with each crop of foals, he started to gain admirable attention.

All up, Written Tycoon has had 443 progeny hit the race track for 324 winners, a phenomenal 73.0% winners to runners ratio. Total progeny earnings are now more than $38 million including the big prizes of 19 stakes winners.

This year, Written Tycoon went to a new level writing Victorian sire records in the sales ring.

In January, his Magic Millions Gold Coast yearlings averaged $307,500, an astonishing 22 times his service fee.

Then at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, he became the first Victorian based sire to have a $1 million yearling at any sale in Australia. With his Easter yearlings averaging $610,000, he returned a staggering 44.8 times his service fee.

These exceptional sales results give mare owners the confidence that they have made the right choice financially to breed with Written Tycoon to achieve success in the sales ring and on the racetrack.

With tremendous fertility and libido, Written Tycoon in recent seasons has covered large books of some of the best pedigreed and performed young mares in the country, reversing the trend and triggering commercial breeders in the Hunter Valley to send mares south.

In modern times it is unprecedented for such a successful sire – on both the race track and in the sales ring – to stand (and remain) in Victoria.

But Woodside Park Stud is passionately Victorian owned by Mark Rowsthorn and he is determined that their champion sire remains right here in the southern state.

The sire’s 2017 service fee is $88,000, by far the highest ever demanded of a Victorian based sire. But with the accolades he and his progeny have already achieved, it is hard to argue this is not the right figure.

Sun Stud’s exciting young stallion, Squamosa has taken out the title of Victoria’s Champion First Season Sire for the 2016/17 racing season.

An explosive racehorse himself, Squamosa was unbeaten at two, with a win in the Group 3 Run to the Rose Handicap and was a gallant Group 1 runner up in the STC Golden Rose.

Hitting the ground running with only 11 progeny to race, Squamosa’s first two runners were both stakes placed winners, the fillies Derasa and Kiwi Ida. A further five runners have been placed in their careers to date.

Being the only son at stud in Victoria of boom stallion Not a Single Doubt (who stands for a service fee of $88,000), Squamosa has been a popular option for local breeders to tap into his highly sort after pedigree.

Sun Stud’s David Grant is not surprised that the exciting stallion is achieving great first up results on the track and generating large numbers of mares in the covering shed.

Squamosa covered a career high 121 mares in 2016, giving him every opportunity for his progeny to succeed on the racetrack in the future.

Becoming more popular each year, Sun Stud has recently boosted their level of shareholding in the promising stallion, following on from some keen interest from a number of Hunter Valley farms.

“When we were made aware of the attention Squamosa was generating up north, me moved quickly to increase our ownership, ensuring that he stays in Victoria to support local breeders and the Victorian breeding industry,” Grant said.

Squamosa stands in at Sun Stud Victoria for an competitive fee of $6600 (GST incl) no doubt making him an attractive choice for broodmare owners again this season.

After Eurack’s brilliant second win at Sandown, the racing community is starting to get excited about how good this filly may be.

Eased down on the line, with a clear four-length margin, the dominant victory gave Eurack a chance to show her talent against a city-class field.

And the stunning wins of the unbeaten John Drape bred filly couldn’t come at a better time for her sire, the former Hong Kong sprinter Oneworld.

Now owned by Stefan Seketa, the stallion son of Danehill Dancer has had fertility issues, but is being given a chance by one of Australia’s most experienced stallion farm operators.

Having left only nine live foals on the ground over four seasons, Oneworld is headed to historic Stockwell Thoroughbreds and will be managed by expert stud master Mike Becker.

“Off the back of the very promising filly, Eurack, we thought we would see what we could do. Stefan and I are fairly optimistic that the worst of his problems are behind him and that his fertility will improve,” Becker said.

“He raced until he was six, so he may just have had a post racing blockage, which is not uncommon.

“He has now had a good length of time away from racing, and the chance to genuinely let down. Time will be our judge, and we are looking forward to the challenge.”

Not expected to cover a large book of mares, Becker will focus on fine-tuning One World’s covering times and allow sufficient recovery. With professional management, Becker is confident that he can build Oneworld up to a respectable level of fertility.

“There have been some high-profile stallions who have overcome their breeding issues, giving us hope that things can be repaired. You have to be patient, work through the concerns and get a sound footing.”

Having already taken bookings from outside mares, Becker is conscious of the importance of being open and honest with communication so that the mare owners are completely aware of the challenges.

One World (Danehill Dancer) won $2.26 million in prize money, with a Group 2 victory in the Jockey Club Sprint at Sha Tin, dead-heating with Rocket Man and defeating Sacred Kingdom.

He notably placed in nine stakes races, including dual Group 1s, the Golden Shaheen in Dubai and the Hong Kong International Sprint.

One World is out of the Hurricane Sky dam River Serenade, who produced the high-class sprinter First Command. She is a sister to the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate winner River Dove, the dam of Headwater (Exceed and Excel) and a half-sister to the stakes placed River Crossing, the dam of the high-class sprinter Kulgrinda (Exceed and Excel).

“He is an extremely handsome, beautifully balanced horse and his temperament is extraordinary, he has been a delight to have around the place. We are looking forward to working with him, and it’s going to be an interesting ride,” Becker said.

One World’s service fee is on application. Contact Mike Becker for more information on 0412 538 155.

A Victorian bred mare which finished last at Warrnambool on debut before scaling the heights to win at Group 1 level has been retired.

Tycoon Tara will be served by Zoustar at Woodside Park Stud in Victoria.

She began her racing in Victoria before shifting to the Peter and Paul Snowden stable midway through last year, rounded out her career when finishing sixth in Saturday’s Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick.

The seven-year-old mare is a homebred of Port Fairy’s Tony Krushka and is a daughter of Woodside Park sire Written Tycoon.

The 10-time winner came to the Snowden camp as a multiple Group winner but took the leap to the next level out of their Randwick base – starting 11 times for four wins (all at Group level) including the Group 1 Tatt’s Tiara (1350m) at Doomben.

“You don’t usually see a mare that has her career highlight so late,” Paul Snowden said.

“But it was pleasing for the stable. She did a great job for us and now a stud career beckons.”

And to give all owners out there a glimmer of hope – Tycoon Tara was beaten 24 lengths at Warrnambool when debuting on a heavy 10 track back in August, 2013.

Her career ended with 10 wins from 33 starts and prizemoney of $1,151,970.

Excerpts from Breednet. By Paul Joice.

It was a wild and woolly Caulfield on Saturday with the Bletchingly Stakes program eventually abandoned due to high winds, but not before a rising star in Shamport (Shamardal) put his stamp on the $180,000 Join Victorian Breeders VOBIS Gold Ingot over 1400m.

And, if you believe his champion trainer, then this Rosemont Stud (slightly unusually) bred colt is a potential star of the future.

Stepping out for just the second time after finishing third at Echuca on 10 July, the Darren Weir trained 2YO was all business in the Gold Ingot, cruising to the line with more than two panels to spare.

“This is a really nice horse,” Weir enthused.

“We liked him at Echuca and he ran really well … Johnny (Allen) was very critical of his ride and said he should have taken control of the race earlier and probably would have won.

“The best part about his performance in the Gold Ingot though was that the further they got into the race, the stronger he went to the line and he did it quite easily in the end.

“I think once he gets up further in distance, as his pedigree suggests, then he’s going to be a very handy horse. He’ll go up to the farm for a few weeks on the water walker and then we’ll bring him back for the spring.”

A son of Shamardal from the Red Ransom mare, Port Providence, Shamport was bred by Rosemont Stud and sold through its draft at the 2016 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, where he was knocked down to bloodstock agent, John Foote, for $320,000.

“John really liked him and (Weir Racing Manager) Jeremy (Rogers) gave him the thumbs up as well,” Weir adds.

“He was purchased on behalf of Hong Kong based owner, Peter Law, and Shamport is the from the first lot of yearlings we bought for Peter, so it was great to see the horse get up and win a good race like this.

“Peter has made a substantial investment in Australia and to our stable … Shamport is one of six 2YOs, while we also have around 10 of his yearlings.

“He’ll eventually take some of the horses to Hong Kong to race, but I’m obviously hoping he’ll keep Shamport here for the spring.”

Shamport’s sire, Shamardal shuttled for five seasons to Australia, leaving Group One winners Delectation, Faint Perfume, Maybe Discreet and Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Able Friend, but hasn’t stood at Darley’s Australian operations since 2010.

Rosemont Stud, however, was able to secure a service to the stallion for its mare, Port Providence, which the farm had purchased for £40,000 at the 2012 UK December Mares Sales.

“We’ve always loved Shamardal and managed to sweet talk our way into a couple of services to the stallion, to southern hemisphere time, for Port Providence and another mare of ours in Grise Leigh,” Rosemont’s Anthony Mithen reveals.

“I think there were only three Southern Hemisphere covers to Shamardal that year and Widden Stud had one of them.

“Rosemont sold Shamport and we retained the filly out of Grise Leigh who is called Energies and is with Gai Waterhouse.

“She (Energies) has shown some ability but we’ve been patient with her and a late spring campaign is likely to be on the agenda, but Shamport could really make his presence felt in some of the Classic spring races, especially based on Saturday’s performance.

“It’s an unbelievable family and I wouldn’t rule out anything. Port Providence is a half sister to Persian Punch, who won twenty races and was twice placed in the Melbourne Cup. They’ve got a statue dedicated to him at Newmarket racecourse.

“But the family also has a lot of outstanding sprinter/milers too, like the Group One winner Aqlaam: so it’s anyone’s guess as how far Shamport will go.

“Rosemont sold an I Am Invincible half brother to Shamport at this year’s Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale to Gai Waterhouse for $280,000 and we retained a share in him.

“Port Providence’s Sacred Falls weanling, soon to be yearling, is a chance to head to the Gold Coast (Magic Millions) or, given that Shamport sold so well in Melbourne, we might go to the Premier with him.”

Story from Aushorse

Fresh off the back of a gruelling Tour De France for his professional cycling team, Gerry Ryan looks to have uncovered another talented endurance type though this one is equine.

His Limerick Lane homebred Kiwia, a son of Reset, landed Saturday’s VOBIS Gold Stayers (2400m) at Caulfield and took home a very nice loot of in excess of $103,000.

Ridden by Damian Lane, Kiwia, the race favourite did it the hard way, moving around the field into the face of the strong wind to accelerate clear 200 metres out and defeat the field of ten Victorian bred stayers.

Trainer Darren Weir said the valuable win was compensation for Kiwia following an unlucky defeat at Caulfield over 2000 metres last time out.

“He was unlucky last start but credit to Jeremy (Rogers) – he picked this race out ages ago and said it was the race we should be having a go at,” Weir said

“It’s a terrific race to win with the prizemoney and the bonuses.”

“He just keeps improving and handled the step up in distance today. His pedigree suggested he’d run it and he relaxed well and was strong through the line,” Weir said.

Gerry Ryan was thrilled with the result particularly knowing he now had a homebred quality stayer in his hands.

“I raced the grand dam Firenza. Kiwia’s dam Single View came out with just one eye so we didn’t race her,” he said.

“Single View is a big mare so we tried to balance her up with Reset…and here we are with a stayer.

“You try and aim to breed a stayer.”

Gerry said the VOBIS Gold Premier Races and their millions in prizemoney were fantastic for the local breeding industry.

“It makes a huge difference as a breeder. I’m racing for $180,000 today. That’s good money.

“It’ll pay the training fees and allow me to breed another one!” said Gerry slightly tongue in cheek.”

Meanwhile Kiwia will be set a mid-term target of the Bendigo Cup in October. Victory would be another ‘home-town’ win for Bendigo-boy Gerry Ryan after Puissance De Lune saluted in 2012.