July 22nd, 2008

It feels as if the sales season has just finished, probably because the sale season has just finished, yet here we are in the middle of a very mild winter announcing that the foaling season has just commenced. Those of us in the Hunter Valley who were fortunate enough to have stallions on farm, and therefore able to capitalise on the wisdom of the Australian Stud Book who allowed us to commence servings early in 2007 as a measure to cope with Equine Influenza, now have foals due. At Baerami we had two foals on the weekend and although both were obviously important to their respective owners we have felt a certain tinge of fatherly pride as we announce the first foal sired by CALIFORNIA DANE.
A beautiful bay filly, this princess was foaled in the early hours of Sunday morning and although born in a stable (normally we foal out doors but it was cold) and the fact we are certain she was surrounded by at least three wise men she was not actually born in a manger to be technically correct, and there was no sign of frankincense or myrrh. Maybe the presence of the Pope is a sign although again to be technically correct he wasn’t actually at the birth either but he was in the same state which in itself is a rare occurrence. Which ever way you look at we now are firmly of the opinion that the success of CALIFORNIA DANE has been ordained. We have however fallen short of seeking beatification. 

This little princess is the apple of her mother’s eye, the winning Hennessey mare Christie’s Girl who is herself a daughter of the good racemare Countess Christie, a daughter of the great Marscay. Christie’s Girl is a half-sister to the gifted John O’Shea trained I Have No Fear so this new born is already a valuable commodity.

Owned in partnership between Baerami and long time client Richard Pegum this filly is already showing the strength, bone and correctness we had anticipated of CALIFORNIA DANE progeny.

Other mares due in the next few weeks include Dol, a half sister to the great sprinter Pembleton and whose yearling sold for 165k this year, Forever Mine whose half-sister Sharp sold for 500k this year, Aspirant who is the half-sister to Breeders Plate winner High Rolling and has already produced three stakes horses including this seasons top 2yo and Magic Million placegetter High Rollin’ Woman plus the good stakes winning daughter of Bite The Bullet in Daijobo. 

We would start listing the mares due September onwards but this is supposed to be a news update, not an epistle. The catch cry from every segment of the market place this year has been that service fees are too high and even the most rudimentary examination of sale results this year confirm this as true. The 2011 sales will see breeders who overcapitalise their mares this year suffer enormous losses, and a diatribe will be delivered on that issue shortly, so now is the year for consolidation and expenditure control. Of all stallions with a realistic chance of impacting on future sires lists there is little doubt that CALIFORNIA DANE offers the best value.

Written by Paul Higgins.

June 27th, 2007

STALLIONS continues a series of profiles on horses beginning stud duties this spring.

Among them is the very fast, California Dane.

When California Dane grabbed the Group 2 Carlyon Stakes (registered name: Stanley Wootton) at Moonee Valley last year on January 25th he displayed courage and speed breaking 1:10 for the second consecutive time over the 1200m journey. It was a truly outstanding performance to claim his first black-type victory at only his sixth race start and although he only had slim margin between him and the flying Virage de Fortune, she was after all a group one winner.

On that day California Dane defeated four other group one winners, Casual Pass, Bomber Bill, Spark Of Life and Valedictum - he certainly showed all the hallmarks of a class racehorse.

At his previous start at Moonee Valley, California Dane set a blistering course-record of 1:09.67 for the 1200m, defeating subsequent Millions Magic Millions Three-Year-Old Trophy winner Tereschenko.

California Dane was a hot-stallion prospect, with 13 wins and six placings recorded during his 13-start career, and Paul Higgins from Baerami Thoroughbreds moved swiftly to purchase him for stud duties earlier this year.

"I don't think there has been a faster son of Danehill, which, was for us is his most attractive feature" Higgins said.

"He was for a time nearly unbeatable at 1200m. His first foray at stakes level saw him start odds-on against some of the best sprinters in this country and triumph. Strangely, very few sons of Danehill have tasted success at weight-for-age as three year olds - in fact Redoute's Choice and California Dane are the only two to have done it at 1200m. You can add to this California Dane and Fastnet Rock being the only two Danehill sons to have won weight-for-age races at 1000m. Class and precocity when coupled with pedigree and conformation should equal stud success." Higgins said.

California Dane is by the prince of sires Danehill, himself a son of the world-renowned Danzig. Danehill won four of six starts in England and retired at the end of his classic season with a Timeform rating of 126 and the distinction of being Europe's champion three-year-old of 1989.

Danehill excelled at stud becoming the first stallion to simultaneously lead the sires' championship in both hemispheres. To date he is credited with 81 Group I winners and more than 330 stakes winners. Danehill was the champion sire in Australia a record eight times and now boasts total progeny earnings of $343.1million world-wide.

California Dane is out of a superb American family, being the first foal out of the winning Seattle Slew mare Storminwinter, a half-sister to the Group 2 winning miler Williamstown and from the immediate family of multiple Group 1 winner Broad Brush and Group 2 winner Mull Of Kintyre.

California Dane joins Danasinga, Murphy's Blu Boy and Universal Prince at Baerami Thoroughbreds and his fee this spring is $11,000 (inc GST).