November 19th, 2008

Despite the gloomy economic climate, promising young sire Dane Shadow achieved a good result during the first session of the NZB Ready to Run Sale on Tuesday when his colt from Lady Guest fetched $72,500.

Consigned by Venture Thoroughbreds, the athletic brown colt breezed comfortably in 11.29 seconds and was knocked down to New Zealand Bloodstock on behalf of a Singapore based client.  Bred and offered for sale as a weanling by Kitchwin Hills, the colt made $32,000 at the 2007 Inglis Australian Select Weanling Sale, so has been an appealing horse from day one.

“We all know how tough things are at present given the financial situation worldwide, so it was reassuring to see this Dane Shadow sell well and fetch close to ten times service fee,” said Mick Malone of Kitchwin Hills.

Chris Waller’s Dane Shadow colt Shellscrape impressed onlookers with a stylish barrier trial win in fast time at Rosehill on November 11 and is set to make his debut at Randwick this Saturday.  The colt will be well educated having trialed twice, the first time when second to the Gai Waterhouse trained colt Turf Express who made a winning debut at Rosehill last Saturday.

It should be noted, all two year-olds by Dane Shadow are eligible for the Dane Shadow Breeders Bonus Incentive Scheme, which is offered to horses from the first crop of foals sired by Dane Shadow.

A special $500,000 bonus is available for the connections of any Dane Shadow two year-old this season that can win Group One STC Golden Slipper Stakes, 4th April, 2009 Rosehill. The bonus payment is to be split evenly between trainer, owner and breeder, so there is every incentive for precocious youngsters by Dane Shadow to be out and running.

February 11th, 2008

STALLIONS takes a look at the outstanding array of talent among the sires with first crop yearlings for sale in 2008. 

This week STALLIONS looks at Dane Shadow’s credentials.

Dane Shadow, an athletic Danehill son, retired to the Brown family’s Kitchwin Hills Stud and has been given every opportunity to live up to his stellar pedigree, covering 84 mares in his first season at stud. He then followed up with 74 mares in 2006 and 106 mares last year.

Dane Shadow attracted a lot of interest from breeders in his debut year covering the stakes winning Pharein (by Phar Feather) and Emirate (by Without Fear) along with daughters of Zabeel, Bluebird, Snippets, Brief Truce, Woodman, Success Express, Twig Moss, At Talaq, Canny Lad, Marauding, Grosvenor, Desert Sun, Luskin Star, Royal Academy, Bletchingly and Strategic. He also covered mares that are proven producers like Best Out West (by Best Western) dam of the Listed Fernhill Hcp winner, Stone Canyon (by Rubiton), Janelle Again (by Indian Ore) dam of the million dollar earner, Fair Embrace (by Strategic). 

Although Dane Shadow only raced four times as a juvenile and although he did not win any of them, he was undoubtedly high up among the best of the year. He was highly fancied for the Slipper after a win and a second in Sydney trials, a debut short-neck second in the STC Silver Slipper-Gr.2, a race in which he was favourite and beat Fastnet Rock, and then a second to Charge Forward in the STC Todman Slipper Trial-Gr.2, beating hot favourite Not A Single Doubt.

At his final outing for the year, Dane Shadow took on older sprinters in the Missile Stakes-Gr.3 and finished third behind Spark of Life and Into The Night after hitting the rail near the 600m mark. He went on to demonstrate a high degree of ability in eight starts at three before enforced retirement to stud.

In the spring he defeated Golden Slipper winner Dance Hero when second to Fastnet Rock in the Up and Coming Stakes-Gr.2 at Warwick Farm and then scored on the same track in race record time in the $100,000 Ming Dynasty Quality-Gr.3 (1400m).

Dane Shadow offers breeders excellence on both sides of his pedigree. One of 342 stakes winners by his champion sire (and sire of sires), he is a brother to Danebeam, a filly who won over 1100m in Sydney and a three-quarter brother to Salgado, a Danewin gelding who was successful in the Group 2 events the Sandown Stakes and the Sir Byrne Hart Stakes.

Dane Shadow's dam is the six-time Group 1 winner Slight Chance, one of the best gallopers by Centaine (Century-Rainbeam by Vain) in earning more than $1.7million. Slight Chance won 12 races including the Group I Victoria Oaks, Flight Stakes, QTC Sires' Produce Stakes, Queensland Oaks and Castlemaine Stakes.

Dane Shadow will have his first progeny for sale at the Magic Millions Conrad Jupiters Premier Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast in Queensland (March 24th - April 6th). He will be represented by seven yearlings. 

November 5th, 2006

STALLIONS continue its series of profiles of horses at stud this season, the Australian Bloodhorse Review Editor David Bay, writes about Dane Shadow.

Dane Shadow, an athletic Danehill (USA) son, retired to the Brown family’s Kitchwin Hills Stud and has been given every opportunity to live up to his stellar pedigree.

Dane Shadow, whose dam is the six-times Group 1 winner Slight Chance (by Centaine) stands at $7,700 (inc gst) and looks a very good prospect to meet with success as a sire given his popularity in his first season. He’s also in very good horse country, perfect for raising young thoroughbreds, as Kitchwin Hills runs down from a ridge fronting Waverley Road to the Pages River and is in the Gundy district, east of Scone. The fact that he is a Danehill Golden Slipper-class performer alone should be enough to entice breeders, but the fact that Dane Shadow showed talent on the track is only half the story, given his champion sire and illustrious dam.

Although he is the first sire used at Kitchwin Hills, a quality horse farm whose owners has been presenting yearlings for themselves and clients at top sales and securing high prices, Dane Shadow attracted a lot of interest from breeders in his debut year. He served 84 mares including daughters of Zabeel, Bluebird (US), Snippets, Miswaki, Zoffany (USA), Best Western, Balmerino, Brief Truce (USA), Chief's Crown (USA), Diesis, Woodman (USA), Success Express (USA), Twig Moss (FR), Night Shift (USA), Jade Hunter (USA), At Talaq (USA), Deputy Minister, Canny Lad, Marauding, Grosvenor, Sri Pekan (USA), Desert Sun (GB), Luskin Star, Carnegie (IRE), Royal Academy (USA), Alleged, Zeditave, Grand Lodge (USA), Dehere (USA), Barathea (IRE), Bletchingly and Strategic.

More than 30 of the mares put to him belonged to Dane Shadow's breeder and owner Graeme Mapp. He has the historical Hobartville Stud at Richmond near Sydney. Some of the mares in Dane Shadow's book are related to the Hobartville-bred 1988 Golden Slipper winner Star Watch.

Hobartville sold Star Watch as a yearling but had a crack at the Slipper as owners with home bred Dane Shadow. He gave the Mapps a good sight for their faith in him by finishing seventh after a troubled run. 

The Slipper outing was one of four starts Dane Shadow had as a two-year-old and, although he did not win any of them, he was undoubtedly high up among the best of the year. He was highly fancied for the Slipper after a win and a second in Sydney trials, a debut short-neck second in the STC Silver Slipper-Gr.2, a race in which he was favourite and beat Fastnet Rock, and then a second to Charge Forward in the STC Todman Slipper Trial-Gr.2, beating hot favourite Not a Single Doubt.

After his effort in the Silver Slipper, a review of the race described it as a sparkling debut. "Swap gates and he wins for sure," went the report.

At his final outing for the year, Dane Shadow took on older sprinters in the Missile Stakes-Gr.3 and finished third behind Spark of Life and Into The Night after hitting the rail near the 600m mark.

He went on to demonstrate a high degree of ability in eight starts at three before enforced retirement to stud. To start with in the spring he defeated Golden Slipper winner Dance Hero when second to Fastnet Rock in the Up and Coming Stakes-Gr.2 at Warwick Farm and then scored on the same track in race record time in the $100,000 Ming Dynasty Quality-Gr.3 (1400m).

Two more good efforts that campaign were a close third in the Newcastle Spring Stakes-Gr.3 and then a 2.4 lengths fourth in the AJC George Main Stakes-Gr.1, a race in which the first three were Grand Armee, King's Chapel and Shamekha. He came out of his next start, an unplaced run in the Caulfield Guineas-Gr.1, with problems and did not appear again until the autumn when he appeared four times and showed a glimpse of his juvenile brilliance with a 4.2 lengths seventh in the MRC VRC Lightning Stakes-Gr.1

Then retired, Dane Shadow offered breeders excellence immediately on both sides of his pedigree. One of about 300 stakes winners by his champion sire (and sire of sires), he is a brother to Danebeam, a filly who won over 1100m in Sydney and a three-quarter brother to Salgado, a Danewin gelding who was successful in Melbourne (the MRC Sandown Stakes-Gr.2) and Sydney and second in Brisbane in the QTC Sir Byrne Hart Stakes-Gr.2.

They are from Slight Chance, one of the best gallopers by Centaine (Century-Rainbeam by Vain). In earning more than $1.7m Slight Chance won 12 races including the VRC Victoria Oaks-Gr.1, AJC Flight Stakes-Gr.1, QTC Sires' Produce Stakes-Gr.1, Queensland Oaks-Gr.1 and Castlemaine Stakes-Gr.1.

Her dam Lady Aloof, a daughter of the Riverman sire Sir Godfrey (FR), also won 12 races - included three Listed stakes - so there is good backing of soundness in Dane Shadow's maternal breeding.

Interested breeders should contact Graham Brown at Kitchwin Hills, where Dane Shadow stands his second season in 2006.

August 23rd, 2006

Group One Salinger winner, Pharein, yesterday gave birth to a cracking filly, the first foal born by former classy two and three-year-old Dane Shadow.

”We are thrilled with what we see in the filly, we couldn’t have asked for a better sort,” Kitchwin Hills Stud Manager Mick Malone said. ”She has extremely athletic throughout, great bone, very correct. We’ve been waiting for his first foal and were ecstatic with the result. Bring on the next one.” 

An Australian racing blueblood, Dane Shadow is by the deceased champion stallion Danehill out of the six-time Group One winner Slight Chance. He is a three quarter brother to G3 winner Salgardo. Dane Shadow showed the precociousness wanted by Australian breeders running second on debut in the G2 Silver Slipper defeating future Group One winners Fastnet Rock and Econsul before again finishing second in the G2 Todman Slipper trial and trained on at three to again be competitive against the best sprinters of his year resuming with a third in the G3 Missile Stakes behind topline older sprinters, Spark Of Life and Into The Night before finishing second behind Fastnet Rock in the G2 Up And Coming. He then broke through for his overdue Stakes success in the G3 Ming Dynasty Quality.

In his first crop he served 84 mares and another bumper book of quality mares is building up for this season.