FOUR of the most outstanding Australian bred performers of the past two years, Takeover Target, Apache Cat, Weekend Hussler and Haradasun, are each by sires descending paternally from American breeding giant Mr. Prospector. Regrettably Haradasun is the only one of them not gelded, but he has been given a first class opportunity to transmit Mr. Prospector on from use at Coolmore in the Hunter Valley, looking after 133 mares in his first season last year. The book included 15 mares by Danehill, eight by Flying Spur, six by Redoutes Choice and others by Danehill Dancer, Commands, Catbird, Encosta de Lago, Snippets, More Than Ready (USA), Sadler’s Wells, Rory’s Jester, Zabeel, Anabaa (USA), Octagonal, Woodman (USA), Canny Lad, Jeune (GB), Shirley Heights (GB), A.P. Indy and Royal Academy (USA) - to mention a few.

The breeding season began only a few weeks after Haradasun, a son of the Coolmore-shuttled Mr. Prospector Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (USA) and the Marscay AJC Australian Oaks-Gr.1 winner and MRC Caulfield Cup-Gr.1 second Circles of Gold, matched his Danehill (USA) half-brother Elvstroem and showed Europe again that Australian Group 1 winners could be just as good in their racing environment by winning one of England’s most prestigious mile events, the Queen Anne Stakes, at Ascot at the second of his only two starts in that part of the world.

The Aussie breed just missed out on a historic Group 1 double in successive races on that Ascot program as Haradasun’s effort in the Queen Anne was followed 35 minutes later by another of the Mr. Prospector descendants mentioned, Takeover Target, finishing second in the British leg of the Global Sprint Challenge, the King’s Stand Stakes. The race review said he “ran another blinder in defeat.”

His final race appearance, the win of Haradasun at Ascot took his career record to 18 starts, seven wins (six stakes), six stakes seconds, two stakes thirds and $2.7 million. After winning his only start at two, he became a great Australian three year-old, in particular defeating some of the cream of the older sprinter-1600m performers in taking two successive Group 1s in Sydney - the STC George Ryder Stakes and AJC Doncaster Handicap.

After his George Ryder win from a field that included Mentality, Apache Cat and Casino Prince, Tony Brassel commented in the Sun-Herald “Haradasun gave these high class foes a start and a trouncing” and “underlining his enormous ability and finishing power, the brother to Elvstroem unleashed a magnificent surge to run down perfectly positioned Mentality.”

His half-brother Elvstroem, now a promising sire from use at the Blue Gum Farm Stud at Euroa in Victoria, was also a performer of world class ability, a qualification confirmed by five northern hemisphere Group 1 performances - a win in the Dubai Duty Free Stakes, second in the Longchamp Prix d’Ispahan, third in the York Prince of Wales’s Stakes and fourths in the Newbury Lockinge Stakes and Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. His Group 1 efforts in Australia included wins in Melbourne in the C.F. Orr Stakes, Victoria Derby, Caulfield Cup and Underwood Stakes, thirds in the VRC Australian Cup and STC Rosehill Guineas and fourths at Flemington in the Melbourne Cup and Australian Cup.

Both Elvstroem (passed in as a yearling at $375,000 and reserve of $400,000) and his three years younger half-brother Haradasun (not offered) were two of the most valuable youngsters of their generation. Their value and fashion were a long way above that of the Mr. Prospector grandson superstar sprinters Takeover Target and Apache Cat. Takeover Target, perhaps the best known Australian racehorse worldwide since Phar Lap, challenges as one of the greatest bargains in history. He was purchased by his owner-trainer Joe Janiak as an unraced three year-old for $1250 at a Sydney sale. His rival in Australia, Apache Cat, was not offered at a sale, but it is difficult to envisage him making $10,000 if he had been.

Takeover Target and Apache Cat are the only Australian Group 1 winners among the100-plus runners by each of their respective briefly Victorian-shuttled sires Celtic Swing (GB) and Lion Cavern (USA). Now on a record setting fourth successive visit to England’s Royal Ascot, the current nine year-old Takeover Target to the end of May had raced 40 times for 21 wins (16 stakes, seven Group 1s), 10 second or third stakes cheques and more than $6 million. The most travelled Australian owned and trained galloper in history, succeeding in four countries and unofficially at Group 1 level in each, he has won Group 1 races in Australia (five), Singapore and Japan, and succeeded in 2006 in the King’s Stand Stakes at Royal Ascot. It was then a Group 2 event but was elevated to Group 1 last year.

Takeover Target

from south coast

TAKEOVER TARGET was bred by prominent racing identity Tony Hartnell at his Meringo Stud close to Moruya and the ocean on the NSW south coast. Hartnell had him in work in Sydney for a year without getting him to the races before he put him in the sale. He is getting far better rewards from racing as the breeder and principal owner of Takeover Target’s six years-younger half-brother Predatory Pricer, another good advertisement for the Mr. Prospector male line. Now very worthy of consideration as a sire prospect, this three year-old by the Dubai World Cup winner Street Cry (IRE), a Darley shuttler by the Mr. Prospector sire Machiavellian, has raced 12 times for three Sydney wins, including the STC Gloaming Stakes-Gr.3 and STC Ming Dynasty Quality-LR, a second in the AJC Spring Champion Stakes-Gr.1, thirds in the AJC Australian Derby-Gr.1 and STC Phar Lap Stakes-Gr.2, and a fourth in the AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes-Gr.1.

Takeover Target and Predatory Pricer are nearly three-quarter brothers to the fillies Shady Henrietta (sold in Sydney as an unraced two year-old, she won seven races, one in Sydney at 1100m) and Saskarla (ran 13 times for four sprint wins NSW north coast).They were got at Meringo by the then resident Mr. Prospector sire Mr. Henrysee (USA) from the Shady Stream, the same dam as Takeover Target and Predatory Pricer.

Tony Hartnell purchased Shady Stream, an unraced Lomar Park Stud-bred daughter of the Vice Regent sire Archregent (CAN) and the very smart Spectacular Spy (USA) filly Merry Shade carrying the foal that was to become Takeover Target for $8000 at an Inglis Sydney Easter mare sale. She had been purchased the year before by the Sun Cherry stud for only $1500 and sent to Takeover Target’s sire Celtic Swing (GB), a visitor to the Collingrove stud, now Swettenham, at Nagambie in Victoria.

A Group 1 winner at 1600m in England at two and a French Derby winner at three in a seven-start career, this son of the Mr. Prospector English and Irish Derby third placegetter Damister based at the Irish National Stud was used in Australia in 1997, 98 and 99, resulting in 125 starters, 91 winners of 346 races and $10.8 million. The only Group 1 winner among eight successful in stakes races has been Takeover Target. The only other Celtic Swing Group 1 winner has been the France-foaled Six Perfections, a filly who finished in the first three eight times at this level, including two successes in France and appearance in the American Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Shady Stream and her two daughters are still owned by Tony Hartnell’s Meringo Stud but are breeding in partnership with Michael Sissian’s Segenhoe Stud, Scone. Unfortunately the three of them have had checkered careers with Shady Stream supplying three dead foals and missing three times in 12 seasons, Shady Henrietta producing foals in 2007 (Dubawi (IRE) colt) and 2009 (Nadeem filly) but missing from her 2007 and 2009 services, and Saskarla having a dead foal in 2007 from her first season of use. She had an October 2 foal by Exceed and Excel last spring and was served on November 13 by Street Cry’s Darley visiting Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense (USA).

Tony Hartnell’s Meringo Stud has had remarkable achievement for a breeding farm with a modest broodmare band producing the four major performers, Takeover Target, Predatory Pricer, Mr. Innocent (14 wins, $1,760,650, successes included the BTC Doomben10000-Gr.1, AJC Expressway Stakes-Gr.2, STC Premier Stakes-Gr.2 twice and Phar Lap Stakes-Gr.2) and Victory Vein (12 wins, $1,956,015, won AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes-Gr.1, Champagne Stakes-Gr.1, Silver Shadow Stakes-Gr.2, STC Magic Night Stakes-Gr.2, STC Tea Rose Stakes-Gr.2, Silver Slipper Stakes-Gr.2, second AJC Flight Stakes-Gr.1, STC Golden Slipper-Gr.1). Neither Mr. Innocent or Victory Vein were sold as yearlings but were from mares bought cheaply for Meringo, respectively Miss Guilty $3000 and Protectively $10,000. If, as appears very likely, Predatory Pricer rises up from his current earnings of $510,150 and surpasses the $1 million mark at four, it will provide Meringo with the magnificent achievement of breeding four “Mr. Prospector” million dollar earners at modest cost.

Apache Cat’s

modest breeding

AS suggested earlier, Apache Cat, the ‘Baldy Faced Assassin’ representing the Mr. Prospector male line in Australia at a high level, is very unlikely to have brought much money if he had been offered at a sale. This six years-old winner to date of 18 races, including eight Group 1s in the1000-1600m range, one more at this level than Takeover Target, and earner of $4,194,325, is the only stakes winner among the 87 winners from the 140 runners in Australia from the three crops foals by his son Lion Cavern. He is a son of Mr. Prospector shuttled to Victoria three times, 2000-02, under the management of the Jill Ross family. Coincidentally, Lion Cavern is bred on the same cross as Mr. Henrysee, sire of Mr. Innocent and Victory Vein - both of them being the results of the matings of Mr. Prospector with mares by Bold Ruler’s superstar American racehorse Secretariat.

Raced by a partnership, including his breeders P.F. Radford and Robyn Laurie, out of Greg Eurell’s Cranbourne stables, Apache Cat is the only stakes winner under his first five dams and is from Tennessee Blaze, a mare by the Nijinsky sire Whiskey Road (USA) purchased by Radford as yearling at the Melbourne sales for $7000. A winner of four races from 1000 to 1600m and earner of $10,500, Tennessee Blaze and has been mated 14 times by Radford for 11 foals and a mid-October service last season to the Darley visitor Street Sense (USA). As this winner of the 2006 American Breeders’ Cup Juvenile-Gr.1 and 2007 Kentucky Derby-Gr.1 is by a grandson of Mr. Prospector, a foal from this mating will be nearly a three-quarter relation to Apache Cat.

All of the eight foals out of Tennessee Blaze have included Radford and Laurie in the ownership. Although Apache Cat has been a giant among them, five of the others have made the winners’ stalls. Two of the other foals out of Tennessee Blaze have been Tiger Belle, a Sports Works filly who has won three of 11 starts, including 1000m events at Sandown and Moonee Valley, and Raptor, a Prince of Birds (USA) gelding whose 19 outings included one win each at 1600m at Sandown and Caulfield. Radford and Laurie are breeding from four daughters of Tennessee Blaze, including Tiger Belle, producer of five foals, including a colt last October by Al Samer, a Redoute’s Choice sire in use at Emirates Park, Digger’s Rest, Victoria. She was served by Magnus, the Flying Spur AJC The Galaxy-Gr.1 winner making his debut at the Eliza Park stud, Kerrie, Victoria, on October 7.

Dam of only three foals and one runner, Tennessee Blaze, Apache Cat’s grandam Centasia won one race, 1000m, and earned $1400. She was by Century and from Deep Fantasy, a minor Melbourne winner by Deep Diver (IRE). A leading European two year-old and three year-old sprinter, Deep Diver was one of the first sires shuttled to Australia, appearing here in 1975 and 1976. He died here just before he was due to be flown back home at the end of the second season.

The greatest three year-old among the four outstanding male line descendants of Mr. Prospector referred to in the opening paragraph, Weekend Hussler, is more fashionably bred than Takeover Target and Apache Cat.  Bred at the Arrowfield stud, Scone, Hunter Valley and sold at the Inglis Melbourne yearling sale for $80,000 to his trainer Ross McDonald, Caulfield, he is by the Mr. Prospector sire Hussonet (USA) and from the stoutly bred, unraced Weekend Beauty. She is by the shuttled Fairy King Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe-Gr.1 winner Helissio (IRE) and from Not On Friday, a high class performer by imported Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq (USA), a Roberto sire.

A supersire in Chile, a country in which he has been champion sire seven times and leading juvenile sire on five occasions, and now prominent in Australia as a resident at the Arrowfield stud, Hussonet is more evidence that lack of proven high class on the racetrack is not an impediment to becoming a superior sire. In a seven-start career in the New York region, however, he suggested he had the makings of a good  horse. This was demonstrated at two, a year he won two non-black type events at 1200m and finished third in two Listed events. His first Australian crop son Weekend Hussler was named Horse of the Year for his performances at three, his first campaign, in 2007-08. Likened to a new Kingston Town, he won nine of 11 outings, including six Group 1s - the MRC Caulfield Guineas, Oakleigh Plate, VRC Newmarket Handicap, Ascot Vale Stakes, AJC Randwick Guineas and STC George Ryder Stakes.

He also raced 10 times at four in the past year for three more wins, appearances in the MRC Underwood Stakes-Gr.1, Memsie Stakes-Gr.2 and VRC Makybe Diva Stakes-Gr.2. All told, to date, he has raced 19 times for 12 wins (nine stakes) ad $3,096,400. He is now back in work, with the Cox Plate at Moonee Valley in the spring and possibly an international at Dubai in March as his as aims.

Some shocking

results ahead

THREE other representatives of the Mr. Prospector male line who have shone at Group 1 level in 2008-09 have been Whobegotyou and Shocking, both sons of Predatory Pricer’s sire Street Cry (USA), and Black Piranha, a rising star by the Bellotto (USA) sire Clang. Whobegotyou, a gelded son of the Japan-bred Carnegie (IRE) mare Temple of Peace in the spring in Melbourne won the Caulfield Guineas-Gr.1, MVRC Stutt Stakes-Gr.2 and Moonee Valley Vase-Gr.2 and finished second in the Victoria Derby-Gr.1. These efforts were followed by two good performances in Sydney in the autumn, a head second in the STC Phar Lap Stakes-Gr.1 and a one length third in the AJC Doncaster Handicap.

Passed in at $17,500 and a reserve of $25,000 when offered for a client by the Widden stud at the Sydney Classic yearling sale, Whobegotyou has earned to date $1,421,450. He was inside Temple of Peace when she was sold in Sydney to Laurel Oak Bloodstock, NSW for $36,000. Temple of Peace was offered again in 2008, appearing at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National mare sale where she was knocked down to Emerald Bloodstock, NSW for only $5250. It was remarkable value as she was carrying a subsequently-delivered November 15-born foal to a service to Strada, a Danehill sprinter standing at the Widden stud. She missed to her service by Encosta de Lago.

The other budding star by Street Cry mentioned, Shocking, is another who was inside his dam, the Danehill mare Maria di Castiglia, when she changed hands for a modest price at a Sydney sale. She was purchased for $20,000 by George Fraser, owner with wife Felicity of the burgeoning Ilala stud at Scone. It was third time Maria di Castiglia, a placegetter in England at two, had been sold at Sydney mare sales. She went for $45,000 in 1999 and $10,000 in 2003. Her Street Cry son was sold by Ilala to Washpool Lodge, Qld for $45,000 at the Magic Millions Premier yearling sale at the Gold Coast and resold later in the year at their Gold Coast Horses in Training sale to Eales Racing Pty Ltd, Vic for $64,000. Eales has the joy of racing both Whobegotyou and Shocking and both are in the Mark Kavanagh stables at Flemington.

Shocking was having his eighth start and appearing in his first stakes when a long neck second in the Queensland Derby-Gr.1 at Eagle Farm on June 6. Since winning a maiden at Bendigo on April 17, he has finished a head second at Caulfield and then won at Flemington and back at Caulfield. If Shocking had been successful in the Queensland Derby it would have been the second successive Group 1 victory on the program for the Mr. Prospector male line as the Clang five year-old gelding Black Piranha came with an eye-catching finish to take out the million dollar Stradbroke Handicap over 1400m earlier.

It was a win that attoned for bridesmaid efforts in his most recent previous three outings - Group 1 seconds in the STC George Ryder Stakes (a head), AJC Doncaster Handicap (0.8 lengths) and BTC Doomben10000 (a head to Apache Cat).

Bred in Queensland by D.S.R. Trading Pty Ltd, a company owned by David Israel, son of the late Lionel Israel, for many years the owner of Segenhoe Stud in the Segenhoe Valley near Scone, Black Pirahna was sold for him by Kulani Park for $16,000 at an Inglis Sydney weanling sale and then at a Gold Coast yearling sale for $41,000. Also bred by David Israel, Black Piranha’s dam, the unraced Distinctly North (USA) mare Jazztrack, was passed-in at $800 (reserve $1500) at Scone mare sales in 2004 and for $750 (reserve $1000) in Sydney in 2006.

Another Clang

Group 1 winner

BLACK PIRANHA is another good advertisement for breeding in Queensland’s Beaudesert region, his sire Clang being a resident at the Willowbend Stud and Distinctly North a former shuttler to the Glenlogan Park stud. Also sire of the Group 1 winners Clangalang (won the AJC Derby and Epsom Handicap) and Calaway Gal (STC Golden Slipper), Clang is a half-brother by the Mr. Prospector sire Bellotto (USA) to the Zeditave sire Strategic (Darley’s stud near Cootamundra, NSW). A smart unbeaten two year-old and an English Two Thousand Guineas-Gr.1 and Derby-Gr.1 placegetter in a seven-start career, Bellotto started his sire career at Arrowfield in the Hunter Valley and then moved to South Australia. He has supplied 500 winners (42 SWs) of 1740 races and $35.1 million.

Yet another bargain descendant of Mr. Prospector who has shone at Group 1 level in 2009 has been Swiss Ace, a Secret Savings (USA) four year-old stallion who was successful in Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield, a quarter-length second in the Newmarket at Flemington, and fourth in the Galaxy at Randwick. Inbred 3×4 to Mr. Prospector, he was bred at Emirates Park, Murrurundi, Hunter Valley using their now-deceased imported AJC Doncaster Handicap winner Secret Savings, a son of the Mr. Prospector sire Seeking the Gold. Swiss Ace was sold at the Gold Coast as a weanling for $8500 and at the Brisbane yearling sale for $6000. He has won 11 of 19 starts and earned $947,500.

The Swettenham Stud, Nagambie, Vic-based MRC Caulfield Futurity Stakes-Gr.1and VRC Australian Guineas winner-Gr.1 and AJC Doncaster Handicap-Gr.1, All-Aged Stakes-Gr.1, STC George Ryder Stakes-Gr.1 and MVRC William Reid Stakes-Gr.1 runner-up Dash for Cash is another representative of Mr. Prospector represented by another recent Group 1 performer. He is Bank Robber, a short head second in the BTC Cup-Gr.1 at Doomben on May 9. Bred by Emirates Park, Dash for Cash is by their deceased imported AJC Doncaster Handicap winner Secret Savings (USA), a son  of the Mr. Prospector sire Seeking the Gold.

Yet another recent Mr. Prospector line Group 1 winner has been Daffodil. This New Zealand bred daughter of No Excuse Needed (GB), a son of the Mr. Prospector sire Machiavellian, won the AJC Oaks. Third place in this classic went to Miss Darcy, a daughter of Weekend Hussler’s Mr. Prospector sire Hussonet. Hussonet appears set to greatly extend the impact of Mr. Prospector in Australia through his imported South American bred sons.

Permalink| Jul 15, 2009

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