Date posted December 29, 2009 | Posted by David Bay | Filed under
Feature PedigreeLaguna, NSW (December 29, 2009) -Vosne Romanee continued the fairytale story of the Wuthering Heights clan when he raced away with the Zabeel Classic-Gr.1 (2000m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
Winner of New Zealand’s richest race, the Kelt Capital Stakes-Gr.1 (registered name: Hawkes Bay J.C. Ormond Memorial) in October, Vosne Romanee (Electronic Zone (USA)-Madison Avenue by Morcon (GB)) defeated Red Ruler (Viking Ruler) and Tell a Tale (Tale of the Cat) in a race that included four other Gr.1 winners, notably last start VRC Derby hero Monaco Consul and Captain Cooks Stakes winner Ekstreme.
Passed in at Karaka for just $NZ13,000 on a $15,000 reserve and retained by his breeders Ian and Alana Smart, the Jeff Lynds-trained seven-year-old won by 2-1/4 lengths, running 2:00.60 and took his prizemoney past $1m.
His sire is a son of the Blushing Groom horse Rahy while his second dam Madison Square (Marceau) is a grandaughter of Wuthering Heights.
Purchased by Morrinsville horseman Tim Douglas in the early 1960s for $100 as part of an order of polo ponies for the Sultan of Brunei, Wuthering Heights (Advocat General (GB)-Merry Fox by Foxbridge (GB)) was found to be in foal and could not be exported. Douglas was stuck with the mare and after the foal (by an unknown sire) was born Douglas decided to breed from Wuthering Heights himself. He sent her to Battle-Waggon (GB) at the stud of his friend Bill Brown. The duo agreed to go foal for foal with the mare and Brown became the owner of the first foal, a colt born in 1967. Brown catalogued the horse for sale and the “scrawny youngster” was knocked down to Douglas for $260.
From the first crop of his sire, a son of Derby winner Never Say Die and Oaks winner Carozza, that youngster would race as Battle Heights and win 24 races from 1100m-3200m, five at Gr.1 level and including a Sydney Cup and Cox Plate and run second in a Caulfield Cup. A horse of the Year in NZ in 1974 when his dam was also NZ Broodmare of the Year, Battle Heights, raced by Douglas and his wife, was the first of a long line of stars produced by Wuthering Heights, who had seven winners from 12 named foals and whose descendants are still winning stakes races for the Douglas family.
Her stakes winners also included steeplechasers Arctic Heights and Monty, Listed winner Gold Heights and NZ Oaks winner Royal Heights and she had nine fillies among her 12 named foals. They have created a flourishing dynasty whose members also include the 2008 Melbourne Cup and 2009 Caulfield Cup winner Viewed, NZ 1000 Guineas winners Noble Heights and Ad Alta, seven-times Gr.1 winner Weekend Hussler, SA Derby winner Mapperley Heights and Caulfield Cup winner Sky Heights.
Vosne Romanee’s third dam Garden Heights (Philoctetes (GB)) is a three-quarter sister to Battle Heights and only three of her five named foals made it to the track and all failed to win. Her unraced daughter Gallant Heights produced the Otaki Maori WFA Stakes-Gr.1 winner Allegro, while another unraced daughter Madison Square (Marceau) is the dam of six winners including VRC Queen Elizabeth Stakes-Gr.2 winner Hear That Bell. Madison Square’s unraced daughter Madison Avenue (Morcon (GB)) is the dam of Vosne Romanee.
Vosne Romanee’s owner-breeders purchased Madison Avenue for $10,000 when a friend alerted them that the mare was for sale because of a stud dispersal and Ian and Alana Smart sent her to Electronic Zone (USA) (Rahy-La Griffe by Prince John) as they owned a share in the stallion who stands on $3500 (plus GST) at John and Sue Trumper’s Cheveley Stud, Te Aroha. Electronic Zone won seven of his 30 starts (1000m-1650m) in Hong Kong where he was Gr.2 placed at two and he is a three-quarter-brother to 11 winners including French 2000 Guineas-Gr.1 and Hollywood Gold Cup-Gr.1 winner Blushing John (Blushing Groom) and half-brother to the stakes winners and producers Night Fire and Shamaritan. He is a son of leading US sire Rahy (Blushing Groom-Glorious Song by Halo) whose 80 plus stakes winners include Fantastic Light (USA), Noverre (USA), Serena’s Song and Dreaming of Anna.
He also has Gr.3 winner and successful sire Howbaddoyouwantit (USA) (ex Fair to the Wind by Nijinsky) standing at Fairdale Stud, Palmerston North on $4400. Howbaddoyouwantit retired to stud in NZ in 2001 and his runners include Gr.1 winner Mi Jubilee, Final Reality, Needuask and Maximum Star.
