Monthly Archives: June 2011

Star Witness already in demand

Posted on by

Dual Group 1 winner Star Witness (Starcraft) is currently in England preparing for the July Cup in two weeks time but he is already in demand as a stallion when he returns to Widden Stud.

Sean Buckley has decided to retire his Group 1 winners Culminate (Elnadim) and Dane Julia (Caesour), confirming yesterday that both mares will visit Star Witness in their first season at stud.

Culminate won the Otaki Maori WFA in 2009 before switching to Australia where she won the Tristarc Stakes (Gr 3) in 2010. She finished unplaced behind Sincero in the Stradbroke Handicap at her last start. Dane Julia (SAf) won the SA Fillies Classic in 2007 and the NZ Bloodstock Breeders’ Stakes in 2009. She finished runner-up to Shannara in the Dark Jewel Classic at Scone on her last start in May.

So You Think nominated for Breeders’ Cup

Posted on by

So You Think (High Chaparral) is one three multiple Group I winners nominated by Coolmore to this year’s Breeders‚Äô Cup program through a special open enrollment program that closes June 30.

So You Think, recent Queen Anne Stakes winner Canford Cliffs (Tagula) and last Sunday’s Irish Derby winner Treasure Beach (Galileo) have been nominated at a cost of $US25,000 each under the program, which was instituted during the first half of 2011 to increase the number of eligible horses participating in the Breeders’ Cup to be held on November 4-5 at Churchill Downs. Treasure Beach, Canford Cliffs, and So You Think were not nominated to the Breeders’ Cup program as foals.

“This open enrollment period has given us the chance to nominate our runners to the Breeders’ Cup at a reduced price than the usual $100,000 per horse,” Aidan O’Brien, head trainer for Coolmore, said in a statement. “Making it easier for European-based horses to run in the Breeders’ Cup also gives them future stallion prospects in the American market at the end of their racing careers.”

Arrowfield stars combine for double

Posted on by

Arrowfield Stud sires Flying Spur (Danehill – Rolls, by Mr Prospector) and Charge Forward (Red Ransom – Sydney’s Dream, by Bletchingly) have each unearthed likely prospects at Wednesday’s Sandown Hillside and Canterbury meetings respectively.

The Bart Cummings-trained Sonic Blast (Charge Forward – Balmoral Belle, by Zabeel) shook off a disastrous debut run at Randwick on June 11. The colt finished strongly to win the TJ’s Champagne Bar Maiden Plate (1200m) at Canterbury.

Cummings paid $90,000 for the colt at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Hawkes Racing went to $220,000 at the 2010 Inglis Australian Easter Sale to secure Chivvy (Flying Spur – Negotiate, by Marauding),¬† the impressive debut winner of the Race-Tech 2YO Handicap (1000m).

Former Arrowfield stallion Hussonet (Mr Prospector – Sacahuista, by Raja Baba) also sired a two-year-old winner at Canterbury. The consistent youngster Mickelberg (Hussonet – Trail Of Gold, by Danewin) broke through for his first win in the Ascot Club 2YO Maiden (1200m).

20 2YO winners for Exceed And Excel

Posted on by

 

The 20th juvenile win for the season for Exceed And Excel (Danehill – Patrona, by Lomond) has provided the highlight of Darley’s six-win Wednesday.

The Peter Snowden-trained Bello (Exceed And Excel – Cara Bella, by Seeking The Gold) brought up the figure for the sire when the gelding held off the fast-finishing Dynamic Honor (Dynaformer – Madcap, by Kingmambo) to win the Rosehill Gardens Event Centre Handicap (1200m) at Canterbury.

Exceed And Excel’s 2010 / 11 effort has been the most prolific of his four two-year-old crops to date, surpassing the stallion’s previous best juvenile tally of 19, achieved in the 2008/09 season. The sire’s best-performed son Helmet (Exceed And Excel – Accessories, by Singspiel) banked more than $600,000 for the stallion with wins in the Group 1 AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and the Group 1 AJC Champagne Stakes (1600m).

Bello formed part of a treble for Darley sires at Canterbury. Lycra Lass (Shamardal – Leggings, by Tights) won the Bacardi Bar Handicap (1550m) while Kaypers (Cape Cross – Miss Electra, by Zeditave) claimed the Grand Pavilion Handicap (1550m).

Capecover (Cape Cross – Set Up, by Zabeel) was successful at Sandown as was the Lonhro (Octagonal – Shadea, by Straight Strike) gelding Summarise (Lonhro – Material Girl, by Flying Spur). Summarise became just the second of Lonhro’s 215 individual winners to score over 2400 metres.

Simply Smart (Lonhro – Specie, by Canny Lad) completed Lonhro’s double and Darley’s sextet with his win in the www.brc.com.au Maiden Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm.

Raheen on a roll

Posted on by

Raheen Stud’s domination of feature QTIS races this season is poised to continue with brilliant juveniles Rocket to Glory and Noisy Ocean. The Shovhog youngsters will clash in the rich $250,000 QTIS 600 2YO Plate (1400m) at Eagle Farm on July 9.

Rocket To Glory (English Summer by Dodge) will return to Brisbane after front-running victories in QTIS features at Townsville on June 4 and Rockhampton last Saturday.¬†Rocket To Glory has been a godsend for Mackay trainer John Manzelmann and his connections. He was a $20,000 buy ¬†out of the Raheen draft at the 2010 Magic Millions QTIS 600 yearlings sale and, so far, has earned $243,000.¬†‚ÄúHe was a bit wayward early on but hasn‚Äôt put a foot wrong since being gelded,‚Äù Manzelmann said. “One of his testicles was really large and kept pinching him.”

Rocket To Glory

Rocket To Glory

Rocket To Glory won’t be out of his depth at Eagle Farm. When last in town, he finished fifth to Darley colt Benfica in the Listed Hampden Park Stakes at Doomben.

Meanwhile, Noisy Ocean returned to form with a close second to Mahisara in the Centenary Classic (Listed) at Eagle Farm last Saturday. The Gold Coast based gelding was another bargain buy from Raheen at the 2010 Magic Millions Summer yearling sale and has earned $216,000 to date.

‚ÄúHe pulled up a treat after Saturday and we‚Äôre looking forward to Eagle Farm,‚Äù stable manager Daniel Guy said on Tuesday. ‚ÄúWe think he’s got a future and he’s already done a great job for a horse that cost us only $15,000.‚Äù

Noisy Ocean (2 g Hepburn Rose by Sir Tristram) was first emergency for the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January but didn’t get a start. He would have struggled to beat Karuta Queen anyway and Guy was happy to pick up a winning consolation next time out at Eagle Farm.

Raheen Stud’s Nolan family are also happy with their winning run in QTIS events this season. Noisy Ocean and Rocket To Glory are from the penultimate crop of Shovhog but the Nolans have more of the same in the pipeline.

Noisy Ocean’s dam has a weanling colt by Publishing and Rocket To Glory’s dam is in foal to the same sire. Publishing (Testa Rossa) was a winner of the Standish Hcp (Gr 3) at Flemington before joining the Raheen roster in 2009.

The Gladfield Valley nursery is gearing up for another busy stud season with the recent acquisition of Shamardal’s AJC Epsom Hcp winner Captain Sonador (Shamardal).

Posted in SDB

Binche is GB Broodmare of the Year

Posted on by

Juddmonte Farm swept the board at the Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Annual Awards dinner in Newmarket on Monday night.

Juddmonte won three awards: the Queen’s Silver Cup as the leading British-based Flat breeder by prize-money in Britain, the BBA Silver Cigar Box for Dansili as the top British-based stallion by earnings in Britain and Ireland and the H.J. Joel Silver Salver for Binche. The 12yo¬†Binche (Woodman) is the dam of the 2009 Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr 1) winner Byword, and is also the dam of the North American Grade 1 winner Proviso.

The Duchess of Bedford received the Devonshire Bronze for her success as an owner-breeder with horses such as Jupiter Island, Precocious and Pushy, all either out of or descended from Mrs Moss.

Macau Group winner for Kheleyf

Posted on by

Darley shuttle-sire Kheleyf (USA) added a new stakes winner to his record at the weekend when Super Alloy charged away with the Summer Trophy (Mac Gr 2) over 1050 metres on the sand at Taipa on Saturday. Super Alloy raced midfield off the cracking speed set up by Golden Star and Happy Gladiator and was still spotting the leaders a big margin approaching the home turn.

Super Alloy

Super Alloy

Just as Happy Gladiator shook off Golden Star and was being hailed the winner, Super Alloy burst on the scene to power right on by of Happy Gladiator (Viscount), with Living Pegasus (Testa Rossa) flying home for third.

Trainer Y T (Ah Tai) Lam has done a great job with Super Alloy who arrived in Macau the winner of a five-horse field when he led throughout on the all weather at Wolverhampton.

Super Alloy has proved to be just as adept on the turf in Macau with a win on the grass at his fourth start in the enclave, and going on to be runner up to Happy Gladiator in the Group 1 Chairman’s Challenge Cup in April. The four-year-old gelding has now won three races in Macau and placed a further nine times from his 18 starts this season, and after pocketing Saturdays win close to $1.7 million for owner Lee Yuen Fat.

Trainer Lam turned out the son Kheleyf (USA) in sparkling condition on Saturday with the gelding picking up the best turned out award prior to the race.

Lam has taken Super Alloy from his initial rating of 63 to his present mark of 99 after Saturdays win and describes him as now an easy horse to manage. “He is an easy horse to handle now but he wasn’t always like that.” Lam said. “When he first arrived here he did not settle in that well and was a big problem at the gates. The racing has settled him down and he is a horse that does not need a lot of fast galloping.”

Posted in SDB

Canadian Gr 1 winner for Hennessy

Posted on by

Inglorious came with a big finish in the straight to become the 34th filly in 152 renewals to win the Queen’s Plate, Canada’s most prestigious race, at Woodbine on Sunday.¬†Inglorious is from the 11th and final crop of former Coolmore shuttle-stallion Hennessy (Storm Cat),¬†who died in 2007 while on shuttle duty in Argentina.

A two-year-old Grade 1 winner himself, Hennessy developed into a versatile and highly successful stallion, his best winners including the outstanding European juvenile Johannesburg, dual 1,000 Guineas winner Special Duty, Grade 1-winning dirt sprinter and Darley shuttle-stallion Henny Hughes and multiple Group 1 winner Grand Armee.

So You Think among eight for Eclipse

Posted on by

A small, but select field of eight has been declared for this Saturday’s Eclipse Stakes (Gr 1) at Sandown Park, headed by So You Think (High Chaparral) and Workforce.

Workforce’s trainer Sir Michael Stoute has left in Confront, while the Aidan O’Brien-trained So You Think could be joined by stablemates Cape Blanco, Jan Vermeer and Alexander Pope, the only¬†three-year-old in the race.