Issue 28, October 2
This strapping chestnut colt, by Encosta De Lago, with his dam from Gypsy Dancer at Coolmore Stud, is a half-brother to Golden Slipper winner Dance Hero.
Dancing to a new beat Breeder Tony Akkari has been lucky, despite the fact he sold the 2004 Golden Slipper hero Dance Hero, as a yearling, for only $90,000, when the bay son of Danzero was expected to bring much more at the 2003 Magic Millions Yearling Sale. It wasn’t a bad result on his investment, as Akkari paid only $15,000 for Dance Hero’s dam, Gypsy Dancer (ch m 1996, Dance Floor (USA)– Racy Belle, by Straight Strike (USA)), off the track. The ride for Akkari has been far from roller coaster as he since has sold Gypsy Dancer, in foal to Redoute’s Choice, for $1.5 million, and her weanling Redoute’s Choice colt for $1.15 million – both to the bid of Coolmore Stud at the 2007 Magic Millions National Broodmare and Weanling Sale. Akkari has retained three daughters of Gypsy Dancer. Two of them were unraced
and are already in the matron paddocks at Vinery Stud – Aleesar (2003), a sister to Dance Hero, and Arzetna (2002,by Fuji Kiseki (JPN)), are producing nice foals for Akkari. The Lebanese-born breeder, ever the optimist, believes his luck is about to take another turn for the better. “Aleesar is a strong mare, whereas Arzetna is a lot like her mother, smallish and lightly-framed, and like Gypsy, she throws foals with much more strength than herself,” Akkari said. Akkari has another daughter of Gypsy Dancer, Batroun (by Danzero), now four, in work with Peter Morgan. “She’s more like Dance Hero than them all, and she has his ability but unfortunately she suffered a tendon injury with Bart Cummings, so we sent her to Peter for training in the water walker.
Aleezar’s first foal is a Mossman yearling colt and she has been mated to More Than Ready, while Arzetna has a 2YO Danzero filly in work and a Flying Spur colt at foot. She is booked to Redoute’s Choice. Gypsy Dancer has two highpriced Redoute’s Choice colts to race for her. Both are in work with Gai Waterhouse at Randwick. The 3YO Foxtrot Oscar cost Patinack Farm $2.2 million as a yearling, but the big colt has been a late maturer. The unnamed 2YO, who cost $850,000, is partowned by Coolmore Stud, and is far more precocious. Akkari is hoping one of the two colts can enhance the pedigree, which has been quiet since the amazing deeds of Dance Hero. Gypsy Dancer has a strapping chestnut colt at foot by Encosta De Lago and she is booked back to the stallion. DANNY POWER
Well-known owner-breeder Jonathan Munz is having a wonderful run with one particular family that traces back to the high-class mare Gypsy Moss, the Irish import who proved a star on the racetrack and in the breeding barn for the Foyster family in the late 1960s. The branch of this family that is doing so well for Munz’s breeding outfit GSA Bloodstock comes through the grey mare Irises (gr m 1988, Tate Gallery (USA)–Gypsy’s Hope, by John’s Hope). Gypsy’s Hope is a granddaughter of Gypsy Moss (b m 1966 Mossborough– Bedecked, by Rockefella). Irises was a precocious juvenile who won a 1991 Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude at Sandown. The 2009 Group 3 SA Oaks winner Zapurple is by Zabeel from the Listed Let’s Elope Stakes winner Purple Groove (by Rhythm), who is a daughter of Irises. Purple Groove also is the dam of Munz’s promising 3YO filly Zapurb, by Zabeel. This week, another daughter of Irises, the Last Tycoon mare Tyrises, already the dam of Stakes winners Taikun (by Anabaa) and Super Groove (by Dehere), produced two winners bred by GSA and owned by Munz’s Pincecliffe Racing Syndicate. Boogaloo (gr f 2005, by Encosta De Lago), who is Stakes-placed, won at Moonee Valley on Wednesday, and on Thursday, the first starter Groovy Choice (gr f 2006, by Redoute’s Choice) was impressive winning at Ballarat.