The Breed

Issue 24, September 3

This smart looking Lonhro-Yum Yum colt, born at Westbury Stud, near Auckland, could be a luck changer for a New Zealand breeder, Murray Jones.

And along came Lonhro Murray Jones is one of those people lucky enough to be able to afford his passion for breeding racehorses.

But that’s where Jones’ good luck – at least in recent hard times – ends.

The Wellington (NZ)-based Jones, a Kiwi with a strong Scottish heritage and outlook, hasn’t always been unlucky in racing, in fact, his racing passion started with a cheap mare named Sizzles (by Vice Regal), a chunky sprinter who struggled to run 1000m. What Sizzles lacked on the racetrack, she made up for as a broodmare.

Jones bred from the little mare the high-class filly Slanchyvah (by Kaapstad).

Immediate success resulted when Slanchyvah proved to be one of the best 3YO fillies of her generation by placing third in the 1993 Group 1 NZ Oaks (2400m) and winning the 1993 Listed Doomben Classic (1600m) before she

transferred to Lee Freedman’s Flemington stable as a 4YO with the Caulfield Cup her mission.

She made it to the race but suffered a back injury in finishing 15th behind Fraar and didn’t race again.

That hiccough wasn’t the end of Jones’s good luck trail because Slanchyvah’s first foal, Dreamworks (by Maroof), turned out to be a beauty, and in Jones’s tartan colours won the 2002 Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie at only her fourth start. A knee injury finished Dreamworks’ racing career around the same time another of Slanchyvah’s foals, a colt by King’s Best, sold at the Magic Millions, to the bid of Darley, for $320,000. Jones was loving his racing.

But since then bad luck has hit Jones’ breeding business like a tsunami. Sadly, Slanchyvah died after crashing into a fence in 2005,

and he has been unable to sell two of Dreamworks’ foals, both by Elusive Quality (USA), because of injuries as foals.

A few wrong stallion selections with his mares also left the racing bank account needing a top up. And then along came Lonhro.

Jones mated both Dreamworks and her halfsister Yum Yum (by Entrepreneur (GB) to Lonhro in 2008 and crossed his fingers. The gamble has paid off handsomely as Lonhro’s stocks have taken a sudden rise, especially after Denman (Br c 2006, ex-Peach, by Vain) gave the stallion his first Group 1 winner in last Saturday’s Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill.

Yum Yum has foaled a cracking colt (pictured) by Lonhro, and Jones, with a spring in his step, keenly waits for news of the Dreamworks foal, due next week.

DANNY POWER

Patinack Farm’s latest spring contender, yesterday’s impressive Randwick (Kensington) winner Gath e r in g, is from the family of champion sire Redoute’s Choice (by Danehill (USA).

Gathering, who is being aimed at the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m, Flemington) on October 31, is by Tale Of The Cat (USA) from the Peintre Celebre (USA) mare Celebria.

The second dam Twyla (by Danehill from Dancing Show, by Nijinsky) is a three-quarter sister to Redoute’s Choice, who is from Shantha’s Choice (by Canny Lad), a daughter of Dancing Show.

Twyla also is half-sister to Group 1 winning sires Umatilla (by Miswaki (USA) and Hurricane Sky (by Star Watch).

Patinack Farm bought Gathering privately from Coolmore Stud after the colt failed to reach his $350,000 reserve at the 2008 Magic Millions Premier Yearling Sale.

Tale Of The Cat (by Storm Cat) is having a wonderful 12 months. It looks like his second Coolmore crop has produced three outstanding colts. One of them R eal Saga, who won the Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m, Rosehill) has already retired to Glenlogan Stud in Queensland due to injury.

T r ustin g (ex-Legible, by Zabeel (NZ)), also owned by Patinack Farm, is heading for big things. His late-closing second to Denman in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m, Rosehill) was an exceptional performance.

WORDS BY DANNY POWER

War Artist – the unsung hero The Australian-bred sprinter War Artist has gone about his international career relatively unheralded. He deserves more credit for his achievements.

Last Sunday, the son of Orpen (by Lure (USA)) was rewarded with his first major win in Europe when he won the Group 2 Goldene Peitsche (1200m) at Baden-Baden in Germany.

War Artist (b h 2003, exRoyal Solitaire, by Brocco (USA)) began his racing career in South Africa, after World Wide Bloodstock paid $57,500 for the colt at the 2005 Magic Millions Gold Coast Premier Sale.

In 2007, War Artist won the Group 1 Mercury Sprint (1200m) at Clairwood (SAF) before he was shipped to England to race under the care of trainer James Eustice.

In 2008, War Artist showed his talent by finishing second behind Kingsgate Native in the Group 1 Golden Jubilee (1200m) at Royal Ascot – Takeover Target came in fourth a length behind his fellow Australian-bred. The following month, War Artist showed blistering pace to lead in the Group 1 July Cup (1200m) at Newmarket before placing third behind Marchand D’Or, beaten only a head and a half length.

The Baden-Baden win was a just reward for War Artist, who missed Royal Ascot and Newmarket this year after an injury delayed his return.

Eustice has ambitious international plans for the gelding, including the Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint (1200m) at Sha Tin in December.

War Artist’s dam Royal

MISS ANDRETTI, pictured shortly before foaling a colt by Exceed And Excel.

Solitaire is out of the Rubiton mare All Kisses, the dam of the Listed-winning filly Calming (by Zeditave).

Royal Solitaire (1996) died in 2007. Her last foal, a colt by Jet Spur, failed to make his $90,000 reserve at the 2009 Magic Millions Premier Sale.

Alcopop is a tribute to Jeune Alcop o p may have come from obscurity to win yesterday’s Listed Balaklava Cup (1600m), but his triumph is a further reminder of the loss of his sire Jeune (by Kalaglow).

Acopop, who came from class 3 company to win the Balaklava Cup, is from Jeune’s third last crop of 79 foals (2004), and his last from his life at Lindsay Park, Angaston, before he moved to stand at Collingrove Stud (now Swettenham), Nagambie, in Victoria. Jeune, the 1994 Melbourne Cup winner, died on April 1, 2006, aged 16.

Jeune has now sired 22 Stakes winners, and Alcopop, who has an all-Lindsay Park pedigree, could be one of his best if his race record winning performance at Balaklava – his sixth win from only nine starts – is any guide.

Alcopop’s dam is Iota Of Luck, by the Victoria Derby winner Blevic (by Scenic (IRE)) from a mare by the Melbourne Cup winner At Talaq (by Roberto (USA)). While this is a thin female family for Stakes winners, Alcopop looks to be headed for a fizzy spring carnival.

Ibsen’s turn for some caviar Much was expected of Ibsen when he sold for $200,000 at the 2006 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale. Not only was he a son the crack race mare Scandinavia (by Snippets), but he also was from muchawaited first crop of Bel Esprit (by Royal Academy).

Ibsen had the looks to match his pedigree, and his purchaser David Moodie’s Contract Racing had no trouble putting together a syndicate of high-profile Victorian racing men, including Adam Sangster, Peter Sidwell and David Kobritz.

Since then, it’s been Ibsen’s siblings and close relations that have grabbed the limelight, while Ibsen’s racing career, hindered by injury, has resulted in only three wins from 15 starts — the latest was a slick victory over 1000m at Belmont

on Wednesday for Perth trainer Adam Durrant.

While Ibsen, now a gelding, has been marking time, his half-brother Magnus (by Flying Spur) has won the Group 1 The Galaxy (1100m) and now stands at stud at Eliza Park, while another half-brother Wilander (by Exceed And Excel) is the winner of the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1000m) and also is a stud prospect.

But it is the form of his threequarter sister Black Caviar, who has brilliantly won her three starts, including two at Stakes level, that draws attention to Ibsen’s pedigree.

Black Caviar, also by Bel Esprit, is out of Ibsen’s half-sister Helsinge (by Desert Sun (GB).

The Thoroughbred Magazine Club’s 3YO filly Belleluia is closely related to both Ibsen and Black Caviar. Belleluia, who returns to full work this week, is by Bel Esprit from Song Of The Sun (by Desert Sun), a half-sister to Scandinavia. This is one very hot family at the moment.

Miss Andretti foals a colt Champion sprinting mare Miss And r e t t i (b m 2001, Ihtiram (IRE)–Peggie’s Bid, by Marooned (GB)) was in no rush to have her first foal, giving her owner Sean Buckley some anxious times when she was two weeks overdue to give birth at Toolooganvale Stud, in the Hunter Valley.

And when the foal did arrive, a strapping bay colt by Exceed And Excel (by Danehill; USA)), he was facing backwards. Miss Andretti had a tough time during delivery but she, and her foal, have recovered well.

Buckley said he plans to wait to have a good look at the foal before deciding which stallion will have the pleasure of Miss Andretti visiting him this spring.

DANNY POWER