Issue 22, August 21
Predatory Pricer, on the inside in blinkers, holds off Whobegotyou to win the Group 2 Liston Stakes at Caulfield. (SLICKPIX)
The Pricer is just right One of the joys of spring racing is to stand at mounting yard and watch the parade of magnificent thoroughbreds strut by. Such was the case at Caulfield last Saturday when the Group 2 Liston Stakes (WFA 1400m) was the headline act over a support card that featured some of Melbourne’s best young talent in the Listed Vain and Quezette Stakes. I hadn’t seen the NSWtrained Predatory Pricer (ch h 2005, Street Cry–Shady Stream, by Archregent) before, so I was keen to cast my eye over the chestnut half-brother to champion sprinter Takeover Target (b g 1999, by Celtic Swing). All I can say is that I doubt I have seen a more awesome, powerful individual since the great mare Sunline bullied her way into the parade ring at Caulfield in 1999 before finishing second behind Rose
O’War in the Group 2 Angus Armanasco Stakes. Predatory Pricer and Takeover Target are nothing alike, but they have one thing in common – unmistakeable quality. Takeover Target is a short-coupled, heavily muscled sprinter, whereas Predatory Pricer has not only length, rein and scope, but also powerful quarters and a masculine stallion’s head. He’s built like a classic “miler” to 2000m horse, and the fact that he was able to finish runner-up behind Roman Emperor in the Group 1 Australian Derby (2400m) at Randwick in the autumn is testimony to his class rather than his staying prowess. Predatory Pricer has inherited a lot of his bone and strength from his sire Street Cry (by Machavellian), who when he stood at Darley Northwood Park at a fee of $16,500 (inc GST) was a hard sell for even the best Darley
sales pitch. I thought Street Cry was a chance, because to me he was built like an Australian horse with his tough exterior and powerful build. He was a star on dirt, winning the World Cup (2000m) at Nad Al Sheba, but also he possesses a turf pedigree. I tried to buy a yearling by Street Cry when his first crop went through the ring, only to miss out because the best individuals sold above my budget. Too late now. Now I can’t afford to get near the stallion, who is standing at Darley Kelvinside, in the Hunter Valley, at a fee of $110,000 (inc. GST). Street Cry has become the hottest sire in the world, and at that price he might still be cheap as his list of star Group 1 offspring north and south of the equator grows. It won’t be long before Predatory Pricer joins the list. DANNY POWER
Young trainer Jarrod McLean has found himself a spring contender in the 3YO Testa Rossa gelding, Nicastro, who resumes at Moonee Valley on Saturday in the Listed Essendon Nissan Stakes (1200m). Nicastro (b g 2006, ex-Kinky, by St. Jovite (USA)) is unbeaten in three provincial starts for the Warrnambool-based McLean. While this Listed race is a major step up from Stawell (1100m), Mildura (1200m) and Swan Hill (1300m), McLean has a high opinion of the gelding, and he expects him to find his best form when he gets to around 1600m. Nicastro was an ecumenical purchase by McLean. The youngster cost $45,000 to the bid of fellow Warrnambool trainer Matthew Williams, who proved he was acting in McLean’s best interests. Nicastro is yet another smart horse by the improving Testa Rossa, who now commands a service fee of $38,500 (inc. GST) at Vinery, Scone – not far short of Williams’ purchase price. Nicastro will get his stamina from his dam-sire, the former high-class North Americanbred stallion St Jovite (by Pleasant Colony), who was trained in Europe to win the 1992 Group 1 Irish Derby (2400m) at The Curragh and the 1992 Group 1 King George V1 and Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2400m) at Royal Ascot. Kinky is only one of four foals born in Australia by St. Jovite, who has been a moderately successful stallion in Kentucky (19932006), leaving only nine Stakes winners.
WORDS BY DANNY POWER
Golden times for unheralded sire It was only a few weeks ago that I looked up the pedigree of an impressive 3YO, Lago Azzurro, who I had spotted finishing a luckless sixth behind Starspangledbanner at Caulfield on August 1, only to be surprised that he is not, as his name suggests, a son of Encosta De Lago or one of his sire-sons, but a gelding by the little known Golden Lake, an unraced son of Danzero. Blow me down, two weeks later, another son of Golden Lake, also competing against Starspangledbanner, finishes a tremendous third at his debut in the Listed Vain Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield. Djatala (ex-Lanema, by Mustin Lake), who had easily won a trial at St. Arnaud, showed speed and courage to hold on to third in a crack field of colts and geldings. It certainly made me take a bit more notice of Golden Lake, who is advertised at a very modest fee of $2200 (inc. GST) in 2009. Until this week, Golden Lake was without a home, but it was yesterday announced the son of Danzero will stand at Lakewood Stud, Wellington, South Australia. Senior part-owner McLean Whittaker said Golden Lake stood his first three seasons at Finale Stud, Murray Bridge, but an illness to the studmaster forced the horse to a stand at part-owner Wayne Francis’ property at Strathalbyn last season. “Wayne’s farm is not really equipped to stand a stallion, so he received only six mares last year. The phone has been ringing, but until now we couldn’t tell anyone where he is
The unraced stallion Golden Lake is making an impact. (Atkins Photography).
standing,” he said. Golden Lake has only 10 named foals (five have raced) – Lago Azzurro (g ex-Sarablue, by Sarajaavo) is his sole winner – after starting his stud career in 2005 with 20 mares. He covered 31 in 2006, 28 in 2007. He has suddenly become a commercial prospect in stallion-starved South Australia. Golden Lake was bred in SA by Des Pope. The colt was a “buy-back” for $60,000 at the 2003 Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale because of an eye injury resulting from knocking his head as a foal. His dam is the Rubiton mare Midnight Mist, a sister to the Group 3 winning mare Ticket To Rome (ex-Val Chimene, by Twig Moss). The eye issue caused problems in his early training, so Golden Lake was retired, and snapped up by Whittaker and partners. Whittaker describes Golden Lake as a “big bay, thick set, 16.1 hands and he stamps his stock like himself”. Whittaker also has a big opinion of another of Golden Lake’s offspring, Artechs (b g, ex-Atomic Miss, by Geiger Counter), who was spelled
after his very good fourth behind the smart Wallinger at Morphettville in May. “He won a trial at Murray Bridge by many lengths,” he said.
Winning ways of Whisked It’s been a good week for the old mare Whisked, the 1990 Group 1 Thousand Guineas winner and dam of the star galloper Tie The Knot (ch g 1994,by Nassipour). Whisked (ch m 1987, Whiskey Road-That Is A Same, by Kaoru Star) hasn’t produced a foal since Hood (by Shamardal) was born in 2006. Last week, Hood, trained by Guy Walter, was an impressive Hawkesbury trial winner. The gelding looks like developing into a more than capable racehorse, who should emerge as an autumn 3YO, just as his famous half-brother did when he won the 1998 Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) and the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m). Tie The Knot won 13 Group 1 races. Last Monday at Goulburn, Whisked’s daughter La Zabaglioni (by Zabeel) produced a promising firststart winner in the 3YO filly, Isola (by Hussonet), who also is trained by Walter (trainer of Tie
The Knot) for the Tait family, the owners of Whisked. La Zabaglioni’s first foal Sandberg (g 2005, by Carnegie) also won his maiden at Goulburn in February, but he hasn’t raced since finishing last in a 0-62 race on the same track in March. La Zabaglioni, who failed to win in five tries, has an unnamed 2YO gelding by Secret Savings, but she missed to More Than Ready in 2007. She is in foal to veteran sire Quest For Fame. Whisked is due to foal to Strategic later this month. The old mare is yet another example of a successful broodmare who possesses a double cross of the great Star Kingdom. In her case it is through Kaoru Star and her granddam Not Enough’s sire Baguette (another famous Tait family star) who was by Rego from the grand producing Star Kingdom mare Dark Jewel.
On the Edge Punters probably didn’t appreciate the talents of the underrated sire Racer’s Edge (by Rory’s Jester) when he sired two longshot quaddie-leg winners last Friday at Geelong, but fans of the Chatswood Stud (Seymour)-based stallion may have cleaned up. Rusty Edge (b g 2004, exScintillate, by Big Boost) won the first leg of the quaddie at $31, while any chance for most punters was dashed when $61 pop The Scumpa (ch g 2005, ex-Sweet Pearl, by Rare Pearl) won the third leg. Racer’s Edge, aged 18, is a perennial sire of winners, and a wonderful stallion for hobby breeders looking for a proven sire at a low fee – he stands in 2009 at only $3300 (inc. GST). Old Racer’s Edge also is an ideal stallion to kick off the career of a maiden mare – it’s always good practice to go proven sire to get her breeding career off and running. DANNY POWER