TURF MONTHLY

monthly

TURF

November 2020

THIS MONTH POITREL - 100 YEARS ON FIRST FAMILY OF THE MELBOURNE CUP MORE NEW STALLIONS FOR 2020 ANOTHER GREAT RACE IN HISTORY

Editor’s Letter

N

ovember means only one thing to a majority of Australian racing fans. Everyone knows that the first Tuesday in November shares a significant part of our heritage. It is a lot more than another date on the calendar. By the time most read this, the 2020 Melbourne Cup will have been run and won. This year marked 100 years since a wonderful racehorse, considered by many one of the best of his time, Poitrel won the Cup. We honour this marvellous horse on the anniversary of his great triumph. We continue to look at Australia’s racing heritiage and some of the wonderful people and horses who have made our racing, and our thoroughbed what it is.

This month we look at more of the new stallions standing at stud this season. There has been quite a diverse range of stallions this year, and there are no doubt high hopes for the future. It will be coming into yearling sale time soon, even if we aren’t all that sure what these sales are going to look like. The Magic Millions might not be the annual festival of the past, and may never be again in the post-COVID era. The big concern for the sales is going to be the absence of the usually strong international buyers. There have been a lot of new developments in the live streaming world, but how this will work with the actual inspection of yearlings will be a real task for the sales companies. The Gold Coast Turf Club will not be able to have the huge numbers that usually attend the raceday, and this has to have some long term impact on their finances This is a challenge that will confront more and more race clubs, and the major ones are going to have to be more reliant on wagering on their big days than attendances. This does not work for smaller country clubs who are almost totally dependent upon these events and we don’t know if we will see them ever regain the same crowd numbers in the future. Looking forward, I think it is an opportunity for clubs to work with the larger community. Race days often are split into a range of marquees and select areas on track. In this day and age we can have these same areas off track at local licensed venues and event facilities. It cannot be a matter of going to the local hotel, but a special co-ordinated event that is part of the races, just located in a different venue. Clubs can get imaginative with their on-track vision and live stream stabling, horse parades and other footage that is not shown on the public coverage, direct to these associated events. They can also send footage back from the outside events to the main club and incorporate interactive competitions and interviews from all over to make everyone more connected to the race day than they might even have been at the races.

While these ideas may never come to fruition, I urge clubs to take a new look at an old problem. Our aim here at Turf Monthly is to reconnect people with the thoroughbred.

This might be a good focus for the whole industry.

A final word of thanks again to some of the wonderful people who help make Turf Monthly happen.

SHADOW PRODUCTIONS SKY RACING

TESIOPOWER RACING VICTORIA

RACING.COM

Until next month

Ross Prowd Turf Monthly

ABN 64 892 144 940 Phone 0412 712 181 Email editor@turfmonthly.com.au Unit 4/125 West St Menzies Qld 4825

Turf monthly 2

Contents 4

4

24

POITREL- 100 YEARS ON

10 FIRST FAMILY OF THE MELBOURNE CUP

14

30

COMEDY KING

20

10

SISTER OLIVE

24 14

37

THE LEGACY OF COMEDY KING

30 HER INFLUENCE CONTINUES - SISTER OLIVE

38

37 THE GENE POOL

38 NEW STALLIONS

20

50 GREAT RACES

50

Turf monthly 3

Turf monthly 4

O

n 2 November 1920, the great Sydney horse Poitrel lais. In turn, Poinard was a half-sister to Cane King, winner proved that he was the equal to any horse in Australia of the 1918 QTC Ascot Handicap, and a full sister to Parsee by winning the Melbourne Cup. It was his third and last start who won the AJC Craven Plate, VRC All-Aged Stakes, VATC in Melbourne where he was only beaten once by the great Eu- Caulfield Guineas AJC Derby, and Tatt's Tramway Handicap. rythmic. But this was close to the end of the mighty Poitrel’s The family has struggled from its glory days in the 1920’s and the most recent stakes winners appear to be Bianco Flyer by career, so we are getting ahead of ourselves.

Godswalk who won the VATC One Thousand Guineas in oitrel was by St Alwyne by Poinard. He was a quality stal1987 and her grandson, Monton, by Marauding who won the lion siring some 22 stakes winners over a long career al2010 STC Hobartville Stakes, 2011 ATC Villiers and Festival though none better than Poitrel. Among his stakes winners Stakes. were 1918 Melbourne Cup winner, Night March, Sydney ike so many horses, Poitrel was unwanted as a yearling.

Cup winner, Moorilla, Caulfield Cup winner, Lady Medallist He was bred at Arrowfield Stud by the Moses brothand Hotham Handicap and dual Moonee Valley Cup winner, Gladwyn. St Alwyne was also notable as the damsire of the ers who owned the stud and sent to the Sydney sales with a modest reserve of 300 guineas. He was not big but was a great Peter Pan. well-muscled colt with a white star. The colt attracted only oitrel traces back to a mare called Whizgig by Whalebone one bid of 200 guineas from Mr AJ Thurgood of Melbourne. who was imported into Tasmania in the late 1820’s by Negotiations for the purchase of the colt continued after the Cressy Company. She was sold in 1835 by public aucthe fall of the hammer. Mr Thurgood refused to increase tion for £52 10s, to Mr Edmund Bryant. Whizgig was a full his offer, although the Moses brothers had been prepared to sister to Whalebone’s first Derby winner in Lap Dog which meet him half-way. Thurgood pressed the point that the colt no doubt influenced the decision to bring her to Australia. It was parrot-mouthed, meaning that the upper jaw protruded is the Bruce Lowe number 3 family. Another of Whizgig’s beyond the limit of the lower jaw, or essentially an overbite, sisters was to start a separate line that produced the English which can cause difficulties in chewing. The Moses’ broke Tim Whiffler who won the 1862 Doncaster and Goodwood off negotiations as they believed the colt had a good staying Handicaps. Poitrel’s dam was Poinard by Metal and she also pedigree and maintained that he would develop into a Cups produced the 1921 VRC Newmarket winner, Valiard by Va-

P

L

P

Turf monthly 5

TO WATCH VIDEO TOGGLE TO TEXT VIEW horse. They backed their belief by racing him in their own colours of yellow, white sleeves and black cap.

P

oitrel started his 2yo career on 30 December 1916 but he was to be unplaced at all three starts. Unplaced again at his first start as a 3yo, Poitrel ran 3rd at his next start at Randwick over 9f, and then found the winners circle at his next run over 10f. He was then stepped up in class and won the Summer Cup on Boxing Day, and the Tatts Cup on New

Turf monthly 6

Year’s Day 1918. Poitrel did not race again until August and was again unplaced in his first two runs back, the second of these behind the champion Gloaming in the Chelmsford Stakes. He won his next start in the Spring Stakes, now the Colin Stephens, becoming the first horse in Australia to beat the NZ champion Desert Gold in the process. Two days later he finished a disappointing 10th in the Metropolitan behind a very good galloper Kennaquahair with whom Poitrel was to

have a great rivalry.

again in the Sydney Cup. Only three days later he won the Cumberland Stakes also over two miles, and then only two t is appropriate to mention at this stage that Poitrel was more days hence, won the AJC Plate over 24f (4800m). Both not the most robust horse. He was not big, standing at times he was victorious over great rival Kennaquahair. Three around 15.2 hands although his owner swore that he was 16 wins out of four runs over more than 8 miles of racing in the hands when he stood at stud. As mentioned Poitrel was parspace of 8 days is not a bad effort for any horse, let alone one rot mouthed, but his trainer said it did not cause him to ever with bad feet. leave any feed. Poitrel’s main problem was his hooves, suffering from shelly feet where the wall of the foot is quite brittle. oitrel returned as a 5yo in the Spring to run third in the It is made worse by not being shod, but it is often difficult 10f Spring Handicap before becoming the first Austrato keep a shoe attached as the hoof struggles to hold a nail. lian horse to beat another NZ champion in Gloaming in the Poitrel, in his famous Melbourne Cup win, was said to have Spring Stakes. A week later he again downed Kennaquahair 14 nails holding the shoe on one hoof. While he had large in the 2-mile Randwick Plate. Another rest beckoned, and spaces between carnivals, Poitrel was never away from the Poitrel returned in the Autumn to again be unplaced in his stable as trainer Robinson was so concerned about his feet. first run over 10f. The stallion then won four of his next five Much of his time was spent in around 60cms of mud in order starts, being beaten only once in the Sydney Cup with Kento stop his hooves from splitting. naquahair this time getting the upper hand. Another break saw the champ return for his penultimate campaign as a 6yo oitrel did not return to racing until the Autumn and rewith two unplaced runs in shorter races. Over the 12f of the sumed with another three unplaced runs before beating Spring Stakes, Poitrel returned to the winner’s circle this time Kennaquahair in the Autumn Stakes, but two days later failed sharing it with Kennaquahair in a dead heat. Back to 10f four

I

P

P

Turf monthly 7

Belgamba winning the St Leger

days later, Poitrel finished second to Greenstead in the Cra- time he was to dead heat with Richmond Main, in what was ven Plate before winning the two-mile Randwick Plate, again also the last stakes victory for a horse who had won the AJC downing Kennaquahair only three days later. and VRC Derbies as a 3yo. Shortly after, Poitrel was to injure the tendon in his off foreleg. Poitrel was trained by Mr Hart was time to take the Sydney star to Melbourne and his ry Robinson who also prepared Melbourne Cup runner up first run there saw him run third to the mighty Eurythmic Erasmus. Earlier in the year he had announced his impending in the 10f Melbourne Stakes on Derby Day before he lined retirement from training due to the ill health of his wife and up for his main goal, the 1920 Melbourne Cup. Poitrel carried son, who had twice been gassed during the War. The retire10 stone in weight in the Cup (63.5kg) and became only the ment of Poitrel was influenced by his trainer’s decision and fourth horse in history to win carrying this much weight. He Poitrel was sent to stand at the Moses’ Arrowfield Stud. In was up against a top-class field that included old rival Kenannouncing Poitrel’s retirement, owner FA Moses said “The naquahair who had 9.8 (60.5kgs) and Eurythmic 9.4 (59kgs). cruel part of it is that Poitrel has never been so well. Only a These three horses stood out in the field of 23 with the next few mornings ago he ran six furlongs in 1.17.5 on the track, highest in the weights being Daarewin 7.9 (48.5kgs) including and I am perfectly confident that he would not have been a 7lb penalty and Salitros who carried 47kg following a 10lb beaten at this meet.” Further success would have seen him (4.5kg) penalty for winning the Derby on the Saturday. Salitros retire as the highest prizemoney winner in Australian history broke away in the Cup at the mile mark but was soon reeled at that time. in. Into the straight, Eurythmic was third stalking the two oitrel was later sold at the Arrowfield dispersal for 1,750 leaders, Erasmus and Queen Comedy, a daughter of Comedy guineas to Mr JJ Leahy who sold him a couple of weeks King. The big weight told on Eurythmic and his run finished inside the last furlong. Poitrel looked to have no chance, be- later to Mr LKS Mackinnon, chairman of the VRC. He ing well back. He took time to wind up under his big weight was later sold to Tarong Station north of Toowoomba in but continued to gain ground under vigorous riding from his Queensland. He sired five stakes winners with his best Bellong-term partner, Ken Bracken who had ridden the stallion gamba who won the SAJC, AJC and VRC St Legers, and in all his starts from 4yo onwards. Poitrel finished wide out also ran second to the champion Manfred in the VRC Deby. on the track and gained the upper hand near the post finally Other of Poitrel’s stakes winners were WATC Metropolitan winning by a half-length from Erasmus with a further two winner, Distant, Williamstown Australia Day Cup and Tasmanian Derby winner, Lampra, West End Draught Stakes lengths back to Queen Comedy with Eurythmic fourth. winner Sceutem, and VRC Grand National winner, Fulham. oitrel had one more start in Melbourne in the CB Fisher Poitrel is now almost impossible to find in modern pedigrees, Plate on the Saturday after the Cup but Eurythmic got and the best runner in recent times to trace to the stallion his revenge beating the Sydney horse into second. Poitrel reis likely Major Till who won the 1977 Coongy and Hotham turned to Sydney. He faced the starter only one more time, in Handicaps and went to stud with limited success. the Rawson Stakes on 13 March 1921 over 9 furlongs. This o doubt the physical issues faced by Poitrel impacted his long-term influence and while we may not be able to find him in pedigrees, his direct line hopefully will again produce a runner that will share some of the ability of the great champion. He will always be the horse that beat Desert Gold, Gloaming and Eurythmic.

Poitrel died in Qld on the 2 May 1932 while performing stud duties and was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame in 2018.

I

P

P

N

Turf monthly 8

PEDIGREE NOTES Poitrel’s pedigree has relatively little close inbreeding although there is quite a build-up in the 5th and 6th generations with a total COI of 6.64%. This is more notable in a time when it was common to see close ancestors on both sides of a pedigree, but it is a good lesson that we can have significant inbreeding without seeing two close-up ancestors. The closest duplication is not until the 5th generation where we see champion stallion Newminster appear through the female lines of St Alwyne and his damsire, Metal. Newminster was a son of Touchstone who we see appear twice more through the same parts of the pedigree. The stallion Melbourne is duplicated in the 5th and 6th generations. He was the sire of the first Triple Crown winner in West Australian and had more lines of the Godolphin Arabian in his pedigree than any other stallion of his time. He stood at stud alongside Birdcatcher who also appears in the sire line of Metal. We also see duplications of Ion, The Flying Dutchman and Harkaway who is from the same female family as Melbourne.

O

ne reason that the Melbourne Cup has lost some of its relevance to the Australian thoroughbred is that the race has reduced influence in the sales ring. Having a Melbourne Cup victory on your resume does not assure stud success like it did in days gone by. This was not always the case, and Cup winners were often among our most highly sought-after families, and these lines had a huge impact on the Australian breed.

T

here are two different categories here. Firstly, we have the stallions and while we have seen a growing number of entires winning the Cup in the last 20 years or so, their impact at stud have been mixed. We have seen one of our leading stallions in So You Think placed in the Cup, but the last winner to have a marked effect on breeding I suggest was the 1994 winner, Jeune who sired 28 stakes winners.

T

he first Champion sires title was awarded for the season 1883/84. It was won by the imported St Albans by Blair Athol who was also to win the award the following year. He only produced one Melbourne Cup winner in the wonderful Malua who also won an Oakleigh Plate and Newmarket Handicap.

The first of only four Melbourne Cup winners to win the official title was Chester in 1888. Chester had won 18 stakes races including the VRC Derby/Cup double in 1877. Chester was to win the sires title on three further occasions, but despite siring 26 stakes winners never sired a Melbourne Cup winner.

T

he next Cup winner to become our champion sire was the immortal Grand Flaneur rated by most at the time as our greatest racehorse. He won 9 straight races and was champion sire in 1895. Grand Flaneur produced 23 stakes winners including Cup winners Bravo and Patron.

Turf monthly 10

W

e had to wait until 1920 before the imported Comedy King won the Champion Sires’ title. He had won the 1910 Melbourne Cup. He sired two Cup winners in King Ingoda and Artilleryman and we will discuss this stallion in depth a little later.

T

he last stallion to have won this quite rare double was Spearfelt who won the Cup in 1926 and despite standing much of his career in Queensland, sired Dark Felt the 1943 Cup winner. This enabled him to win the champion sires title that year.

W Rainbird

hen the great Makybe Diva retired to stud after winning her three Melbourne Cups, a lot was expected of her progeny. To date, they have not lived up to the expectations, but that is not to say that the next generation will not make an impact. There have been 14 females to win the Melbourne Cup, with Makybe Diva the last. The first was a 3yo filly Briseis in 1876. The next was Auraria in 1895 who was another 3yo. Acrasia in 1904 was the oldest being a 7yo when she

TO WATCH VIDEO TOGGLE TO TEXT VIEW

Turf monthly 11

won in 1904. We then saw another 3yo filly in Sister Olive (1921) with the others Rivette (1939), Rainbird (1945), Evening Peal (1956), Hi Jinx (1960), Light Fingers (1965), Empire Rose (1988), Let's Elope (1991), Jezabeel (1998) and Ethereal (2001) all between four and six years of age. Makbye Diva, who we must note was bred to Northern Hemisphere time, was a 5yo when she won her first Cup.

O

f these mares, only four have produced stakes winners. Ethereal produced Seraphim to win the Listed Marton Cup in NZ, while Rainbird produced Raindear who won the 1963 VRC Wakeful Stakes, South Australian Oaks and SAJC Auraria Stakes. Let's Elope produced two stakes winners in Outback Joe winner of the 2014 Adelaide Cup and VRC Bagot Handicap, and Ustinov who won the 2001 MVRC AAMI Vase. Sister Olive, the last of the 3yo fillies to win the Cup also produced two stakes winners in Manolive, who with wins in the 1937 Perth Cup, the 1938 Williamstown Cup, 1939 CF Orr Stakes and 1938 VATC Eclipse Stakes, is arguably the best offspring of all of the mares, and Mount Of Olives who won the 1928 South Australian Derby.

T

he most remarkable thing about these figures is that Sister Olive is out of a mare called Jubilee Queen who was a half-sister to Comedy King giving this family a unique connection to the Melbourne Cup.

TO WATCH VIDEO TOGGLE TO TEXT VIEW Turf monthly 12

Hi Jinx

C

Tragedy Queen

omedy King was the first Northern Hemisphere bred horse to win the Melbourne Cup. He won the 1910 edition known as the Jubilee Cup, celebrating the reign of King George V. The crowd exceeded 100,000 and, for the first time, the VRC introduced a “motor paddock” which held around 400 cars. Two firemen were on duty to prevent anyone from smoking in the area among the combination of fuel and expensive upholstery.

O C

wner Sol Green, the leviathan bookmaker of Melbourne, had purchased his dam Tragedy Queen with a Persimmon foal at foot in England for 1700 guineas. The foal was to later be known as Comedy King. They arrived on the White Star liner, Afric.

omedy King made his first racetrack appearance in the Standish Handicap at Flemington on New Year’s Day 1910. He was unplaced over 6 furlongs, but only 10 months later he was to have his greatest moment at the same track. Comedy King raced only in black type races for his entire career. At his second start at Caulfield in February, Comedy King won the Futurity Stakes over 7 furlongs, before returning to Flemington for another unplaced run in the Newmarket in a field of 31 runners. His trainer James Lynch, who had accompanied Green on his trip to England where he purchased the colt, put him in a paddock after that, and he returned for the Spring on 3 September over the 9 furlongs of the Heatherslie Stakes at Caulfield to finish second to Eye Glass. A trip to Sydney followed and the colt won the Spring Stakes at Randwick over 12 furlongs beating Prince Foote on 1 October. Four days later he

Turf monthly 15

Artilleryman

was unplaced when the 9/4 favourite in the Craven Plate at the same carnival. He returned to Melbourne to finish 6th in the Melbourne Stakes which was to become the LKS Mackinnon Stakes in 1936, the main lead up to the Cup.

C

omedy King started at 10/1 in a field of 30 on Tuesday, 1 November 1910. He led into the straight and managed to hold on by half a neck from the 9/2 favourite Trafalgar who was finishing strongly, having been a long way back in the field. Comedy King was ridden by W McLachlan and carried only 7 stone 11 pounds (49.5kg). By a coincidence, the steamer, Afric, that brought Comedy King and Tragedy Queen to Australia was at Port Melbourne on Melbourne Cup Day. To a person, everyone on the liner backed the horse and then put out flags and bunting that they had ready for the victory celebration upon news of his triumph.

A

fter a break, the colt returned the following February to again beat Trafalgar in the St George Stakes over 9 furlongs, and then ran third carrying 9 stone 13 pounds (63kg) over the 7 furlongs of the Futurity. Following wins in the Essendon Stakes and All Aged Stakes at Flemington he then travelled to NSW to win the Autumn Stakes before two unplaced runs saw him again head to the paddock. A return in the Spring in the Memsie saw him run second when giving a whopping 15kgs to winner Flaith, in what was to be that horse’s only stakes win. He found the winners circle again in October in the Eclipse Stakes at Caulfield in what was ultimately his last success. He went to the Melbourne Cup as topweight carrying 9 stone 7 pounds (61.5kg) and ran gallantly to finish fifth behind old rival Trafalgar. Comedy King was to back up two days later over the 7 furlongs of the Linlithgow Stakes to run fourth behind Popinjay, giving that very good galloper 2 stone (12.5kg) in weight. The Saturday after the Cup, Comedy King ran second to Trafalgar in the 12 furlong CB Fisher Plate before a well earned break. Returning for his last campaign in February 1912, Comedy King was to be placed in all four starts behind either Popinjay or Trafalgar having his last start on 7 March.

Turf monthly 16

Artilleryman’s Melbourne Cup

King Ingoda’S Melbourne Cup

S

ol Green decided to dispose of Shipley Stud near Warrnambool in 1918, less than 10 years after he established it. The stud had been renowned for its success in this short time, and the feature of the dispersal sale was Comedy King who made 7300 guineas selling to Norman Faulkner of Pranjib Park Stud in Victoria. Among the mares to go through the sale that day was one called Ingoda who was in foal to Comedy King. The mare made 325 guineas and was purchased by C Dubios of Adelaide. She had a filly at foot and was carrying what turned out to be a colt to race as King Ingoda who was to win the 1922 Melbourne Cup to stamp him among the best of the stallion’s progeny.

That honour though is likely to go to Artilleryman out of the NZ bred Stepniak mare, Cross Battery and he went through the same dispersal sale as a yearling making 1000 guineas when knocked down to Sir Sidney Hordern. Artilleryman tragically died on 29 January 1921 but had not raced for some time owing to what was believed to be an injury to his hind leg. The stallion had severe swelling which was later found to have been caused by a cancerous growth in his pelvis leading to pressure on the vein. Although he won only once from 9 starts as a 2yo, as a 3yo Artilleryman was touted as a champion. He won the Memsie Stakes before going to Sydney to dead heat with Richmond Main in the AJC Derby. Artilleryman had taken hold of his rider after going just half a mile in the race and was actually headed by the other colt inside the last furlong before fighting back under hands and heels riding. Jockey George Harrison said in a later newspaper piece that he had been too scared of what the colt might do to use the whip. Back in Melbourne Artilleryman won the Caulfield Guineas.

Then followed his second in the VRC Derby behind Richmond Main by a half-length. In the Derby, Artilleryman again took hold of his rider at the 7-furlong mark and dashed to the lead, once more making him a sitting shot for the winner. Artilleryman then won the Melbourne Cup, this time ridden by Bobby Lewis as Harrison could not make the weight, turning the tables on the NSW horse by an official 6 lengths at 10/1 in the biggest Cup margin since another 3yo in Newhaven in 1896.

Racegoers swear that the margin was closer to 10 lengths. After the Cup he was to win five straight races in Melbourne before going to Sydney to win the Rawson before being beaten at 12/1 on in the St Leger and then running unplaced in the Sydney Cup and All-Aged Stakes before the effects

King Ingoda

Turf monthly 17

of his illness took hold. Many onlookers also claim him to be the best-looking horse to ever grace a racetrack but sadly he was dead before the end of the season, so we are only left to ponder the legacy that he may have left.

O

ne of the unluckiest of Comedy King’s progeny was Shadow King who was placed in four consecutive Melbourne Cups between 1930 and 1933. A popular saying at the time was “as unlucky as Shadow King.” The gelding was nevertheless able to win five stakes races in his career including a Hotham Handicap, Moonee Valley Cup, Coongy and Herbert Power.

A

t the same sale, a bay yearling colt by Comedy King out of Lady Fisher made 130 guineas and was also purchased by C. Dubois of Adelaide. It raced as Fiscom and won the VRC Grand National Hurdle in both 1921 and 1922. Another mare in foal to Comedy King called Vibrate also went through the sale and made 250 guineas and was to produce a colt called Master Vibrator who won the 1926 VRC Bagot Handicap. Sol Green also sold his other stallion, appropriately named White Star, at the dispersal. He was a moderate success and was bought by AT Creswick for 2700 guineas, a lot less than had been paid for him in England. White Star was a full brother to Sunstar, a Derby and Two Thousand Guineas winner in 1911, and later an influential sire.

C

omedy King became one of the best sires of his time, siring a total of 41 stakes winners and winning the 1919/20 and 1922/23 Champion Sires’ titles. Another very notable son of Comedy King was Biplane who won eight stakes races including the Rosehill Guineas, AJC Derby and VRC Derby in 1917. With such a history, it is not unusual to see the stallion still playing a part in modern pedigrees.

Turf monthly 18

Turf monthly 19

D

espite Sister Olive beating champion and favourite Positano by St Simon out of Tragedy Queen by Gallinule, the Eurythmic in the 1921 Melbourne Cup, the filly was a dam of Comedy King. That stallion we know was to win the popular winner. Like a lot of Cup runners, it was sentiment Melbourne Cup in 1910, a race roundly known as the “Jubilee that led to a steady flow of money on Sister Olive. The story Cup.” of her unusual name was well reported and made her popuyoung nurse had been called on to attend Mr F Norlar with racegoers. Sister Olive was bred by Sol Green at his man of Clarendon Park near Yea in Victoria. During her Shipley Stud near Warrnambool. She was by Red Dennis out employ, Jubilee Queen who had been sold by Green at the of Jubilee Queen. Jubilee Queen was born in 1909, so her dispersal of Shipley Stud, foaled her young Red Dennis filly. name is also of interest. She is by Green’s foundation sire Such was Mr Norman’s fondness for the nurse, he named

A

TURF MONTHLY 21

S

ister Olive though was not without trouble in the run suffering a chequered passage. Jockey E O’Sullivan started a long run and had moved the filly to sixth when entering the straight. Sister Olive sustained her run, hitting the front around the furlong mark and maintaining a margin of around three quarters of a length on the line.

S

ister Olive stepped out in the Oaks just two days after her Cup win running third in a field of five before heading for a spell. She returned in the Autumn to run third behind Eurythmic in the St George followed by a second in the Esthe foal Sister Olive in her honour. Legend has it that after sendon Stakes. Sister Olive stepped up to the 18 furlongs of the gallant racehorse Sister Olive won the Cup, her owner the Australia Cup running second to a son of Comedy King sent the nurse Sister Olive a three-figure cheque. As an aside in Harvest King. She ran second to that stallion at her next to that, famous author of ‘The Sentimental Bloke,’ CJ Den- start in the King’s Plate before heading to Sydney where she nis and his friends backed Sister Olive in the Cup. His wife’s continued her run of seconds, this time to Beaufort in the Autumn Stakes at Randwick. A fifth in the Sydney Cup bename was Olive, and of course her sire was Red Dennis. hind Prince Charles was followed by another unplaced run he filly started her racetrack career in brilliant fashion in the Cumberland Stakes and Sister Olive was sent out for winning the Maribyrnong Trial for 2yo’s over 4.5 furanother spell bringing to a close a very testing 3yo season that longs on 2 October 1920 starting joint favourite at 8/1 in saw her have 15 starts. the field of 30. She did not win again as a 2yo although ran er 4yo Spring saw the mare have only five unplaced a number of placings among her 9 starts at that age. She was starts and she went into the Melbourne Cup after a 5th to run fourth in the Mimosa Stakes on Melbourne Cup Day behind Purser in the Herbert Power. She was to finish 4th be1920, the year of Poitrel’s victory. hind King Ingoda who was by Comedy King and was another he returned as a 3yo in August 1921 and was unplaced son of that stallion to be sold through the Shipley dispersal. in her first four starts although she did run fourth in the Another two that had gone through that sale in Master ViCaulfield Guineas behind Demetrius. A third at Flemington brator and Harvest King also ran in the race. Comedy King was followed by another fourth, this time to Violoncello had two other starters in Heir Apparent and Liberty Loan before she lined up for the Melbourne Cup on 1 November. She carried only 6 stone 9 pounds (42kg) in the field of 25. Sister Olive started at 16/1 while the favourite Eurythmic went out at 5/1. Eurythmic carried 10 stone 5 pounds (65.5kgs), a weight that no horse had carried since the great Carbine in 1890. Eurythmic was to be pulled up out of the race after suffering a run of bad luck. It started before the race when regular jockey Frank Dempsey fell from Anatolia in the Maribyrnong Plate leading to a mad scramble by his trainer to find a replacement, ultimately W McLachlan. The stallion then caught his mouth in the starting strands and lost ground. At the half mile though he suffered severe interference resulting in him being essentially pulled up and he tailed the field in a long last. He was found to have hurt a pastern in the melee. Reports suggest that Eurythmic had an unusual galloping style which contributed to the incident and that his regular jockey would not have allowed it to happen.

T

H

S

Turf monthly 22

included the VRC Derby winner, filly Frances Tressady and runner up, the immortal Drongo who we will talk about in a later edition. Comedy King was also represented in the race with five sons, King Ingoda, Harvest King, Mirthmaker, Comique and King Of Mirth who was to become one of the stallion’s best stud performers in South Australia.

S giving an insight into just how important a stallion he was.

Sister Olive’s Autumn saw her placed in all three runs with her last a third again behind Harvest King in the Essendon Stakes. She had been kicked by another horse before the start and was found to have wrenched her near fetlock during the race. After a track gallop on the following Tuesday, she pulled up lame and a decision was made to retire the mare and she was scratched from her engagement for the Australian Cup at 12.15pm on 6 March 1922.

S

ister Olive was trained by Jack Williams, a very good jockey of the 1880’s. He was noted as the jockey of Grace Darling who won the 1885 Caulfield Cup and went within a whisker of winning the Melbourne Cup that year beaten a head by Sheet Anchor. Forty-two runners faced the starter in the Caulfield Cup that year which was marred by a horrendous fall which saw 16 horses come down. Tragically jockey Donald Nicholson was killed and two others, Ted McGrade and Frank McGrath who was later to become a good trainer in Sydney, were badly injured. McGrade was to perish in the wreck of the Keilawarra which sunk off the Clarence Heads when he was taking a mare to Brisbane. McGrade who could not swim drowned but not before he cut the mare loose so as she could swim to safety. Williams was also rode 1900 Epsom winner Ampier who, although is recorded as winning at 20/1, was the subject of a massive betting plunge when 100/1 or more was freely available early.

ister Olive’s retirement did not last all that long, and she was back at the races on 4 August but had three unplaced runs before improving to finish third over 10 furlongs at Flemington in early October. A fifth behind the son of Eaister Olive rather unluckily was to win only the two races ton Lad in Easingwold in the Herbert Power on 17 October in her career, but of course one of those ensured she will was her last run before the 1923 Melbourne Cup. Easingwold always be remembered in Australian racing folklore. Her imwas one of the best horses to have come out of Western Australia and he was to win the Cox Plate at his next start. The pact on the breed though make sure that her family will never Melbourne Cup though was to be Sister Olive’s last race start. be forgotten.

She started at 33/1 but broke down badly, and for the second and last time was retired to stud. She was later sold to Leslie Aldridge of South Australia. Aldridge was to later purchase Kismet Park Stud at Sunbury from Sir Rupert Clarke.

S

F

or the record, the 1923 Cup was won by Bitalli who was among the most unique of our Cup winners. He had raced seven times in Sydney running one second and one third in moderate company although he did compete in the Metropolitan and Sydney Cup. He was purchased by Mr AT Craig after the Cup with the hope of winning a race in South Australia. Trainer James Scobie took him to Adelaide where he won the Tattersall’s Cup. The gelding was not a robust horse, and he did not start again for 6 months until the Melbourne Cup. Nevertheless, with only 7 stone in weight, and confidence from the stable, Bitalli started the 4/1 favourite beating the very good Rivoli who had to give his victor over 2 stone in weight or around 13kg. The Cup that year also

Turf monthly 23

An enduring legacy

I O

t is relatively easy to still find Comedy King in modern pedigrees, though of course his influence is fading back in time. We have spoken of some of his sons and rather oddly he only ever produced two stakes winning daughters.

rmolu, out of an All Black mare, won the 1931 Williamstown Easter Cup but Stagegirl, out of a Stepniak mare, was by far his best. She won the Adelaide Guineas and beat the colts in the South Australian Derby but is best remembered for her win in the 1918 VRC Oaks Stakes. At stud she produced the Toorak winner, The Gay Mutineer by Lucknow.

S

even sons of Comedy King went to stud, but none matched the success of their wonderful sire. There is always of course the question as to what might have happened had Artilleryman got an opportunity at stud, but we cannot dwell on that. Five sons produced only one stakes winner and these were Biplane/Gallant Airman, Divine Comedy/Birdcage, Harvest King/Calulu King, Mimetic/Black Thread, and Tavistock/Billy Barton. Interestingly both Birdcage and Calula King won the VRC Standish Handicap for 2yo’s. Another son, Kingbier produced two stakes winners in Simon's Bier and Triple Chief. Again it is interesting that both of these won the same race in the Adelaide City Handicap.

T

he best sire son of Comedy King was King Of Mirth, who had won the 1923 Adelaide Guineas, Port Adelaide Guineas and South Australian Derby and later the 1925 VRC Hotham Handicap. He was out of a mare by Pistol, a son of Carbine, but importantly his second dam was Auraria who we mentioned as the 1895 Melbourne Cup as a 3yo. The stallion stood in South Australia and rather oddly five of his twelve stakes winners were females.

O Turf monthly 24

f these Whimsical Lass is the standout and she produced Conservator by Chatham who we discussed last month as a son of Windbag. Another of Chatham’s best sons High

TO WATCH VIDEO TOGGLE TO TEXT VIEW

Rank was also out of a Comedy King mare. Whimsical Lass has ensured that King Of Mirth continues to play a role in Australian breeding. One who owes their heritage to this mare is Natural Blitz who won the G1 Hong Kong Sprint and raced in Australia as Shout From Maroof. Century Miss, the 1979 Golden Slipper winner was another along with her granddaughter, November Song who ran 4th in the 1999 Queensland St Leger and was the dam of November Flight who won the 2008 STC Millie Fox. In turn, she has produced Ashokan to win the 2012 Skyline Stakes and Pierata who is at stud for his first season this year after winning five stakes races including the G1 All-Aged Stakes and over $5 million in prizemoney.

A

nother daughter of King Of Mirth in Padmini gave us a line that includes Undoubtedly

by Redoute’s Choice who won the 2005 Blue Diamond before a moderate stud career.

The great galloper of the early 1970’s Latin Knight won the 1971 AJC Sires' Produce Stakes, Rosehill Guineas, Spring Champion Stakes and the 1972 Chipping Norton Stakes and 1972 QTC Grand Prix Stakes. He was another to go to stud with limited success although he did produce Moonee Valley Cup winner, Saxon Slew and Hawkesbury Gold Cup winner, Knight’s Affair.

A

final daughter of King Of Mirth that ensures the longevity of those bloodlines was Happy Dream who has given us horses like Bohemiath, the son of Umatilla who won the G1 Adelaide Cup in 2000, and the successful half-siblings Daybreak Lover and Rising Fear.

Daybreak Lover won seven stakes races including two Stradbrokes but was interesting because he had a season at stud between his victories in those two races. He was a regular source of winners in Queensland but produced only three stakes winners in Fast Talker, Morning Lover and ‘Tis Love. Rising Fear won three stakes races all at 2400m and beyond in the 1986 PJ O'Shea Stakes, AJC Colin Stephen Quality and STC Stayers Cup which was a 3200m event that has since been discontinued even after reducing the distance.

W

hile the daughters of Comedy King may not have proven themselves out of the ordinary on the track, they made their mark at stud and we can see many of their lines enduring to this day.

Turf monthly 25

TO WATCH VIDEO TOGGLE TO TEXT VIEW

G

igolette was one of the most important of Comedy King’s daughters. She was out of the mare Nicolette by Radium who had been imported into Australia. Her dam was Lolette

by Gallinule out of the wonderful mare, Gondolette. Gondolette produced Epsom Derby, Gimcrack and Prince of Wales’ Stakes winner, Sansovino, One Thousand Guineas winner, Ferry, and Dewhurst and Champion Stakes winner, Let Fly. Her daughter Serenissima produced stakes winners Bosworth, Tranquil, and most importantly a filly called Selene who herself won three stakes races but was to become the dam of Hyperion, Pharamond and Night Shift and remains one of the most revered broodmares in thoroughbred history. Nonetheless, Gigolette made her own impact on Australian breeding and among the wonderful horses this line has produced are multiple Cox Plate winner, Fields Of Omagh and the very good son of Snippets in Malcolm who won the Ajax and Canterbury Stakes in Sydney and the Yallambee Stud Stakes in Melbourne.

A

nother influential daughter of Comedy King was Winsome Queen by Stepniak. Winsome Queen was herself a full sister to the great Artilleryman. Although not as regally bred as Gigolette, this family came to Australia via a Blinkhoolie mare called Powder in the 1880’s.

All of her Australian foals were by the top Australian racehorse and sire in Goldsbrough by Fireworks from the wonderful broodmare Sylvia by The Fisherman out of the imported Juliet. Goldsbrough who won the AJC Autumn Stakes, St Leger Stakes and Great Metropolitan Stakes was a half-brother to Martini-Henry who was the first NZ bred horse to win the Melbourne Cup at only his second race start in 1883, a few days after winning the VRC Derby to gain his Cup entry.

P

owder was imported into Australia by Mr S F “Frank” Reynolds who was a noted grazier and racehorse owner of the time. Not only is Mr Reynolds credited for establishing the Hereford breed of cattle in Australia, but he was the owner of Tocal Stud which stood Goldsborough. Mr Reynolds’ stud also owned Flora McIvor, one of our greatest broodmares. On a thoroughbred pedigree note, Mr Reynolds is credited by many for establishing the family numbering system that was made famous by Bruce Lowe. Powder’s first foal was Arsenal who

Turf monthly 26

was to win the 1886 Melbourne Cup while she also produced the filly Crossfire to win the AJC Oaks and Doncaster the same year. This line was to give us Australia’s only Japan Cup winner in the remarkable Better Loosen Up. In total he won 17 of his 45 starts for $4,767,670 in prizemoney. His early 2yo form belied his future successes, and even at three his performances were far from outstanding. He was transferred from the Bart Cumming stable to that of David Hayes and his career reached a new level as a 4yo in the Spring of 1989. Better Loosen Up won the Group 1 Honda Stakes in Melbourne as well as the Winfield and Railway Stakes in Perth and the Blamey and Rawson during the Autumn.

A

s a 5yo, Better Loosen up was unbeatable. He won seven races straight including the Cox Plate, Mackinnon Stakes and of course the Japan Cup. His final win in this sequence was when he defeated Vo Rogue by over 5 lengths in the Australia Cup during the Autumn of 1991, and despite starting another twelve times, never recorded another win. Better Loosen Up spent almost a year off following injury and certainly did not recapture his best form upon return. He did run 4th in the Cox Plate of 1992, and went on to compete in his only Melbourne Cup that year finishing 12th behind Subzero. He was to win 12 stakes races in total including two Blamey Stakes, a Turnbull and MacKinnon Stakes, as well as his Australia and Japan Cups triumphs. Better Loosen Up is another from this line to be inducted into our Hall Of Fame champions. One interesting runner from the family is Flying Artie by the shuttle stallion Artie Schiller who now stands at stud at Newgate Farm. The stallion’s first 2yo’s will be racing this season, and he was the winner of the Blue Diamond Prelude, Blue Sapphire and G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. He also was placed in the Golden Slipper and Blue Diamond and was rated Australia’s Champion 3yo colt for 2016/17.

A

nother mare called Levity by Kingston was imported into Australia in the 1860’s and was to produce the 1873 Melbourne Cup winner, Don Juan by Lucifer. Her granddaughter Lady Gay by Neckersgat was to produce Marmont to win the 1903 Australian Cup and a half-sister by the champion sire, Wallace, called Kirkmaiden. In turn she foaled a filly to

TO WATCH VIDEO TOGGLE TO TEXT VIEW

Turf monthly 27

Laureate

Comedy King that was called Opera Bouffe who was to herself create a lasting legacy. She produced two stakes winners, both by Anton King, in Opera King who won the Port Adelaide Guineas and South Australian Derby, and Opera Queen who won the SA Stakes and VRC Oaks. Some horses that trace back to Opera Bouffe include Toulouse Lautrec by Danewin who won the 2004 Queensland Derby, a grey in Ghost Story by Memento who won the Breeder’s Plate, Stan Fox and Tramway in Sydney, and Behemoth by All Too Hard who recently won the G1 Memsie Stakes and Sir Rupert Clark. The best known of this line though no doubt is Kingston Rose by Better Boy who was to produce three stakes winners in Prince Of Kingston, Rose Of Kingston and Spirit Of Kingston. Spirit Of Kingston won the VRC Oaks and Edward Manifold in Melbourne, the Canterbury and Rosehill Guineas in Sydney and the Black Opal in Canberra. At stud she produced the 1996 VRC Derby winner, Portland Player, and Rose Of Kingston who won nine stakes races including the VRC and Australasian Oaks, the AJC Derby, and Champagne Stakes. She produced one of our most exciting Melbourne Cup winners in the record-breaking Kingston Rule by US champion Secretariat. Kingston Rule was an underrated stallion but did produce VRC Oaks winner Kensington Palace and Adelaide and Brisbane Cup winner, Sheer Kingston.

S Turf monthly 28

ome more interesting members of this female line include Laureate by Law Maker who won the 1941 Rosehill Guineas and AJC Derby and went to stud in Queensland with good success producing the brilliant Lucky Ring who won both runnings of the Hopeful Stakes in 1947 and the 1949 and 1950 Stradbrokes. Laureate also sired Jungle Law who won a QTC Metropolitan and Queensland Cup. Quite remarkably he is found in the female line of Fast Talker who won the Meynink Stakes and was one of Daybreak Lover’s three stakes

Lucky Ring Stradbroke 1950

winners. Mighty Manitou the winner of the G1 AJC Sires’ Produce and Sharply who won the 1961 Sydney Cup defeating the mighty Tulloch in a major upset, and 1949 Caulfield Cup winner Lincoln are others also from lines of Comedy King mares.

T

Lucky Ring Stradbroke 1949

Jungle Law Queensland Cup

here are two more stallions though that must be mentioned as hailing from Comedy King line mares. These two had one of the greatest rivalries on the Australian turf and were both champions in their own right. Carbon Copy we mentioned last month was out of a Windbag mare, Havers, but his second dam was Baba by Comedy King. Baba was out an imported mare called Harriet Graham by William The Third who raced in Australia winning the 1917 Memsie Stakes and Australian Cup. Carbon Copy’s great rival was Comic Court who was inducted into the Hall Of Fame and won 23 stakes races including the 1950 Melbourne Cup, a Victoria Derby, St Leger, two Mackinnon Stakes, a Caulfield Stakes and the AJC Chipping Norton. He was trained by Jim Cummings, father of legendary trainer, Bart Cummings. Comic Court’s granddam was Miss Comedy, a daughter of Comedy King.

I

t is wonderful to know that Comedy King who contributed so much to the breed is still having a significant influence all these years later.

Turf monthly 29

S

ister Olive is one of only two Melbourne Cup winning mares to have produced two stakes winners. In the case of Sister Olive, she produced a daughter called Mount Of Olives by Lucknow who won the 1928 South Australian Derby and a son called Manolive by Manfred who won four stakes races in the 1937 Perth Cup, the 1938 Williamstown Cup and Eclipse Stakes and 1939 CF Orr Stakes.

M

ildenhalll, a full sister to Manolive, produced Head Mistress who won the VRC Mimosa Stakes while Lady Olive by Manfred out of Sanchi Tope, a full sister to Mount Of Olives, produced Saucy Girl (AUS) to win the WATC Queen's Plate and Star Monarch, winner of South Aust. St. Leger Stakes.

M

anolive started at 100/1 and finished 11th in the 1938 Melbourne Cup and had finished 12th behind Buzalong in the Caulfield Cup. He cemented a unique place in history by winning the Final Handicap, the last race of the Flemington carnival on the Saturday following the Cup. Manolive covered the mile and a quarter journey in 2.02 beating the track record of 2.02.5. This was the last record held by the immortal Phar Lap and the unassuming son of Sister Olive created his own part of history by wiping that champion from the history books. He was later to set another course record when winning the Williamstown Cup over 12 furlongs.

Manolive was to go to stud at Elouera Stud, Bassendean in Western Australia where he had little success. If you look closely you can find him in the pedigree of Manna Miss by Umatilla who won the Mormoot Stud Stakes at Moonee Valley in 2006.

Turf monthly 30

Manolive

Manolive Williamstown Cup

son Cup. She went on to produce The Secondmortgage who won the 2002 MRC Winning Edge Presentations Stakes.

A

nother daughter of Amarco in Gaelic Dancer gave us lines that produced Umrum and Tan Tat De Lago. Umrum was a son of Umatilla and a very popular galloper in the late 90’s and early 00’s. He won 11 stakes races in all including two Toorak Handicaps at Group 1 level. Tan Tat De Lago by Encosta De Lago won the G3 VRC Danehill Stakes and the Listed Brisbane Plate.

J Q

ewel Bronze gave us the line of Kenwood Melody who won the 1998 Caulfield Guineas among his three stakes wins.

ueen Amarco produced two stakes winners in Cosmic Kingdom and Flying Luskin. Cosmic Kingdom won the 1988 Canterbury Cup in Sydney and stood at stud where he t was the stakes winning Mount Of Olives that was to en- produced Galactic Valley who won the Tramway Stakes and sure the lasting legacy of Sister Olive. Her descendants Ramornie Handicap. Flying Luskin by Luskin Star was sent to have produced many black type winners including Symphony NZ where he won the G1 Wellington Cup over 3200m, and Miss by Distant Music who won the 2009 MRC Mannerism Stakes. One of the best was Reinsman by Landau who was a very good galloper of the 1960’s winning the Ascot Vale (2yo) Stakes, Stanley Plate and VRC St Leger Stakes. He went to stud where he produced Kilmore Cup winner, Don Casino.

I

O

ne granddaughter of Mount Of Olives called Amarco

by Masthead though was to impact Australian racing like few others. She was a prolific broodmare producing two stakes winners and lived to the age of 30. She produced the daughter Persian Bronze who won the 1971 South Australian Oaks. She also gave us a chestnut colt by Vain called Brilliant Invader who stood at stud and sired seven stakes winners including Barbut Delcia winner of the Group 1 Brisbane Cup in 1993 as well as the New Zealand St. Leger Stakes and Mitchel-

Mount Of Olives Derby

Turf monthly 31

Mount Of Olives Derby Finish

1978 California Derby. He went to stud in 1969 and stood at Gainesway Farm in Kentucky but was later transferred to rrespective of the success of these, they all pale against California where he died in 1994, at age 32. the performance of the best of Amarco’s offspring. In e had only moderate success at stud but can be found 1962 she produced a stunning colt by Arctic Explorer who in the tail female line of champion Point Given by was destined to become one of the country’s most famous horses in Tobin Bronze. He won 19 stakes races in Australia Thunder Gulch. He won nine of his 13 starts for trainer before going to the US where he won four races from 16 Bob Baffert and almost US$4 million in prizemoney. As a starts. At his first start in the US Tobin Bronze finished third 2yo he won the Hollywood Futurity and Kentucky Cup Juin the Washington, D.C. International Stakes. He was to win venile while finishing second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile one stakes race there in the Azucar Purse at Hollywood Park and Champagne Stakes. At three he had his only unplaced Racetrack although he did not enjoy the dirt tracks of that run in the Kentucky Derby behind Monarchos but bounced back to win the Preakness and Belmont Stakes. He continued country. this winning streak in the Haskell Invitational and Travers t stud, Tobin Bronze was the sire of fifteen stakes race Stakes becoming the only horse to have won four $1 million winners including Trojan Bronze, the 1975 San Luis races in a row. In 2001 he was named US Horse of the Year Rey Handicap winner, and Noble Bronze, who won the five other stakes races.

I

H

A

TO WATCH VIDEO TOGGLE TO TEXT VIEW Turf monthly 32

TO WATCH VIDEO TOGGLE TO TEXT VIEW

and Champion 3YO Colt. Point Given entered stud in 2002 at Three Chimneys Farm for a fee of $125,000 and was later sent to Calumet Farm in 2013. The stallion also shuttled to Brazil. He was retired in 2017 to the Hall of Champions at Kentucky Horse Park after having been inducted into the US Racing Hall of Fame in 2010. He was only the fifth horse to take up residence in the Hall of Champions with the others being Forego, John Henry, Cigar and Alysheba highlighting just how important a racehorse he was.

P

oint Given stood over 17 hands and was quite a handful from reports. He also struggled with hoof issues and the

hard track in the Kentucky Derby was blamed for his defeat.

At stud he sired over 30 stakes winners and his best included Coil winner of the G1 Haskell Invitational and Santa Anita Sprint Championship, Go Between who won the G1 Pacific Classic, Sunshine Millions Classic and ran 2nd in the Santa Anita Handicap and Hollywood Gold Cup, Point Ashley winner of the Del Mar Debutante Stakes, Points of Grace the 2009 Champion Turf Female in Canada, and Sealy Hill the first Canadian Triple Tiara winner, 2007 Canadian Horse of the Year, Champion Turf Female and Champion Three Year Old Filly.

Point Given -clockwise- Belmont/Preakness/Travers/Haskell Turf monthly 33

The Gene Pool W

e have looked at some of the stallions that are new to stud in Australia this season. There are plenty more at lower fees that are adding to the choices of breeders. We have others whose first 2yo’s are just hitting the track this season, and still more whose progeny have yet to reach this age. I am a big believer in learning from history, but of course we need to balance that with the modern world. Shuttle stallions are an accepted part of the industry and the advantage of this is that we are now seeing remarkable influences that we have not had access to in the past. That is not to say that we have not seen most great bloodlines make their way to Australia, but that we have seen them usually in what are considered inferior specimens. Think for a moment what we have achieved in our Australian thoroughbred.

We have bred champions who have proven that they are among the best in the world.

D

at Haydock. It was Danehill’s success in Australia that led to his acceptance at the highest level in the UK, rather than the other way around.

D

anehill’s race record for example paled before that of Star Kingdom who won nine of his sixteen starts including the Gimcrack Stakes. In comparison we have seen some of the world’s leading stallions and racehorses shuttle to Australia without making a significant impact. Horses like Galileo, Dubawi, Thunder Gulch and Elusive Quality are some stallions who have won Sires’ Titles in other parts of the world without making a significant impact during their time in Australia.

W

ith all the shuttle stallions that have come to Australia, we have only had three of these top our Sires’ Table, and here I do not include Fastnet Rock and Exceed And Excel who were bred in Australia. Danehill is naturally head and shoulders above all other shuttle stallions. Our other champion stallions who were born overseas are Street Cry and Last Tycoon, both magnificent stallions and very good racehorses. Last Tycoon was the best performed winning four Group 1’s including the King's Stand Stakes, Nunthorpe Stakes, and William Hill Sprint Championship all at 5 furlongs, and the USA Breeders' Cup Mile. Street Cry won the Dubai World Cup and the Stephen Foster Handicap in the US the first year it was upgraded to a Group 1.

anehill holds a special place in history and I will be bold enough to suggest that without him, the entire notion of Pharos shuttling might have been different. He seemed to excel in that environment, and while he was a good racehorse, it is fair to say that he was no champion despite winning the G1 Sprint Cup. Danehill is exactly the sort of stallion who was like many of those other champion sires who have come to our shores permahe shuttle phenomenon seems to have peaked in the mid nently. Looking at his race record we see that he started only 00’s at around 70 stallions per year coming to Australia three times as a 2yo, for a win in a York Maiden that was and had increased from the low 40’s at the in the late 90’s. Last worth 5500 pounds to the winner. For those who look for 2yo champions as our next big sire, perhaps Danehill would year only 31 stallions shuttled and this ASB figure included not have made it to stud on his record at this age alone. At 7 what we would consider Australian stallions who were rethree, he won a Listed race over 7 furlongs at his first start, turning from a NH season. No doubt breeders have become and then went on to run third in the 2000 Guineas beaten 1.5 more selective about overseas lines but we really have a two lengths by Nashwan over a mile, and then fourth to Shaadi edged sword. Australia has relied on overseas bloodlines to in the Irish 2000 Guineas over the same distance beaten this improve our breed, and this will continue into the future. We time by 4.5 lengths. Danehill was then taken back in distance certainly cannot afford to ignore some of the wonderful stalto 6 furlongs in the G3 Cork and Orrery Stakes where he beat lions who are coming to Australia. As always though, it is Nabeel Dancer by 3 lengths. He then went to the 6 furlong about compatibility and this is the task of the breeder, to G1 July Cup at Ascot and finished third to Cadeaux Genere- ensure that their mare is best suited to the stallion that they ux, later the sire of Melbourne Cup star, Red Cadeaux, before choose rather than purely economic considerations.. his last race start and G1 success in the 6 furlong Sprint Cup

T

Turf monthly 35

i l a tr

n i a

us A o 20 t 20 ew

N

STALLIONS BRUTAL

Newgate Farm NSW Fee $27,500

Photo courtesy of Lisa Grimm & Newgate

turf monthly 36

B

rutal is an intriguing prospect going to stud this season at Newgate Farm in NSW. The New Zealand bred stallion offers quite a different pedigree to most of the new stallions, and in fact most stallions standing in Australia. He is by the excellent NZ stallion O’Reilly who has sired almost 100 stakes winners internationally including horses like Sacred Falls, Silent Achiever, Alamosa and Shamexpress. He is out of the stakes placed Alberton Princess by Golan, a son of Spectrum

by Rainbow Quest. It is largely a traditional NZ family tracing back to one of the original founding mares in Juliet by Touchstone who arrived from Britain in the 1850’s. Interestingly his line of the family includes such diverse types as John’s Hope

by Wilkes who won the 1982 Golden Slipper and Hi Jinx by Pride Of Kildare who won the 1960 Melbourne Cup.

O

n the track Brutal did not appear until July of his 2yo season winning his first race at Caulfield. He then won Listed races at Moonee Valley and Flemington before being put away for the Autumn. After a couple of sound runs, Brutal stamped his class by running second to Winx in the George Ryder before winning the Doncaster. The following Spring saw him win the G2 Premiere first up before running third in the Sydney Stakes and an ordinary 11th in the Golden Eagle before retiring with five wins from 10 starts with over $2.5 million in stakes.

B

rutal has a pedigree that shows little inbreeding, featuring only the duplications of Mill Reef 4mx6f and Tom Fool 6mx6m. He has only two lines of Northern Dancer and they appear in the 4th and 7th generation. He appears in the tail male line of Brutal as the grandsire of Last Tycoon who is out of a Mill Reef mare.

O

ne Danehill grandson I would be particularly keen to utilise through his daughters would be Choisir whose pedigree features lines of Lunchtime and Silly Season who appear in the tail line of Brutal. These colonial speed lines may well be a key to the success of Brutal, and Last Tycoon had good success with many of these types of mares.

I

f breeders want to reinforce the Last Tycoon portion of the stallion’s pedigrees, owners with mares by Casino Prince and his son All Too Hard might find a good foil in Brutal. Redoute’s Choice and Encosta De Lago are both stallions who share the same female line as Try My Best, the sire of Last Tycoon and together with their sons will have daughters suitable for the stallion.

A

nother stallion whose daughters I would like to see go to Brutal is High Chaparral who produced So You Think out of a NZ mare with many similarities to the pedigree of Brutal. This would also suggest that So You Think could well have suitable daughters.

T

he biggest danger in my view is essentially the strength of the pedigree if that doesn’t sound odd. NZ families have found unrivalled success in Australia through their daughters, but despite many of their greatest sons standing at stud here, few have found success. So You Think is one that has proven that with thoroughbreds, nothing is set in stone, so perhaps the internationalisation of the pedigree means that NZ bred stallions will have a major impact in years to come, especially with their breeders now focussing more on speed than their traditional stamina base.

T

he stallion should suit a wide range of mares, but I suspect that he may struggle to produce the early 2yo’s that o doubt Brutal will attract a number of mares with mulAustralian buyers crave. I see him a little in the mould of tiple lines of Northern Dancer, and this looks a sound Ocean Park who has an outstanding record, but his progeny practice. Danehill will feature heavily and of course there are have not been consistently highly sought after at our sales. multiple different bloodlines that we find in different sons of Again, though the family is one that has produced a range of Danehill and their daughters. types, and it is possible given the outcross nature of Brutal’s ommands is one son that might find success with Brutal pedigree that we will see a deal of inconsistency in his progethrough his daughters. His granddam is Eight Carat and ny. I have little doubt that Brutal will produce some outstandshe had success in NZ in particular, so we may see an affinity ing horses, but I would encourage breeders and buyers to with the NZ heritage of the stallion. show patience with his youngsters, and to carefully consider type when deciding whether to use the stallion.

N C

Turf monthly 37

MAGNA GRECIA Coolmore Stud NSW Fee $22,000

Turf monthly 38

M

agna Grecia is a son of Invincible Spirit and is one of five of his sons at stud this season. His best son, I Am Invincible has a further nine sons at stud making this one of the most numerous lines we currently see. The colt is out of the G3 winning Galileo mare, Cabaret who in turn is out of the stakes placed Lear Fan mare, Witch Of Fife who has also produced G3 winner Drumfire by Danehill Dancer and Ho Choi by Pivotal who won the Listed Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup in Hong Kong having been G2 placed in England.

T

the success of Canny Lad, we bemoan the fact that he did not leave a legacy through his sons. Instead, it is sometimes forgotten as to how important he has been as the damsire of the champion Redoute’s Choice. While Redoute’s Choice shares a tail male line of Danzig with Magna Grecia, there are probably many of his daughters and granddaughters who are likely to meet with some success with the new stallion. Rubick is another stallion closely related to Redoute’s Choice, and considering he is standing alongside Magna Grecia, some of his daughters may also suit.

he colt had his first start on 30-9-18 winning a 2yo maiden over 7f comfortably. He then stepped up to a mile e also see Lunchtime present in the pedigree of staland was beaten a neck in the G3 Autumn Stakes at Newlions like Choisir and Sepoy, but by far the most likemarket. His final start at that age was when he won the G1 ly source of the stallion is through Snitzel. Daughters and Futurity Trophy Stakes again over a mile at Doncaster. Magna granddaughters of these stallions are likely to make or break Grecia came out winning the 2000 Guineas at his first 3yo Magna Grecia but the fact that he stands at Coolmore gives start but then was disappointing in running fifth in the Irish a good chance that he will be able to access this sort of mare.

2000 Guineas and the colt was sent to the paddock. He rehere must again be that word of caution regarding multiturned to racing in October but finished a well beaten 14th in ple lines of Danzig who we see in the pedigree of Magna the G1 QEII at Ascot over a mile before he was retired.

Grecia as the grandsire of Invincible Spirit, and the sire of tanding at Coolmore, the immediate advantage is that Danehill. Breeders seem to consider multiple lines of DanMagna Grecia will be well supported. Being a son of In- zig, and even Danehill, as a positive in many pedigrees but I vincible Spirit also means that a lot of breeders will find this would urge caution when considering these. Danzig has had attractive. We often forget that Invincible Spirit shuttled to over 50 sons stand at stud in Australia over the years, but Australia from 2003 to 2006. He commanded a rather mod- none have left anything approaching the legacy that Danehill erate fee of $11,000 for most of his time here which is quite has. The lesson of Northern Dancer is probably a good one a contrast to what he now commands in the Northern Hemi- to learn, and that being duplications of that stallion through sphere. While he was here, he produced 9 stakes winners sons worked best when different styles of sons were used. in Australia and NZ from 260 live foals, a far cry from his agnia Grecia sees his damsire as the noted stamina overseas success. His best racehorse here was Yosei who won influence, Galileo while his second dam is Lear Fan, the AJC Sires' Produce Stakes, MRC One Thousand Guineas who is a son of Roberto, but was a high-class miler who proand Tatt's QLD Tattersall's Tiara all at G1 level. He made duced many good 2yo’s. Some of these influences suggest his name locally largely through his G3 winning son I Am that astute breeders might be able to produce classic style Invincible who has become probably Australia’s hottest stalhorses from the stallion and it may be worth investigating lion. He now stands for a fee of over $200,000 and has sired these options. What may ultimately prove important is that 55 stakes winners since going to stud in 2010. We must note the stallion’s female line traces to the great mare Selene who that I Am Invincible is out of the Canny Lad mare Cannarelle has been responsible for some of our great stallions like Hywho in turn is out of the Zoffany mare, Countess Pedrille, a perion, Pharamond and Sir Tristram. It has been a while since half-sister to multiple stakes winner Mamzelle Pedrille. There Australia has seen a champion sire from this line, but this is is a chance that much of the success of I Am Invincible reanother avenue to consider. sults from these proven local influences in his pedigree. ltimately though, Magnia Grecia’s success will be judged his hypothesis may assist in predicting what sort of mares on his ability to produce early 2yo’s. This will depend are best suited to Invincible Spirit sons, and more particlargely upon him getting the right mares and, while these ularly in the case of Magna Grecia. His best success may well types are always at a premium in Australia, the stallion apcome from the early speed lines that are prevalent in Australia. pears to suit many of them. Coolmore will give him every Canny Lad could well be a key as we see the stallion Silly Seachance to succeed. son appear as the sire of Lunchtime, his damsire while also appearing in the tail female line of Magna Garcia. Despite

S

W T

M

T

U

Turf monthly 39

OMAHA BEACH Spendthrift VIC Fee $22,000

O

maha Beach is a newcomer at Spendthrift Farm this season. He was a multiple G1 winner with successes in the Malibu Stakes over 7f, Santa Anita Sprint Championship Stakes over 6f and Arkansas Derby over 9f. He also won the G2 Rebel Stakes by 8.5 lengths. and was second in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile. All of these wins came during the colt’s 3yo season and he retired with over US$1.6 million after winning 5 from 10 and never being out of the placings.

H

e is a son of War Front, in turn a son of Danzig. This seems to be the major attraction of the stallion, as War Front is among the most expensive stallions in the US. Two sons of War Front have stood in Australia. The Factor stood from 2014 to 2017 siring only one local stakes winner in Fun Fact who won the 2019 BRC Grand Prix Stakes over 2200m.

Declaration Of War also arrived in Australia in 2014 but only visited for two seasons. While here he is best known for producing 2019 Melbourne Cup winner, Vow And Declare, VRC Derby winner, Warning, and Qld Oaks winner, Winning Ways.

An imported son of War Front in Homesman has proved himself up to G1 standard winning the 2018 Underwood Stakes.

Turf monthly 40

O

maha Beach is out of a Seeking The Gold mare called Charming who has also produced the Champion US 2yo filly, Take Charge Brandi by Giant’s Causeway. Seeking The Gold was a top class stallion who produced one of the world’s best in Dubai Millenium as well as Secret Savings who came to Australia and had good success both on the track and at stud. Among his winners here were Shamekha, Dash For Cash and Swiss Ace who has had success in NZ at stud.

The second dam of Omaha Beach is Take Charge Lady by Dehere, another stallion who shuttled here with good results.

The mare won 11 races including 3 G1 wins and was the 2013 US Broodmare of the Year having also produced Will Take Charge by Unbridled’s Song who was the Champion 3yo that season and Take Charge Indy by AP Indy who won the Gulfstream Park Florida Derby.

T

here are probably few better US families at present and this always represents something of a quandary in modern breeding. We have been led to believe that the stallion is all important, and in this case, while War Front is undoubtedly a top stallion, our experience is that he may not be best suited to Australia and that his progeny need some time. In

contrast, the wonderful female family is really a family of 2 and 3yo’s in general. I would suggest that this dilemma, together with the query as to whether he will suit Australian conditions, is why the stallion is moderately priced. One may have expected that his family and performance might have commanded closer to the US$45,000 that he is advertised for in the US, but Spendthrift must be applauded for bringing quality lines here at budget prices.

T

here are a number of ideas regarding the stallion, and many factors to consider. My suspicion is that the stallion sees plenty of speed in his pedigree, and while it may not be the explosive 2yo speed we prefer in Australia, he should produce progeny that can run. The question is whether they will run at two, and over short trips. He does not look to have the stamina lines that we see in the female line of Declaration Of War, and while I suspect we will see him produce classic types, his strength will be more of the 1400-1600m type rather than beyond. Standing in Victoria may give him a good chance of success especially when mated with mares by Bel Esprit as an example. Introducing lines of local speed will be his best chance of producing early types. We need to be care-

ful though with Danehill lines, as we have already noted that he is from a Danzig sire line. Grandsons of Danehill though will push that influence further back in pedigrees to make it much more easily managed. There are probably more of these in the Hunter Valley but no doubt enough in Victoria to give him a chance of success. The top-quality daughters of Snitzel and the like are probably going to be harder to find.

V

ictoria though has a diversity of mares that allow clever breeders to seek other aspects in the pedigree. Puissance De Lune should have some daughters who may well suit, and for those hoping to breed for classic and Cups success, High Chaparral, So You Think and the local Melbourne Cup winner Americain may all have daughters that could excel with the stallion.

O

maha Beach is an interesting prospect, but there are always doubts when dirt track form and family are at the forefront. Plenty of very good US horses have failed at stud here, but Omaha Beach offers enough of a difference to think that he might produce some good runners at a fee level that could return a tidy profit.

turf monthly 41

ZOUSAIN Widden Stud NSW Fee $19,800

Turf monthly 42

Z

ousain is a son of another relatively young stallion in Zoustar, and the second son of that stallion to go to stud with Lean Mean Machine. His sire incidentally is Northern Meteor, the ill-fated son of Encosta De Lago. Zoustar has had 13 stakes winners to date headlined by that special filly Sunlight who catapulted the stallion to a new level of support.

It should be noted that 11 of his stakes-winners came from his second crop while he had two from his third crop, and none as yet from his 2017 crop who have now completed their 2yo season. Zoustar had won the G1 Golden Rose and Coolmore Stud Stakes.

T

he dam of Zousain is the Irish mare, Pasar Silbano by Elnadim, a son of Danzig. She raced in both the UK and USA winning the G3 Santa Anita La Habra Stakes and the Listed Curragh Stakes. She was a full sister to Come To Heel who won the same 2yo Listed race in Ireland, and a half to Gerfalcon by Hawk Wing raced in Hong Kong as Geronimo Meadow and won stakes races in both the UK and HK.

pedigree as his granddamsire with his dam being a daughter of Redoute’s Choice. This gives us a few challenges in finding suitable mares for the stallion. With the presence of Encosta De Lago also in the pedigree, it means that mares carrying either of these two dominant influences must be treated with caution. The stallion is expected to produce speedy types like himself but continued close inbreeding might not auger well for those hoping for longevity in their produce. My first instinct would be to try and push Danehill as far back in a pedigree if possible, so this would see mares by Choisir for example being an interesting mix. We see a number of similarities in the pedigree of his sire Danehill Dancer with the dam of Zousain and reinforcing some of these more European influences could bear dividends.

I

n fact, it could be daughters of some of our former shuttle stallions that will suit Zousain best. High Chaparral is often a quality source of daughters, and again there will be some that should suit the stallion. Others like Artie Schiller, Medaglia D’Oro and More Than Ready look as if they may n the track, Zousain started his career as an Autumn have some suitable daughters. There might be few daughters 2yo winning his maiden on 7 February before two unof Dubawi in Australia, but he represents another interesting placed runs in the Skyline and Pago Pago meant he missed prospect seeing as Elnadim traces to the same mare in Fall out on the Slipper. He went to Brisbane for the Winter winAspen. This could also include daughters of Invincible Spirit ning the Champagne Classic before running second in both or more likely his sons like I Am Invincible on a more local the Sires Produce and JJ Atkins. He returned as a 3yo to run level. To this end Lonhro is another stallion whose daughters fourth in the Run To Rose before finishing a close second in could well be suited to Zousain. the Golden Rose. Zousain then made the trip to Melbourne to run second in the Coolmore Stud Stakes. He continued verall, there are probably going to be a few tricks with racing in the Spring and the following Autumn but did not this stallion, although almost certainly he is going to recapture his early form. produce a lot of fairly precocious youngsters. In a tough market, it will be interesting to see whether he can make a mark. is pedigree shows five lines of Northern Dancer including a 5mx3m cross of Danzig. Danehill appears in his

O

O

H

Turf monthly 43

CALYX

Coolmore Australia NSW Fee $17,600

C

alyx is another new addition to a remarkable stallion line-up at Coolmore Australia. The stallion had only four starts winning three of these. He won his debut in July of his 2yo season by five lengths and then won the G2 Coventry Stakes at his last start that season. After almost a year off, he returned as a 3yo to win the G3 Pavilion Stakes at Ascot and then ran second as the 2/13 favourite in the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock before retiring.

his stud career siring 25 stakes winners since his entering stud in 2015. Kingman is a son of Invincible Spirit out of the stakes winning Zamindar mare, Zenda who was a half-sister to Hopeful Light and Oasis Dream, a multiple G1 winner and quality stallion in his own right.

T

he dam of Calyx is the G3 winning Helleborine by Observatory, a son of Distant View by Mr Prospector. Her dam was the stakes placed New Orchid by Quest For Fame, o doubt his early retirement considered the boom on a stallion who had a lot of success at Woodlands Stud. New his own sire Kingman and he becomes the first son of Orchid herself was a half-sister to Distant Music, another that stallion to stand in Australia. Kingman was the Horse of stallion who shuttled to Australia with limited success but the Year and Champion 3YO Colt in Europe in 2014 winning sired two stakes winners in Symphony Miss and Distant Melraces like the G1 Deauville Prix Jacques Le Marois, Royal As- ody. The mare also produced a full sister to Helleborine called cot James’s Palace and Goodwood Sussex Stakes and the Irish African Rose who was Champion 3YO Sprinter in France in Two Thousand Guineas. He has had an outstanding start to 2008 and winner of the G1 Doncaster Sprint Cup. No doubt

N

Turf monthly 44

back in the pedigree, I doubt if it will be detrimental, but caution should probably be exercised if there are multiple lines of the stallion in the mare. There are plenty of Danehill line stallions that could be a chance to produce good runners, and we should not forget some of his direct sons like Commands, alyx’s pedigree features a 5mx4m duplication of Mr Exceed And Excel, Fastnet Rock and Redoute’s Choice mares.

Prospector and seven lines of Northern Dancer alOf course, there will be plenty of sons of some of these though some of these will now be disappearing into the 7th stallions who are now producing good mares that should suit generation. They are certainly things that we should take note the stallion. of, even if they may not seem to be likely to have a great influence. The real question is what should we expect from the e have seen the two lines of Mr Prospector and this is stallion? We assume that because the colt only started over 6f, certainly something to be wary of. Despite the success that he was a pure sprinter. Perhaps because he was so lightly of Lonhro, his daughters might bring in this stallion a little raced, there was more scope to his performance that he did too closely, and I would be more inclined to look for daughnot get the opportunity to show. We also tend to assume that ters of Pierro for the stallion.

Invincible Spirit is a speed sire largely through our experience here may be a temptation to inbreed to Invincible Spirit with I Am Invincible. Invincible Spirit though has an averbecause this stallion is now getting back a little further age winning distance of 7.4f (1480m). Kingman to date has in the pedigree, but I doubt this will be a successful strategy. an AWD of 8.5f (1700m) and his damsire, Zamindar 8.8f We must remember how lightly raced the stallion was, and (1760m). Calyx’s damsire Observatory has an AWD of 9.3f caution is probably the best idea when looking at close in(1860m). I am unconvinced that Calyx will automatically be a breeding with a mating in this case. source of speed in his progeny, and this will give breeders an trong European lines like High Chaparral and Galileo are opportunity again to breed towards a more classic type, even other influences that could produce quality runners, alif this is not going to bring the greatest sales reward. The though perhaps not as early as some but this could be to great other advantage to this is that the traditional local speed lines effect. are likely to find greater success with the stallion. this is another high-class family, and we see many influences that have already been in Australia making us a little more confident in predicting how the stallion may adapt to local conditions.

C

W T

S

I

C

alyx looks to be a truly exciting prospect and his limitnvincible Spirit we have noted before shares some simied racing means that his fee is very affordable for many larities with the pedigree of Danehill Dancer, and again daughters of his son, Choisir, may well produce mares that breeders. He should be well supported and in general will will suit the stallion. As with all new stallions at present, their find plenty of quality compatible mares. Given that he stands compatibility with Danehill line mares will go a long way to at Coolmore, Calyx should get at least a realistic chance of their success. In this case we do risk the Danzig duplication outperforming many of the more expensive additions to the through both tail male lines. Because this is being pushed stallion ranks this season.

Turf monthly 45

COSMIC FORCE Newgate Farm NSW Fee $16,500

Photo courtesy of Lisa Grimm & Newgate

Turf monthly 46

I

n many ways Cosmic Force is exactly what the Australian breeder is looking for. He was an early 2yo starting his career in October winning a Newcastle maiden. A spell saw him return to run second in the Lonhro and then Skyline before winning the Pago Pago by 7 lengths. He ran 8th in last year’s Golden Slipper and was sent to the paddock. In his 3yo Spring he won the time-honoured Roman Consul and was placed in the Listed Fireball in the Autumn although he struggled a couple of times against the older horses in the big G1 Sprints. He retired with three wins from 11 starts and almost half a million dollars in stakes.

I

t was impossible to leave Cosmic Force out of any first season sire list purely on his family alone. On face value, it looks a little light on when we compare it to some of the pedigrees of other newcomers. His dam Little Zeta is a winner over 900m and is by Commands. She also produced the G3 winning Onemorezeta, and in turn her dam Catherine Zeta by Quest For Fame was a winner over 1200m. She was out of the Luskin Star mare, Great Temptation who also produced the stakes winner, More Than Great by More Than Ready. But a little research certainly can help when assessing stallions. Cosmic Force’s Australian lines trace back to a mare called Elsie, a daughter of the great St Simon who arrived here in the 1890’s. She produced two stakes winners; a gelding by Trenton called Reliance who won the All-Aged Stakes in WA and a filly by Wallace called Red Streak who won three stakes events including the 1904 VRC Oaks. Red Streak produced Redshank by Thrice who won the 1925 VRC Oaks and her son Red Manfred by Manfred was sent to NZ where he won ten stakes races. He was to later return to Australia and pursued a successful jumping career. While these are impressive, other names from the family ensure that we will spend more time on it in later editions as it is the family of Dark Jewel and her sons, Cabachon and Baguette, Dark Felt and the immortal Gunsynd.

C

osmic Force is by the popular young stallion, Deep Field who is in turn also a son of Northern Meteor by Encosta De Lago. Cosmic Force is the first son of Deep Field to go to stud and this newness to his sire line will certainly attract the buyers and breeders in search of the next big thing. It is a little bit hard to know exactly where to head with the stallion. His own pedigree features a duplication of Cotehele House, the excellent daughter of Eight Carat and the dam of Commands and fourth dam of Deep Field. With Encosta De Lago and Danehill prominent in his pedigree, I suggest that caution will be needed when looking at mares with these stallions in their pedigree, so this really does reduce a lot of options for the stallion.

Daughters of Snitzel and now his sons that that push Danehill back into the fourth generation are likely to be among the better options when he appears in a pedigree.

G U

iven that we see Cotehele House prominent, the likely contenders like Lonhro and his descendants become less attractive. A stallion like Written Tycoon could be an option, as too could be daughters of I Am Invincible.

ltimately though I think we need to learn from the older parts of the family. Traditional colonial lines like Century, Star Kingdom, Vain and Kenmare might be the key at the end of the day. We do know that the stallion is not lacking in speed and precocity, so I suggest that we need not be all that concerned with sending older mares with more stout looking pedigrees to him. This will include those with overseas influences like Street Cry and his sons, mares from Sadler’s Wells lines and More Than Ready lines.

A

t the lower end of the price range for the new stallions, Cosmic Force gives a chance for the smaller breeder to tap into speed with what might be considered less-fashionable mares. He really does offer a distinct point of difference although is one that I think we need to tread warily with. There is definitely a niche that he will fill and a whole lot of history behind him especially for the astute breeder.

Turf monthly 47

VINO ROSSO Spendthrift Farm Vic Fee $13,750

V

ino Rosso is another of the US offerings at Spendthrift Farm in Victoria. He was another million-dollar earner retiring with 6 wins from 15 start and a little over US$4.8 million in prizemoney. He won the G1 Breeders’ Cup Classic and Santa Anita Gold Cup both as a 4yo and was crowned Champion Older Dirt Male in USA in 2019. He was unbeaten in his two runs as a 2yo and won the G2 Aqueduct Wood Memorial Stakes and ran fourth in the Belmont as a 3yo.

H

is dam Mythical Bride was a winner over a mile and by champion stallion, Street Cry. Her dam was the stakes winning Flaming Heart by Touch Gold who produced stakes winners Commissioner by AP Indy and Laugh Track by Distorted Humor. Vino Rosso’s third dam was another stakes winner in Hot Lear by Lear Fan and his fourth dam also a stakes winner in Medicine Woman by Dr Blum.

T

he sire of Vino Rosso is Curlin, a stallion we have not seen in Australia quite surprisingly.

He was a champion racehorse and was the highest North American money earner with over US$10.5 million when he retired. His wins included the 2007 Preakness Stakes, 2007 Breeders' Cup Classic, and 2008 Dubai World Cup. In turn he was a son of Canadian bred Smart Strike by Mr Prospector out of the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame mare Classy 'n Smart.

A

gain, Spendthrift is offering these wonderful bloodlines at a bargain fee. But, of course, with this comes risk, and the big one is how these lines will adapt to Australian conditions.

We know a lot of the names, but the female family is a long-term US one and not one that seems

Turf monthly 48

to have been sent overseas very often. There is no doubting the racing quality of the stallion or the lines, but this does not ensure success.

T

he family is not that of early 2yo’s and that could be to its detriment in the sales ring. Fortunately, this is better accepted in Melbourne than Sydney, but it is hard to see too many sales toppers from Vino Rosso’s first couple of crops. Once again, the key will likely be Danehill line mares and this is where the stallion looks to have plenty of options. His pedigree is free of Danehill, Danzig or indeed any son of Northern Dancer apart from Vice Regent whose son Deputy Minister is duplicated in Vino Rosso’s pedigree. Deputy Minister we know in Australia as the sire of Dehere. This brings us to the pedigree of the stallion which is quite heavily inbred to Deputy Minister and Mr Prospector. I would recommend stearing clear of these influences in the pedigrees of mares to go to the stallion but there are any number of mares that do not carry these lines. Some breeders might be tempted to duplicate Street Cry as he is found through a female in the stallion’s pedigree, but I would suggest this is unlikely to be a successful strategy.

T

he key to Vino Rosso will be Danehill, and for this reason I would probably have preferred to see him stand in the Hunter Valley where the majority of these mares reside. Still, there will be plenty available, and I would recommend that breeders try to have a look at the stallion and consider his physical attributes when considering him for their mares.

V

ino Rosso offers some interesting bloodlines and I think has the potential to produce more than his share of quality offspring. Breeders need to use caution when considering mares that contain multiple lines of overseas families, but overall the stallion should suit a wide range of mares and has the potential to produce a range of successful types. Many though may not be early 2yo types but hopefully the buyers can look past this and ensure that his progeny are given the best opportunity to perform on the track.

Turf monthly 49

The 3yo Autumn of 1996 F

rom time to time there will be an argument over which generation of horses was the best. We have seen great crops of 2yo’s, 3yo’s and plenty of great rivalries that lasted over a period. Although there is a chance that I am biased, no matter what period you talk about, you may be hard pressed to find a more talented and exciting crop of 3yo’s than we saw in Sydney in the Autumn of 1996. To start by setting the scene, we need to go back to the 2yo season.

lenged by another NSW 3yo in Nothin’ Leica Dane who had progressed through the staying races for his age. He had won the Listed Dulcify Stakes in Sydney over 2000m at his fourth start in September, and then the Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes at Randwick beating Super Slew and Catalan Opening.

He went to Melbourne and won the traditional Derby lead up in the Norman Robinson. Nothin’ Leica Dane triumphed narrowly in the Derby that was the subject of much discussion with Octagonal’s stand in jockey Brian York roundly critt looked a great crop of 2yo’s. The Victorian trained Flyicized for his ride. Octagonal went for a well-earned break ing Spur by Danehill came out on top winning the Goldwhile Nothin’ Leica Dane earned a start in the Melbourne en Slipper having been place in the Blue Diamond and VRC Cup. A deluge of rain saw the Flemington track downgraded Sires’ at his previous two starts. He narrowly beat Octagonal from a good 3 on the Saturday to a heavy 10 on the Tuesday

by Zabeel, who had become the first Australian stakes winand the gallant 3yo fought gamely to finish second to Doner for his sire, by winning the Group 2 Todman. Octagonal riemus in that great race. He joined Octagonal in the paddock went on to win the AJC Sires’ before being beaten by the filly, and the scene was set for an exciting Autumn.

Isolda in the Champagne. Third in the Slipper was Millrich, lmost unnoticed on Derby Day, another Sydney 3yo had while NZ star Our Maizcay finished fourth and favourite, and ventured to Melbourne where he won the Carbine Club a stablemate of Octagonal in Strategic was fifth.

Stakes. Known as Saintly, he went on to run second in the he first test for the Spring 3yo’s in Sydney came in the Sandown Guineas behind Peep On The Sly before he too had San Domenico and Our Maizcay stamped himself as a a break in preparation for the Autumn. potential star leading all the way to beat Strategic and Millhe main Autumn campaign for the 3yo’s kicked off late rich. The Up And Coming Stakes saw Our Maizcay dominate February where Octagonal and Nothin’ Leica Dane the field this time beating Flying Spur and another NZer in Catalan Opening. Octagonal’s first test in the Spring came in faced off in the Hobartville over 1400m. As in the VRC Derthe Roman Consul where he was beaten by Our Maizcay in by, Nothin’ Leica Dane established a lead inside the 200m a small field. Octagonal went on to win the Listed Heritage to hang on from the fast finishing Octagonal with Catalan Stakes and Stan Fox before he went to Melbourne for the Opening third. Fourth was a 3yo having only his fifth race first of the classics in the Caulfield Guineas. Meanwhile Our start in Filante. Nothin’ Leica Dane then went to Melbourne Maizcay had gone to Melbourne early winning the Ascot Vale for the Australian Cup where Saintly was waiting. Saintly had beating Gold Ace and the Group 1 Vic Health Cup against started off his Autumn in the Expressway against the older horses beating Juggler before running second to that horse in the older horses, this time beating Cut Up Rough. the Apollo Stakes. The Australian Cup was a resounding win he Caulfield Guineas shaped as a showdown between for Saintly. He scored by 2.5 lengths from Vialli with Peep Our Maizcay and Octagonal but was something of an On The Sly third and Circles Of Gold fourth. Nothin’ Leica anti-climax with the NZ champion winning comfortably with Dane started favourite but could only finish fifth in a very Ravarda, who had won the Champagne Stakes in Brisbane in good field that saw him beat home Count Chivas, Paris Lane the winter edging out Octagonal for second. The two boom and Jeune. Meanwhile Octagonal stayed in Sydney winning 3yo’s went to Moonee Valley for the Cox Plate where Our the Group 1 Canterbury Guineas narrowly from the improvMaizcay found the distance too much. It suited Octagonal ing Filante. and he was outstanding beating the gallant Mahogany in an epic race. Onto the VRC Derby and Octagonal was chal-

I

A

T

T

T

The Contenders Turf monthly 50

Octagonal Nothin’ Leica Dane Filante Saintly

M

arch 23 saw the big three Sydney 3yo’s finally face off settled behind Nothin’ Leica Dane second in the running line. in the Rosehill Guineas. Octagonal and Saintly started On his back was Saintly, while Octagonal raced behind Saintat 2/1 while Nothin’ Leica Dane was 5/2. Filante was un- ly all one off the fence, with Octagonal having only three fancied at 12/1. Nothin’ Leica Dane again led at the 200m behind him in the run. Nothin’ Leica Dane joined the leader but this time Octagonal was a lot closer and gradually got in at the point of the turn, but it wasn’t long before Filante got front. Saintly who had started from an outside gate finished the upper hand as they got to the 200m mark. Octagonal and strongly to snatch second in the shadows of the post. The Saintly were warming into their work by now, and they came first three were separated by only 0.3 lengths. Filante fought down the outside together. Inside the 100m Saintly got his on strongly from midfield on the turn to finish fourth, only a nose in front of a gallant Filante but Octagonal was right length further back. After such a sterling race, it was on to the alongside him. The crowd was cheering from the top of the straight, but were deafening by the time the big black horse grand final in the AJC Derby only two weeks later. gradually wore down the chestnut. Octagonal put his nose in ctagonal, despite his narrow margin, was the one the front as they got close to the line winning by an official marpunters wanted in the Derby with the extra distance gin of 0.2L. Filante battled on to finish a further length back looking to suit him. He started an odds-on favourite at 9/10. while Nothin’ Leica Dane stuck of for fourth, a little over 2L Second favourite was Nothin’ Leica Dane at 9/4 and Saintly further back. at 11/2 was the other right in the market. Filante drifted out to the fifth line of betting at 12/1 with Victorian visitor Peep he AJC Derby of 1996 was truly an amazing race to end On The Sly coming in for some support at 11/1. what was a remarkable 3yo season. We saw the champions all go on to achieve future successes, but these stories he field of 11 faced the starter on a good track. Nothin’ are best left for another day. It is enough to bask in such a Leica Dane drew awkwardly in barrier 9, but Octagonal wonderful crop of horses that were all so very different in in barrier 5 stood with Filante on his inside in 4, and Saintly many ways. on his outside in 6. Interval jumped from the outside and went to the front, ensuring a solid tempo for the 2400m.

Nothin’ Leica Dane sat in second throughout, while Filante

O T

T

TO WATCH VIDEO TOGGLE TO TEXT VIEW

Turf monthly 51