Everyone’s jumping on the Black Caviar bandwagon but what a great thing it is to see.
The Mantra Hotel in Sydney is offering a special rate for those visiting Sydney to watch Black Caviar in the TJ Smith-G1 at Randwick on Saturday, while there is also a special offer involved racecourse entry and merchandise.
On top of it all, there’s a saddlecloth – lugged by Black Caviar in the Newmarket – also up for grabs.
Check it all out at the Black Caviar fansite.
Monday, April 4, 2011
SYDNEY TO MELBOURNE
While all the attention swings to Sydney’s Newmarket sales ground this week for the Australian Easter Yearling Sale, it’s certainly a long way from the end of the stretch with the Easter Broodmare Sale next week (12-14 April) followed by the Melbourne Autumn Yearling Sale on 17-18 April.
Eliza Park will again have a major presence at both with 11 broodmares heading north while 12 youngsters will make their way to Oaklands Junction (available for inspection from Thursday 14 April).
Among the highlights for the Easter Broodmare are:
Eliza Park will again have a major presence at both with 11 broodmares heading north while 12 youngsters will make their way to Oaklands Junction (available for inspection from Thursday 14 April).
Among the highlights for the Easter Broodmare are:
- Lot 19: Let’s Rock Again – a G2 winning 2YO and G1 runnerup by Chief’s Crown and dam of Group placed Dehere Again; in foal to Sebring.
- Lot 48: 4-time winner Mi Piachi, dam of Statue of Liberty 2YO winner Someday Somehow; in foal to Statue of Liberty.
- Lot 138: Woodman mare Rhianna Louise, dam of recent Group winner Pepperwood and in foal to Denman.
- Lot 222: 2YO winner and multiple stakes placed Testa Reale; in foal to Commands.
- Lot 294: Rubiton Group winner Annesong (6 wins); in foal to Magnus.
- Lot 299: South American Group winner Artist Johanna; in foal to Wanted.
- Lot 320: Basic Instinct, an Honours List half sister to stakes winner Umaprince (22 wins); in foal to Written Tycoon.
- Lot 389: Stakes winning 2YO Desert Move with two Magnus colts on the ground and in foal to Bel Esprit.
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| Desert Sun |
BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE
When Malcolm Fraser said life wasn’t meant to be easy he was obviously talking about racehorse ownership too.
Imagine how the crew at Gooree felt on Saturday when their Fastnet Rock colt – Smart Missile – was scratched at the barrier in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper when second favourite after defeating eventual winner Sepoy at their previous meeting.
Gooree representative, Andrew Baddock, said post race that the decision to scratch the colt probably cost them “$20 million” in stud value.
However, it has served to highlight the boom on Danehill stallion Fastnet Rock who had five of the 16 Slipper entries line up on Saturday (unfortunately, Fast and Sexy – another of the Fastnet Rocks – was also scratched at the barrier).
Still, according to this morning’s ANZ Bloodstock News, Fastnet Rock still has three of the top four rated 2YOs in the country.
This is clearly the ‘new’ Danehill branch and augurs well for his first crop son and 2010 Newmarket Handicap-G1 winner Wanted, who had three mares sold in foal in Perth last week: selling up to $205,000 and averaging $161,666.
If they’re paying that much for mares in foal, imagine what his first crop yearlings will be making!
Imagine how the crew at Gooree felt on Saturday when their Fastnet Rock colt – Smart Missile – was scratched at the barrier in the $3.5 million Golden Slipper when second favourite after defeating eventual winner Sepoy at their previous meeting.
Gooree representative, Andrew Baddock, said post race that the decision to scratch the colt probably cost them “$20 million” in stud value.
However, it has served to highlight the boom on Danehill stallion Fastnet Rock who had five of the 16 Slipper entries line up on Saturday (unfortunately, Fast and Sexy – another of the Fastnet Rocks – was also scratched at the barrier).
Still, according to this morning’s ANZ Bloodstock News, Fastnet Rock still has three of the top four rated 2YOs in the country.
This is clearly the ‘new’ Danehill branch and augurs well for his first crop son and 2010 Newmarket Handicap-G1 winner Wanted, who had three mares sold in foal in Perth last week: selling up to $205,000 and averaging $161,666.
If they’re paying that much for mares in foal, imagine what his first crop yearlings will be making!
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| Wanted |
Saturday, April 2, 2011
WRITTEN TYCOON’S MASTHEAD
Eliza Park’s highly popular stallion – WRITTEN TYCOON – cemented his position at the top of the Australian First Season Sires’ chart with the game fourth of Masthead in today’s $3.5 million AAMI Golden Slipper Stakes-G1 (1200m) at Rosehill.
Significantly, Written Tycoon was the only first season sire with a runner in this year’s Golden Slipper!
In touch with the leaders throughout, yet baulked for a run in the closing stages, Masthead fought on strongly to finish on the heels of third placed Elite Falls: an outstanding effort.
Sent out a $43.70 hope, Masthead was something of a ‘forgotten’ horse in the Slipper, considering his lead up performances. The Lee Freedman-trained speedster ran second on debut at Moonee Valley (behind Elite Falls), after a troubled run home, and was then beaten less than a length when fourth in the Maribyrnong Plate-G3 at Flemington in November before being tipped out for a spell.
Returning in mid February, Masthead powered home for a brilliant win in the $250,000 Inglis 2YO at Mornington, ran third to eventual Slipper winner Sepoy in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes after being forced wide and, in his final Slipper leadup, copped a bump when fourth in the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes-G2 on 12 March.
But Masthead is not the only Written Tycoon to put the runs on the board with the stakes placed Written Consent and city winner, Trump, also contributing to the cause.
Although the $190,000 stake for Masthead’s fourth has vaulted Written Tycoon clear of the first season opposition, the flashy chestnut was in the lead prior to the Slipper.
A very popular stallion since retiring to Eliza Park in 2007, Written Tycoon has covered 521 mares (his biggest book of 198 in 2010) and will again be in huge demand this spring.
Significantly, Written Tycoon was the only first season sire with a runner in this year’s Golden Slipper!
In touch with the leaders throughout, yet baulked for a run in the closing stages, Masthead fought on strongly to finish on the heels of third placed Elite Falls: an outstanding effort.
Sent out a $43.70 hope, Masthead was something of a ‘forgotten’ horse in the Slipper, considering his lead up performances. The Lee Freedman-trained speedster ran second on debut at Moonee Valley (behind Elite Falls), after a troubled run home, and was then beaten less than a length when fourth in the Maribyrnong Plate-G3 at Flemington in November before being tipped out for a spell.
Returning in mid February, Masthead powered home for a brilliant win in the $250,000 Inglis 2YO at Mornington, ran third to eventual Slipper winner Sepoy in the Group One Blue Diamond Stakes after being forced wide and, in his final Slipper leadup, copped a bump when fourth in the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes-G2 on 12 March.
But Masthead is not the only Written Tycoon to put the runs on the board with the stakes placed Written Consent and city winner, Trump, also contributing to the cause.
Although the $190,000 stake for Masthead’s fourth has vaulted Written Tycoon clear of the first season opposition, the flashy chestnut was in the lead prior to the Slipper.
A very popular stallion since retiring to Eliza Park in 2007, Written Tycoon has covered 521 mares (his biggest book of 198 in 2010) and will again be in huge demand this spring.
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| Golden Slipper fourth Masthead wins the $250k Inglis 2YO at Mornington |
ONYA COBBA
Well done to Queenslander, Marylee Trivett, whose homebred – God’s Cobba – flew home for a resounding victory in the McGrath Plate over 1400m at the Gold Coast today.
Coming from well back on the turn on a slow track, God’s Cobba ploughed through to notch up his first win after finishing third on debut on 26 March.
Trained by Peter Tennant, who purchased the God’s Own 3YO for $35,000 at the 2009 Gold Coast Magic Millions, God’s Cobba is from the Zabeel mare, Zacobba, a granddaughter of the mighty mare Analie.
She was some racehorse that Analie: in 1973 she won the Doncaster, AJC Oaks, The Metropolitan, Queensland Derby and Oaks – all Group Ones – along with the Craven Plate, Canterbury Cup, STC Cup and Barnes Stakes.
At stud, she would go on to produce Blue Diamond Stakes-G1 winner Aare, a half sister to Zacobba’s dam Tasteful.
Coming from well back on the turn on a slow track, God’s Cobba ploughed through to notch up his first win after finishing third on debut on 26 March.
Trained by Peter Tennant, who purchased the God’s Own 3YO for $35,000 at the 2009 Gold Coast Magic Millions, God’s Cobba is from the Zabeel mare, Zacobba, a granddaughter of the mighty mare Analie.
She was some racehorse that Analie: in 1973 she won the Doncaster, AJC Oaks, The Metropolitan, Queensland Derby and Oaks – all Group Ones – along with the Craven Plate, Canterbury Cup, STC Cup and Barnes Stakes.
At stud, she would go on to produce Blue Diamond Stakes-G1 winner Aare, a half sister to Zacobba’s dam Tasteful.
BRIAN’S BEL DIARY
Brian Donohoe does a fantastic job with his Bel Esprit blog and leaves no stone unturned when it comes to updates on the Champion Victorian stallion and his progeny.
With the number of winners Bel Esprit is producing of late (he’s No. 5 on the Australian General Sires’ chart by winners), Brian has plenty to brag about and – not surprisingly – is getting a fair amount of traffic to his blog.
Let’s face it, if just a third of the owners of Bel Esprit racehorses took a look, it would be one of the busiest racing blogs in the country!
Anyhow, we’re not going to steal Brian’s thunder (as if we could), so suffice to list the Bel Esprit winners during the past week:
With the number of winners Bel Esprit is producing of late (he’s No. 5 on the Australian General Sires’ chart by winners), Brian has plenty to brag about and – not surprisingly – is getting a fair amount of traffic to his blog.
Let’s face it, if just a third of the owners of Bel Esprit racehorses took a look, it would be one of the busiest racing blogs in the country!
Anyhow, we’re not going to steal Brian’s thunder (as if we could), so suffice to list the Bel Esprit winners during the past week:
- Globalwarmnsceptic (2 April @ Oakbank): second win in as many starts after winning at Morphettville on 19 March)
- Laudit (31 March @ Seymour): Bel Esprit’s 100th individual winner for the season
- Washbash River (29 March @ Sale): a win and two seconds from four outings
- Apple Esprit (28 March @ Ararat): lightly raced first cropper wins third race for new trainer Austy Coffey
- Belwins & Lazaroo (27 March @ Penang): a double for Bel Esprit in Malaysia – now has winners in seven countries
- Black Caviar, Bel Rhythm & Royal Express (25 March @ Moonee Valley, Geelong & Albury): Bel Rhythm, a win and two seconds from as many starts; Royal Express third win in a row; and just in case you’ve come out of a coma, Black Caviar notched up No. 11
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| Bel Esprit |
Friday, April 1, 2011
IT’S OFFICIAL!
- The highest-rated sprinter since the World Thoroughbred Rankings commenced, eclipsing Oasis Dream (125 in 2003)
- The first sprinter to head the World Thoroughbred Rankings
- The 1st Australian horse to head the World Thoroughbred Rankings
- The highest-rated Australian horse, eclipsing So You Think (126 in 2010)
- The equal-highest-rated mare, joining French champion Goldikova (130 in 2009)
ANZ Classifications Committee chairman (& Australia’s representative on the World Thoroughbred Rankings Committee) Greg Carpenter said the IFHA announcement was “monumental” and declared: “This is a landmark day for Australian racing with Black Caviar heading the list of the Top 50 active thoroughbred racehorses in the world. Winners at the Dubai World Cup meeting, US Breeders Cup meeting, Hong Kong International meeting and French Arc De Triomphe have all been rated inferior to Black Caviar.
“That helps put into context the enormity of her achievement in winning the Group One Newmarket Handicap and indeed her amazing sprinting performances over the past six months. It is particularly pleasing that she has broken ground for sprinters in the World Thoroughbred Rankings and showcased the growing strength of Australian racing on the world stage.”
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