BEL ESPRIT – 4 IN 4

Bel Esprit continued his rise through the Australian sires ranks with a steady flow of winners throughout December and January and it looks as if he’s not going to spend February resting on his laurels.

In the first four days of the month, Bel Esprit has produced a winning quartet, kicking off on Wednesday with Vicki Rhind’s 3YO filly, Bel Price (ex. Kel Price by Keltrice), who produced a commanding win over 1100m at Launceston. The filly has had no luck in three previous outings, finishing fifth on debut before grabbing successive thirds at Launceston last August.

It was a nice win for long-time client Graeme Gathercole who bred and races the filly who is, in turn, out of a three time winning half sister to stakes placegetters High Academy and Fire Vain.

Bel Price has three strains of Vain (below) and is the fourth Bel Esprit winner out of Keltrice mares … from four to race!

Please note: Eliza Park will sell, on behalf of Windy Hill Thoroughbreds, a Bel Esprit colt from Keltrice mare Sheedy’s Sheila (Lot 218) at the upcoming Melbourne Premier.

Meanwhile, Bel Esprit notched up a double on Friday leading into Bel Sprinter’s stakes victory at Caulfield on Saturday.

First cab off the rank on Friday was the speedy, Winsum Lad (ex. Thunderstick by Umatilla) at Albury, followed up by Busy Doin’ Nothin’ (ex. Sunday Bliss by Bubble Gum Fellow) over 1350m at Ipswich.

Bred by Edgecombe Holdings at sold by Eliza Park, Winsum Lad has now won three of his outings and appeared to have plenty left in the tank on Friday, winning by two panels.

Winsum Lad is linebred to Nijinsky through a son and daughter and his dam is a half sister to three time stakes winner and AJC Flight Stakes-G1 runnerup Berberia.

Busy Doin’ Nothin’ was busy doin’ plenty at Ipswich, recording his second win (and six other placings) on the heavy surface.

Bred by Goodwood Park in Queensland and trained by Harold Norman, Busy Doin’ Nothin’ is a full brother to Moonee Valley winner Bon Marche.

STATUE OF LIBERTY – RIGHT ON

A double on Friday for Statue of Liberty (below) has capped off a big week for the son of Storm Cat.

In the leadup to Equal Rights’ thrilling victory in the Tracks 4 Kids Handicap (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Friday night, Statue of Liberty had produced a winner in Queensland on Australia Day (Pop’s Choice [ex. Relevant by Centaine]), a winner in NSW on 27 January (New Colossus [ex. Queen of the Stage by Rancho Ruler]), another winner in NSW on 28 January (French Gift [ex. Our Twig by New Regent] – his fourth win), a winner in Tasmania on 29 January (Wide Open Spaces [ex. Rancherie by Rancho Ruler]), a winner in Japan on 30 January (ハンミョウ- if you can read Japanese let us know!) and, prior to Equal Rights stepping out at the Valley, Cloanthy (ex. Diamond Bay Road by Shirley Heights) flew home for a tremendous win over 1212m at Geelong on 3 February.

Trained by Simon Morrish, Equal Rights (ex. Majestic Miss by Kingston Rule) has now posted two on the trot and came from the clouds to score at the Valley after a masterful ride by Damian Oliver.

IT IS WRITTEN … TYCOON

Eliza Park stallions actually captured a double on the Moonee Valley card on Friday night when Written Tycoon’s It Is Written (ex. Winning Team by Danehill Dancer) preceded the win of Equal Rights (Statue of Liberty) with a command performance in the Sportingbet Handicap (1200m).

Trained by Robbie Griffiths (left) – who purchased the now 3YO for $45,000 from the 2010 Adelaide Magic Millions – It Is Written absolutely dominated the show, bouncing to the lead from the kick and racing away to score by four.

On his website, Robbie reports: the dark brown galloper was always travelling sweetly for Matthew Ellen and before the turn had all of his rivals under the bit – each one under the whip and struggling as he quickly put ground on them.

“He is a very nice horse,” said Allen, “I have always thought that he was city class. He has got a good cruising speed and once he has them off the bit and chasing he is very hard to run down.”

Part-owner John Gay – who races It Is Written with the Dirty Dozen syndicate, Stephen Miller, Ian Dietrich, Frederick Harrison, MA Cameron, Peter Malbourne, Shane Limb, Geoff Wakefield and Terry Borschman – was all smiles enjoying the moment on course.

“We knocked back an offer for him recently,” Gay said, “as we are enjoying racing him with a group of mates.”

Plus, Gay added, It Is Written is too exciting a horse to let go of: “there is something about him,” he enthused, “he looks something special.”

It Is Written has now won two of his five starts, along with two seconds.

GO VICTORIA!

OK, we might be showing our true colours, but Brian Russell’s homage to Victorian breeding is worthy of a rehash.

Accepting that Black Caviar, now unbeaten in her 17 outings following her success at Moonee Valley in the Australia Stakes, is qualified and is heading in due course for listing in the Hall of Fame, she is the third leg of a trifecta of giants of Australian racing who were bred in Victoria and offered at their yearling sales.

The earlier two legs were provided by the roaming Gloaming, a 1915 born foal produced on a cross of two imports, the Flying Fox sire The Welkin and the Eager mare Light, who challenges as the greatest ever bred Australian racehorse, and the Tommy Smith trained hero of the 1980s, Kingston Town. Both have niches in the Hall of Fame.

Bred by E.E.D. Clarke at his Melton stud at Melton, a short distance west of Melbourne, sold to New Zealand for 230 guineas ($483) at the Melbourne sales and raced in both countries, Gloaming was eulogised 70 years ago by the Keeper of The Stud Book W.J. McFadden in his book The Australasian Racehorse as undoubtedly one of the greatest racehorses up to a mile and a quarter ever foaled, ‘and his incomparable record has earned for him and undying place in the traditions of the sport,’ he wrote.

Shipped 15 times across the Tasman and raced from three to nine years, the gelded Gloaming finished only twice out of the first two in his 67 starts, the lapses being a third and when he fell at the start of his sixteenth and final appearance at three. It was a year in which he won 13 races, including the Chelmsford at Randwick on debut, the AJC and New Zealand Derbys, and twice defeated New Zealand wonder galloper Desert Gold.

All told Gloaming won a massive 57 races (nine in Australia) at high level, ranging from four furlongs – once in Australasian record time – to a mile and a half, and strung together a sequence of 19 wins (one in Australia). If it had not been for the fall and two seconds, he would have succeeded in 34 in succession.

As it is, his 19 successive wins is a shared standing Australasian record for first class racing.

Meanwhile, Kingston Town (by Bletchingly) was bred by Melbourne businessman David Hains using a mare he picked up in Italy.

Fortuitiously, Hains could not get $8,000 for the horse who was to become the superstar Kingston Town when he presented him at the Melbourne sales, so he raced him, kicking off a golden era of his involvement in breeding and racing.

Kingston Town’s best winning sequence was 11, but during his 41 start career, he won 30 races, placed in seven others and became the first in Australia to earn a million dollars. He won at Group 1 level on 14 occasions, including three Cox Plates, two each George Main Stakes and Caulfield Stakes and appearances in the AJC Derby, Queensland Derby and Sydney Cup. He was beaten a neck when second in the 1982 Melbourne Cup.

Black Caviar, the newest of the trifecta of superstars, is a 5YO daughter of Bel Esprit, a Royal Academy leading 2YO and a champion at three located at Eliza Park, Kerrie, Victoria, her pedigree includes a double of Victorian bred Vain, and her grandam is by Snippets.

Also, Black Caviar’s grandam Song of Norway, was another horse bred by David Hains.

Now with 17 wins on the board, all at 1200m or less and comprised by 14 outings in Melbourne, two in Brisbane, one in Sydney and seven Group 1s and earner of $4,459,050, Black Caviar is the first unbeaten winner at first grade of that many races in Australian history.

If she wins her next two starts, as confidently expected, she will knock another icon off his perch as the holder of the longest sequence of wins in Australian racing. Always a star but suffering defeats at two and three, Ajax (by Australian champion Heroic) was going for his 19th successive win when he got rolled at 40-1 on in a three horse race at Rosehill. Through his 46-start career, he won 36 races (about a dozen Group 1s) and was runner up on seven occasions.

Eliza Park has a massive 64 yearlings, including a selection by Bel Esprit and their young sire Magnus, a close relation by Flying Spur to Black Caviar, in the 790 lot catalogue for the 2012 Melbourne yearling sale February 27 to March 1.

RED QUEST FOR GLORY

It’s amazing how many of life decisions are determined when the grape is involved.

Now, while opinions differ as to the amount of red wine involved, the end result remains the same … i.e. when Kerrie O’Callaghan was offered the opportunity to take a share in a ‘soon-to-be-purchased’ yearling at the 2010 Tasmanian sale, she put the hand up.

“We were down in Tasmania for the sale and races and the folk down there had been very kind, inviting us – often at the last minute – to a number of functions. I just thought it would be nice to get involved,” Kerrie points out.

A couple of days later, Kerrie was the proud (part)owner of a yearling colt by West Quest from the Baryshnikov mare Miss Barysh, which was purchased from Ace Shaw’s draft for $20,000.

The colt is a grandson of 3-time Tasmanian stakes winner Annie’s Pride and the new owners – appropriately named the Lobsters & Legends No. 1 syndicate – soon placed the horse with leading Apple Isle trainer Gary White.

Now we’re sure Kerrie will forgive us for saying that she’s been around the traps long enough to know that the twain rarely meets between red wine aspirations and fast racehorses, but lo and behold, the kid has talent.

Named Barysh Quest, the now 3YO won for the first time at Hobart in September – despite racing greenly – and, resuming just before Christmas, ran a credible fourth at Launceston.

Still, it was his effort on 4 January at Launceston in the Listed Tasmanian Guineas-LR that really made us stand up and take notice. Hampered at the start and overracing for a good part of the journey, Barysh Quest (below) flew home to just get beaten.

However, he soon turned small black type into capitals when he blitzed the opposition in the Listed Hobart Guineas, scoring by over two lengths after being forced to race wide.

Now it’s on to the $100k Listed Schweppes Tasmanian Derby this Sunday (5 February) and, if successful in Hobart, may make the trip to the mainland for the $750,000 Group One Australian Guineas at Flemington on 3 March.

In the words of the late, great Bob Marley (OK, UB40 too): “Red, red wine, it’s up to you, all I can do is done …”

LEGENDS ON THE ROAD

Speaking of Legends and Tasmania, the legendary Professor Andrew Clarke (CEO & Veterinary Director of Living Legends), informs us that dual Cox Plate winner Fields of Omagh will be journeying to the Apple Isle next week to highlight the Hobart Cup carnival.

Living Legends and Eliza Park initiated the visiting Legends ‘tour’ to Tassie four years ago and this time around Fields of Omagh (below) will appear at the Salamanca Markets in Hobart on Saturday 11 February before heading to the Hobart Cup meet the following day.

In further news, the Professor advises that Apache Cat and Rogan Josh will be special guests at the 150^th Colac Cup on Saturday 26 February, while Apache Cat will veer off to Canberra for the Black Opal meet on Sunday 11 March.

For further information, visit www.livinglegends.org.au