The Breed

Weanlings in demand

GREY SWALLOW: His first weanling created a big impression at the Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale this week.

Issue 10, May 21, 2009

In the latest issue of The Thoroughbred magazine, we predicted that Testa Rossa (by Perugino) was a stallion on the cusp of doing something special.

The win of his brilliant daughter Or t ensia at Doomben last Saturday in the Listed Glenlogan Park Stakes (1350m) puts her firmly on track to win the G1 Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) at Eagle Farm next month, and Testa Rossa (standing at Vinery, Scone, for $38,500) will take another step up the commercial stud ladder.

Ortensia has an interesting pedigree. Her dam, Aerate’s Pick is by the underrated son of Snippets, Picnicker from the Loosen Up mare Aerate. This is a branch of the wonderful Bint Marscay (Marscay-Eau d’Etoile) family that has grown in recent times to include the 2009 Kentucky Derby contender Friesian Fire (A P Indy–Bollinger, ex Mannington, ex Bint Marscay), top filly Romneya (Red Ransom–Mannington) and the 2005 G1 Victoria Derby winner and now Vinery-based sire Benicio (More Than Ready–Mannington).

All these horses trace back to Fille d’Etoile (by Prince Bright), a 1971 mare whose only Stakes winner was Eau d’Etoile, winner of the 1985 G3 Euology Stakes (1600m) at Manuwatu. Eau d’Etoile also is the dam of the G1 stars Filante (Star Way) and Kenny’s Best Pal (Bletchingly).

Testa Rossa has sired one G1 winner – Testafiable (2006 SA Derby) – and Ortensia is poised to build on that record.

Inglis, and the breeding industry in general, should be thrilled with the demand for weanlings at the Great Southern Sale.

Importantly, a clearance rate of 91 per cent follows on from a very successful, and surprisingly buoyant Autumn Yearling Sale two weeks ago.

In all, 243 weanlings changed hands for a gross return of $2.13 million. The average price was $8753 – down on last year’s average of $10,745, but healthy considering both the economic climate and the quality of the stock.

Again, the battle for nice horses was robust, and the pinhookers were out in force.

Top price was $60,000 for a colt from the first crop of Coolmore’s young stallion Holy Roman Empero r (by Danehill) from the imported mare Mayaasa (by Lyphard), bought by Mr. M. Milano. The colt is closely related to the

top sires and Group 1 winning racehorses Desert King and Maroof.

The stock of first season sires was in demand. I was particularly impressed by some of the offspring of Churchill Downs (by Danehill – Blue Gum Farm, Euroa) and Econsul (by Pins – Woodside Park, Tylden). They had size, scope and good bone. Churchill Downs (2007 fee $13,200, 2009 $8800) had six weanlings sell for an average of $19,000 (top price $40,000), while Econsul (2007 fee $11,000, 2009 $7700) had five weanlings sell at an average of $12,500 (top price $25,000).

There also was an attractive colt by Independent Stallions Breeders’ Cup winner Artie Schiller (by El Prado) from the Xaar mare Princess Xaar that was rated by some good judges as the best weanling in the sale. The colt was sold to New Zealand

Bloodstock for $30,000. The sole weanling offered

by Econsul’s barn-mate, the former champion racehorse Gr ey Swallow (by Daylami) created a lot of interest. The Irish Derby winner covered only 16 mares in his first season at Woodside Park, and struggled last season with only 31 mares.

Peter Liston’s Three Bridges Stud, near Maldon, bought the Grey Swallow weanling, a chestnut filly from the Prego mare Crepe De Chine, for $30,000. She was a very attractive filly with good bone, a powerful muscle structure and big rear end. Liston pinhooked the filly for resale as a yearling.

Breeders might be taking more interest in the former star Irish galloper if that filly is an example of what he can throw. Grey Swallow’s 2009 fee is $9900 (down from $16,500).

DANNY POWER

WORDS BY DANNY POWER

Written Tycoon sells Young stallion Written Tycoon was sold at auction yesterday by Inglis at Oaklands Junction.

The impressive looking son of Iglesia (by Last Tycoon (IRE)) sold for $625,000 to the bid of agent David O’Callaghan, who was acting on behalf of former part-owners Eliza Park Stud, Kerrie, where Written Tycoon has stood since 2007.

The sale was to resolve a dispute between members of the stallion’s owners, the Written Tycoon Syndicate.

He was a brilliant 2YO who won the 2005 Group 2 Todman Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill.

The chestnut covered 118 mares in 2007 and 87 mares last season. There are good reports about the quality of his stock (see picture above), and Eliza Park CEO Cameron Croucher said the stud was “relieved” to secure the horse.

“I believe this is a clear indication of Eliza Park’s opinion of Written Tycoon,” Croucher said.

Written Tycoon stands in 2009 at a fee of $6600 (inc. GST).

Taking notice of Lonhro The interest in the weanlings by Lonhro at this week’s Inglis Great Southern Sale at Oaklands Junction is a reward for a stallion who is starting to really have an impact.

Lonhro (Br h 1998, Octagonal (NZ)–Shadea, by Straight Strike (USA)) had four offspring sell in Melbourne at a healthy average of $46,875. Three of the top four highest-priced weanlings to sell over the two days were by Lonhro, with his

top seller being a filly from Chiq Flick (by King’s Theatre), a daughter of the G1 winning racemare Ma Chicquita (by Last Tango (IRE)).

The former champion racehorse is defying some of his doubters, many of whom felt that a son of Octagonal (by Zabeel), who had been a great disappointment at stud – Occy has been retired from commercial stud use by Darley – was not going to make it as a stallion.

But as is often the case, the fastest and best son of even a failed stallion can make it as a sire – Testa Rossa (by Perugino) is a prime example – and Lonhro is doing a fine job. So far he has sired only two Stakes winners – Black Minx and Minnesota Shark (both out of Danehill-line mares) – but his record of 52 winners from 102 starters reads well, and this season he has two fine prospects in the Stakes-placed 2YOs Trim (ex Firm, by Night Shift) and Purdey (ex Walnut, by Procul Harem).

Lonhro is a different style of stallion to Octagonal. He has much more body and bone, and his stock, although rich in the Octagonal and Lonhro dark colour, also have more

strength and bone than the Octagonal offspring – and much more speed on the track.

Darley dropped Lonhro’s fee in 2009 to $33,000 (inc. GST), down from $55,000 in 2007 and a high of $66,000 in 2006. He represents great value considering where he could be placed in three years time when the 2009 conceived foals are sold.

Footnot e : Lonhro’s Group 1 winning brother Niello (Chatswood Stud, Seymour, fee $11,000) sired his second winner when Neil’s Gold won at Mowbray (Tas) last Sunday.

Aussie first for Chaparral It is of no surprise that High Chaparral’s first Australian winner, So You Think, is trained by the master trainer of stayers Bart Cummings.

The colt couldn’t have been more impressive in winning his debut, the Artarmon Hcp (1400m) at Rosehill on Wednesday (May 20).

High Chaparral (by Sadler’s Wells) was a champion racehorse who won eight times at Group 1 level, including the 2002 Epsom Derby (2400m) and Irish Derby (2400m), the 2001 Racing Post

2YO Trophy (1400m) and two Breeders’ Cup Turfs (2400m) in 2002 and 2003, the latter when he dead-heated with Johar.

High Chaparral originally was to stand in 2005 at Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley, but he was sent to Windsor Park at Cambridge in New Zealand to replace champion sire Montjeu (also by Sadler’s Wells), who had become too valuable in the northern hemisphere to continue to shuttle south.

High Chaparral was the perfect fit for Windsor Park. He had 38 first-crop yearlings sell (all but one in NZ) at an average of NZ$105,185.

Cummings, always on the lookout for a staying prospect, paid NZ$110,000 (the ticket was signed by agent Duncan Ramage, manager for Dato Tan Chin Nam) for So You Think, who is out of the Tights mare Triassic, a classy filly who won the Group 2 Sir Tristram Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa.

High Chaparral has started his stud career impressively in the NH where his oldest progeny are three. He already has nine Stakes winners, including a couple of Epsom Derby contenders.

There is a possibility that So You Think will head to Queensland for the Group 1 TJ Smith Classic (1600m) at Eagle Farm in June.

Ins and outs There are movements at the stations.

Dean Harvey, ex Darley and Inglis, has left Makybe to join Woodside Park (Wadham Park’s breeding division) at Tylden. Woodside Park stands the stallions Grey Swallow and Econsul.

Harvey has been replaced at Tony Santic’s Makybe (at Gnawarre, near Geelong) by Andrew Augustine, who has taken up the role of Sales and Communications Manager.

DANNY POWER

A stylish filly by Written Tycoon from Pylades (by Dehere) at Lemrac Lodge, Victoria.