All systems go
The cold result says that top-class Orchestral (Savabeel) finished eighth on her return to racing as a four-year-old, beating five runners home. Such bare facts can be misleading and the mare performed quite well, certainly better than her first–up effort as a three-year-old.
There is no reason to point to the track either. Ellerslie’s new StrathAyr surface looked magnificent although the storms and heavy rain that passed through Auckland late last week clearly had some effect, the track rated as a Soft 5. Senior rider Warren Kennedy stated that the track “sounded” different now that remedial work was complete. “Horses can get their toe into it now,” he said.
Orchestral has winning form on a Soft 7 surface, last New Year’s Day at Pukekohe. That was the start of a winning five-race streak which included the Karaka Millions 3YO (Listed, 1600m), Avondale Guineas (Gr 2, 2100m), New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) and, in Sydney, the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
In a crowded finish Orchestral was less than two lengths from the winner, Shamus (Shamexpress), in Saturday’s race over 1400 metres which drew a nice field that would not look out of place as a Listed race. Rider Craig Grylls asked her to move closer from the 600 metres and once they straightened for the run home the mare never flinched and was solid to the line. Punters will be disappointed, but she will come on lengths from that run.
As such a valuable commodity, no doubt the trainers and owners will only be interested in how she came through the race. If she pulled up well and ate everything when home there is every chance that she will be aimed at more riches. Australia? Perhaps. However, the Livamol Classic (Gr 1, 2040m) could be the logical next step before a Melbourne campaign.
Loving the beach
The race winner Shamus showed from his earliest races that he is more than capable. The six-year-old has faced the starter just 18 times and this latest win was his eighth. As a two-and-three-year-old he won his first four races, ending the streak with victory in the Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m). At four he won back-to-back sprints at Trentham and just missed in the Listed Lightning Stakes (1200m), his record to that point reading: six wins in ten starts.
After two further placings at five he was spelled and sent to Waiuku and a new trainer. The beach has turned Shamus’s fortunes around and from Moira and Kieran Murdoch’s stable Shamus is back to somewhere near his best. From a wide barrier (13) he found the lead before the 1000 metres and looked in command the length of the straight to win by 0.8 lengths.
As long as he remains sound Shamus has the talent to give any field a good shake, as he showed at Ellerslie, taking his earnings to $278,481. His sire Shamexpress (O’Reilly) was in the news last week after Grinzinger Belle scored so authoritatively at Flemington.
His dam, the unraced Chesapeake (Per Incanto), has produced two winners from two to race. Chesapeake was the last of three live foals from her winning dam Chessee (Green Desert), whose produce record reads like a tragedy, as three of her foals died and one had to be euthanised as a foal. However, the family lives on and Shamus represents a wonderful branch. His third dam, Le Montrachet (Nashwan) is a half–sister to dual Group 1 winner Gold Splash (Blushing Groom) and to Born Gold (Blushing Groom), an extraordinary mare who foaled six Group winners, including European Horse of the Year Goldikova (Anabaa).
Building
Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) keeps tossing his hat into the ring and continues building his record. His Positivity may not have had much to spare when taking out the Foundation Cup (Gr 3, 2000m) at Caulfield on Saturday but you cannot deny her toughness when slugging it out over the final 100 metres.
This latest win, her fourth in ten starts including three stakes races, assures her of a start in next month’s Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) and keeping in mind that last season she was successful over 2500 metres in the Group 3 South Australian Fillies Classic, and finished second in the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m), she must come into calculations for the rich cup. To win over 2000 metres second–up indicates that she is ready.
She is Almanzor’s second southern hemisphere stakes winner this season following Rise At Dawn’s recent win in the Heatherlie Stakes (Listed, 1700m). Positivity formed the quinella that day. The stallion, who is now permanently domiciled at Cambridge Stud, has also sired winners at Longchamp, Chantilly and Lyon-Parilly during the last month. Locally he has a very promising sort named Lux Libertas who has won his last four on end.
Positivity is from Haunui Farm’s foundation family descending from Foxona (Foxbridge). The Chittys have been breeding from this line for more than 60 years and nine generations on it keeps throwing up stakes winners of Positivity’s quality. Her dam is the Group 1–placed Listed winner Pussy O’Reilly (O’Reilly), herself a sister or half–sister to two stakes winners. Her great granddam Dopff (Tights) was a Group 2 winner of eight races. This is one solid family and Positivity’s value keeps climbing and climbing.
A $160,000 purchase by Ben Kwok from the Woburn farm draft of the 2022 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, Positivity took her earnings to $A439,045 after Saturday’s win.
Versatile
Rich Hill Stud’s Shocking (Street Cry) needs to be considered in a different light. Just because he won the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) creates the impression that he sires stayers. Well, he can, but he can also get sprinter-milers, as per Friday’s Cameron Handicap (Gr 3, 1500m) winner Here To Shock.
The seven-year-old looked like second was his lot at Newcastle but he dug deep from the 100 metres and put his head in front to make it ten wins in 32 starts. Four of his ten wins are stakes and three are Group 3s. To date he has not been tried beyond 1600 metres and half of his wins have been at 1400 metres.
The Book 1 graduate of the NZB 2019 Karaka Yearling Sale was purchased for $70,000 and the Cameron victory saw his earnings top $1 million. He is the fourth winner and second stakes winner from Frescoes (Lonhro), herself twice a winner, as well as a three-quarter sister to Group 1 sprinter Mental (Lonhro). The other stakes winner is Turn The Ace (Turn Me Loose), the winner of nine races, including at Listed level at Te Rapa. His great granddam is the champion Australian two-and-three-year-old Shaybisc (Biscay).
As mentioned, he can sire stayers. Five of his stakes winners have won at 3200 metres, namely, Group 2 Adelaide Cup winners Surprise Baby and Fanatic; Group 3 Wellington Cup scorers Lincoln King and Solseifei, plus Group 3 New Zealand Cup winner Dragon Storm.
However, he can also throw much sharper types exemplified by I’m Thunderstruck, a fabulous miler who was lost to the racing world in his prime but not before he’d claimed two Group 1 miles, the Golden Eagle (1500m) and more than $8.3 million in earnings. Another of Shocking’s stock blessed with speed is El Vencedor who ran them off their feet in last season’s New Zealand Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
Shocking has sired 24 stakes winners and a further 17 stakes performers. Compare that to his younger barn mates records and he represents top value. Older readers will remember the deeds of former champion sire Zamazaan (Exbury), also a stayer who was very versatile as a sire. There are a lot of similarities between the two.
No consolation
You have to feel for Simms Davison of Mapperley Stud. He and the stud were devastated by the recent loss of Contributer (High Chaparral) just as the stallion was in full stride as one the country’s better performing sires.
In 2016 Mapperley boldly took on two new stallions in the same year, namely Contributer and Complacent (Authorized). Although a more than competent racehorse, with a Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and three further Group wins to his name, the latter never quite caught on and after six seasons was repatriated to the northern hemisphere and exported to France in late 2022.
Nevertheless, Complacent has sired a good one in Jay Bee Gee whose first stakes win took place with a narrow but thrilling victory in last month’s Winter Cup (Gr 3, 1600m) at Riccarton. His second stakes win, also at Group 3 level in Saturday’s Metric Mile, was achieved from the front when rider Kelly Myers assessed that the pace was too slow early and sent Jay Bee Gee into the lead. Energy conserved, Myers kicked him clear as soon they straightened for the run home and inside the 200 metres the rest were struggling. Jay Bee Gee won with his ears pricked by 1.8 lengths.
The $26,000 outlaid at the 2019 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2) from the Bradbury Park draft is looking a bargain as Jay Bee Gee has banked $240,960 from seven wins in a light career of just 22 starts. His half-brother William Wallace (Darci Brahma) was a dual Listed winner of eight races, while his half-sister, Hirondelle (Sepoy), produced 2023 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Pignan (Staphanos). Their dam Huluava (Pins) has produced nine winners and is a half-sister to two stakes winners, including Ellerslie Rich Hill Mile (Gr 2, 1600m) winner and the Group 1 placed Hasselhoof (Tavistock).
Similar to Haunui Farm’s foundation family, Jay Bee Gee represents the “Belle” family, made famous by James and Annie Sarten and maintained by their daughter Marie Leicester.