Cambridge Stud magic
Cambridge Stud made headlines late last week, announcing that Chaldean, a Classic-winning son of the incomparable Frankel (Galileo), was to join Almanzor on the Cambridge Stud stallion roster. Attracting such quality (all five of Cambridge Stud’s stallions are Group 1 winners) can only be good news for the New Zealand industry.
Windsor Park Stud’s successful negotiations to stand Paddington (Siyouni) and now Cambridge Stud’s latest acquisition is music to the industry’s ears. After a lull in new sire importation, stallion strength is on the rise. One can only hope that breeders will support the studs in greater numbers.
It will be interesting to learn if our Australian neighbours are paying attention to these latest announcements and whether or not a number of better performed and bred Australian mares make the journey across the Tasman. The service fees are more than competitive when compared to Australia.
As detailed in last week’s Kiwi Chronicles, Cambridge Stud’s Almanzor (Wootton Bassett) is coming into his own and that trend continued when his Moonlight Magic deservedly broke through for a maiden victory in Saturday’s Championship Stakes (Gr 3, 2100m) at Ellerslie.
One of two fillies in the race, Moonlight Magic covered more ground than her opponents and was a clear last down the back, not catching the body of the field until inside the 800 metres.
Widest from the 600 metres and into the straight, her momentum continued to the 300 metres where she quickly levelled up. From the 200 metres she was well in control and scooted away by two and half lengths at the line.
The filly began this preparation with a fifth back in December then placed in her next three starts including a good finish for third in the Oaks Prelude (Listed, 1800m) at New Plymouth in early February. In the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) she made up a lot of ground to finish a game sixth. At the same track for the Manawatu Classic (Gr 3, 2100m) on April 6 she struck trouble late when mounting her run and was full of running in finishing fourth.
This was her eighth start and breaking her maiden at Group 3 level suggests that she has a nice future, which may or may not include a trip to Brisbane. The Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) would seem a likely target should the stable elect to keep her in work. If not, she could be a solid prospect next season at four.
Moonlight Magic was a withdrawal from the 2021 NZB National Weanling Sale and is one of four winners from four to race from her Encosta De Lago (Fairy King) dam, Japonica.
Moonlight Magic’s granddam is a half-sister to the champion Australian three-year-old filly Serenade Rose (Stravinsky), a three-time Group 1 winner including both the VRC Oaks (2500m) and Australian Oaks (2400m).
Serenade Rose is the granddam of the fine sprinter Trekking (Street Cry) whose ten wins and $5.9 million prize-money earnings included the Stradbroke Handicap (Gr 1, 1400m). Another recent dual Group 3 winner from the family is Tralee Rose (Tavistock) whose dam is a half-sister to Serenade Rose. This is a strong filly family.
Catching up
It is well recognised that Australian-bred juveniles mature more quickly than their New Zealand counterparts. The current season is a case in point.
As of April 6, the New Zealand racing calendar saw ten stakes races for the two-year-olds held and nine of the ten were won by Aus-breds. Six of those were won by two runners, both daughters of Written Tycoon (Iglesia), namely Velocious and Captured By Love. Until then, the sole New Zealand-bred two-year-old stakes winner was Savaglee (Savabeel), winner of the Matamata Slipper (Gr 3, 1200m).
The last two stakes for the babies, the Welcome Stakes (Listed, 1000m) on April 13 and last Saturday’s Star Way Stakes (Listed, 1200m) resulted in a couple of later-maturing representatives of the New Zealand Stud Book saluting the judge.
Nucleozor (Almanzor), unbeaten in three starts, took out the Welcome Stakes and Domain Ace (Swiss Ace), who was impressive in the Star Way Stakes, have altered the percentages a little.
Domain Ace, now unbeaten in two starts, did more work than any in his win. Last away he improved quickly and by mid–race he had three behind him. Craig Grylls had him three deep and rounding into the straight was the widest runner, but after balancing his mount strode forward with a nice turn of foot. From the 300 metres he continued his surge to level up at the 200 metres then went clear and was more than a length in front at the post.
So much for Ellerslie favouring front-runners or those handy to the pace, both Moonlight Magic and Domain Ace came from well off the pace, putting in down the centre of the track.
While he was foaled in New Zealand and is the 19th stakes winner by Westbury Stud’s Swiss Ace (Secret Savings), Domain Ace’s immediate background is firmly in Australia. His dam is an unraced Hussonet (Mr. Prospector) half-sister to the Australian-bred South African dual Group 1 winner Delago Deluxe (Encosta De Lago).
Domain Ace is from a really nice family as his granddam, Succeeding, is a Flying Spur (Danehill) half-sister to BTC Cup (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Duporth (Red Ransom) and to Excites (Danewin), an AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner. Their dam, $1.1 million earner Staging (Success Express), was a first–class mare. Eight of her ten wins were stakes races, including four Group 2s, two Group 3s and four Group 1 placings.
Domain Ace could have been purchased at the 2023 NZB Ready To Run Sale but vendor Rogerson Bloodstock passed him in, the reserve set at $50,000. Team Rogerson rates the gelding highly with co-trainer Graeme Rogerson believing Domain Ace to be capable of winning at Group level. Immediate plans include a Listed 1400-metre race at Te Rapa on May 4 and perhaps the Champagne Stakes (Listed, 1600m) at Ellerslie on May 25.
Female strength
Two of Waikato Stud’s female families were active over the weekend courtesy of Exotique Miss (Under The Louvre) and The Big Goodbye (Host), winners respectively of the Daybreak Lover Plate (Listed, 1400m) and the Ascot Handicap (Listed, 1000m) at Eagle Farm.
Exotique Miss is a great granddaughter of Slight Chance (Centaine), a fabulous filly bred by the stud in 1989. A dual Group 1 winner in Brisbane at two, Slight Chance was the best of her crop at three, winning the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) then third (promoted from fourth) in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m).
Next she won the VRC Oaks, added the Vinery Stud Stud Stakes, then run as the Ansett Australia Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and in the winter was back in Brisbane to score the Queensland Oaks, her sixth Group 1. At stud she produced seven winners including two Group 3 winners.
From nine starts Exotique Miss has now won four times, including her last three in succession at Eagle Farm, earning just $50 shy of $300,000. Except for losing an off-fore plate in December, her record might be even better.
Her Daybreak Lover win was narrow yet tough but her two previous wins were achieved with ease. She is a filly that is going places.
The Big Goodbye hails from Waikato Stud’s Georgina Belle (Pakistan II) family, a foundation mare of the stud. His great granddam, Celia Leigh (Sound Reason), is Georgina Belle’s daughter. Saturday’s win was The Big Goodbye’s 11th, adding to his Ramornie Handicap (Listed, 1200m) win late last season. His earnings stand at $705,950, a sound return on the $52,500 outlaid for him at the 2019 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale.
Nature rules
Wet weather impacted both Ellerslie and Randwick, the two major race meetings staged on Saturday. Both tracks are of the new StrathAyr design although Ellerslie’s has only been in use since mid–January.
Ellerslie’s initial test on January 14 went without a hitch but a day short of two weeks later, for Karaka Millions night, some issues raised their heads. It was touch and go as to whether the meeting would be completed when some riders expressed concerns midway through the six-race programme.
Fine weather for the Avondale Cup meeting in mid–February followed by the two-day New Zealand Derby-Auckland Cup March meeting put those issues on the back burner.
The New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association meeting, normally held at Te Aroha, found a new home at Ellerslie this year and the track for March 30 held up well. So far so good. Except for showers on Karaka millions night, fine weather was present for all the other days.
The weather was also fine for a mid-week meeting on April 10 but after three races the meeting was abandoned. However, the rains came down for Easter Handicap day and the last two races on the card, including the Easter Handicap (Gr 2, 1600m) itself, were not run. It is now scheduled for next Saturday at Te Rapa.
Saturday’s surface held up well and it was only one runner that slipped. Caution was applied and senior riders made the decision. Teething problems are inevitable with anything new and innovative and the phrase “bedding in” has been the most common one used to date. When trying to defeat nature, often nature wins.
In Sydney, their experience with the StrathAyr surface is considerably greater yet they too are still learning. On Saturday morning, April 6, the first day of The 2024 Championships, it absolutely bucketed down. We saw video of huge downpours and standing water at dawn but the rain stopped, the water drained away and the meeting went ahead. The track was amazing in its recovery. The Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) was run in 1:10.4 on a track that was officially rated as a Heavy 9.
By contrast, this past Saturday the rain was steady throughout the day. The track was rated as a Soft 5 at dawn but by the opening race downgraded to a Heavy 8. By the third race it was a Heavy 9 and by the seventh race rated a Heavy 10. Almost identical to Ellerslie, Randwick gave up on staging races nine and ten, after the running of the All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
In other words, the track never had an opportunity to drain as it did on April 6 and was truly deep when the last two races were called off. StrathAyr has its limits. The open sprint, the Hallmark Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) was run in 1:13.02. The Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) took a dawdling 1:42.71, yet the last 600 metres was run in a surprisingly good 36.71.
Rain is enemy number one, especially if it can not be dispersed in some way. When the rain ceases the design of the track comes into play. Constant rain on the day appears to be another matter.
Ellerslie’s partial meeting on April 10 goes against the rain theory. It was fine that day but one factor might simply be the changing seasons. We are firmly in autumn and any dew is likely to take longer to dry out. Perhaps nature really is in charge.