Flying Kiwis
New Zealand-based sires strutted their stuff in three international jurisdictions over the weekend, beginning with two good winners in Hong Kong on Friday when Duke Wai (Per Incanto) and Bourbonaire (Darci Brahma) scored at Sha Tin.
Bourbonaire’s win, by six lengths, was especially pleasing as he was one of the better three-year-olds of his crop in New Zealand during the 2020-21 season when recording three successive Group placings in the spring.
In particular, his last New Zealand start, before his export to Hong Kong, was a super effort in the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m).
That day, he moved out approaching the straight only to be bumped when improving. Steadied, he took time to get going again, then chased the winner hard, inching closer and closer but had his head down instead of up to lose by a nose to Aegon (Sacred Falls).
As is often the case, it has taken Bourbonaire a few races to acclimatise but winning by six lengths suggests that he is back to the form we saw early last season.
In Singapore, three Kiwi-breds, by Showcasing (Oasis Dream) Zed (Zabeel) and Makfi (Dubawi) bagged wins while in Australia, metropolitan wins by Calmsir (Proisir), Klabel (Vadamos), Yggdrasil (Sacred Falls), Puntura (Vespa) and Thomas Magnum (Per Incanto) kept the New Zealand suffix to the fore.
Sun on the Sunshine Coast
The brightest light, however, shone on Le Gai Soleil (Tavistock), a five-year-old mare from the John O’Shea stable, capturing her seventh victory in 18 starts, appropriately enough, on the Sunshine Coast.
As a three-year-old filly she won three of her first five starts, including three in succession, the third in Sydney at Randwick-Kensington, returning to the same venue fresh up in the spring at four for a further win.
The following autumn she added a Warwick Farm win before attempts at gaining black type. Put aside until this past February she collected win six, again fresh up, at Randwick in Benchmark 88 class, had three more black-type starts then broke through for her maiden stakes success in Saturday’s Glasshouse Handicap (Listed, 1400m).
She had no favours in the running either as she settled a clear last down the back then went via the cape around the turn and still had plenty to do when the field straightened. Powering down the outside, she grabbed a narrow lead at the 200 metres but was headed with a 100 metres to run, only to fight back hard near the line for a very determined win.
Le Gai Soleil brought the tally of individual stakes winners for the late Tavistock (Montjeu) to 38 and she won’t be the last. Much has been written about his loss but on a brighter note, his son Tarzino added his fourth black-type performer to his resume when Tarex, who also was never on the track, four and five wide around the turn, finished a strong second in the Winx Guineas (Gr 3, 1600m), the race prior to the Glasshouse.
Kiwi Chronicles caught up with Graham Bax of Blandford Lodge who was very pleased that their mare is now a stakes winner. “It’s really hard to win a stakes race in Australia, especially as she likes to get well back and doesn’t like being crowded but she winds up strongly when given the right conditions,” he said.
“She doesn’t like it too heavy but relishes ground that is loose. She lets go pretty good. I thought we were going to run second when she was headed near the hundred [metres] but she put in again.”
“We kept her to race because when she was a yearling Tavistock was off the radar and I didn’t want to get killed in the ring,” continued Bax, “plus, she looked strong and had some quality about her and we knew that her half-sister, Danzdanzdance, was going to be pretty good.”
The Bax family bred Le Gai Soleil from a line they have controlled for several generations, beginning with Polly Soleil (Roi Soleil), a mare imported to New Zealand in 1985 by Ron Denby of Denby Lodge, Cambridge. She had two foals in Great Britain, neither of which raced, before she landed at Denby’s stud.
Denby was probably attempting to cash in on the success of Polly Soleil’s half-brother Avon Valley (Galivanter), a smart sprinter whose nine wins were all at five furlongs. His best season was as a two-year-old, winning five times in 11 starts, recording his sole career stakes placing, second behind the brilliant Sharpen Up (Atan), in the Newcastle Seaton Delaval Stakes (Gr 3, 5f).
Raced on for four more seasons he recorded sprint victories at York, Haydock Park and Redcar before finding his way to Denby’s Stud in Cambridge where the three-quarter brother to Ascot Victoria Cup (7f) winner Galiano (Galivanter) found immediate success.
Avon Valley stood for seven seasons in Cambridge and more in South Australia, siring 15 stakes winners including three at the elite level, namely: Sir Avon, winner of the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas, Avon Angel, winner of the Rosemount Wines Classic (Gr 1, 1500m) and Perth Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) victor Valley Of Carome.
In January 1982 Denby really did cash in, offering his entire bloodstock portfolio at a dispersal sale which included Avon Valley, the stallion realising $900,000, which in 1982 was a significant sum.
If memory serves the writer correctly, the Setchell Brothers, Peter and Graeme, of Millfield Stud, Waharoa, were the under-bidders.
Bax takes up the story: “I bought Polly privately from Ron Denby. I liked her colour and her shape and thought there was plenty of room for good sized foals. She was in foal to Red Tempo when we bought her.”
“Some friends and I raced her second foal, Black Sun, and we had some fun taking him to Melbourne where he ran third in the Toorak, a Group 1,” said Bax. “We also raced Gretchen [Le Gai Soleil’s granddam]. I couldn’t sell her. She was so small but she managed a couple of Melbourne wins and ran second in a Group 1 in Adelaide.”
Polly Soleil herself ranked as a sister to Polly’s Brother (Roi Soleil) who won the Ayr Gold Cup (6f) subsequent to Avon Valley’s importation. The Bax family enjoyed quick success. Her first foal, in 1986, was dual Group winner Soleil Rouge (Red Tempo) whose best effort was achieved at Ellerslie in the Great Northern Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m). Soleil Rouge went on to produce Red Slippers (Citidancer), dam of Hong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) winner All Thrills Too (St Covet).
The very next season, Polly Soleil produced Marton Metric Mile (Gr 3, 1600m) winner Black Sun to Otehi Bay (Biscay).
There were to be no further stakes winners from her directly but in 1993, to Star Way (Star Appeal), she foaled Soleil Etoile who is not only the dam of Japan-New Zealand International Trophy (Gr 2, 1600m) winner Silky Red Boxer (Casual Lies) but also the granddam of the outstanding mare Lucia Valentina (Savabeel), a triple Group 1 winner – of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), the Turnbull Stakes (2000m) and the Vinery Stud Stakes (2000m).
Another granddaughter of Soleil Etoile is Night Danza (Danzero), dam of dual Group 1 winner Danzdanzdance (Mastercraftsman) as well as Saturday’s Glasshouse winner, Le Gai Soleil.
Polly Soleil’s last foal was Katie O’Neill (Zabeel), who, like Soleil Etoile, never raced but at stud foaled Edward Manifold Stakes (Gr 2, 1610m) winner She Will Be Loved (Strategic) plus Red Queen (Redoute’s Choice), the dam of Karrakatta Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner Luke’s Luck (Show A Heart).
Bax ended: “We have seven or eight mares here from the family and Kylie [Bax, daughter] has a couple also. We like to send some to Australia each year. I usually send empty mares and try to keep up with the stallion trends there so you often find some Australian flavour in our yearling offerings.”
Apart from those already mentioned, Polly Soleil can claim a total of 40 stakes performers, made up of 19 stakes winners and 21 stakes–placed winners, that have a direct connection to her, making this line full of quality and all within the relatively short space of 34 years.
Half points
Flemington’s Taj Rossi Series Final (Listed, 1600m) winner Quang Tri (Shalaa) was not bred in New Zealand but her dam, Saigon Tea (Thorn Park), was.
Saigon Tea started her racing career in New Zealand as Dreamy Jayda and from five starts at home broke her maiden at start four, winning over 1600 metres at Te Aroha, adding another win, at her next start, over the same distance at Tauranga.
Transferred to Chris Waller’s stable she underwent a name change and promptly won at her second start from her new quarters, a Benchmark 75 race over 1400 metres at Warwick Farm in the February of her four-year-old career, then five starts later a Benchmark 80 handicap at Randwick.
At five, in August, she added another Randwick Benchmark 81 race, this time over 2400 metres, then was spelled for two months prior to her final preparation which resulted in her scoring back-to-back, at Rosehill, over 1800 metres, then wrapped up her career with a Listed win in the Christmas Cup (2400m) at Randwick.
An honest performer, she raced 22 times for seven wins and nine placings, earning $345,000. In 2019 she appeared at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale carrying the Taj Rossi winner, Quang Tri. She is now in Western Australia having been purchased by Forest View Farm at Rushton Park for $100,000.
Her dam, Boulevardofdreams (Daggers Drawn) was her sire’s first stakes winner, when taking out the Ellerslie Championship Stakes (Gr 2, 2100m). Two starts later, Boulevardofdreams ran third in the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m).
The family has its roots in Manawatu due to a mare named Ngatawa (Llanstephan), described by Fairdale Stud’s Gerald Fell as a polo pony.
The Fells did a deal with the mare’s owner, Jack Smith, and bred the brilliant Ajasco, winner of Ellerslie’s Railway Handicap (Gr 1, 6f), from Ngatawa in 1966. She was by their then resident stallion Pakistan II (Palestine).
“We reared her from a foal but Pakistan can take all the credit for Ajasco’s success as a racehorse and Eric Ropiha can take all the credit for his handling of her. She was very small, as was her first foal, Silver Liner,” said Fell.
“Eric was a genius. Silver Liner ran last at her first start but Eric said not to worry. Ultimately, she won the Stewards at Riccarton in the November when it was a glamourous sprint then put her aside and set her for the Railway Handicap at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day without another race. She bolted in. The same day, Harp, by Sobig from our own Chapel Belle, also by Pakistan II, ran second in the Auckland Cup. Eric had set them both months earlier. It was almost an historic double,” ended Fell.
Silver Liner (Sovereign Edition) would continue the family’s quality by foaling South African champion and five-time Group 1 winner Petrava (Imposing). Another fabulous South African filly, Princess Victoria (Victory Moon), the winner of four Group 1s, is the granddaughter of Platinum Lady (Centaine), whose dam Precious Platinum is a Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor) half-sister to Petrava.
Two years after Ajasco, Ngatawa foaled Ngapuke to Sobig (Summertime) who stood at Santa Rosa Stud which was a mere stone’s throw away from Fairdale.
Ngapuke was offered at the 1970 National Yearling Sale at Trentham and was purchased by RG and RJ Chitty of Haunui Farm. At that time Ajasco was twice stakes placed and would not win the Railway Handicap until January 1972.
Ngapuke did not possess Ajasco’s brilliance but did win at Ellerslie as a two-year-old and ran second in the Royal Stakes (Gr 3, 10f) there.
The Chittys bred Bi-Centennial (Karayar) from her to win the WJ McKell Cup (Listed, 2400m), Boulevardofdreams’ grandam Summer Luck (Balmerino) and Fluoride (Crested Wave), the dam of Victory Smile (Victory Dance) who scored the Metropolitan Handicap (Gr 1, 2400m) at Randwick.
Ngatawa’s half-sister was Agricola Lady (Agricola), who would later foal VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) winner Show Ego (Showdown).
Best in the west
What a great job Blackfriars (Danehill) continues to do over in the west. His final crop are three-year-olds and include Saturday’s Aquanita Stakes (Listed, 2000m) winner Black Fantasy.
The Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) –winning son of Danehill (Danzig) has sired an impressive 47 stakes winners and one can’t help but think that, while he has excelled in WA, he would have fared just as well no matter where he stood.
In addition to his stakes winners he has also sired a further 48 black-type performers, for a total of 95 and a black type to runners ratio of 10.72 per cent.
His most famous son is, of course, Black Heart Bart, an outstanding weight-for-age performer who cleaned up five Group 1s in Melbourne, namely the Memsie Stakes (1400m), the CF Orr Stakes (1400m), two editions of the Underwood Stakes (1800m) and the Futurity Stakes (1400m) plus in Adelaide, the Goodwood Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m). He banked over $4.8 million as a result of 17 wins from 62 starts.
He was one of only a few by Blackfriars to venture outside of WA, where his Playing God and Come Play With Me scored Group 1s.
Playing God, dual winner of the Kingston Town Classic (Gr 1, 1800m), is keeping his sire’s name in the news by siring 18 stakes performers (nine stakes winners) in his first five crops to race, a black-type performers to runners ratio of 17.3 per cent.
It’s early days for his daughters to make a statement but already 20 black-type performers (13 stakes winners) suggest that his mares are worth serious consideration from which to breed.
His best so far is Kissonallforcheeks (Written Tycoon), a Flemington Group 3 winner of the Shaftsbury Avenue Handicap (1400m).
Blackfriars is from the New Zealand-bred mare Kensington Gardens (Grosvenor) whose four career wins were all in Sydney. She ran third in the Australian Oaks, and at stud was an excellent producer.
Not only did she foal Blackfriars to win a Derby, she also foaled another four stakes-winning brothers and sisters to Danehill including South Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) winner, Larrocha.
Blackfriars and New Zealand stalwart sire Darci Brahma (Danehill) are not only by the same sire, they also have almost identical bloodlines. Their dams are granddaughters of Sir Tristram, their granddams are both by Vice Regal (Bismark II) and their fourth dams are half-sisters.