Honoured
A gala evening celebrating the annual breeders’ awards named Lilahjay (Tavistock), dam of Mr Brightside (Bullbars) as the NZTBA Eight Carat New Zealand Broodmare of the Year, the most historical award of the evening.
First awarded in 1953 to Broieveine (Broiefort), dam of champion Dalray (Balloch), Lilahjay joins a line up of famous producers, several of which have been so dominant during their reign that they landed the honour three times. That elite list of triple winners is headed by the incomparable Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight), supported by Songline (Western Symphony), dam of the fabulous Sunline (Desert Sun) and Flying Floozie (Pompeii Court), dam of international star Starcraft (Soviet Star).
The list of Broodmare of the Year award winners is a reflection of the cream of the New Zealand Stud Book. It glitters with producers of champions and is the pinnacle of achievement for any breeder.
Lilahjay’s son Mr Brightside was already a dual Group 1 winner of the 2022 and 2023 Doncaster Handicaps (1600m) before the current season began but rose to greater heights with an outstanding 2023-24 season, to score four Group 1s.
He kicked off the season with a win in the PB Lawrence Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) followed by the Memsie Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m). In Sydney he finished second in the King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) but back in Melbourne ran his best race of the season only to suffer the narrowest of defeats by world champion Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m).
His final race of the spring was yet another second, this time in the Champions Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) to the tearaway brilliance of Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) who excited the racing world for the remainder of the season.
Rested until February, Mr Brightside returned to his favourite Caulfield, landing back-to-back Group 1s in the CF Orr Stakes (1400m) and Futurity Stakes (1400m), the latter his easiest win for the season.
His last three races for the season yielded more than a million dollars in earnings without winning, courtesy of a second in the All–Star Mile (1600m) and third in Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) behind the vaunted Pride Of Jenni.
In a career of 34 starts Mr Brightside has accumulated 16 wins and has banked a staggering $13.5 million in prize-money, not at all bad for a $22,000 purchase out of a mixed sale and sold on for even less ($7,750) at an online sale. His dam, now Broodmare of the Year, Lilahjay, was also sold on line for $3,000 in early 2020.
Lillahjay is not the first mare from her family to achieve the honour. Her great-granddam Taiona (Sovereign Edition) won it twice as the dam of six-time Group 1 winner Sovereign Red (Sir Tristram) as well as Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) and Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) hero Gurner’s Lane (Sir Tristram). Lilahjay’s granddam is a sister to Sovereign Red and Gurner’s Lane.
Pride of Trelawney
Sir Patrick and Justine Lady Hogan Breeders of the Year honours went to Brent and Cherry Taylor of Trelawney Stud who bred the amazing mare Pride Of Jenni. Because the mare was bred and foaled in Australia, her dam, Sancerre (O’Reilly) was not eligible for Broodmare of the Year but the Taylors were bred in New Zealand.
Pride Of Jenni’s dam Sancerre was also bred by Trelawney Stud and her dam, Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Vouvray (Zabeel), was co-bred by Trelawney so the stud has been in total control of the family over the last 25 years. Sancerre’s first two foals were Australian foaled but Sancerre herself has been domiciled at the stud since 2019.
Another mare in Trelawney’s care is close relative Loire (Redoute’s Choice), winner of the 2019 New Zealand One Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m). Loire, whose dam Syrah (Traditionally) is a half-sister to Vouvray, was sent to the northern hemisphere specifically to be mated with the great Frankel (Galileo), producing a colt last spring. We may see the colt as early as next January at Karaka even though his bloodlines could also see him at either the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale or Inglis’s Easter Yearling sale. On pedigree he will be a feature lot at any of the top sales.
Pride Of Jenni’s 2023-24 season started out quietly, giving no hint of the impact she would make as the season progressed. Her last six starts brought three Group 1s, the All–Star Mile and two Group 1 seconds. That all sounds quite bland compared with the extraordinary way she executed those wins, clearing out by huge margins mid–race and breaking her opponents’ hearts a long way from home.
Her tactics in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) will be etched in the memory of racegoers for decades as she was 30 lengths clear of the second runner at the 800-metre pole. The lead was 50 metres with 300 metres to run but by that time the chasers had no chance. Sure, she was shortening stride over the final 100 metres yet still six lengths clear at the line. It was a true and comprehensive demolition.
….and that’s not all
Trelawney Stud’s deeds as breeders were enhanced by Lim’s Kosciuszko (Kermadec), the Singapore champion who scored a timely win, in the Lion City Cup (Listed, 1200m), his third win in the Singapore feature, less than 24 hours after the presentation.
Lim’s Kosciuszko is a remarkable horse, a multiple champion over any distance. In 2023 he was crowned Singapore Champion Sprinter, Miler and Stayer. In a career of 27 starts he has 21 victories, of which ten are stakes, including the Singapore Gold Cup (Listed, 2000m) and Singapore Derby (Listed, 1800m) for earnings of SGP$3.3 million (approx. AU$3.75 million).
Group 1s galore
The evening included presentations to the breeders of 25 Group 1 winners headed by Mr Brightside himself, crowned NZTBA Seton Otway Horse of the Year. His breeders, RI and the Estate of the late MAG Johnson, were recognised as the Novara Park Small Breeders of the Year.
Three further awards were presented and they all went to the living legend Savabeel (Zabeel), winner of the Grosvenor Award (Champion New Zealand Sire), Dewar Award (Champion NZ-based Sire New Zealand and Australian earnings) and Centaine Award (Champion NZ-based Sire International earnings).
The dominant stallion of our time, Savabeel can claim not only nine New Zealand titles (including eight in succession), he also owns eight Dewar Awards and nine successive Centaine Awards. If ever there was certainty as an inductee into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame, surely Savabeel is one.
Ambitious
You know the stable is confident when a representative wins three trials in the Central Districts yet makes his first start at Riccarton, requiring a long haul from New Plymouth to Wellington, a ferry trip across Cook Strait followed by another haul to Christchurch.
That was the schedule for Read About It (Wrote) who was unbeaten in three Foxton trials between March and May before the trip to the South Island ahead of the Amberley Racing Club’s June 22 meeting. Starting as favourite, the two-year-old finished second but did not get the best of runs despite being beaten by a wide margin.
Better for the experience, he lined up in the final black-type race for the season, the Ryder Stakes (Listed, 1200m) but this time made no mistakes. He began quickly enough to be handy early but approaching the 800 metres was shuffled back to midfield. Craig Grylls saved ground along the inner and they were again closer to the pace but on straightening Grylls headed wider for better ground.
He had the lead at the 300 metres, soon put a length on them, and from the 150 metres never looked like being headed, a comfortable 1.8 lengths in front at the line for both his maiden win and maiden stakes success after two starts.
How he will fare on top of the ground remains to be seen although one of his trial wins was on a Good 4 surface. Clearly, he has plenty of ability and with the new season just around the corner we may see him next month on a Guineas trail.
For Highview Stud, the Ryder Stakes completed the best season yet for their stallion Wrote (High Chaparral). Read About It is his fifth individual stakes winner and third for the season, headed by New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Pulchritudinous while in Australia he was represented by Wrote To Arataki, winner of the Tristarc Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) back in the spring.
As for a sales history, Read About It’s sole visit to Karaka was in 2022 when he was purchased at the NZB National Weanling sale for $5,000. His year younger half-brother by Ace High (High Chaparral), therefore bred on the same pattern, appeared at the 2023 weanling sale and made $10,000. Earlier this year the Ace High colt was pinhooked for $100,000 at NZB’s Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2).
Read About It’s dam Diggilou (Iffraaj) is a half-sister to Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) second Perfect Rhyme (Poet’s Voice), his granddam is a half-sister to Black Opal Stakes (Listed, 1200m) winner You’re Canny (Canny Lad) and his great granddam is Techniques (Palace Music) whose best effort was when winning the Newmarket Handicap (Gr 3, 1400m) at Newcastle.
This is the family of 2015 New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Ugo Foscolo (Zacinto). His great granddam, Mad Desire (Covetous) and Techniques are half–sisters.
Okawa influence
In Perth, the winner of the HG Bolton Sprint (Listed, 1200m) Boots Like Bruce (Alfred Nobel) has a connection to Hawkes Bay’s Okawa Stud. Boots Like Bruce, a six-year-old, is lightly raced and was having his 16th start. This latest win is his seventh and first at black-type level.
Apart from Boots Like Bruce, there is little to write home about in his first two removes but his granddam is a daughter of the good filly Cure (Sir Tristram) whose prime performance was in landing the New Zealand One Thousand Guineas. That same season she finished second to Tidal Light (Diagramatic) in the New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m).
Cure’s granddam was the exceptional mare Key (Fair’s Fair), also bred by Okawa Stud. She won 16 races of which nine were either Group 2 or Group 3 including the Awapuni Gold Cup (Gr 2, 1m 2f).