Novara’s Night
Joining a coveted list, Madonna Mia (Red Clubs), dam of the world’s top–rated sprinter, Lucky Sweynesse (Sweynesse), has been named New Zealand Thoroughbred Broodmare of the Year for 2022-23.
The prestigious title, first awarded in 1953, includes the creme de la creme of the New Zealand Stud Book. Once a title has been achieved it is also memorialised, at least as long as there is room on a catalogue page which could extend to three or four generations.
Along with her race and produce record, such mares are thus entitled to this additional description, which makes each title-winning mare a truly rare individual.
The final nominees numbered six and in no particular order included Posy (No Excuse Needed), the dam of Sydney Group 1 winner Atishu and of Group 3 winner, Mazzolino (Savabeel). Make A Wish (Pins), dam of the outstanding Group 1 sprinter and Golden Eagle (1500m) winner I Wish I Win (Savabeel) also made the short list. Either would have been well worthy.
The remaining three nominees, Queen Margaret (Swiss Ace), Threepence (Pentire) and Donna Marie (Don Eduardo), are the dams of triple Group 1 three-year-old Sharp ‘N’ Smart (Redwood), dual Group 1 three-year-old Pennyweka (Satono Aladdin) and dual Group 1 three-year-old Prowess (Proisir) respectively.
Stop for a moment and consider how strong the New Zealand three-year-olds were this season. The above three each took their New Zealand Group 1 form to Australia.
Sharp ‘N’ Smart got the season off to a grand start back in the spring, taking out Randwick’s Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m). He returned in the autumn against the best older runners assembled here in the weight-for-age Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m), then backed that up with the New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m).
Pennyweka was the Classic staying filly find of the autumn, scoring the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) in March, then repeating at Randwick in the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) three weeks later.
Similar to Sharp ‘N’ Smart, Prowess claimed the weight-for-age New Zealand Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) against the older runners before heading to Sydney where she easily defeated Australia’s best middle-distance three-year-old fillies in the Vinery Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
Prowess also succeeded in what might arguably be described as the New Zealand ‘race of the year’, the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (RL, 1600m) in which she defeated Wild Night (Vanbrugh), Desert Lightning (Pride Of Dubai) and Legarto (Proisir), the latter flashing home for fourth from an impossible position.
Such was the strength of this year’s three-year-olds, Legarto’s dam, Geordie Girl (Towkay) was not among the final nominees. Legarto, too, was a dual Group 1 winner of the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m). Talk about tough competition but the entire season was exceptional from a New Zealand perspective.
Lucky Sweynesse’s three Hong Kong Group 1 sprints, namely the Chairman’s Sprint Prize (Gr 1, 1200m), Centenary Sprint Cup (Gr 1, 1200m), Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup (Gr 1, 1400m) and subsequent world ranking ultimately tilted the decision Madonna Mia’s way.
The four-year-old son of Novara Park’s Sweynesse (Lonhro) is a graduate of the 2020 NZB Ready To Run Sale where he fetched $90,000. During the season he raced ten times for eight wins. His elite wins apart, he also added two Group 2s and two Group 3s. His only unplaced run was the Kong Kong Sprint (Gr 1, 1200m) in which he never saw daylight the entire race.
His six 1200-metre wins averaged a winning time of 1:08.29. The Jockey Club Sprint (Gr 2, 1200m) was won in a cracking 1:07.55 and in the 1400 metre Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup he recorded a sizzling 1:21.12.
Lucky Sweynesse is the real deal and judging from his winning times it is no wonder he has found himself ranked the world’s best sprinter. On the overall rankings [all distances] he currently sits second.
He was bred by a partnership involving Messrs Sharrock, Dombroski and Explosive Breeding Ltd. Sharrock is trainer Allan Sharrock and Explosive Breeding is Luigi Muollo, owner of Novara Park, Sweynesses’s home.
Madonna Mia foaled Signora Nera in 2017, also by Sweynesse. Interestingly, Signora Nera’s best performance was to run third behind Duais (Shamus Award) in the 2021 Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m), retiring with three wins and three stakes placings. Lucky Swynesse and Signora Nera are her only two foals to race.
On the racetrack, Madonna Mia was sufficiently talented to win nine times, including the Wanganui Cup (Listed, 2040m), three wins at Trentham and one at Te Rapa. Her dam, Hill Of Hope (Danehill) was a Sydney winner and three-quarter sister to Group 2 winner, Rose Of Danehill (Danehill).
Hill Of Hope’s dam was a half-sister to William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner, Wrap Around (Bletchingly) and their dam was the very sharp multiple two-year-old stakes winner, Beach Gown (Cerreto).
Small breeder
Luigi Muollo initiated the Small Breeder Award last year and while Legarto’s dam, Geordie Girl missed out on Broodmare of the Year, her breeder, Warwick Jeffries may be consoled with some worthwhile recognition.
Of the potential candidates, Jeffries was the only breeder to achieve multiple Group 1 winners, significant from such a small band of mares.
Legarto’s highlight was her stunning win in the Australian Guineas, but Jeffries also had success with a second Proisir (Choisir), breeding Dark Destroyer, winner of the Tarzino Trophy (Gr 1, 1400m).
Breeder of the Year
Powerhouse Waikato Stud had another fabulous year, breeding four individual Group 1 winners, three by their incomparable Savabeel (Zabeel) and one by the late Sacred Falls (O’Reilly). Three of the four (all by Savabeel) won at The Sydney Championships, namely TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner, I Wish I Win, Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Major Beel and Queen of the Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Atishu.
On a similar stage, at Flemington, last November, Icebath was duly rewarded with a Group 1 in landing the Empire Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m). The $5.2 million earner had racked up no fewer than five Group 1 placings before the Empire Rose. It would have been a travesty had she not claimed at least one as she was nearly always in the fray.
Not to be forgotten is that Savabeel drove into second place on the all-time New Zealand Sires’ List of individual stakes winners, surpassing his own grandsire, Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor). Top of that list is his sire, Zabeel (Sir Tristram). What a dynasty!
Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir was recognised as New Zealand’s Champion Sire, breaking an eight-year-long stranglehold on the Grosvenor Award by Savabeel, but the latter added Centaine Award number eight and Dewar Award number seven just to remind everyone what a living legend he is.
New award, no surprise
The NZTBA introduced a new award this year, the Seton Otway Horse of the Year. Their award uses a different criteria compared to the NZTR Horse of the Year in that the winner can race anywhere, not just New Zealand.
In a result that would have surprised no one, Lucky Sweynesse made it a great occasion for, not only Sweynesse but also for Novara Park’s Luigi Muollo, who bred the champion sprinter in conjunction with his partners Paul Dombroski and Allan Sharrock.
Just ask Sharrock
In one the performances of the year, Justaskme (No Excuse Needed) powered down the centre of the New Plymouth track completely unaware that he was giving 6.5kg to the field in Saturday’s Opunake Cup (Listed, 1400m).
Under 60kg, the seven-year-old was last away and three lengths last past the 1000 metres. Near the 600 metres he tacked onto the back of the field, went widest but on straightening was still last. With an electric turn of foot he flew past the leaders, took over before the 50 metres and was simply far too good.
After race comments from trainer Allan Sharrock best describe Justaskme’s whirlwind effort. “He was a forlorn chance at the 600 metres, on the corner we were a chance of running in the money and at the 100 metres, it was game over.”
It was Justaskme’s fifth stakes success, his second Opunake Cup and third stakes in his last four starts – yet easily his best – taking his career total to 12 and his earnings beyond $460,000.
Depending on the weight earned, Justaskme may make the trip to Riccarton for the Winter Cup (Gr 3, 1600m) early next month. He missed the race last year, but in 2021 finished a strong second carrying 60 kilos.
Jastaskme’s three-year-old half-brother, Mr Didgeridoo (Derryn), took out the very next race, a Rating 65 event over the same distance. Baby brother has some ability too, making it two wins in his only three starts.
Breakout year
No doubt Russell Warwick and his team at Westbury Stud will look back on 2022-23 as the season that Redwood (High Chaparral) made his biggest statement yet, siring stakes winners in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong.
While High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) sons So You Think, Dundeel and Toronado hog the headlines in Australia, New Zealand-based Redwood will finish fifth on the New Zealand Sires’ List with progeny earnings of more than $2 million. More importantly, he has a couple of potential stars in Australia.
During the Brisbane winter carnival Redwood’s Antino signalled a bright future when taking out the Wayne Wilson Plate (Listed, 1600m), the four-year-old gelding’s eighth win in just nine starts.
From the same crop is St Lawrence whose record stands at six wins from seven starts and was impressive when scoring very convincingly in Saturday’s Catanach’s Jewellers Handicap over 1400 metres.
St Lawrence began his race career in New Zealand, at Hastings, winning on debut in April 2022 before his transfer to the Maher-Eustace stable. He won at Geelong and twice more at Sandown. His only defeat was in February, but then he won fresh up at Caulfield a month ago followed by Saturday’s gun effort.
He is not only good, he is also nicely related. His half-brother, Marroni (Makfi) won the Manawatu Cup (Gr 3, 2250m). His grandam, Lotteria (Redoute’s Choice) was a wonderful racemare, the winner of eight races including the Myer Classic (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m. She was also second behind Makybe Diva (Desert King) in the 2005 Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) and ahead of twice Cox Plate winner, Fields Of Omagh (Rubiton).