Propelle to get heart pumping for Cranton Bloodstock’s Franklin
Sir John Monash Stakes test for Ellerton and Zahra’s Smart Missile mare chasing first black-type success at Caulfield
If Propelle (Smart Missile) looms up in the home straight in Saturday’s Sir John Monash Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m), her first attempt at Group level, her co-owner Peter Franklin will soon know if his new-look ticker is in full working order.
The Melbourne owner, a former long-time Victorian pre-trainer for John Hawkes and Peter Snowden during the Ingham and later Darley reign over the Woodlands empire, is two weeks into his recovery from triple heart bypass surgery and Propelle is a welcome distraction.
The Mathew Ellerton and Simon Zahra-trained rising six-year-old has been under Franklin and friend Matthew Bracchi’s ownership after completing the private purchase of the mare in March last year.
A winner of $359,000 and five of her 27 starts – two of them for Franklin and about $150,000 – Propelle will be given her chance to add to her value in the $160,000 Group 3 test at Caulfield on Saturday.
“She was in the BenchMark 78 and that wasn’t an easy race, either, so we decided to have a throw at the stumps and go for the black type,” Franklin said yesterday.
“She has already won $360,000, so she is quite a competent mare, and if she gets black type, when we go to sell her, you get really good money.”
Propelle is the first foal out of the Listed winner Elite Elle (Shamardal), who incidentally was runner-up in the 2013 Sir John Monash Stakes and, while Franklin wouldn’t disclose the purchase price, it is needless to say that he and his partners are now in front on the deal.
“She was bred by the owners of Elite Elle. They have got a Zoustar with Grahame Begg called Galaxy Ruler who ran fourth at Pakenham the other day and fourth at Bendigo before that and Astronomicelle, Ellerton Zahra had her, but she was a little unsound in the knees. Chris Hyland has her now and he has done a good job with her just pottering her around.
“The group of owners who had Propelle decided to concentrate on the younger stock. They have Astronomicelle, the Zoustar and a Brazen Beau (yearling) but unfortunately he was recently killed in an accident on a walker when he was being broken in, so they decided to concentrate on the younger horses and put Propelle up for sale.
“Because I have horses with Ellerton Zahra, Simon rang me and said she was for sale and would I be interested. I said yes and went in with a good mate, Matt Bracchi.”
Propelle won in Adelaide in March but Ellerton and Zahra were forced to ease up on the mare after she suffered a temperature after that race. She resumed at Sandown on June 12 before finishing runner-up at Flemington two weeks later, narrowly being beaten by Absolute Flirt (Stratum) when flying home from the rear.
Her last start came just three days after Franklin had undergone the invasive bypass surgery and was still laid up in hospital.
“I was in hospital after the operation when she ran second the other day and I tried to keep myself nice and calm,” he said.
“I had a message from Damon Gabbedy, ‘you would have had another bloody heart attack after that’, but thankfully everything’s fine, I am one of the lucky ones.”
“I am back up to walking and I think I walked seven and a half kilometres yesterday, so I am going OK.”
While most people would be taking it easy after major surgery, Franklin, who operates under his Cranton Bloodstock banner, is weighing up whether to send Propelle to stud this year.
“If she doesn’t get black type on Saturday she might go to Caulfield in a fortnight for the BenchMark 90 there over 1100 metres,” said Franklin.
“I have got a booking to Ole Kirk, but the way race fillies sold at the Magic Millions this year, I think it’s better to put them through the ring not in foal. It doesn’t make sense,” he said.
“I sold one up there who was in foal to Exceedance (Something Silver for $210,000 to Twin Hills Stud).
“She was a Medaglia mare, she’s won six in town, but her equivalent in the race fillies session were making more money than mares were in foal. Propelle is sound and if she stays sound, we could run her on.
“She’s up to $360,000 in stake-money and if she can win another race or two she easily gets to $500,000 and, all of a sudden, they are super commercial mares at that level.
“She’s a super type. She’s probably a fraction light in bone, but that’s just a female thing. She’s the loveliest mare, a great type of horse.”
Now retired after pre-training for Hawkes for 18 years and another five years working with Peter Snowden when he was placed in charge of running Crown Lodge and Carbine Lodge for the Inghams and later Darley, Franklin dabbles in trading mares and racing a few with Bracchi.
The pair combined late last year when buying I Am Verve (I Am Invincible) for $40,000 from trainer Gerald Ryan through Inglis Digital. She raced four times last preparation under the tutelage of Ellerton and Zahra, winning a Bendigo maiden in April.
“We just take turns in whose colours the horses race in. Matt has his colours on Propelle and I had my colours on I Am Verve.”
I Am Verve, who is a daughter of 2006 Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) runner-up and Group 2-winning juvenile Pure Energy (Mossman) and was a $320,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale graduate, is likely to head to stud this coming breeding season.
Earlier this year, Franklin sold broodmare Iguacu Falls (Snitzel), who is in foal to Newgate Farm’s first season sire Brutal (O’Reilly), for $167,000 through the Inglis Digital April (Early) Online Auction, the highest-priced lot of that twice-monthly sale.
As for Franklin’s recovery from heart surgery, he plans to be back on the road at the end of this month and hopes to make it to the Hunter Valley to inspect the first season sires.