What about me?
Now that the breeding season is in full swing, so is the stakes-racing season and black type is the best advertisement for any stallion. In the “what about me” class is Niagara (Encosta de Lago) sire of Saturday’s Canterbury Belle Stakes (Listed, 1200m) winner Raziah.
Raziah was having her fourth start. Last season at two she twice finished second, including at Listed level in the Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui. That was her last start for the season but she prepped for Saturday’s breakthrough with a trial win on the synthetic track at Cambridge late last month.
She had to be tough to get the win at Riccarton as she was midfield before the runners straightened for the run home. She went wider at that point, and from the 300 metres she gained nicely to be almost level with the leaders at the 200 metres before fighting her way to the front at the 100 metres. To the post she was brave and held on gamely to make her maiden win also her maiden stakes win.
Her sire Niagara’s fee is just $2,500 and the stallion stands in the Southern Hawkes Bay, far from the commercial Cambridge/Matamata Waikato area.
In Raziah’s case, the filly was conceived at The Oaks Stud, Cambridge, Niagara’s former home and she is the second stakes winner from her dam, Justa Secret (Sakhee’s Secret), herself a daughter of Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) winner Keepa Cruisin (Keeper). Twice Group 1 placed, Keepa Cruisin is a half-sister to champion sprinter and seven-time Group 1 winner Seachange (Cape Cross), so there is plenty of substance to Raziah’s family.
Nevertheless, despite her close relationship to two Group 1 winners, Justa Secret has not been sent to a high–profile stallion after she was passed in at the 2013 NZB Karaka Premier Yearling sale and after scoring a solitary win as a two-year-old.
Although domiciled at The Oaks Stud, Justa Secret never visited the stud’s premier but now retired sire, Darci Brahma (Danehill), probably due to a resultant foal having a double up (2 over 4) of Danehill (Danzig) blood. Danehill does appear twice in Raziah’s pedigree as Niagara’s granddam Twyla is by Danehill, as is Keeper, the sire of her granddam.
Two over four is hardly radical but Justa Secret has done a lovely job without Darci Brahma and can now boast two stakes winners, the first being Drakaina (Ace High), Raziah’s year older half-sister. Drakaina is the winner of two races from five starts and at her last start, in March of this year, she took out the Otago Breeders’ Stakes (Listed, 1400m) by 6.5 lengths. Justa Secret had done enough to warrant further considerations regarding her matings but her matings with Niagara have her batting at 1000 so perhaps the stud will put her on the float to the Southern Hawkes Bay.
Me too
In the underappreciated category is Shamexpress (O’Reilly) whose Grinzinger Belle bolted away with the Let’s Elope Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m), defeating a strong field and causing a minor upset, this her third win (second stakes success) at start 12.
The mare likes Flemington and goes well fresh. Her second win, in The Vanity (Gr 3, 1400m) fresh up last February, was achieved in almost the same manner. On this occasion she didn’t reach the lead until the 1100 metres but strode clear by two lengths, a margin she held until the top of the straight. From the 300 metres she put them to the sword, and past the 200 metres was six clear. It was all over and her rider Damian Lane dropped his hands, yet she still had four lengths up her sleeve at the post.
A distinctive bay with four white feet, Grinzinger Belle was purchased for $32,000 from Book 2 of the NZB 2022 Karaka Yearling Sale from the Windsor Park Stud draft.
She is the sole winner from Ripsomemore (Rip Van Winkle), a half-sister to the good South African performer Golden Parachute (Montjeu), a seven-time winner, including at Group 3 level there. As well, Ripsomemore is a half-sister to the dam of Group 2 winners Wild Night (Vanbrugh) and Play That Song (Showcasing). Grinzinger Belle’s granddam is the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) winner, Maxamore (Volksraad).
Grinzinger Belle is pure Windsor Park, as evidenced by the 3×3 double up of Volksraad (Green Desert), sire of Shamexpress’s dam and of Maxamore, her granddam.
High–profile Windsor Park Stud has been home to such outstanding sires as High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells), Mastercraftsman (Danehill Dancer) and multiple champion sire Volksraad plus, this season, Paddington (Siyouni), so Shamexpress has had to play second fiddle somewhat. His winners/runners ratio is top class: 66 per cent and Grinzinger Belle is one of 13 individual stakes.
It’s not unusual
Another overlooked stallion is Letham Stud’s Unusual Suspect (Unusual Heat). From limited opportunities, the Wanganui-based sire is currently represented by Unusual Legacy, a future top prospect for cups honours, if the Chris Waller stable is accurate in their predictions.
Making a good impression, after a strong last-to-first run over 1800 metres in a Benchmark 88, Unusual Legacy (Unusual Suspect) is being set for the Metropolitan Handicap (Gr 1, 2400m) next month and the way he ran out the 1800 metres, the extra 600 metres would appear to be well within his scope. Beyond that, he may be one of the stable’s leading contenders for Melbourne’s two rich cups.
Saturday’s victory was the five-year-old’s fifth, beginning with a maiden win on debut at Otaki last November when trained by Fraser Auret, whose parents Nigel and Adaire Auret run Letham Stud. A most consistent performer, Unusual Legacy won at his second and third starts from Waller’s stable earlier in the year, returned in May to land a Benchmark 78 at Scone and at his second run this preparation takes his record to five wins, a second, a third and a fourth in eight starts.
Hollywood Turf Gold Cup (Gr 1, 12f) winner Unusual Suspect, a US$1.5 million earner, is getting results yet is clearly not on the radar of broodmare owners. His mare numbers are a fraction of those of the more popular stallions and after seven full seasons in New Zealand has just 105 foals on the ground. Of those, the 70 odd to race have resulted in 43 winners.
Apart from the stallion’s sire, Unusual Heat (Nureyev), Unusual Suspect is from New Zealand-bred Penpont (Crested Wave), the dam of two Grade 1 winners in the US. The family was established in New Zealand and Unusual Suspect’s great-granddam, Black Willow (Sobig), scored the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
Unusual Legacy is from a family that put the Aurets on the map when they were domiciled at Eltham, on the eastern side of Mt Egmont in the Taranaki region.
During the mid 1970s the Aurets purchased Tricky Spi (Trictrac). A key reason behind their purchase was that her dam, Belle Spi (Beau Vite), was a half-sister to four stakes winners, including a flying machine named Ripa (Pride of Kildare). Tricky Spi’s granddam, Gold Spi (Gold Stand) was Broodmare of the Year in 1965.
In 1985 the Aurets bred Pompeii Pearl (Pompeii Court) from Tricky Spi’s daughter Pearl Harbour (Harbor Prince). Pompeii Pearl’s sale, after her Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes win, provided the couple’s financial security. Unusual Legacy’s granddam is a Grosvenor (Sir Tristram) half-sister to Pompeii Pearl.
Good form
Late in July the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association held their annual awards, two of which were the Broodmare of the Year and Breeder of the Year.
Lilah Jay (Tavistock), dam of Mr Brightside (Bullbars), claimed the broodmare award while Trelawney Stud claimed the breeder award primarily due to their having bred Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai). The awards were right on the money, if the result of the Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) is anything to go by, as Mr Brightside and Pride Of Jenni ran clear of the field and settled down to a great duel.
At first glance
There is a lot to like upon first glance at the 2024 NZB Ready to Run Sale. The line–up of sires is full of variety, but also full of quality.
New Zealand’s flag-bearer Savabeel (Zabeel) is represented by ten lots. His presence in any catalogue raises the bar. Also with ten lots is former champion NZ sire Proisir (Choisir). All will be in demand. Similar demand will be evident regarding Per Incanto (Street Cry), who is represented by 16 lots. Almanzor (Wootton Bassett), whose stats keep improving by the season, has 14 lots up for grabs.
Of the New Zealand-based sires whose oldest are two-year-olds, Cambridge Stud’s Hello Youmzain (Kodiac) will have his admirers, helped by the stallion siring his first stakes winner, the unbeaten Misunderstood, within the past week. Seven lots by Hello Youmzain are catalogued.
Savabeel apart, however, the catalogue is dominated by Australian-based sires and they make a mouth-watering bunch, headed by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) with five lots. The eight lots by Deep Field (Northern Meteor) will be among the most desirable, especially among Hong Kong-based buyers.
The first southern hemisphere crop of Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) sold particularly well earlier in the year and seven of that crop will be at Karaka. They are certain to be some of the higher priced lots.
Hellbent (I Am Invincible) has a splendid record at the Ready to Run Sale and his seven lots will sell well, as will the eight lots by Capitalist (Written Tycoon). Hong Kong-based buyers will no doubt be chasing the seven lots by Toronado (High Chaparral).
Although their numbers are smaller, Written Tycoon (Iglesia), with three lots; So You Think (High Chaparral) with three lots and one lot each by Zoustar (Northern Meteor) and Exceed And Excel (Danehill), there is the potential for some fireworks in the sale ring. One that might head them all off is Lot 156, the colt by Frankel (Galileo).
The auctioneers have put together a scorching catalogue and even without looking at the individual lots and their female families, this catalogue might be the best ever.