Where’s that again?
Civic Stakes (Listed, 1400m) winner, Ucalledit (Zacinto), was the sole New Zealand-bred winner among Saturday’s seven Australian stakes races and was sold by the Corcoran family’s Grangewilliam Stud, Waitotara, west of Wanganui, but that is just half the story.
Ucalledit was bred way down in the deep south, at Thomsons Crossing, near Winton, by Neil McCrostie, who prepped Ucalledit for the 2019 Karaka Yearling Sale.
Kiwi Chronicles caught up with Ucalledit’s breeder, McCrostie, yesterday: “John Corcoran and I go back a long way, probably 50 years”, he said.
“We have a good arrangement. I breed a few, do all the prep here then put them on the float to Karaka. It’s a long way, but the horses seem to handle it okay. It’s also a long way to bring them back home so I am a seller. Ucalledit was a nice yearling and a lovely type. He is listed as being bred by a good friend, Bill Lawton, but I borrowed the mare that year, something we do from time to time.”
Ucalledit might have supplanted the previous best horse bred by McCrostie. “I bred one called Vamos A Beber and he won quite a few down here, as well as Hapuka Hero,” said McCrostie.
Vamos A Beber (Spanish for ‘let’s drink’) was by Palatable (Tom Rolfe) and won 17 races including the Cromwell Cup (2000m), as well as the Palisade Gold Cup (2200m) at Beaumont. You have to admire the southerners such as McCrostie. Of the studs, Inglewood Stud in Kaiapoi, as well as White Robe Lodge in Mosgiel deserve praise too. The added logistic of a Cook Strait ferry crossing means a three day trip to Karaka. Their determination is on show every year.
Several years back, this writer enjoyed a Karaka coffee with the late Michael Stedman, a well respected bloodstock agent who was lost to our industry in August 2021. Stedman, who purchased the great filly/mare Let’s Elope (Nassipour) as a tried runner, was also involved in the ownership of Levante (Proisir).
Stedman had a ‘thing’ for the Wanganui region, where Ucalledit spent his time after Kevin Myers bought him for the now bargain price of $15,000.
Stedman explained that his ears nearly always perked up when he learned that any horse had spent time in that region. He was well aware of both the quality of grazing as well as the rolling nature of the land. Thoroughbreds thrive in such conditions. They benefit from grass grown on superior soil and from exercise over the rolling pasture. Captain Tim Rogers of Airlie Stud in Ireland established Grangewilliam Stud for those exact reasons.
Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) hero Kiwi (Blarney Kiss) lived just 10km up the road in Waverley, while Verry Elleegant (Zed) was bred and reared at Waitotara’s Grangewilliam Stud.
From Reefton to Randwick
How many Randwick stakes winners can claim to be bred at Thomsons Crossing and that their breakthrough maiden win was on debut at Reefton? For those outside of New Zealand, Reefton is best described as somewhat remote, well inland on the West Coast of the South Island. In other words, miles from anywhere. Ucalledit might be the first and only, but on January 7 of 2021 that is where Ucalledit made his first race day appearance, as a three-year-old.
His third start, at Riccarton, saw him rack up win two, but his third and fourth wins did not take place until the following November, completing a cups week double at Riccarton including an open class 1400-metre race.
After 12 starts and four wins from the Myers stable, Ucalledit was transferred to Broadmeadow in New South West where Kris Lees has overseen a further 12 starts for five wins including two Listed victories. Ucalledit has banked more than $438,000.
He is the last of three foals from the unraced Special Bay (Al Maher) and one of her two winners. His granddam, also unraced, is a sister or half-sister to three stakes winners, including prolific winner Bomber Bill (Air De France) whose 23 wins included the Karrakatta Plate (Gr 1, 1200m) in Perth at two, the Goodwood Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) in Adelaide and the Australia Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) in Melbourne. The warrior also added Group wins in Sydney and was Group placed in Brisbane. He was quite the traveller earning just shy of $1.9 million.
Bomber Bill’s granddam, Special (Habituate), was a flying machine who, like her grandson, won three Group 1s: the Newmarket Handicap (1200m), the Lightning Stakes (1000m) and the Gadsden Stakes (1200m) all at Flemington. In the Lightning, she clocked a scorching 55.5 seconds for the 1000 metres.
Special’s daughter, Special Sweep (End Sweep), is the granddam of 2020 New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Kahma Lass (Darci Brahma).
Kiwi form
Yet another ex-Kiwi with good form here, Super Strike (Super Easy), has found form at Randwick. It has taken a surprising eight starts. Before his transfer to Sydney, Super Strike was a model of consistency, rising through the grades quickly after winning on debut at Pukekohe on November, 2019.
His nine starts in New Zealand brought five wins and four placings including three wins at Ellerslie. He wrapped up his New Zealand career with a win in the Anniversary Handicap (Gr 3, 1600m) at Trentham in January 2021. Prior to Saturday’s 1800-metre victory in the Benchmark 88 New to Arrowfield Handicap, Super Strike had managed two third placings at Rosehill and Randwick. We knew how good he was here and perhaps he will now go on with it.
His dam, Southern Touch (Stark South), is a sister to Stark Touch (Stark South) whose nine wins included open handicaps in Sydney and Adelaide. His granddam, Touche Amore (Touching Wood) is a sister to Villiers Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) winner, Touch Of Force (Touching Wood).
Top two
It would have been tempting to lead this week with the continuation of the High Chaparral (Sadler’s Wells) phonomenon, but a half–dozen times this season might be overkill. However, So You Think (High Chaparral) continues to shine and his Palaisipan is the stallion’s eleventh Group 1 winner and second Group 1 winner of 2022-23, both at Eagle Farm during the 2023 winter carnival, following Think About It’s superb Group 1 double.
The $420,000 winner’s share of the Tatt’s Tiara (Gr 1, 1400m) sends So You Think ahead of Savabeel (Zabeel) on the 2022-23 Australian Sires’ List and with no further Group 1s remaining, it may be that So You Think will again finish second to I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit).
At the Karaka Weanling Sale a couple of weeks back, I caught up with Windsor Park’s Michael Moran who is mighty proud that he bred So You Think. Anyone would be. The stallion is going gangbusters.
High Chaparral’s Redwood continues to perform. On Sunday night, he sired his 15th individual stakes winner in Tuchel, winner of the Premier Plate (Gr 3, 1800m) at Sha Tin, his sixth career win.
On Saturday, another Redwood son, St Lawrence, won the Benchmark 84 City Index Handicap (1400m) at Caulfield. With five wins in six starts, St Lawrence looks pretty smart and also won at his only start in New Zealand, before heading to Victoria’s Maher/Eustace Stable.
Two of his wins were at Sandown prior to his fresh up Caulfield victory, where he looked beaten near the line but kept digging to get up in a head-bobber. He is very game.
As for Savabeel, he will record his highest placing yet on the Australian Sires’ List, a marvellous effort for a stallion based in New Zealand and some consolation for his being deposed by Proisir (Choisir) on the equivalent New Zealand premiership.
One should avoid making predictions when horses are involved, but allow me to predict that Savabeel will reclaim his New Zealand title in 2023-24. You read it here first.
Big fields, sire dominance
Royal Ascot put on another great show for 2023 and one fact that stood out was the field sizes. What a sight seeing twenty or more runners across the track.
There was no shortage of two-year-olds. On Day 1 the Coventry Stakes (Gr 2, 6f) drew a field of 20. On Day 2, the Queen Mary Stakes (Gr 2, 5f) attracted the carnival’s biggest field of 26 runners and on the same day the Windsor Castle Stakes (Listed, 5f) saw 23 navigate the straight course.
For the two Group 1 sprints for older runners, the King’s Stand Stakes (5f) and the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (6f) each attracted a field of 17 runners.
The Commonwealth Cup (Gr 1, 6f) for three-year-olds had 13 line up, the Queen Anne Stakes (Gr 1, 8f) 12 and even the Gold Cup (Gr 1, 20f) had 12 runners.
Of the sires represented, Frankel (Galileo) stole the show with three Group 1 winners, namely Triple Time in the Queen Anne Stakes, Mostahdaf in the Prince of Wales’s Stakes (10f) and Courage Mon Ami in the Gold Cup.
Of the 22 stakes races, Frankel’s three topped Siyouni (Pivotal) who sired two Group 1 winners: St James’s Palace Stakes (8f) winner Paddington as well as the Coronation Stakes (8f) winner Tahiyra.
Also with two was Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj), siring the Group 2 winners River Tiber and King Of Steel, the latter rewarded after a sterling second in The Derby (Gr 1, 12f) earlier in June.
Notable was the presence of Acclamation (Royal Applause) on the final day of proceedings. While his daughter, Makarova won the Land O’Burns Stakes (Listed, 5f) at Ayr, his sons, Dark Angel, Harbour Watch and Expert Eye sired Khaadem, Pyledriver and Snellen to wins. Khaadem provided the upset of the week when taking out the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes with a run from the back of the field. Well done if you got on at 80 to 1.
Performance of the week goes to Shaquille (Charm Spirit) in the Commonwealth Cup. He almost unseated his rider by rearing at the start, but gradually caught the tail and continued to progress through the field and had too much in the tank to defeat the hot favourite, Little Big Bear (No Nay Never).
As Charlie Whittingham once famously said: “Don’t say anything unkind about a horse until he’s been dead several years.” Charm Spirit (Invincible Spirit) may have been banished to France but he is still alive. Second chances, anyone?