Don’t Give Up
Tauranga Classic (Listed, 1400m) winner Flower Of Wanaka (Burgundy) is a lesson in perseverance. The four-year-old mare took nine starts to break her maiden and a further eight starts to claim win two.
Last September at Waverley was her breakthrough, but win two, at big odds in Saturday’s feature (which was originally scheduled for June 24 at Tauranga), was unexpected – yet improved the mare’s stud value somewhat dramatically.
Her second win looked close as she’d recorded three seconds and a third since Waverley, yet her opposition was not up to the class that she met at Hastings and facing a number of well–performed mares. It is doubtful that the connections would have been totally confident.
Nevertheless, hers was a good effort as she was trapped wide for a good part of the journey. From the 800 metres she went three wide, improved from the 600 metres and shared third at the top of the straight. Inside the 200 she shared second, caught the leader at the 100 metres, then went clear for a convincing win.
She is the tenth stakes winner for the late Burgundy (Redoute’s Choice) as well as the fifth winner and second stakes winner from her dam, Wanaka, a three-times winning Green Perfume (Naevus) mare.
Wanaka’s first stakes winner was the Flemington Group 3 winner, Tavarnelle (Zabeel) who was foaled in Australia but returned to New Zealand with her mother and was then sold at Karaka for $330,000 at the NZB 2010 Premier Sale.
Tavarnelle has bettered her race record at stud, having foaled Tuscan Queen (Fastnet Rock), winner of the Western Australian Derby (Gr 2, 2400m) and the Western Australian Oaks (Gr 3, 2400m) in 2020.
Wanaka is a sister or half-sister to nine winners, three of which are stakes winners including New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner and Singapore Horse of the Year, Zirna (Deputy Governor). Zirna’s last race in New Zealand scooped her Group 1 victory, but in Singapore she was supreme, landing three wins in five start including the Raffles Cup (Listed, 1800m) followed by the Singapore Gold Cup (Listed, 2200m), worth a cool S$881,000 to the winner.
Both Zirna and Wanaka were bred by the late Jim Campin who stood both their sires at his Chequers Stud in Cambridge.
Their dam, Riverly Lass (Gleam Machine) was a Sydney winner and a prolific producer of ten winners from 11 to race. Her dam, Sparkle ‘N’ Wonder (Baguette) was a Listed winner in Adelaide at two.
Flower Of Wanaka represents her family well. After a few more wins she will be a welcome addition to our broodmare ranks and her progeny will be sought after.
Relocated
It is likely no surprise that Telperion (Street Cry), the sire of Dolphin Skin – winner of Saturday’s Taj Rossi Final (Listed, 1600m) – has been relocated. The stallion simply couldn’t get any traction despite a Group 2 winner in his first crop and good support regarding broodmare numbers. In his first five seasons he averaged 111 mares, but less than satisfactory results meant a drop to ten in his sixth and last season. Consequently, he is now in China.
Just as Giga Kick has no idea that his sire, Scissor Kick (Redoute’s Choice), has been ‘banished’ to Morocco, Dolphin Skin similarly has no knowledge of Telperion’s whereabouts and as the sole maiden in the Listed race, did what she had to do, levelling up at the 100 metres and fought hard to the line.
Her connections will not be displeased. They found her at last year’s NZB Karaka Ready To Run Sale, parting with just $13,000. Her $135,000 in the bank is already odds-defying; odds that started at a sale where fillies are hugely outnumbered by colts and geldings.
That disparity was highlighted by Troy Corstens, the filly’s purchaser who wondered why a filly was included among a potential list of 35 lots suggested by Dean Harvey. “They are usually all colts, but I was at Gerry Harvey’s Westbury Stud, and a filly came out. I thought, ‘why am I looking at a filly?’ But as soon as I saw her, I loved her.”
Dolphin Skin is New Zealand-bred, but everything else about her bloodlines is Australian. Her dam, Tempo Manor (General Nediym) won four and is one of seven winners from the Danehill (Danzig) mare Lady Langham whose best progeny is the well–performed Melbourne sprinter, Ready To Rip (More Than Ready). He bagged a Group 2, two Listed sprints and six Group or Listed placings to make total earnings in excess of $600,000.
The filly has a well–known family behind her, descending from the top three-year-old filly of her year, Denise’s Joy (Seventh Hussar). Her fourth dam is Joy And Fun (Showdown) out of Denise’s Joy. Joy And Fun is the dam of Champagne Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Euphoria (Marauding).
The “other” 22 family
Bruce Lowe numbers have been dropped from catalogue pedigrees, but they remain a useful tool when researching bloodlines. They can provide a broad picture.
The number 22 is synonymous with hugely influential Eulogy (Cicero), imported to New Zealand in 1914 and by far the most prominent and successful line of the Belgrade Turk mare (circa 1719).
Proven stallions Dundeel (High Chaparral) and Starspangledbanner (Choisir) are two of her better known recent descendants, but in the latter half of last century she was also represented by champion racehorses Bonecrusher (Pag Asa); Vo Rogue (Ivor Prince); Show Gate (Gate Keeper); Il Tempo (Time And Again), and ‘The Black Flash’, Zephyr Bay (Biscay). This century you can add Hong Kong champions Beauty Generation (Road To Rock); Ambitious Dragon (Pins); Sacred Kingdom (Encosta De Lago); Singapore star Stepitup (Hussonet), and world traveller Highland Reel (Galileo).
Knight’s Choice (Extreme Choice), impressive winner of the Winx Guineas (Gr 3, 1600m) at Caloundra on Saturday, is from a different “22” family. He descends from Perilla (Polymelus), who was foaled the year before Eulogy and imported to Australia in 1913.
The connection between Eulogy and Perilla is distant. Their ninth dams are half-sisters which explains why Bruce Lowe family numbers now need letters after the number to help define branches. Eulogy is part of the 22-b branch whereas Perilla is part of the 22-d branch.
Apart from being co-trained by expat Kiwi Sheila Laxon, the connection to New Zealand regarding Knight’s Choice is that his grandam, Black Pearl (The Commander), was bred here.
His dam is the seven-times winner by More Than Ready (Southern Halo) named Midnight Pearl who could have been purchased for one bid over the $1,000 she fetched at the 2013 Inglis Great Southern Sale. At that time she was a retired racemare and had not been to stud. Since then she has produced four foals with Knight’s Choice her only winner to date.
He looks the goods, judging from his first–class win in the Guineas. He was in a spot of bother at the 600 metre mark when trapped on the fence but somehow found room on his outer and was able to peel out just short of the straight to be in a position to lodge a challenge. Once balanced, he swept up to the leaders, took over comfortably at the 100, then ran away for his fourth successive win.
His branch of the family is via Perilla’s great grand-daughter Fortaise (Broiefort), the dam of three stakes winners including Auckland Cup (Gr 1, 2m) winner Rev (Revelation). The only other notable stakes horses to descend from Fortaise’s daughter, Fourteen Carat (Gold Nib) are the dual Group 1 winner, Western Red (Spectacular Love), winner of the Canterbury Guineas (Gr 1, 2000m) and Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Begood Toya Mother (Myboycharlie).
Gold carats also feature in Black Pearl’s pedigree. Her sire The Commander is a Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor) grandson of the famed Blue Hen Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight) while Black Pearl’s dam, the Group 2 placed Ellerslie and Rosehill winner Go Minstrel, is by Kreisler (Northern Baby), Eight Carat’s half-brother.
Knight’s Choice is stakes winner number ten for Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) whose ratio of stakes winners to runners is one in seven or a staggering 13.8%.
Vale Stu Hale
Our industry has lost a true character.
At the delayed March 2022 version of the annual NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, we learned that Waikato-based bloodstock agent, Stuart Hale had been diagnosed with liver cancer.
Hale was very matter-of-fact with his plight and continued his quest for the next good horse. That was his main passion, not too far ahead of his passion for golf.
A few months later, at the 2022 Ready To Run Sale, with the help of powerful drugs, Hale showed a remarkable recovery and had regained some weight. He acknowledged that several industry friends chipped in to see that he got the best medical help available, a point that warranted mention in Kiwi Chronicles immediately after the sale.
Even this past January-February, Hale was the Stu we all knew – but we also know that cancer has a nasty habit of returning. We will miss his enthusiasm and passion.
Hale developed many contacts throughout his bloodstock career, especially in Hong Kong. His annual bus tour of studs leading up to the yearling sale became a popular gathering for fellow agents, trainers and buyers. A major highlight of his bloodstock career was to breed the 1987 Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner, Kensei (Blarney Kiss).
Hale was well named as he was always hale and hearty and knew how to enjoy himself, whether at the bloodstock sales or the golf course.
The writer had the pleasure of a round of golf with Hale, who was very competitive. Golf can be frustrating as it looks simple and Hale wore his heart on his sleeve when playing. Golf will do that.
Farewell Stu. Karaka will not be quite the same without you.