Doubling down
Southland-bred and nurtured then South Taranaki-trained, Ucalledit (Zacinto) went back-to-back in Saturday’s Winter Stakes (Listed, 1400m) as he wrapped up a winter stakes double.
After his Civic Stakes (Listed, 1400m) victory two weeks ago, Kiwi Chronicles detailed Ucalledit’s early race career which began in far-away Reefton, inland on the West Coast of the South Island.
Getting from Wanganui to Reefton is no simple journey. By road, it is 200 kilometres to Wellington. The Cook Strait ferry to Picton takes three and a half hours then it’s back on the road for another 275 kilometres to Reefton.
For Ucalledit, it was worth it as he won at his first start. Nevertheless, it would be interesting if he could tell us about the contrast between Reefton and Randwick where he has now won twice.
By some coincidence, the little town, population less than a thousand, again came into focus last week when attending the Christchurch funeral of my favourite aunt, who was born and raised in the tiny mining settlement.
My aunt, who lived a great 96 years, had written several pages of notes about her upbringing during The Great Depression. Times were tough and she noted that while walking home from school, next to the railway tracks, she picked up lumps of coal that had spilled from the coal carriages and took them home. Waste not, want not was obviously true during those years.
Ucalledit’s New Zealand trainer, Kevin Myers, was not shy about travelling the gelding. Six of his races were in the South Island. Ucalledit knows the Cook Strait quite well and won three at Riccarton in Christchurch. He travelled well north to Rotorua and well east to Hastings also. Tripping to Australia was clearly not an issue.
Almost 12 months after his arrival in Newcastle, Ucalledit had acclimatised and late last year racked up four wins in six starts, including a Listed win at Eagle Farm. This preparation got off to a slow start yet his three runs prior to the Civic Stakes win were not as bad as the form book might suggest.
Saturday’s win was strong. He began his run from sixth before straightening and maintained a solid gallop to get alongside the leaders inside the final 200 metres. Once in front he was never in danger of being headed, taking his bank account beyond $520,000, not at all bad for a Book 3 Karaka purchase for $15,000.
Rocking into the final month
Stakes racing for this season is diminishing quickly and only three took place during the weekend. For the Kiwis to pick up one of the three is a continuation of the super results attributed to bloodstock from the eastern side of the Tasman.
Pleasingly, the undercards at both Randwick and Caulfield saw Westbury Stud’s Tarzino (Tavistock), Redwood (High Chaparral) and El Roca (Fastnet Rock) each sire winners at the two metropolitan tracks.
The ultra consistent Wewillrock (El Roca) has taken just three Sydney starts to break through and carry on his New Zealand form which consisted of ten starts for four wins and four thirds. Two wins were at Te Rapa and one at Hastings. Two of his third placings came in Ellerslie’s Almanzor Trophy (Gr 3, 1200m) in January last year, before returning in April for the Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Te Rapa.
Ending his three-year-old career on a winning note he did not reappear until March of this year and left New Zealand after winning at Hastings on April 29.
Transferred to John O’Shea’s stable and clearly fit, he was pipped just short of the post at Rosehill and led to near the line in the Bob Charley AO Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Randwick a month ago.
In Saturday’s Benchmark 88 win, instead of leading he took a trail, was third into the straight and didn’t take over until inside the final 100 metres. His earnings are fast approaching $200,000, a nice return on the $35,000 outlayed for him at the 2020 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale (Book 2).
Wewillrock is the only foal out of his dam, Princess Michella (Strategic), to race. His granddam Wazawatsyn (Tuscany Flyer) won ten, including three Listed races. He is from a branch of the Eulogy (Cicero) family that includes fine sprinters and milers such as Our Shah (Shahram), Nippon (Rego) and Grizzly (Copenhagen II).
Part-owner, Mark Chittick of Waikato Stud, will be further encouraged regarding his stud’s Ardrossan (Redoute’s Choice) who sired his fifth individual winner from his first crop when Ardee Boy won on debut at Awapuni.
The gelding arrived at Awapuni as an easy trial winner at Foxton late last month and on his race day debut was in command early. He led them into the straight, fought off a solid challenge and was too good by a length.
A November foal who realised $50,000 at the 2022 NZB Karaka Yearling Sales (Book 1), Ardee Boy is from a family that has been under the guidance of Waikato Stud since they imported Thum’s Lil Sister (Clever Trick) in 1988.
She bred three stakes winners including Ardee Boy’s granddam Playful Fingers (Defensive Play), a Listed winner at two of the Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. Playful Fingers’ half-sister, Clever Zoe (Pompeii Court) is the grandam of Brisbane two-year-old Listed winner Girl Hussler (Hussonet), in turn the dam of 2019 CF Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner, Manuel (Commands).
Westbury double
Westbury Stud celebrated a Caulfield double when Torranzino (Tarzino) and Our Red Morning (Redwood) achieved open handicap wins over 2000 metres and 1400 metres respectively.
Both representatives showed up at Caulfield off maiden wins, Torranzino at Warracknabeal whereas Our Red Morning had scored at Mornington. Honest Torranzino is now the winner of two of his seven starts. Our Red Morning, who started her career at Matamata as Red In The Morning, running third on debut this past January, has had five starts for two wins.
Much went wrong in Torranzino’s performance as he was stuck on the rail early, pulled and reefed mid race and had to wait for a run near the home straight. He took some time to balance but full of running bounded into the lead at the 50 metres and was strong, but still quite green. The talent is there and he looks like a top stayer in the making.
He was purchased out of Book 1 of the 2021 NZB Karaka Yearling Sale for $75,000 from Janine Dunlop’s Phoenix Park draft. He, too, is from the Eulogy line, descending from the champion Show Gate (Gate Keeper). His dam is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Showbeel (Savabeel), his granddam is a Galileo (Sadler’s Wells) half-sister to three stakes winners and his third dam is the dual Group 1 winner Showella (Lord Ballina).
Also green is the baldy-faced Our Red Morning who went via the cape before straightening and then tried to hang to the outside the length of the straight. She was far too good though, booting clear at the 150 metres and raced away for a big win. If she can keep a straight line she has a bright future.
Her dam is a winning Keeper (Danehill) half-sister to Singapore Listed winner Titanium (Tavistock). Her granddam, Zanetta (Centaine), won the Summer Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) at Randwick and seven other races, all in Sydney.
Zabeel’s other line
Although Savabeel (Zabeel) is soon due to give up his Champion New Zealand Sire crown to Proisir (Choisir), he remains our premier sire, logging eight successive titles. During the current season he surpassed his grandsire, Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor), whose 130 individual stakes winners was second only to Zabeel (Sir Tristram), himself with a total of 166.
Whether Savabeel can keep the line of succession going remains to be seen, but in Australia the line is being held together by Zabeel’s son Octagonal.
Combining the very best of Cambridge Stud’s father and son juggernaut with the incomparable Eight Carat (Pieces Of Eight) resulted in the fabulous Octagonal.
When foaled, Octagonal had everything going for him on pedigree as a three-quarter brother to VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Kaapstad (Sir Tristram) and half-brother to Railway Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m) winner, Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones). His Group 1-winning half-sister Marquise (Gold And Ivory) was foaled the year before and his Group 1-winning brother, Mouawad the following year.
He didn’t disappoint, at least, not on the track, winning ten Group 1s including the Cox Plate (2040m) as a three-year-old and the Australian Cup. At three he twice defeated Saintly (Sky Chase), in the Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) and the Rosehill Guineas (Gr 1, 2000m).
At two he defied being by Zabeel and was named Champion Australian Two-Year-Old after wins in the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) and the Todman Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) and came from the clouds to run a close second to Flying Spur (Danehill) in the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
At stud, again, much was expected yet his total stakes winners was 25, a number that seems low given his opportunities, but not a disaster either when compared to many stallions.
However, one of his progeny, Lonhro, made up for any perceived disappointment, not only in winning 26 races but topping his dad when landing 11 Group 1s. They both won the Australian Cup but Lonhro bettered Dad by winning the Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m). Then again, Lonhro was not able to match Dad’s Cox Plate, finishing third to Fields Of Omagh (Rubiton).
Lonhro also made amends for his father’s lacklustre sire results by topping the Australian Premiership in 2011 and has sired an impressive 95 stakes winners, of which 13 have bagged at least one Group 1, headed by Pierro’s five, a champion at two and three years. Lonhro’s best statistic might be his 1,015 winners from 1,418 to run, an impressive 71 per cent.
Apart from Pierro, who has 34 individual stakes winners including sire prospect Pierata, Lonhro’s son Sweynesse is the sire of the world’s leading sprinter, Lucky Sweynesse, an absolute star in Hong Kong who has captured three Group 1 sprints this season and eight of his ten starts.
His career earnings, courtesy of 13 wins in 17 starts, stand at more than HK$45 million (approx. AU$8.66 million).
Lonhro’s Encryption has started his stud career in a most promising manner and from his first crop is Cifrado, a dual Group 2 winner, including the recent and rich BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m). Cifrado has banked $872,000 in his first season.
Exosphere has sired two Listed winners within the last few weeks. They are Spacewalk, winner of Randwick’s Bob Charley AO Stakes (1100m) and Aquanita Stakes (2000m) winner, Upper Limits.
Impending (Lonhro) has two crops racing and included is the two-year-old Impendabelle, the Wakefield Challenge Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m) winner at Trentham last December.
Ihts Closing Inn, the daughter of Lonhro’s Sessions, took out Perth’s Belmont Oaks (Listed, 2000m) late last month.
Things are looking good for Lonhro’s sons and it is up to him to keep the Sir Tristram/Zabeel line going in Australia.