‘It summed up what a special horse he is to us’ – Jimmy ensures Per Incanto’s star continues to rise
After a “pinch me I’m dreaming” spring carnival for the progeny of Per Incanto (Street Cry), culminating in more elite-level glory for Jimmysstar in the C.F. Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), Little Avondale Stud’s proprietor Sam Williams is excited to showcase their resident stallion’s freshest crop of yearlings at the start of the new year when New Zealand Bloodstock celebrates its centenary sale at Karaka.
The famed farm, which has been operated by the Williams family for the past eight decades, will present a dozen Per Incanto youngsters as part of their NZB National Yearling Sale draft across three days of feverish trading at Karaka and, given the seismic success the sire has enjoyed on both sides of the Tasman this past year, there seems little doubt they will be hot property.
With honourable mentions for his recent Big Dance (1600m) winner Gringotts and fellow Little Avondale graduate Evaporate, who embellished his CV with victory in the Sandown Stakes (Gr 3, 1500m) and a pair of Group 1 placings this campaign, Per Incanto’s shining star of the spring has undoubtedly been ‘Jimmy’.
The versatile chestnut has overcome both a somewhat troubled start to life and an early-career tendency to dawdle out of the gates to emerge as arguably the country’s pre-eminent sprinter.
Having chased home Briasa (Smart Missile) in the Premiere Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) before registering another minor placing in The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) behind Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress), the Hong Kong superstar whose dam Missy Moo is by Per Incanto, Jimmysstar further elevated his profile and augmented his connections’ bank balances with back-to-back wins in the $3 million Russell Balding Stakes (1300m) and C.F. Orr Stakes.
Those twin triumphs saw Jimmysstar move past $6.6 million in career earnings and catapulted Per Incanto, who commands a service fee of $60,000 (plus GST), into the top three of the Australian Sires Premiership behind Arrowfield’s The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Chopice) and Coolmore’s late stallion Fastnet Rock (Danehill).
“It’s been a real pinch yourself spring for all of us, we’ve really looked forward to the races every week,” Williams told ANZ News.
“It’s been incredible to sit down every Saturday and watch horses that we have bred and part-own be competitive in some of Australia’s biggest races.
“New Zealand has traditionally been seen as the place to breed milers and stayers, but Ka Ying Rising confirmed he is the world’s best sprinter with his win in The Everest and Jimmysstar has put his hand up as arguably the best sprinter in Australia, so I think those two have probably changed a few people’s opinions of the industry over here.
“It’s taken Jimmy a while to really learn his craft, but he’s the complete racehorse now. When he lets down he just seems to float across the ground, and he reminds me of Dundeel in that respect. I do think he’ll end up a miler in time because of the way he glides and because he’s now really learned to settle in his races, but given his deadly turn of foot and how much prizemoney is available for sprinters, it probably makes sense to stick to the shorter trips for now.
“It’s just been amazing to see him develop and I have to give huge credit to Ciaron [Maher] and his team, because they’ve done a terrific job with the horse. They had to be quite patient in the beginning but they’re definitely getting the rewards now. It’s been one heck of a ride so far and from what Ciaron’s been saying I do think his best may still be ahead of him, so it’s not over yet.”
Due to his hectic workload on the family farm, where Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Little Brose (Per Incanto) is learning his craft under the watchful eye of his famous father, Williams was only able to attend The Everest in person during the spring.
However he and wife Catriona, a decorated showjumper who is a willing traveller despite suffering a serious spinal cord injury following a fall while competing in 2002, are determined to be a much more visible presence for Jimmystar’s autumn campaign.
In a mirror image of this year’s autumn campaign, Jimmysstar is likely to kick off in the William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at its new (temporary) home of Caulfield. From there, his travel itinerary is again set to feature the TJ Smith Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and the All-Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m), before recuperating at Maher’s Bong Bong property ahead of a spring assault geared towards a tantalising rematch with Ka Ying Rising in the world’s richest race on turf.
By Williams’ own candid admission, during his formative years Jimmysstar seemed highly unlikely to scale such lofty heights given he was deemed unsuitable to take to the sales.
“He was a lovely muscular foal, but when it came to yearling preparation time he hadn’t grown as much as we would have liked and then his x-rays also revealed two stifle cysts,” Williams explained.
“So he was a bit behind where he needed to be, and we decided to give him time rather than rushing to get him ready for the yearling sales. When we x-rayed him again the following year the cysts were still showing, and although they’re not usually a major issue it meant he probably wasn’t going to be suitable for the trade market, so at that point we had no option but to race him ourselves.”
Williams subsequently opted to send the horse to trainer Guy Lowry, a former school friend he had known since the age of eight.
Despite suffering defeat after missing the start on debut, the manner of his closing sectionals suggested Jimmy might have a future in the game and he subsequently franked that opinion with back-to-back wins which attracted significant interest from overseas.
Per Incanto is very highly regarded in Hong Kong so predictably Williams fielded calls from a plethora of interested buyers based in the Asian racing mecca, but he was acutely aware that the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s strict reliance on x-ray results would have stopped any potential sale in its tracks.
However, when approached by a consortium led by prominent owners Ozzie Kheir and John O’Neill, Williams readily agreed to the sale on the condition that he and Catriona each retained a five per cent share.
The move has proved to be a masterstroke as Jimmy hit the ground in his adopted homeland, winning nine times for Maher – including four in stakes company – and alerting his high-profile ownership group to the huge potential and adaptability of Per Incanto’s progeny.
Several of the same owners have enjoyed enormous success with Gringotts, who would also surpassed the $6 million mark with a successful defence of his title in The Gong (1600m) at Kembla Grange this coming Saturday; and they would also have been encouraged with the debut jumpout of Jimmy’s baby brother and stablemate In’kantosstar at Cranbourne on Monday morning.
Indeed, Kheir and O’Neill were keen on a pair of Per Incanto colts at the recent NZB Ready To Run Sale, but were ultimately outbid by Chinese investors with Lots 214 from the Kiltannon Stables draft and 398 from the Trelawney Stud consignment fetching $750,000 and $700,000 respectively.
However, the well-heeled duo will undoubtedly be active from 25-27 January at the 100th Karaka sale, which will feature up to 30 yearlings by Per Incanto. Of the 27 youngsters set to grace the ring from Little Avondale’s draft, Williams has earmarked some standout fillies which he feels will be highly sought after.
“It’s an amazing catalogue and we’ve got some lovely yearlings to take to Karaka, so we’re already getting pretty excited,” Williams told ANZ News.
“I think our In The Congo filly [Lot 270] is really going to turn heads, all three auction houses wanted her but in the end we decided to stay loyal to the Karaka sale.
“We also have a Per Incanto filly [Lot 333] out of an Exceed and Excel mare from Chautauqua’s family, it’s only Candy Bar’s second foal and she is a ripping filly. I also really like the Per Incanto filly [Lot 256] out of Alam Mo Na, she’s the half-brother to Namaste who won for Bjorn Baker at Canterbury last Friday. He looks like he’ll win more races and his sister is a really lovely filly, so we have high hopes for her.”
Per Incanto will have covered 92 mares when this breeding season draws to a close but, with the farm keen to focus on quality rather than quantity and in order to ensure the longevity of their prized possession, his book of mares will be scaled right back next year.
At 22, Per Incanto is entering the twilight years of his stallion career and once his days of active duties are over, he will live out his days on the farm where, as Williams explains, the elder statesman commands huge admiration and affection.
“He has the most unbelievable personality,” Williams said.
“Every evening when I walk past his barn on the way to the house, he calls out for a carrot and now Little Brose is starting to do the same thing. They are both such laidback characters, it’s amazing how similar they are.
“When we got back to the farm the day after the Everest, just before we had dinner Catriona and I decided to have a quick drink with Per Incanto to toast Jimmy. I pushed Catriona into his box, and she gave me a bit of a worried look.
“It’s fair enough because the horse weighs 650 kilos and she’s sitting there in her wheelchair, so it was probably pretty daunting. But he walked straight up to her, put his head in her lap and wanted her to give him a big pat. It was a pretty special moment, and it summed up what a special horse he is to us.”