Old family, new life
The Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) was expected to be the focus of this week’s summary, based on the fact that the New Zealand Stud Book was not only well represented but also that the last three winners, Warmonger (War Decree), Kovalica (Ocean Park) and Pinarello (Tavistock) were all conceived and foaled in New Zealand. Four years ago, Australian conceived but New Zealand foaled Kukeracha (Night Of Thunder) was successful.
Visibility, rather than the Eagle Farm track conditions, was the prime reason behind the abandonment of the rest of last Saturday’s card so we will have to wait until next Saturday for the Derby. Also to be staged is the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) and the writer is looking forward to seeing how Movin Out (Staphanos) performs. Her run for third in the ANZ Bloodstock News The Roses (Gr 2, 2000m) was one which suggested she will be very competitive.
In the meantime, a South Island-bred, Campaldino, sired by White Robe Lodge’s Ghibellines (Shamardal), was the day’s highlight when taking out the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (Gr 3, 2400m). The race drew a decent line up and the winner’s time was possibly faster than expected (2:33.29), however, two races later, the surface for the BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) was severely affected by the incessant rain.
Campaldino seems to have emerged from nowhere. This time last year the gelding broke his maiden at Taupo at start three then went back-to-back at Pukekohe for then trainer Cody Cole, after which he was sold. Four metropolitan starts last spring for the Waterhouse/Bott stable brought two placings and this preparation began with two Kensington seconds before a hat–trick of wins, completed by last Saturday’s victory.
Campaldino is honest and not merely a mudder. In 13 starts he has recorded five wins and four placings. Three wins have been on heavy tracks but two starts back he was successful in the Orange Gold Cup and ran the 2100 metres in a fast 2:06.00 on a Good 3 surface.
This latest win saw him sit second along the back straight and around the last bend but he shot to the front before the field straightened. His lead was narrow at the 400-metre mark and he appeared vulnerable but, to his credit, to the line he never looked like being overhauled and won quite comfortably by a length and three-quarters.
As usual, Kiwi Chronicles’ first research of any new stakes winner’s bloodlines looks at the sires of each dam then the family’s roots and Campildino’s old family never gives up. His dam is by Shocking (Street Cry) while the sires of his granddam, third, fourth and fifth dams are Zabeel (Sir Tristram), Marceau II (Kaoru Star), Oncidium (Alcide) and Faux Tirage (Big Game). Such a mouth-watering line up of sires and it’s no wonder that the longer distances are Campaldino’s forte.
“I think we’ll have to,” said Bott, regarding an attempt at the Brisbane Cup (Gr 2, 3200m). “I think he’s got the ability to stay further.” Add in sires Shocking, Zabeel, Oncidium and Faux Tirage plus the fact that he is directly descended from two different Group 1 two-mile winners, of course he is a major chance.
His granddam is a sister to Laebeel (Zabeel), the Listed–winning dam of dual Group 3 winner Larry’s Never Late (Pentire) and he descends from Okawa Stud’s Bravado (Psychology), bred by TH Lowry in 1925, who was inducted into the New Zealand Racing Hall of Fame this year. Bravado was a half-sister to four stakes winners including Great Northern Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Estland (Finland). Bravado’s descendants include 25 Group 1 winners and the branch Campaldino represents is via Froth (Faux Tirage), a wonderful mare whose 11 wins featured the Auckland Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) as well as the Great Northern Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) and the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 2, 2400m).
Froth produced Adelaide Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Laelia (Oncidium), Campaldino’s fourth dam. Froth is also the granddam of Malt (Moss Trooper), in turn the dam of star mare and five-time Group 1 winner Horlicks (Three Legs) who foaled Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) winner Brew (Sir Tristram).
Interestingly, dual Group 1 winners and successful sires Military Plume (Sir Tristram), General Nediym (Nediym) and Nicconi (Bianconi), all descend directly from Bravado.
Campaldino rings up stakes winner number eight for Ghibellines and his third stakes winner in Australia, headed by $2.3 million earner and Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Smokin’ Romans.
Still serving
Putting together a first–class record is Niance (Swiss Ace), who took her growing record to seven wins in just 11 starts including her last four in succession, and three black-type races, also in succession.
Niance left New Zealand in September 2023 as the winner of one of her four starts but since her arrival in Australia has tasted defeat just once. Wins at Pakenham and Sandown took place in February and March of 2024 but the stable struck an awkward period soon after due to the mare’s manners, possibly the reason for that defeat from which she bounced back to score at Benchmark 78 (1200m) level at Flemington.
This season she is unbeaten. At Caulfield last spring she scored her maiden stakes win in the Alinghi Stakes (Listed, 1100m) then followed that with the How Now Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) also at Caulfield, both game wins before an enforced spell due to a cracked skull from a paddock incident. Bone fragments had to be removed so merely returning to the track has been a huge step.
Saturday’s Bel Esprit Stakes (Listed, 1100m) fresh–up was no walk in the park either as she was trapped three–wide until the 500 metres and was four–deep into the straight. Once she lands in front she is very difficult to get past and was again very determined to the line to take her bank account to $449,467.
There is not much to write home about regarding her immediate family as she is the standout among just a handful of winners. Her granddam is a half-sister to Group winners Alma’s Fury (Refuse To Bend) and Enforced (Snippets) but the premier performer from this line is Mr Murphy (Danehill), winner of the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) and the Caulfield Futurity (Gr 1, 1400m). Mr Murphy’s dam is a half-sister to Niance’s great grandam.
Commercially, Westbury Stud’s Swiss Ace (Secret Savings) has found himself in the category of a bread-and-butter stallion, flying under the radar for most of his career. However, a look at his statistics and he measures up very well, and better than most, especially given his modest stud fee during the rising 21-year-old’s 15–year stint at stud.
Understandably, the old boy’s fertility has trailed off the last few years but earlier in his career he averaged 113 mares per season which eased to less than 70 over the last eight years.
Statistically, Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) winner Swiss Ace’s record is well above average with 389 winners from 503 to race, a ratio of 63 per cent. In addition to 22 stakes winners he has also sired a further 23 stakes–placed performers.
Reverse situation
The traffic between the North Island and the South Island when going after prize money is normally a bit one-sided, with Northern-trained runners outnumbering the reverse situation. Saturday’s Wanganui AGC Training Stakes (Listed, 1600m) saw the reverse with Southern-trained Ears Back (Jakkalberry) bagging her maiden stakes success and eighth career success.
Her previous best winning effort was the 2024 Timaru Cup (1600m) which lost its stakes status in 2023. Her best placed effort was fourth in the 2024 White Robe Lodge Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m).
This trip north was not her first. Rangiora trainer and part-owner John Blackadder had a go at Trentham in January 2024 but the result was a disappointing 14th of 16 in the Anniversary Handicap (Gr 3, 1600m). This preparation, the mare tuned up for Wanganui with a fair and perhaps unlucky fifth in the Rangitikei Gold Cup (Listed, 1600m).
Ears Back’s style usually involves leading, or at least racing very handy. In Saturday’s win she was headed briefly starting the back straight but took over again and never relinquished the lead, the key moment in the race taking place when she booted clear at the 250 metres. The field never looked like catching her. “That’s my first black-type win and I’m absolutely thrilled,” said Blackadder of his six-year-old who has banked $285,660.
She is the second winner of the Australian-bred mare Makesmewonder, a winner in New Zealand. The latter is a daughter of little-known (at least in this part of the world) Grass Wonder (Silver Hawk), the winner of nine of his 15 starts in Japan including four at the elite Group 1 level. He was unbeaten in four starts at two and voted Champion Two-Year-Old. Although he shuttled from Japan to Australia and sired 15 stakes winners, his name crops up via another current shuttler, Champion Sprinter & Sprinter-Miler Maurice (Screen Hero) as Screen Hero is a son of Grass Wonder.
Ears Back’s granddam, French-bred Capability (Nashwan), spent her stud career in Japan. Her daughter, Reliability (Kurofune), produced Hobart Cup (Gr 3, 2400m) winner Pretty Punk (Rebel Raider). Ears back is the sixth stakes winner for international traveller, Group 1 winner and Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) third, Jakkalberry (Storming Home) who stood just four seasons before his premature death.