Rich Hill riches
Rich Hill Stud’s John Thompson may not be in the ownership of La Crique (Vadamos) but he couldn’t resist giving the winner a healthy nose rub while she was being unsaddled after her commanding victory in the Arrowfield Stud Plate (Gr 1, 1600m). A first Group 1 for any stallion, especially their Vadamos (Monsun), will cause the studmaster to be so inclined.
The thing is, Rich Hill is making this a habit. The first New Zealand Group 1 of the season, the Tarzino Trophy (1400m), went the way of Dark Destroyer, who is by their Proisir (Choisir). He is the stallion’s second Group 1 winner, following Levante, who was named New Zealand’s champion sprinter-miler of last season.
Mere hours later, Thompson’s attention was focused on Caulfield as another of the stud’s stallions, Shocking (Street Cry), was represented by I’m Thunderstruck in the Might And Power Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m). Attempting to add a third to his Group 1 haul, and second this season, after taking out the Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) last month, the five-year-old finished second to the brilliant Anamoe (Street Boss).
Kiwi Chronicles yesterday spoke with Thompson, who commented: “That was a true contest [in the Might And Power Stakes].
“All the best horses showed up and I’m Thunderstruck made a great race of it. The commentator seemed to have decided that Anamoe was going too well but I’m Thunderstruck never gave up the fight and was coming back at him near the line. He is right there with the best, so we are looking forward to a rematch in the Cox Plate.
“Shocking is doing such a great job. In the season just completed he had eight stakes winners across Australia and New Zealand and 52 winners from 128 runners.”.
Ridden to be handier than usual, I’m Thunderstruck took the race to winner Anamoe in the strongest manner, going stride for stride down the straight only to lose by a long head. As Annabel Neasham stated, after Zaaki (Leroidesanimaux) was another long head back in third, the Cox Plate will be a race to savour.
“The winner was very good – he had a lovely run behind us. It (the Cox Plate) is shaping up to be a pretty exciting race and Anamoe is the one we have all have to beat but there’s not much between them,” she said.
The more forward tactics suggested by I’m Thunderstruck’s co-trainer Mick Price will no doubt be used again in the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040). Moonee Valley’s tricky layout almost demands being handy when the home straight is barely 200 metres.
Interestingly, I’m Thunderstruck is unbeaten at Moonee Valley. He has had just one start there for a win over 1500 metres when scoring his fourth win at his sixth start. Even more interesting, second home that day was Tuvalu (Kermadec), winner of Saturday’s Toorak Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m), a race that I’m Thunderstruck won a year ago.
Maturity is kicking in, too. He can get the 2000 metres. He was strong to the line at Caulfield. I’m Thunderstruck is only five and has raced just 18 times. Provided he remains sound, his $7.3 million in earnings may easily grow past the $10 million mark, putting him in rare company.
On all cylinders
To have three sires that are all firing is every studmaster’s dream. In Rich Hill’s case, you can add a fourth, Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact), whose oldest are three-year-olds. Satono Aladdin has several promising young runners making noise, such as Sacred Satono, Grand Impact and Japanese Emperor, not forgetting that the brilliant filly, Koshu, winner of her only start in Sydney, had to be retired after injury.
Rich Hill’s Thompson added: “All our sires are firing, it’s all happening at once but when we chose these stallions they all have good race credentials and good blood.
“They’re by good sires themselves and have lots going for them. Proisir, in particular, has done it with average mares in his first couple of crops. Now, it is fair to say that he upgraded his mares and the quality of his last couple of books reflects those results. It won’t surprise me if he were to win a sire premiership.”
On the current New Zealand sires’ list Proisir leads with Vadamos holding fifth spot, while in Australia Shocking sits 20th. With the Ready To Run Sale next month, followed by the Karaka Yearling sale series at the end of January, Thompson and his staff may find themselves run off their feet.
In many ways the stud is already run off their feet.
“Proisir and Satono Aladdin will cover 150 mares plus and our other three have been solidly supported,” said Thompson.
Freewheeling
La Crique (Vadamos) put the Arrowfield Stud Plate beyond doubt a long way from home. The threat from race favourite Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) never materialised and nothing could be taken away from the four-year-old’s impressive victory, careering away soon after the field straightened.
Aside from the mare’s obvious talent, the ride by Craig Grylls was a key factor in the win. A shade slow from the stalls, Grylls urged her forward to hold the rail and share second at the 1400 metres. From the 1200 metres they pressured the leader, held the fence and maintained that spot to near the 600 metres before taking over. Rounding into the straight they had a length lead but as soon as they straightened, went clear. Away by three at the 200 metres there was no stopping her and Grylls was able to ease near the line, still nearly four lengths clear in a dominant effort.
“It probably wasn’t the prettiest of rides but the plan was always to go forward,” said Grylls. “I just had to do enough to keep Deerfield one off the fence and ride my mare like she was the best horse in the race. I let her slide from the 500 metres and she was just too good.”
Co-trainer, Katrina Alexander, explained the pre-race tactic: “He (Grylls) had very clear instructions when we legged him on and that was to not let them stack it up with the pacemaker and he rode her just awesome. It was great to see her get back to her style of racing as she has fantastic tactical speed and she just loves that freewheeling style.”
La Crique does not know how to run a bad race. Saturday’s maiden Group 1 success was her sixth career win on top of the Avondale Guineas (Gr 2, 2000m), by a three-and-three-quarter-length margin, and the Desert Gold Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m), won by four and a half lengths last season at three.
Her last outing at three, in the New Zealand Derby (Gr 1, 2400m), saw her held up at a crucial stage yet run home strongly for second.
For her seasonal debut in the Tarzino Trophy she was also held up, had to switch back to the inner for a run then finished well for third. Those two runs underline why Saturday’s riding instructions were employed, and they paid off.
The daughter of Vadamos has raced ten times for six wins, two seconds and two thirds, amassing $546,805.
Not offered for sale, La Crique is a homebred from Destiny Cove (Dubai Destination) who was purchased for $60,000 at the 2008 NZB Karaka Select Yearling Sale. Destiny Cove won five times, including a 2400-metre race at Trentham. She has had three foals to the races and two winners.
The mare was not served after foaling La Crique, missed the next year and again not served in 2020. She visited Vadamos again last spring and recently dropped a sister to La Crique.
Destiny Cove’s third dam is Kentucky Oaks (Gr 1, 10f) winner White Star Line (Northern Dancer), a triple Grade 1 winner. Two of White Star Line’s 12 winners won at stakes level and her granddaughter, Valley Of Gold (Shirley Heights), won the Italian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m).
Pier-less
Atop the New Zealand sire premiership, Proisir added stakes winner number eight after a strong win by Pier in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m). The gelding was making his third start having won on debut in August before a fighting second behind Dynastic (Almanzor) in the El Roca Trophy (Listed, 1200m) at Hastings four weeks ago.
Saturday’s Guineas race was expected to be another notch in favourite Dynastic’s belt but he weakened after having every chance once the field headed for home, while Pier ran away with proceedings.
Pier narrowly led early then dropped into third (rails), a position in which he remained past the 800 metres. At the 400 metres Michael McNab eased out a lane and was ready to pounce, levelled up to the leader at the 200 metres but travelling too well, came away over the last 100 metres for a convincing two-and-a-quarter-length win.
“It ended up working out well as we got the trail,” said McNab. “I took the opportunity to get clear running and when I let him go, he was very quick off the mark.”
Similar to La Crique, Pier was not offered for sale. Also a homebred, he is from the Darci Brahma (Danehill) mare La Vitesse, herself purchased out of the 2011 NZB Premier Yearling Sale for $80,000 by trainer John Sargent.
La Vitesse broke her maiden at the same track and distance (Matamata, 1400m) as her son and retired with two career wins. At stud she has produced three foals to race and all are winners. After producing Pier the mare was not served, missed the following year and visited Contributer (High Chaparral) in 2021.
Pier’s granddam, Naturo (Postponed), was one of the better fillies of her crop, taking out the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at two and the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) the next season. Her career was cut short after just six starts when pulling up lame in the 2006 New Zealand 1,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) won by Dorabella, who was also by Postponed (Summer Squall).
All five of Naturo’s foals are winners, including the Group 2 placed Orutan (Pins) and the Listed placed O’Naturelle (O’Reilly). Her dam, Rubiton’s Best (Rubiton), won five races, including two in Sydney, while the next dam, Mirtoan Sea (Beaufort Sea), was a sister to the Listed winners Aegean Sea and Ionian Sea.
Top class mare Electronic (First Norman), a dual Group 1 winner of the Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and The Metropolitan Handicap (2600m), is a granddaughter of Aegean Sea.
Darci again
Over at Hawera, Darci La Bella claimed her maiden stakes success and was much too good in the Taranaki Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m), her ninth career win in 15 starts, racing clear over the final stages.
She found the perfect one-out, one-back spot early and past the 600 metres she sat third, three wide and reached the top of the straight in second. Soon after straightening she went clear and at the 100 metres had the race in safe keeping.
The five-year-old is a half-sister to 12-time winner, Tavi Mac (Tavistock), whose tally included four stakes wins. They are two of four winners from Bellaroof (Maroof), herself the winner of five races.
Trainer, part-owner and breeder Allan Sharrock indicated that Darci La Bella’s racing days are limited.
“I might look at a race like the Manawatu Challenge Stakes for her after she has a little break, but I’m not sure about what might be after that,” said Sharrock.
“She is not a big mare and now with a rating of over 100, she is at a tough place in the weights. She has got her black-type win so she might end up in the broodmare paddock next year.”
Tavi Mac and now, Darci La Bella, represent the “Belle” family, as does Might And Power Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Anamoe (Street Boss), although their connection is quite distant. Anamoe’s fourth dam, Dame Belle (Hermes), and Darci La Bella’s fifth dam, Sweet Belle (Sucaryl) are half-sisters.
Hindsight is 20-20
Four weeks ago, star mare Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) was not able to pull her feet out of the ground when running fourth in the Tarzino Trophy (Gr 1, 1400m).
This column commented on the extremely holding nature of the surface which, in the case of the Tarzino, was run in a time close to that of a 1600 metres race on a firm surface, adding that, as long as no harm came to the mare, she would bounce back. It was not to be.
Te Akau Racing announced yesterday that Imperatriz would be turned out and freshened for the two summer Group 1 sprints, the Railway Stakes (1200m) and the Telegraph Stakes (1200m).
Subsequent to the race, the winner, Dark Destroyer (Proisir) went amiss and has been spelled. Saturday’s transferred races, the Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) and the Arrowfield Stud Plate (Gr 1, 1600m), resulted in more fall-out from Hastings’ first day.
Dynastic (Almanzor) took out the El Roca Trophy (Listed, 1200m) from Pier (Proisir), but in Saturday’s Guineas showed little, even though perfectly positioned upon straightening. In his defence, he had to be used up early but the pace was moderate.
From the same day, Best Seller (Wrote) was a clear winner of the Gold Trail Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m). Her effort in the Guineas included some acceleration along the fence from the 200 metres but she soon petered out to run sixth.
Four weeks between runs might be a reason for these less-than-anticipated performances but the very holding track that day seems to be a common factor in the case of the two warm favourites.
Defying the holding Hastings track were Saturday’s clear-cut winners, Pier and La Crique (Vadamos), both placed at Hawke’s Bay on day one of the Triple Crown meeting.
Familiar family in Guineas winner
Golden Mile (Astern), the exciting winner of Saturday’s Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), represents a family familiar in New Zealand. His granddam, Gold Rocks (Oratorio), lives at Waikato Stud.
One of the best fillies of her crop in Western Australia, Gold Rocks succeeded in Perth’s biggest race for two-year-olds, the Karrakatta Plate (Gr 2, 1200m), and when retired to stud had one foal in Australia, dual Listed-winning two-year-old Calavarite (Lonhro), the dam of Golden Mile.
In foal to So You Think (High Chaparral), the mare landed at Waikato Stud in 2013 where she dropped a filly named Gold Rush, winner of the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m). Her 2014 foal, also a filly, Gold Fever (Savabeel) repeated her half-sister’s deeds by winning the same Matamata Breeders’ Stakes the following year.
Her 2017 colt foal, Tommy Gold (Sacred Falls), also won at two and has twice placed at Listed level in Sydney and Melbourne. Six foals to race, five winners including three two-year-old stakes winners and now granddam of a Caulfield Guineas winner makes Gold Rocks a prized mare for New Zealand.