Husson Eagle resumes at Caulfield on Easter Saturday - Steve Arnold to ride

As I prepared the monthly accounts for February it became apparent we had the least number of runners in a month for some time.  This trend has continued into March with a big majority of our team either spelling or starting preparations.  Also about 50% of our team is yet to get to the races.  Our results have nevertheless been very strong with seven runners in March producing two winners for a strike rate of 28.5% for the month.  Our number of starters will increase as we head into April with some of our high profile horses starting to hit the track. 

We will also start to see some more of our two year olds starting to race with Shining Brooke likely to be the first next Wednesday at Sandown.  In all we have 15 two year olds on our books with at least half of these likely to run before the end of the season.

Our only runner for this weekend is The Deestructor who heads to the Gold Coast on Saturday.  The big wet around Brisbane has really caused our team a lot of issues over the past six weeks although hopefully the worst of it is now behind us.

I’m really looking forward to attending the 2nd day of the Championships at Royal Randwick.  It should be a great occasion.  I’m also heading to Caulfield for Easter Saturday and will be interested to see the renovations to the facilities that have been made at the course.

Atalanta Miss pictured as a yearling - paraded at last year’s Inglis Open Day at Oaklands

SYNDICATORS INFORMATION DAY - CAULFIELD 18 APRIL 2015

Racing Victoria Limited in partnership with The Melbourne Racing Club are hosting a Syndication Open Day at Caulfield on 18 April.  I enjoy these days as they give me the opportunity to showcase the achievements of Prime Thoroughbreds against those of our opposition. 

Our results are hard to beat.  Look at these figures:

Yearling purchased 2012 and 2013 – 27 (originally 29 but two died before racing)

Horses to the races – 26 (96.29% 26/27)

Winners – 22 (81.5% 22/27)

Stakes horses – Savoureux, Hijack Hussy, Husson Eagle, Sanosuke

(The only horse not to race was Stimuli which was placed in a barrier trial at Wyong yesterday)

At last year’s Inglis Open Day for Syndicators at Oaklands Junction 49 yearlings were catalogued to be paraded by various syndicators.  Prime Thoroughbreds paraded two yearlings including the Adelaide Magic Millions winner Atalanta Miss.

In fact Atalanta Miss has won two of the six races won by these 49 yearlings as at 20/03/15.  The other yearling we paraded was Go Arrivederci which ran in a barrier trial at Wyong yesterday and all being well should make her debut in the next two weeks.    

No wonder I like highlighting our achievements on days such as these.  I look forward to catching up with any of our clients who attend the Caulfield meeting which coincides with the Sydney Cup meeting at Randwick.  I should have some runners on the day around the country.

CRICKET WORLD CUP VS RACING

I certainly enjoyed watching the Cricket World Cup and hope Australia can defeat India today and progress to the final against NZ on Sunday in Melbourne.  The tournament has highlighted the brilliant stadiums we have in Australia and NZ and just how well the crowds have been entertained.

I haven’t spoken to one person who has been disappointed with their day at the cricket and I’ve seen no criticism in the media regarding the tournament apart from the fact it has perhaps dragged on for a bit too long.

It will be interesting to see how the SCG wicket plays today.    

During the past 6 months I have been fortunate to attend race meetings in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart.  We have fantastic facilities to accommodate those attending meetings in each of these cities.

The big challenge for racing authorities is how to get the crowds back to utilize the facilities on offer.  As I see it the public really want to be entertained when they attend any event these days and also they need to be made feel welcome and provided with a first class experience. 

Race committees need to think outside the square to provide a positive environment for their patrons. The days of the Chairman and his/her committee hiding in the Committee Room drinking fine wine and eating the best food available are behind us.  The committees need to be out there ensuring their customers are having the best experience they possibly can.

I remember being invited to lunch in the committee room of one of our biggest clubs a few years ago and was surprised to hear the chairman of the club who I was sitting beside declare it was his job to oversee the club and not to be down in the common areas seeing what the paying public were enduring. Luckily he isn’t in a position of influence anymore.

INGLIS EASTER YEARLING SALE

The Inglis Easter Yearling Sales starts on 7 April and goes through until 9 April at Newmarket Stables in Sydney.  This hasn’t been a sale that I have done much business at over the years with only three of our syndicated horses coming from it in the 18 year history of us purchasing yearlings. It is Australia’s most expensive yearling sale with the average price expected to be above $250,000.  This is $85,000 more than the most expensive yearling I have ever purchased so you can see why I don’t do much business at the sale.

I also won’t purchase a yearling without having it vetted and I could get 100 yearlings vet checked with x-rays done at a huge cost for this sale and not get a bid in.

The sale is open to everyone and I recommend you head out to Newmarket and have a look at the sale and what comes with it.  As a high profile breeder said to me a couple of weeks ago ‘we enter our yearlings in a beauty contest hope we end up having one of the best sorts on offer’.  That sums it up with the best looking yearlings fetching incredible prices. 

Compare this with the football team you follow.  Are the ‘best looking’ players your best players?

YEARLINGS

I have included information on the Hinchinbrook filly out of Velasco for David Hayes and Tom Dabernig as well as the Hussonet filly out of Joyful Glow which will be trained for us by Patrick Payne.  These are both beautiful fillies and passed our selection criteria.

Hinchinbrook filly out of Velasco 2013, $9,000 per 10% share with $4,500 per 5% share

David Hayes and Tom Dabernig to train at Lindsay Park Euroa

Pictured above is a high class filly by Hinchinbrook out of the stakes winning Flying Spur mare Velasco which was Group 1 placed. Velasco has had three to race for as many winners including the Stakes winner Devoirs.

I expect this filly will race as a two year old but that she will be a really good three years old as she develops.

This female line is heading in the right direction with Velasco being the dam of the Anabaa mare, Reve de Victoire. Reve de Victoire is the dam of the Smart Missile filly I purchased at the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale in January for Charlie Goggin and Leuella Meaburn to train.

I am thrilled to have more exposure to the family and regard this Hinchinbrook filly as one of the very best buys at the Premier Sale.

This pedigree has a number of well-bred young mares at the top of the page with Devoirs first foal Edge away being placed 2nd at her only two starts including one behind the highly touted Darley colt Inner Circle (Street Cry out of Camarilla).

Hinchinbrook

I made a prediction before the start of this season that Hinchinbrook would be the best of the first season sires of his year.  There were about 50 contenders and as I write this he is in 2nd place and I am still hopeful he will finish on top as we move into the later part of the season. I have received good reports on Hinchinbrook’s progeny from Kris Lees, David Hayes, Tony McEvoy and Tony Gollan.

He was a top class juvenile winning the Group III AJC Skyline Stakes and Listed Canonbury Stakes before being the first colt home when fourth to Crystal Lily in the Group I STC Golden Slipper and was then third in the Group I AJC Sires Produce Stakes.

He then trained on at three for Group I placings in the AJC All Aged Stakes, MRC Oakleigh Plate and MVRC William Reid Stakes, before being injured in the UK while preparing for Royal Ascot and retiring with earnings in excess of $590,000.

He is a three-quarter brother to leading young sire Snitzel and Group III winner Viennese by champion sire Fastnet Rock from stakes-winning sprinter Snippets’ Lass.

Snippet’s Lass was the best mare trained by Bill Mitchell while I was with him and had one of the very best pedigrees in Australia.  While she was only small in stature she was big on quality and had a heart as big as herself.

Velasco

Velasco is by the great broodmare sire Flying Spur out of the Listed placed mare Vital Curves out of another Listed stakes mare Career Girl.  This is a great family and as I wrote earlier there are a lot of good mares in foal to the ‘right’ stallions at the top of the pedigree page.

I am pleased I am in a position to influence the future of this page by purchasing two good fillies from this highly promising family.  As I have written many times in the past ‘winning families tend to keep on getting winners.

Velasco has been recently purchased by Yarraman Park Stud which is a strong pointer to how they view her and will continue to be well bred.

The filly has been well received and I expect she will be quickly snapped up.

Hussonet (USA) Joyful Glow 2013

The filly

The filly pictured above is the 2nd foal of the well related mare Joyful Glow and comes from the family of the great mare Emancipation.  The first foal was placed 3rd at Morphettville 0n 7 March 2015 when a heavily backed favourite after having little luck in the running.  He had raced in the Listed Hill Smith Stakes three starts back and is by Al Maher which suggests the best is ahead of him.

This filly is a very good type of horse with a great hindquarter, is strong through the hocks, she has a good girth and nice head.  She walks well and is very well put together.  I liked the way she got around.

I am paying her up for the Adelaide Magic Millions Two Year Old Classic.  This filly comes from the Adelaide Magic Millions Sale which has been a great source of winners for Prime Thoroughbreds over many years.  I see no reason why this tradition should not continue!!!

Hussonet (USA)

Hussonet (USA) is one of the very best sires to have stood in Australia in the past decade with his progeny including the outstanding Weekend Hussler, Husson, Wild Spirit, Host, Eagle Falls, Gold Trail and Reaan being some of his 29 Group 1 winners.  In total he has had 93 stakes winners including our very good fillies Hijack Hussy and Huiskes.  I was also the under bidder on the Stakes winning Hussonet filly Member’s Joy.  I have only purchased two Hussonet fillies in the past.

It is important to plan ahead.  Hussonet’s daughters are now well sought after broodmares with good results being achieved crossing them with the many sons and grandsons of Danehill we have standing at stud in Australia.  Hussonet and his sons are also working in reverse with Danehill line mares.  Hijack Hussy is the result of this potent cross.

Hopefully this filly can follow the racetrack success of Hijack Hussy and Huiskes and secure a future for herself at stud after her racing career is completed.  Hussonet has jumped from 173rd to 54th in only his 2nd season on the broodmare list in Australia. Hussonet came to Australia as a relatively old horse from a stud perspective.

Joyful Glow

I love buying out of winning families and in this case we have the first three dams having 13 to race for 12 winners including the Australian Horse of the Year in Emancipation.

Other good horses to come out of the family include Royal Pardon (Group 2 winner placed in Group 1 AJC Derby), Magneto (Group 2 winner), Virage de Fortune (Group 1 winner), Railings (multiple Group 1 winner), Rumya (Group 1 winner), Appreciation (Group 2 winner) and Skilled (Group 1 winner) to name a few.

Joyful Glow was a winner and metropolitan placed in Melbourne and Adelaide.  She is by Jeune who has done a good job as a broodmare sire with two Group one winners amongst the 19 stakes horses to race out of his daughters.

This filly is heading to Patrick Payne who has done a wonderful job for us with the two yearlings I have purchased him being the high class three year old sprinter Husson Eagle and this year’s Adelaide Magic Millions winner Atalanta Miss.

At $4,000 per 10% share this filly represents wonderful value for our owners.  5% shares are available @ $2,000.