Hijack Hussy winning at Flemington on Melbourne Cup Day - Our most significant win for 2014/15 Season!!!

 

When Bill Mitchell retired at the end of 2005 I was faced with the decision to keep Prime Thoroughbreds as a Victorian based company or to diversify.  I decided on the latter model and today our company regularly races horses in five states.  The decision to split our team in 2005 wasn’t easy as we didn’t appear to have much fire power.  How wrong I was. 

Initially, the horses were split between David Hayes and Kris Lees.  At the time Prime hadn’t had a winner since May 2005 when Unabated scored a wonderful win at Moonee Valley.  Our next success was Raelene at the Gold Coast in December 2005.  I went to the sales in 2006 not really sure what to do but I was getting good feedback from David and Kris on the Prime horses they had under their care.  I decided to bite the bullet and purchased two horses for Charlie Goggin, one for Mel Eggleston and another ten to be split between David and Kris. 

The next two months were very difficult as I tried to get our yearlings syndicated and then our perseverance was rewarded with us winning ten races in fourteen days.  We were off and running again.  I had decided in late 2004 to go back to what had worked so well for us prior to moving to Victoria and to purchase a majority of our yearlings from the Hunter Valley Studs that had provided us with so many good horses in the past.  

We purchased some really nice two year olds at the sales in 2005 and these along with some well performed older horses that Bill had looked after so well gave us the basis of a strong team.  Some of the horses we had included Under Command, Unabated, Captain Chaos, Maha Chakri, Hidden Wonder, Lord Monty, Sun Glazed and Commands Gold.

We have certainly had some challenges over the past decade including the equine influenza outbreak in 2007 which caused us some huge issues and effectively destroyed over half our team of horses at a time when we were just getting some momentum up.

 

I have listed our winners for the 2014/15 season by state.  My decision to split our team in 2005 and give our owners the opportunity to race in several states has been vindicated once again.  The horses highlighted in red won metropolitan races.  It wasn’t our best season but certainly strong enough.

 

NEW SOUTH WALES

SAVOUREUX (2), UNIQUE (2), TERRA AMATA (2)

PITT STREET (1), RAIDO (3), STIMULI (1)

MAKEADANE (2), SANOSUKE (1), PRIME SHADOW (1)

VICTORIA

HIJACK HUSSY (1), HUSSON EAGLE (3)

AWASITA (1), SITKAMOSE (1), SHINING BROOKE (1)

QUEENSLAND

HIJACK HUSSY, SAVOUREUX, ANNAMAN (2)

MARASKA (2), FAITH’N’COURAGE (1)

THE DEESTRUCTOR (1)

SOUTH AUSTRALIA

ATALANTA MISS (2), INVINCIBLE ME (1)

TASMANIA

 

RUMERON (4), BELLA VENUS (3)

 

Total runners: 207. Winners: 40. Strike-rate: 19.3%

 

MY FAVOURITE TIME OF THE YEAR – IN MOST YEARS THAT IS!!!

The next four months are my favourite time of the year as we head into the Spring Carnivals in Sydney and Melbourne.  We start to see the two year old barrier trials commence and I can gauge how much ability some of the yearlings I inspected at the sales have got.  I also get a chance to assess how my judgement was in relation to where the first season sires sit.  I’ve been quite open in my assessment of the new horses and expect Smart Missile to be right up there by the end of the season.  There is also a ‘big smokey’ but I’ll keep that one to myself.

It is a time we should all sit back and admire the ability of our best horses.  The toughness and talent of our champion riders and the skills of our most talented trainers and their dedicated staffs.

Unfortunately this spring there will be a cloud over the results of some races with the trainers charged with cobalt offences looking as though they will be allowed to participate in the carnivals.  I don’t agree with the action taken by the authorities in Victoria and believe as many resources as needed should have been allocated to get the cases in question finalised before we get into the guts of the carnival. As one leading trainer said to me last week ‘ he was feeling a bit empty that his champion filly had been beaten into 2nd place in big Group 1 races not once but twice by horses trained by trainers who have been charged with cobalt offences’.

The head steward in Victoria recently stated ‘the cases against the trainers in question are strong’.  If this is the case ‘why’ are they still allowed to train.  It has annoyed me that we seem to have so many inconsistencies across the states and territories which have been highlighted through the cobalt scandals.  Racing is a big industry and I made the point recently via this medium that in my opinion the stewards should be divorced from their state and territory control and operate under a national umbrella away from any influences that may be seen to cause their position to be compromised.  I’m also certain it is time that the industry also came under federal control.

There is too much as stake for the participants of our industry for it to be allowed to meander along like a tired old river full of snags and toxic waste.  We should expect and demand strong leadership for an industry that sees 100,000’s of individuals and their families reliant on its integrity being vigorously upheld and protected to allow them certainty for their futures.

I am strongly of the belief that the decision handed down by the Victorian Integrity Services in relation to the trainers charged with cobalt offences was far from what was expected by a majority of the participants.  It is time for our leaders to realise ‘the game is far more important than any individual, irrespective of who he or she may be’.

 

MEN OF LEAGUE FOUNDATION 

   

With Alfie Langer at the Men Of League Gala Dinner in Sydney

 

I am and always will be a great supporter of Rugby League.  Some of my closest friends and family played the game, many at the highest level.  Unfortunately it is a game that causes a large number of its former players to have more issues than they deserve to have as they get older. 

The Men Of League Foundation was formed over a decade ago with regional committees formed to raise money to help support former players, officials and their families who from time to time need some support in their districts.  I have been humbled when I have learned of the time and effort put in by some of these committees and the great work they do, often under difficult circumstances.

I had a great night at the Annual Gala Dinner in Sydney recently where I caught up with a host of friends and really enjoyed the night.  A highlight was meeting up with Alfie Langer who I first came across when he was a 9 years old cricketer playing for Ipswich against my brother Bernard who was in the Toowoomba side.  Alan was a great cricketer and was later selected in a South Queensland side which I managed with Bernard also playing in that side. 

I also spent a couple of hours chatting with old friends Barry Muir and Johnny Peard.  They follow my horses closely and certainly let me know in no uncertain terms that I needed to get them a winner.  You forget just how much fun these fellows are to be with and the stories seemed to never end. 

 

 

THE WEEK AHEAD

The new season has arrived and hopefully it won’t take too long for us to post our first winner.  Our first winner last season was Rumeron which is running this afternoon at Hawkesbury for Kris Lees.  Can she get us off the mark two years in a row? 

On Friday More Than A Rose is set to run at Ipswich.  Saturday sees Faith’n’Courage run in Brisbane and on Sunday Maldicion makes her debut at Moe.  She will be our first runner with John Moloney and ridden by his nephew Patrick who is a great talent.

On Wednesday we are likely to have last start winners Maraska and Raido running at Doomben.  This is the annual Exhibition Day meeting which is one of the biggest on the Brisbane Racing Calendar.

We will have plenty of runners in the coming weeks including some of the nice three year olds we have looked after as they developed.  I suggest you follow the ‘Prime Team’ closely.  Thank god the tracks have started to dry out in NSW.  It has been a difficult few months for everyone racing horses in the ‘Premier State.

Prime Thoroughbreds is a Corporate Member of The Men Of League Foundation and for those of you who enjoyed watching the skills of the players of ‘The Greatest Game Of All’ I urge you to join up as members of this fine organization.  I love getting the quarterly magazine and I have been amazed at some of the information in it on friends I hadn’t seen for a long time.  Here is some information if you are interested in joining.   

 

SHARES AVAILABLE QUICKLY FILLING

 

In recent years I have had up to 50 shares to sell as we head into the new season.  This year I have just 8 to sell which is remarkable given we had 20 yearlings to syndicate which is easily our biggest ever number and also we increased our average purchase price from about $45,000 to $75,000.  Things are looking good for the future.

 

Written Tycoon colt out of Miss Fascination by Redoute’s Choice

Same cross as MASTHEAD winner of $969,176

ONLY 2 Written Tycoon progeny to race

With this cross!!!

 

The colt

He is a cracking type with a great looking head, powerful hindquarter, good depth of girth, strong forearm and great legs. I can’t ever remember getting as many compliments at a sale after purchasing a yearling.  In my opinion he was if not the best colt in the sale certainly in the top five as a type.

The colt has many things going for him including:

• He is the first foal of a well related Redoute’s Choice mare from a nice female line that has produced plenty of winners with the 2nd and 3rd dams being stakes winners.  These mares have had 18 to race for 14 winners.
• He vetted out without any issues and has good–rays.
• He has thrown very much to his grandsire Last Tycoon and the cross with this great sire’s daughters to Redoute’s Choice has produced an incredible 24 individual winners from just 29 runners with 8 stakes horses including Bonaria, Master Of Design and Drumbeats.  The latter two being sires standing in Australia. 

 

Written Tycoon

He is by a sire that has done a remarkable job since commencing stud duties in Australia.  Here are some important points on Written Tycoon.

• He is by Iglesia a super sprinting son of the great international sire Last Tycoon.  Iglesia still holds the track record at Flemington of 1 minute 7.16 seconds for 1200 metres.
• Written Tycoon is out of the very well-bred Marscay mare Yodells which again points to him being a sire that will get good fast horses but also nice 1600 metres types such as Rich Enuff.
• Written Tycoon is right up there with the best this season with 10 stakes wins to his credit.
• He had five individual stakes winners in February 2015, a remarkable performance.
• The breeders have continued to strongly support him with him covering his biggest book of mares last season at 177.  This is a big figure for a Victorian based sire.
• Written Tycoon crosses well with Danehill line mares.
• 15/06/15 Written Tycoon gets 100th individual winner for the season.

Miss Fascination

There isn’t much more to write about Miss Fascination.  This is the first foal of the mare and I do like purchasing first foals and particularly those out of Redoute’s Choice mares. I now have quite a few horses in our team out of Redoute’s Choice mares with Hijack Hussy being the best and only one to run at this stage and she was also a first foal.

There are a lot of myths about first foals but in my experience good breeders send their young mares to the best sires they can afford and I’m certain this is the case here.  To be successful mares need their progeny to come out running.

Only two Redoute’s Choice mares have had runners by Written Tycoon with Masthead being the best. He won $969,167 in stakes money.

 

 

Smart Missile filly out of Pine Rock

¾ sister to LONE ROCK Group 1 Winner and

Joint Top Filly of 2010/11 Australasian 3YO Classification (Sprint)

Kris Lees to train $12,500 per 10% share

5% shares available

 

This filly is a strong well balanced athlete that will continue to go forward as she commences breaking in at about the end of June.  She has a great hindquarter and is without doubt the best credentialed filly I have ever offered for syndication. 

She is a ¾ sister to the outstanding 3year old filly Lone Rock and winner of the Group 1 SAJC Goodwood Handicap.

The filly is also a ¾ sister to Pride Rock the VRC Riverside Handicap and Lucia Bella which was trained by Kris Lees and displayed great ability before going amiss.

The filly has many upsides including:

• As the ¾ sister to a Group 1 winner she has residual value and if she were to gain black type would be an extremely valuable breeding proposition after she completed her racing career.
• She comes from a great female line that includes some of the best mares in the Australian Stud book, Procrastinate, Personify, Galapagos Girl.
• There are quite of number of well-bred fillies high up on the page that should continue to see the pedigree page continue to improve.  

 

Smart Missile

I was confident after starting to inspect the weanlings and then yearlings of Smart Missile that he would make it as a sire and he is my pick to be Leading First Season Sire in 2015/16 season.

He has almost every important characteristic I look for in a potential sire.  In his case these are:

• He has a great pedigree coming from a strong female line that consistently produces black type horses that compete at the highest level. 
• His dam is a ½ brother to the outstanding young sire Northern Meteor who gave us a glimpse of his great ability as a sire in the three crops that have raced.
• He had explosive speed and was an exceptional two years old.  This is very important in Australia.
• He is by Fastnet Rock and represents the most successful sire line ever seen in Australia with his grandsire being the great Danehill.
• Importantly for a son of Fastnet Rock he isn’t too big.  In fact he isn’t unlike Australia’s current leading first season sire Hinchinbrook, also by Fastnet Rock in this regard.
• He was selected to stand at Arrowfield Stud by John Messara.  Studs always don’t get it right when standing sires but Arrowfield under Messara’s stewardship haven’t made too many mistakes when standing a new horse.
• Smart Missile is Australian bred and competed at the highest level in this country in our harsh conditions.  I can never understate how important this is.  If you want to confirm just how important this characteristic is have a look at the leading sire’s tables.

 

Pride Of Pine

There isn’t much more to write about Pride Of Pine.  She was a fast race mare that has done a great job at stud throwing three winners from four to race including the Group 1 winner LONE ROCK.

Pride of Pine is by Lion Cavern who is quite a good broodmare sire internationally but not well represented in Australia.  His two Australian Stakes horses are by Danehill line sires which may well be the key to his success.  He also has a very good horse by Exceed and

Excel named Flashman’s Papers which won 17 races two at stakes level.

I syndicated a filly which went on to win four races named Excellent Style by Exceed and Excel out of a Lion Cavern mare.  She was a very fast horse but lacked the strength of this yearling.

 

Overview

The most popular first season sire in many years, Smart Missile retired to stud in 2012 having captured the imagination of the racing industry with his undiluted brilliance. Smart Missile first revealed his devastating turn of foot when he won the Breeders’ Plate on debut.

That raw speed was displayed time and time again over his next five starts with several victories over previously unbeaten future G1 stars Sepoy and Foxwedge.

By Fastnet Rock from a half-sister to promising young sire Northern Meteor, it is no surprise Smart Missile is considered a most exciting prospect.

 

Superstar Colt of his Generation

Smart Missile, the brightest star of his generation, began his stud career in 2012 at Arrowfield Stud with outstanding support from Australian breeders.

The brilliant son of leading sire Fastnet Rock was unbeaten at two, defeated all his closest rivals at Group 2, Group 3 and Listed level, and was Group 1-placed at three in a six-start, 12-month career.

Smart Missile first caught the public eye with a sparkling trial win in September 2010, then came out on debut to win the AJC Breeders’ Plate 1000m LR by a decisive 1.5 lengths, despite being slowly away and racing very greenly in the straight. Runners behind him included subsequent ATC Hobartville S. G2 winner Wild and Proud and G1 performers Darci Be Good and Induna.

 

Industry Quotes

 "In our view, he was clearly the best two-year-old of a stellar generation, with the best of him not seen at three. Smart Missile made the impossible look easy, and in our view it’s that X factor which separates the exceptional from the merely outstanding."- John Messara