The Wasp (Pictured) made a very nice debut at Wyong on Tuesday

The Scone Racing Club headed up by chairman Noel Leckie once again did a great job with the Scone Racing Carnival.  It is a terrific two days of racing but more importantly it gives many of the major participants in the industry the opportunity to get together on a casual basis. Generally I get to see most of the breeders at the sales where it is all business.

This Carnival is the best held in Australia.  The quality of racing is of a very high standard and run on outstanding track.  I’m certainly looking forward to heading back to Scone once again next year.

DARREN WEIR, KRIS LEES, PATRICK PAYNE AND JOHN MOLONEY

Outstanding performances deserve recognition and while all our trainers do an excellent job I thought it appropriate to highlight recent achievements by these four trainers.  Darren Weir’s season is going from strength to strength and his effort in winning seven races last Saturday in three states including Group 1 and Group 2 races was exceptional.  He has left the other big players in his wake this season and is on track to set a new Australian record for the number of winners trained in a season.  The current record is held by John Hawkes set in the 2002/03 Season with 334 wins when had the ‘Ingham Empire’ supporting him.  Currently Darren has 277 wins to his credit.

Kris Lees is having another very good season and the job he has done with Lucia Valentina, Danish Twist and our mare Savoureux to name three being outstanding.  His training effort with Lucia Valentina in particular was one of the very best training performances we have seen by a trainer for a long time when she won The Queen Elizabeth Stakes, Sydney’s richest race.   

Patrick Payne is developing into the man for all seasons.  Patrick has long been regarded as a great horseman but his performances over the past year where his wins have included an Adelaide Magic Millions Two Year Old Classic, The $1 million Magic Millions Sprint and the time honoured Grand Annual Steeplechase at Warrnambool probably says it all.  If you get involved in a horse with Patrick Payne you are getting into a horse where the trainer’s prime focus is on the horse.  There are no hidden agendas with Patrick.  His efforts for Prime Thoroughbreds have been exceptional.  I have purchased him five yearlings of racing age with four to race with the results of Husson Eagle, Atalanta Miss, Invincible Al and Hussy’s Glow selling the story.

I had been looking for a trainer at Caulfield for some time and didn’t want to go to one of the bigger stables homed at the famous course.  I decided on John Moloney and again we have a trainer doing a wonderful job for us.  I always had a great amount of time for John and his family and followed his results closely. I relocated Maldicion to John and he has done a nice job with the filly. Last year I purchased John a Hinchinbrook filly which races at Flying Jess.  A couple of weeks ago she won the Group 3 SAJC Sire’s Produce Stakes at Morphettville. John’s team consistently punches above its weight.  He only has 25 in work which is his choice and this season has stepped out three of the dozen two year olds he has on his books.  The results three winners.   

ON THE TRACK

While we didn’t have any winners over the past week we certainly had some very encouraging performances.  All three of our Smart Missile fillies either raced or had a trial.  The Wasp and Chastity Strikes drew tricky gates with The Wasp running a nice 2nd after having to track wide and copping some interference in the run.  Chastity Strikes was never closer than three and four wide facing the breeze and was edged out of 3rd place in the closest of photos.  

Strike For Victory put in a nice trial at Newcastle and will need one more before she heads to the races.  She is a very fast horse.

Over the next few days we have some interesting runners with Hijack Hussy in the Listed SAJC Centaurea Stakes.  I’d love to see some rain in Adelaide.  Awasita resumes at Rosehill for Kris Lees and Lomazzo and Shining Brooke are set down to run at Newcastle although barrier draws will have a bearing on whether they run or not.

The owners of Miss de Vega had a frustrating week with the filly being set down to run at Scone but she damaged her eye and needed treatment which was disappointing but hopefully she will have her day in the sun.

Darren Weir suggested that Invincible Me had reached his level and the horse has been moved on.  Unfortunately they all reach the end one day and considering a few issues he had the horse did a good job.

NATIONAL JOCKEY’S TRUST LUNCHEON

The National Jockey’s Trust do a great job raising funds to help jockeys and their families who are doing it tough through injury or in some cases where the rider was killed in an accident.  There is no more dangerous profession that being a jockey and the risk their lives each time they ride one of our horses.  

The Trust conducts several functions each year to raise funds and their annual luncheon is being held at Caulfield on 19 July at a cost of $195 per head.  I urge you to consider attending the lunch as a positive way of displaying our appreciation for the great job the ‘little people’ do for us.

If you wish to attend please forward your attendance with the number of tickets you require to:

primethoroughbreds@hotmail.com

I will forward out details and accounts once I have final numbers.  I will be closing the function off on 31 June 2016.

The function will be held in the The Skyline Level of the Rupert Clarke Grandstand and the package includes:

• Entertainment
• 4-course meal (Entree, Main, Dessert, Afternoon Tea)
• Premium Beverage package (Beer, Wine, Sparkling, Soft Drink)
• Guest Speakers
• Raffle & Auction Items
• Enjoy the day with leading former jockeys
• Racebook on Arrival
• Racecourse Entry
• Reserved Grandstand Seating
•  

HINCHINBROOK

‘A DOMINANT SIRE IS EMERGING’

Hinchinbrook has only two crops of yearlings racing but his progeny have started to produce results that suggest we may have a new ‘Super Sire’ on the scene.

Look at these figures and you will quickly see where I am coming from.

Represented By Small Crops Of Yearlings

Hinchinbrook was only represented by 134 named foals in his first two crops with his oldest runners being only three years old.  Compare this with his sire Fastnet Rock who had 243 named foals from the same two crops.

Converts Winners To Stakes Winners

Hinchinbrook has a conversion rate of 14.6% winners to stakes winners which is exceptional.  Compare this percentage with Australia’s top five sires at present Street Cry 12.8%, Not A Single Doubt 8%, Written Tycoon 4.8%, Fastnet Rock 12.6% and Encosta De Lago 10.1%.

Gets Plenty Of Above Average Two Year Olds

This season Hinchinbrook has had more 2 year old stakes wins than any other sire standing in Australia with 7.  The next best five on the list are Written Tycoon 6, Not A Single Doubt 5, More Than Ready 3, Redoute’s Choice 3 and Exceed And Excel 3.  There is little doubt the other five horses named would have had more foals to represent them than Hinchinbrook with only 67 named foals in his two year old crop.

Hinchinbrook is equal 2nd with Sebring with 10 two year old winners for the season behind his ¾ brother Snitzel who has 17 winners.  Both Snitzel and Sebring are represented by far more runners than Hinchinbrook.

The Future

In conclusion, the figures being produced by the progeny of Hinchinbrook off two relatively small books of mares are exceptional and one can only imagine what he will achieve once the bigger, better credentialed crops to come start to hit the track.

Prime Thoroughbreds And Hinchinbrook

Prime Thoroughbreds has supported Hinchinbrook from day one and we have already been rewarded with the Group 3 Sires Produce Stakes winner Flying Jess wearing our colours.
Over the past three years I have offered seven Hinchinbrook fillies to the market but only have shares remaining in the yearling out of Kiss and Chase.  At $7,900 per 10% share she represents great value and will be trained by John Thompson at Royal Randwick.

Flying Jess winning the Group 3 SAJC Sire’ s Produce Stakes

HINCHINBROOK FILLY FROM VERY GOOD FEMALE LINE

Hinchinbrook filly out of Kiss ‘n Chase 2014- John Thompson to train at Randwick, 10 shares @ $7,900 each

The filly

This filly is a strong nicely balanced athlete that gets around well and has a real presence about her.  She is very strong behind and through the hocks which is a characteristic of the progeny of Hinchinbrook.

She vetted out without any issues and was reared at Yarraman Park one of Australia’s most well respected boutique nurseries.

The filly is at the breakers and will head to John for her first preparation after a four week spell once she has finished breaking.

Hinchinbrook

After I inspected the yearlings by the first season sires in 2013 I made the prediction that Hinchinbrook would be Australia’s leading first season sire.  He didn’t let me down winning the title in a field of over 50 contenders for the title.  This was a wonderful effort considering the horse didn’t serve a big book of mares and stood at a modest fee.

A lot of the credit for his success goes to the team at Yarraman Park.  The farm consistently punches above its weight with the yearlings coming off the farm setting the benchmark across our industry.  It should be remembered Yarraman Park’s I Am Invincible won the title in the previous season.

In winning the title Hinchinbrook not only got early runners but high class juveniles including the Group 1 winner Press Statement, our filly and Group 3 winner Flying Jess, multiple stakes winner Flippant and stakes winners Samara Dancer and the unbeaten filly Whispering Brook.

The success he enjoyed in his 1st season has continued on with him clearly leading the 2nd Season Sire’s Title with his progeny earning almost double that of his nearest rival.

Hinchinbrook’s conversion rate of winners to stakes winners is exceptional with 14.6% of his winners converting up to stakes winners.  This compares with Fastnet Rock 12.6%, Snitzel, Street Cry12.8%, Written Tycoon 4.8% and Not A Single Doubt 8%.  

Hinchinbrook 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.

I have been very big supporter of Hinchinbrook and have three two year old fillies at various stages of their development as well as two three year olds including Shining Brooke who is being prepared for the Spring Carnival.  Hinchinbrook really impresses me and during my visits to the Hunter over the past few months I have left each time with the feeling that he is going to be a great success at stud.  I can’t get enough of them!!!

Kiss ‘n Chase

Kiss ‘n Chase is by Red Ransom whose daughters when crossed with Danehill line sires being very good.  Some of the horses with this cross include Roll Out The Carpet, Red Ruler, Vavasour, Vilanova, Ovidio, Chance By, Secret Agenda, Reparations and Cape Kidnappers.

Kiss ‘n Chase was a good race mare winning four races and running 4th in the Listed AJC HB Carr Stakes.  She is a full sister to Kick ‘n Chase a winner of 4 races with $$252,540 in stakes earnings.  

Kiss ‘n Chase’s first foal is by Northern Meteor and heading to John Size in Hong Kong.  He recently won a trial and the information we are getting is that he has very good ability.  The 2nd also by Northern Meteor is trained by Laurie Mayfield Smith and he reports he is very happy with her.  

The first four dams on this page have had 22 foals race for 19 winners.

I am really looking forward to this filly racing and feel I purchased her well under the odds.