Great photo of Awasita winning her 5th race on Saturday at Canterbury

Purchased for $80,000 - Earnings now $246,710

It is difficult to believe I am writing the last edition of Prime Dispatch for the 2015/16 Season.  It has been a great season for Prime Thoroughbreds with our horses performing well on the National Stage. 

We had many highlights with the win by Husson Eagle in the $1 million Magic Millions Sprint, Savoureux’s win in the Group 3 ATC Wenona Girl Stakes and Flying Jess’s win in the Group 3 SAJC Sire’s Produce Stakes being significant achievements.

On Saturday we could easily had a treble but came away with the great win by Awasita and second placings for Raido at Canterbury and Lomazzo at Newcastle.  It is a great thrill for our owners to not only have a horse good enough to run in Saturday metropolitan races but to be competitive.  I remember a few years ago a well-known AFL identity who had a small share in a horse with us.  At its first start it ran 4th at Flemington.  He lamented that that was the best result he had experienced with this being about the 16th horse he had had an interest in.  I’m pleased to report the previous 15 had not been Prime Thoroughbreds Syndicated horses

The six horses I have highlighted were purchased by me for $327,500 ($58,583 average).  They have won 21 of 95 starts and $1,708,788 in stakes money and have a combined value of well in excess of $1,000,000. I’m not saying every horse we purchase will be a racing success but our results are amongst the best in Australia.

CHANGING DYNAMICS

It is interesting to look back and see how the dynamics of our company have changed over the past decade.  10 years ago we had 80% of our horses based in Victoria with 20% spread between NSW, Queensland and Tasmania.  As we head into the New Season the breakup is NSW 55%, Victoria 30% and the remaining 15% spread between Queensland and Tasmania.

This change shouldn’t come as any surprise with racing in NSW having been on the up for some time which is attracting plenty of owners.  I was keen to consolidate our business and syndicating horses in South Australia had become too difficult and I currently have no horses based in the State.  

We still do race horses in South Australia with our three Victorian based trainers regularly targeting races over the border and if we felt a horse would be better placed in SA for a period we have Tony McEvoy on our roster of trainers.

We still race horses in Tasmania where we have a group of very loyal owners.  Stakes money needs to increase in the Apple Isle to at least match country levels in Victoria.  I see this as essential for the future of racing in the state.  Also the Hobart track needs to be dug up and rebuilt.

We have always had strong support in NSW and this has seen us gradually increase our numbers with stakes increases in the Premier State making racing there very attractive.  Recent stakes increases have seen Provincial races being increased to $27,000 and Country races increased to $20,000 with Saturday metropolitan at $85,000 and midweek metropolitan races at $40,000.  When BOBS bonuses are added on the races are worth very good money.  Essentially BOBS bonuses are available on almost every race in NSW for qualified horses which is a great incentive.

Another good initiative in NSW is for the major Country Cup meetings minimum stakes money per race is set at $30,000 with many worth more than this.  Also acceptance fees for Listed races in NSW are now funded by Racing NSW.

A lot of emphasis has been placed on Country Racing in NSW which is so important to the growth of our industry.  The success of the Provincial and Country Championships leading into the Autumn Carnival cannot be under estimated.  They had a huge impact in the bush with many country trainers and their owners now keen to purchase tried horses that are not up to metropolitan standard.  This helps everyone at a time when it has become more difficult to move tried horses into the traditional areas we have moved them on to.

A lot of the credit for these improvements must go to John Messara who has certainly done a good job on his ‘watch’ as Chairman of Racing NSW.  Well done to him and his board.

NSW VS VICTORIA

Up until couple of years ago Victoria was the ‘place to race’ with better stakes money on offer than in other parts of the country.  This is not the case anymore with NSW industry really putting the blow torch on racing administrators in Victoria.  Hopefully they are up to the challenge and don’t fall behind.

I will give you some examples of the gap that is starting to occur.  I know a counter argument will be that the stakes money on offer during the Victorian Spring Carnival is exceptional but so is the stakes available during the NSW Autumn Carnival.  

For example for the first week of the new season we have just eight meetings in Victoria compared with fifteen in NSW.    During this week in NSW $3,221,000 in stakes is on offer.  In addition BOBS bonuses are offered on 121 races.

In Victoria we have $2,026,000 in stakes for flat racing ($325,000 is allocated to two jumps races). In addition VOBIS bonuses are offered for just 10 races.

The number of meetings held in NSW for August is 62 compared with 35 in Victoria. Do your own sums but as I wrote the gap is widening.  

SKY CHANNEL VS RACING.COM

I feel as significant contributors to the industry we are entitled to know what the cost of providing coverage on Racing.com and through Sky Racing costs the industry.

We saw TVN closed down due to it being financially unviable and it was covering NSW and Victorian metropolitan, provincial and country racing.  

We still haven’t been told just how much TVN cost the industry but I expect the figures would have been ugly.

I hope Racing.com isn’t just another TVN waiting to happen?  While I don’t want to been seen as negative it does look like it is heading in the same direction.  As I understand it the Racing Industry in Victoria is funding Racing.com, but at what cost?  I’m tipping it is a substantial drain on RVL’s resources.    

TABCORP’s Sky Racing network has it all over Racing.com with all meetings in Australia being covered as well as many from overseas.  I love Sky Channel’s, Sky Racing Central.  It is terrific particularly on a Saturday when Sydney and Brisbane Metropolitan Racing as well as the NSW Provincial meetings receive comprehensive coverage.    

STABLE VISITS PATRICK PAYNE AND TONY GOLLAN

We have a visit to Patrick Paynes’s stable at Plumpton on Sunday 14 August 2016 at 10am.  On this day we will parade Husson Eagle, Atlanta Miss, Invincible Al, Hussy’s Glow, Honolulu Lass and the Delago Deluxe filly.  These are certainly a nice team of horses and I’m certain our owners are looking forward to seeing them.  Light refreshments will be provided.

On Sunday morning 7 August 2016 commencing at 9am we will be having a visit to Tony Gollan’s Eagle Farm Stable where you can meet Tony and inspect the horses we have in work.  At this stage Annaman, Husson Boots and Montana Pines will be at the stable.

Details of visits to our other trainer’s stables will be made available as we get closer to the event.

ON THE TRACK

This weekend we have Hussy’s Glow running at either Caulfield or Morphettville.  Go Arrivederci and Naranja get a final crack at a BOBS Bonus and are likely to run at Port Macquarie.  As I wrote earlier stakes money is very good in NSW Country Racing.

It will be interesting to see if Darren Weir can get to 350 winners for the season.  He needs just 6.5 wins to achieve this remarkable feat.

Will Smart Missile be crowned Champion First Season Sire?  He is currently just $505 ahead of Love Conquers All with both horses likely to have a couple of runners this week.

YEARLINGS ON OFFER

SNITZEL FILLY OUT OF SIGNORET

MAGIC MILLIONS AND SUPER VOBIS QUALIFIED

Snitzel / Signoret filly 2014 - Darren Weir to train

10 shares @ $12,000

The filly

This is a very athletic filly and she reminded me a lot of our high class mare Hidden Wonder when I inspected her at the sale.  This filly is a great walker and has a lovely stride.

She has a very attractive head and a great hindquarter.  She also has a deep girth and vetted out without any issues.

I was thrilled to get her as I expected she may have fetched quite a bit more at the sale.  A big bonus is that she was paid up for Super VOBIS which wasn’t advertised.  This was a big mistake by the vendors but a big help to the people who eventually race this filly.

She wouldn’t have been out of place in a much higher profile sale.

Snitzel

Snitzel is one of our very best sires and is currently 9th on the Australian General Sire’s List.  There are about 700 sires standing in Australia.  Snitzel was a high class racehorse winning four races as a two year old and highlighting his career winning the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate.  

I was keen on Snitzel as a yearling.  He was out of the high class mare Snippet’s Lass trained by Bill Mitchell.  She has gone on to be one of the very best broodmares in Australia and is also the dam of Australia’s leading first season sire last season in Hinchinbrook.  

You can never underestimate just how important the female line is when assessing a sire’s chances of making it as a stallion.

It is fair to write that Snitzel is the most prolific sire of two year old winners in Australia with him having sitred 25 individual two year old winners this season.  Compare this with Written Tycoon 8 and Not A Single Doubt 6.

Snitzel’s best filly was the wonderful race mare Sweet Idea.

Signoret

Signoret is by the Champion broodmare sire Anabaa.  Anabaa was a very good sire and was very well managed in Australia where he only served limited books of select mares.  Anabaa is currently 6th on the National Broodmare List.  Again there are hundreds of broodmare sires in Australia.  

As a result his daughters were very well bred and many come from ‘a’ grade families.  When you look at his statistics the big thing that stands out is the small number of runners which have put him in the this elite top 10 position with the likes of Zabeel, Danehill, General Nediym and Encosta de Lago .  Other horses of a comparable age in the top 10 are Encosta de Lago with 575 runners and Flying Spur with 450.  Anabaa only has 190 runners but many are high quality ones including Buffering.

HINCHINBROOK FILLY OUT OF KISS ‘N CHASE

BOBS ELIGIBLE

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 thoroughbred nurseries.

The filly has been broken in and is currently spelling.  She is due back into work in early August.

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.  He has continued on and has blitzed his opposition and will be the Champion 2nd Season Sire as well.

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 and 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 12.5% of his winners converting up to stakes winners.  This compares with Fastnet Rock 12.7% and is superior to Snitzel 10.6% and Not A Single Doubt 8.2%.  

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 and two yearlings.  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!!!

We have had terrific success with these including Flying Jess which won the Group 3 SAJC Sires Produce Stakes recently.  Shining Brooke has also displayed good ability winning twice.

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.