Big Days

There are big days and there are big days. In Australian racing and breeding there is no more influential day than Golden Slipper day at Rosehill. The history and reputation of this being a race to make stallions was apparent from the very outset. The first edition, in 1957, was taken out by a colt named Todman, a son of the imported stallion Star Kingdom. Sent over from England, where he had been known as Star King in his guise as a smart sprinter, Star Kingdom and his progeny quickly made the Golden Slipper their very own. Todman was the first of an incredible five winners in a row for Star Kingdom, who was also Australian Champion sire of 2YOs seven times. Since then the race has been taken out by Champion stallions such as Marscay, Vain, Flying Spur and other important sires such as Luskin Star, Rory’s Jester, Marauding and Canny Lad – all great examples and progenitors of good Australian juvenile speed. More recently the race has been won by current top-class stallions Stratum and Sebring, while very recent winners Sepoy and Pierro are two of the most in-demand young stallions in the country. The 2013 and 2014 editions had passed without a colt winner, Overreach too speedy in 2013 and the first seven home all fillies in 2014, so it was pleasing to see a colt back on top this year. More than pleasing was the fact that the colt was JHB and Gai Waterhouse yearling purchase Vancouver, who followed up a devastating victory in the Todman Stakes with a pulsating Golden Slipper triumph this past Saturday.

Purchased for $185,000 at the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Vancouver has done everything asked of him in increasingly impressive fashion to remain unbeaten in four starts, and to deal with a horror barrier (under an excellent Tommy Berry ride) of 18 with such aplomb marks this colt down as one cut from the very finest of cloths. Just as important is that it places Vancouver down as a stallion prospect who will be in high demand, with outstanding good looks and a top-class international pedigree to complement his exemplary race record. Honours go to a magnificent piece of training from Gai Waterhouse, who equalled her father T.J. Smith’s record of six Golden Slipper winners after the previous successes of Ha Ha (2001), Dance Hero (2004), Sebring (2008), Pierro (2012) and Overreach (2013). Plaudits also go to a fantastic group of owners who are enjoying every minute of the fantastic experience that this magnificent colt is providing them with – and a well deserved experience that is.

Saturday also saw, at last, a well-deserved Group 1 for fellow JHB and Gai Waterhouse Magic Millions purchase Sweet Idea. The former bridesmaid grabbed the bouquet in aggressive fashion to stun her rivals in the Galaxy, such an impressive win over 1100m first up surely the sign of a most productive preparation in store for the daughter of Snitzel. This was another top training performance from Gai to get this filly to begin her campaign in such impressive fashion. Despite this being her first Gr.1 victory, Sweet Idea’s career has highlighted just how lucrative it can be to race horses in the vibrant Australian environment at present. As befitting a filly as good-looking as she is, Sweet Idea was by no means a cheap yearling at $240,000, but her purchase price pales in comparison to what she has now earned on the track. Saturday’s win took her earnings up to an incredible $2,415,350 for a filly who has only twice in her life finished out of the first four. Congratulations to her ownership group who have had a fantastic run with this filly and one which looks well set to continue.

A Good Day’s Sport

Some days everything goes right, some days everything goes wrong. This past Saturday everything went right.

First up to bat was Vancouver, who was both bought by JHB in conjunction with Gai Waterhouse and in whom also JHB obtained a share in on behalf of Edmund and Belinda Bateman after the colt had been an impressive winner of the Breeders’ Plate. The colt faced a quality, select field in the Group 2 Todman Stakes at Royal Randwick, notably recent Group 2 Silver Slipper winner Headwater. In the race a quality colt became a potential superstar as Vancouver produced a performance out of the very top drawer to simply destroy his rivals and bound clear in the manner of a top, top class horse. Gai’s handling of this colt has been nothing short of outstanding, always with the Golden Slipper and Triple Crown in mind. His owners, Barbara & Francis Kennedy, Angelo & Alison Konstantatos, Julia Ritchie, David & Susan Healey and Edmund & Belinda Bateman should be proud and excited in equal measure as their colt will line up in the Golden Slipper firmly as the horse to beat. For a two-year-old to beat the juvenile record and be within touching distance of the track record proper at a circuit so historic as Royal Randwick marks Vancouver as something very special.

Second to the crease was Wandjina in the Group 1 Australian Guineas at Flemington. This colt by stallion sensation Snitzel was an outstanding yearling, secured by JHB on behalf of Edmund and Belinda Bateman for $1 million at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale and had won the Group 3 C.S. Hayes Stakes on his previous start. Wandjina has come of age this prep, and blossomed into a colt who is at the very top of the tree and demonstrated that to tremendous effect with a performance marked as much by toughness as it was by brilliance. Breaking brilliantly, Wandjina quickly took control of the race and gave a relentless display of galloping, quickening off a fast pace and putting two lengths on his rivals in the manner of an exceptional colt. The others were entitled to close on him late, but to do all the work and sprint away from a class field in 33.37 for his final 600m marks Wandjina as a colt as being at the top of the tree. All credit goes to Edmund and Belinda Bateman for having faith in their colt who has rewarded them greatly in becoming a high-class stallion prospect, to Gai Waterhouse once again, who had him cherry ripe and to Brett Prebble for an outstanding front-running ride. Special mention and commiserations go to Damien Oliver who has been an instrumental part of Wandjina’s preparation, riding him in all of his fast work and jump outs as well as for the C.S. Hayes win – he was unable to take the ride on Saturday due to suspension, so here’s hoping that he’ll get another chance to get a Group 1 win on this exciting colt.

Third stakes winner of the day was Nayeli, another purchased by JHB in conjunction with Gai Waterhouse and owned by the Kolivos family. Nayeli was a top-notch two-year-old when winner of the Group 3 Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield and on Saturday she bounced right back to her best to beat a high-class field in the Listed Fireball Stakes at Royal Randwick. Credit once again goes to Gai and the Kolivos family who have been patient with this filly after a challenging preparation last time in and Gai looks to have Nayeli right back to her best now and should be in for a productive time with this smart filly.

The Good Days

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

This famous phrase is never truer than when applied to racehorses. Planning for Group 1 races begins months in advance, and each of those months must pass by perfectly and without setback, so small are the margins for error at the top level. After the suitable races have been identified and the preparation executed, even the most fitting of races have up to twenty rivals, for each of whom the race has been a plan and for each group of connections a win is the dream.

Such a plan had been the case with Shamal Wind, a JHB private purchase for the Love family in May last year. This explosive daughter of Dubawi had yet to gain a breakthrough win at Group level, though had been placed four times at both Group 3 and Group 2 level and gaining a win at this level was the express aim behind the purchase for a mare clearly capable of such a victory.

What followed was an exciting, yet ultimately frustrating preparation where Shamal Wind was placed a further four times at Group level, including when beaten a mere inch in the Group 2 Caulfield Sprint, a race she had been a similarly close second in twelve months previously. Donna and Rob Love retained faith in their mare, and she rewarded them on her return this January, looking as good as ever when slamming her rivals in the Listed WJ Adams Stakes, a race she had also won twelve months earlier. Then, in consultation with trainer Robert Smerdon, Donna and Rob, it was decided to keep her fresh for a run at the Group 1 Oakleigh Plate.

The thinking behind a run in the Oakleigh Plate is that a Group 1 placing would add plenty to her broodmare value, and just as much that 1100m under handicap conditions at her home track is certainly what Shamal Wind does best. In the run up to the race, Robert Smerdon executed the plan to perfection, keeping the mare fresh and well between runs and for her part, Shamal Wind was electric.

Rider Dwayne Dunn again excelled in having Shamal Wind in the right position, and though that position looked impossibly far back on the home turn, when he asked Shamal Wind to get down and race, she unleashed her trademark devastating sprint. With ears firmly pinned, she ran home in a world-class 32.99 seconds for the final 600m, with her final four 200m sections run in an average of 10.85 seconds – it would have been no surprise to see burn marks on the Caulfield surface!

To place in a Group 1 was the best laid plan for Shamal Wind, for her to win was the ultimate thrill. Her owners, the Love family, could not be more deserving of this win at the top level – the first in their unique love heart colours – and look sure to have plenty more big days with this incredibly tough mare, both on the race track and later in the breeding barn.

Wandjina Comes of Age

Sometimes it takes a bit longer to harness a talent. One such horse who has always demonstrated a huge amount of talent, but has taken a bit of knowing and figuring out is JHB purchase Wandjina, who broke through for his first stakes win this past weekend in the Group 3 C.S. Hayes Stakes at Flemington.

Wandjina was an exceptionally good-looking yearling when bought at the Inglis Sydney Easter Yearling Sale, and in training quickly showed that had the talent to go with his looks. He was out early, and an impressive winner at the first official 2YO trials at Royal Randwick. Despite doing plenty wrong, he went on as a 2YO to be an impressive winner of his maiden at Warwick Farm, and in the frame in two Slipper lead-ups, learning all the time.

During his 3YO Spring campaign we learned plenty about Wandjina. In the Caulfield Guineas Prelude he came from an impossible position, still 13th at the 400m pole to fly home for fourth, gaining rapid ground on a top-class field. It was a similar story in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas where he again stormed home, running the fastest final 1200m, 1000m, 800m, 600m and 400m of the race in the manner of a horse with a high-class future. He was then set the daunting task of a Cox Plate start against the best horses in Australia, and again emerged with a huge amount of credit. This time breaking well on terms with the field, he showed his speed once again, right on the pace in one of the fastest-run Cox Plates in history, the final time just outside Might and Power’s track record. Wandjina’s talent was again evident, making a bold move on the home turn and beaten just 3.5 lengths in an outstanding field.

After showing such strong form in Melbourne, it was decided to keep Wandjina down in Victoria and aim at the Gr.1 Australian Guineas for his Autumn campaign. Stage one of the plan was to take in the Gr.3 C.S Hayes Stakes and Wandjina very much came of age to break through at stakes level, battling strongly to fend off Disposition and Stratum Star. This time he was again up with the pace, but well rated by Damien Oliver and again came home in some high-class sectionals, now in the manner of a racehorse approaching the finished article.

Congratulations must go to Wandjina’s owners, Edmund and Belinda Bateman who have shown great faith and patience in this colt, to trainer Gai Waterhouse who had him ready to go for this first-up assignment and also to jockey Damien Oliver who has got to know Wandjina very well this preparation and given great insight into getting the very best out of him. His win on Saturday was the latest step along this path.

Best days ahead for JHB purchase Adrift

When Adrift was purchased at the 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale by James Harron Bloodstock, she was bought as a filly for whom an Oaks would be an ultimate aim. Prior to last weekend all had been going to plan, with her winning her second two starts in impressive fashion, over 1850m and 1600m and in the style of a filly who will relish getting over an Oaks trip.

Fast forward to her current preparation, and she was sent straight into the fire for the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes. With First Seal, Peggy Jean, Mossfun and Amicus all Group 1 winners, the field was an exceptionally strong one and Adrift was taking these proven Gr.1 horses on at level weights. In the event, Adrift, carrying the famous colours of John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds, quite simply came of age with a brilliant performance, showing tremendous natural speed and the tenacity of a highly-promising filly to hold off First Seal.

Adrift is a three-parts sister to Maldivian who, while a Group 1 winner at 1400m, was at his best beyond that distance in a career which was highlighted by a Cox Plate win. They are both by the incredible Zabeel, and a delve into the statistics points to some amazing facts with regard to Zabeel’s progeny. Adrift is only the second filly by Zabeel to win a Gr.2 or Gr.1 race at 1200m, the other being Peruzzi who also won the Light Fingers fully 20 years ago in 1995. Indeed, Zabeel sired just one winning filly at 1200m in the whole of 2014, that being Katie’s Cove who won a maiden at Matamata, and was later second to Chautauqua in the Hawkesbury Guineas. Zabeel’s statistics over further distances are quite extraordinary. He is the sire of seven individual Oaks winners, amongst thirteen Gr.1 winning fillies at 1800m and beyond.

With that in mind, it’s quite amazing how Adrift was able to defeat a top-class field on fillies at 1200m in her first foray into Saturday company, let alone her first try at Group level. Congratulations go to her great group of owners, and with her pedigree and profile in mind, Adrift surely has her best days well ahead of her.

Golden Colt

Something that the very best horses have is a touch of the X-Factor, and that is certainly the case with JHB and Gai Waterhouse purchase Vancouver who followed up his all-the-way win in the Listed Breeders’ Plate with a brilliant come-from-behind win in the Group 3 Canonbury Stakes at Rosehill this past weekend. For a two-year-old to have shown such versatility at an early stage is a certainly a rare event, and doing all of that while giving 3kg to a very promising field of colts marks Vancouver down as a Golden Slipper prospect of the very highest order.

Vancouver was a $185,000 purchase from the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from the draft of Coolmore Stud on behalf of John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds. Most excitingly, Vancouver has the pedigree to back up both this early racetrack brilliance, and to suggest that he will only improve as he develops and matures. He is out of the stakes-placed Skates, already dam of a Gr.1 winner in the shape of Juste Momente. Skates is out of Doncaster winner Skating, who is also the dam of Breeders’ Plate winner Murtajill and Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner Bradbury’s Luck.

Congratulations to a fantastic group of owners in Vancouver, including majority shareholders Francis and Barbara Kennedy, who have now incredibly been involved with the past three Breeders’ Plate winners, as well as long-time JHB clients Edmund and Belinda Bateman who secured a share in this exciting colt prior to the Canonbury Stakes. This also represented a great training effort from Gai Waterhouse, getting Vancouver ready on the day with so much on the line on his path to the Slipper. A colt with the ability, pedigree, looks and with a touch of the X-Factor, Vancouver is the kind of horse to keep everyone associated with him dreaming big.

Shamal Wind does the job

There can be no horse more deserving of getting their head in front than Shamal Wind, and there certainly aren’t many owners who deserve to win more than the Love family, so it was a thrilling day when their tough, speedy mare, Shamal Wind, got the job done in the Listed W J Adams Stakes at Sandown this week. Donna and Rob Love are great supporters of racing, so it was great to see their mare deliver the equal highest-rated performance of her career.

Shamal Wind was a private purchase by JHB on behalf of the Love family, and since then she’s gained four further Group placings in addition to Monday’s win – task number one now will be getting that first and well deserved Group win! Special thanks must also go to trainer Robert Smerdon and rider Dwayne Dunn who executed the race to perfection.