February 2nd, 2020 — Horse Racing, Value For Money
Well, that’s never happened before. It’s rare enough to have two representatives in a black type event but a one-two finish is pretty much the stuff of dreams.
El Gladiador has looked like a good horse in the making since his 2YO days but until yesterday appeared to be indicating that more time and more distance would be required for him to show his best form. The long-striding Ghibellines – Querella gelding cruised over the 1500 metres of the Listed event for a dominant victory and there appears to be plenty more in store for him if he continues to be ridden in such a positive style.
I’ve always liked Querella’s pedigree as she has three lines of Cinna. (Her grand-dam Quorn Vale is 2 x 5 to that great mare). She was a speedy racemare and, although her sire Haafiz was of little account (69 foals in 10 seasons), he had two significant pedigree advantages. He was by that excellent source of speed, Green Desert, and his dam was inbred to Ribot via Alleged and His Majesty.
When considering Ghibellines, it was his Danehill line which really appealed. The inbreeding to His Majesty had already worked well (Keeper being a case in point) and I reasoned that yet another line of Cinna would be no bad thing. Another factor in his favour was that he appeared to be an exceptionally well-made horse who would suit Querella very well from a conformational point of view.
Runner-up Tears of an Angel is by the under-rated Echoes of Heaven out of the Storm Creek mare Trickle. She is yet to finish out of the money and will hopefully pick up some bold black type in the remaining events in the South Island Filly of the Year series.
January 19th, 2020 — Horse Racing, News
We can all trace our love for racing to a special event or set of circumstances. For me it was listening to the radio as a small boy some 60 years ago and being enchanted by the magic of words. Blonde Sprite, Quite Able, Melodic, Isfahan, Fountainhead, Cadiz, Commanding, Minglow.. are names which resonate over the years.
Just yesterday I thought of those radio commentaries as Minglow’s descendant Showbeel won the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham. I’ve been privileged to have been involved in the recent fortunes of the family, being asked to advise on the matings which produced both Showbeel and her dam, the Galileo mare Showileo.
And all this happened because of Minglow’s daughter, the immortal Show Gate, the most memorable thoroughbred I’ve ever seen. Her performances at the 1974 New Zealand Cup carnival are the stuff of legend. On day one she wins the Stewards Handicap beating top sprinter Soliloquy over 1200 whilst giving her 11.5kg. The following Wednesday it’s the time-honoured Canterbury Gold Cup over 2000, beating the good mare Sobeit after getting into a remarkable amount of trouble in the running. Three days later there’s the Churchill Stakes over 1600. She carries 56.5 kg and comfortably beats top sprinter-miler Auditor who’s in receipt of 5.5kg.
Fast forward to 1997. I’d been having some success recommending matings to clients and decided that the time was right to publish an analysis of the yearling sale catalogues, the aim being to identify youngsters with the pedigrees to win good races. 1997 was a trial. My top selection was a chestnut filly by Lord Ballina out of the Balmerino mare, Show Queen, herself a daughter of Show Gate. When the sale results were posted I contacted Frank Ritchie who had signed for the filly and he passed on the contact details of Terry Archer, her purchaser.
The filly was named Showella. She didn’t look much like Show Gate but was good enough to win two Group 1 events and over $500,000. She’s also turned out to be an outstanding broodmare, leaving three SWs from five foals.
One of her non-winners is the Galileo mare Showileo. Not short on ability, she was seriously field-shy and soon retired to stud. After beginning her career with some promising offspring, she’s now made a significant contribution to her illustrious family.
Nowadays I yell at the TV set rather than listen to the radio, but the thill is just the same.
November 16th, 2019 — Horse Racing, News
That was quite a day. It’s always memorable to win a race on a Premier Day, but to win two, including a marquee event, at what I’ve always considered to be New Zealand’s leading racecourse, is more than a little special.
Our homebred Riviera Rock (5g Road to Rock – Sheezashotseye by Cicerao) prevailed in Race 3, a R85 2500 event, by an admittedly diminishing margin. Superbly ridden by Leah Hemi, he’s an on-pace runner who lumped 58.5kg to victory in the respectable time of 2:35.97. He’s not the easiest horse to train, having a more than impatient mindset, but Graham and Michael Eade have once again worked their magic with a Cloughmore horse, following in the hoofprints of La Nouvelle Vague, Comanche Gold, Tuscany Rose and the ill-fated Amigo.
The Dee and Gee saga has been thoroughly documented elsewhere on this site. Suffice it to say that our Cloughmore Racing Partnership still retains a minority share in the Darci Brahma mare, currently raced on lease by the Corbett-Charles partnership. Yes, there is a ROP clause in the lease agreement and yes, we are resigned to losing our interest in her for what now appears to be a paltry sum, but at least we can congratulate ourselves on selecting a very good stayer who just won the New Zealand Cup and… No. there aren’t too many more positives to add. Racing is nothing if not character-building.
It’s worth noting that Leah Hemi also piloted Dee and Gee to victory. She’s one under-rated rider.
Let’s hope that both horses continue on their winning way.
September 8th, 2019 — Uncategorized
I’m not a fan of the Messara report for two reasons. Firstly, the racing industry has never been an easy one to make a dollar in and, secondly, I can see no reason why some of the best tracks in the country are earmarked for destruction when rubbish ones will apparently survive.
The purpose of this article is not to get into the second argument, but to focus on the first. I’ve been breeding horses since 1974 and have never made heaps of money, I’ll admit, but I haven’t gone broke either – largely because I’ve managed (sometimes only just) to keep costs under control. For me and many fellow racing and breeding enthusiasts, the attraction of the industry is all about producing decent horses while keeping the balance sheet more or less in the black.
And it can be done by using reasonably priced stallions and avoiding over-priced agistment costs. (It’s only fair to mention here that, as a vendor, I avoid yearling sales like the plague. They’re great places to buy at but the unpredictability of the market and the eye-watering costs involved make them a financial nightmare.)
So which stallions are value for money? The following list is not an exclusive one, just a few horses which have caught my eye recently. And they’re in no particular order.
SATONO ALADDIN was a freakish racehorse with a pedigree which should suit a range of New Zealand mares. $12,500 is ultra-reasonable and the Japanese-born foals look just like him.
PURE CHAMPION was a warrior. As we become increasingly fascinated by inbreeding, we ignore soundness at our peril: this bloke started 50 times and ended his globe-trotting career by winning a Group 1 here as a 7YO. $4000.
EMINENT appeals strongly at $8000. A Group-winning and Group 1 placed son of Frankel and a real looker into the bargain.
EL DOUTE is a son of Redoute’s Choice with much more ability that his SP status would suggest. $2000 INCLUDING veterinary costs and agistment during the breeding season.
ROAD TO ROCK has always been a favourite of mine. The sire of Beauty Generation is only $2500 per mare if you send two of them and his winners to starters ratio is an impressive 60%.
NADEEM has an even more impressive ratio of 66% and he’s a stallion who responds especially well to one of our key bloodlines. $5000
BULLBARS hasn’t set the world on fire as yet but is tracking nicely nonetheless. He appeals as likely to leave decent stayers in the next few years. His fee is either $5000 or $4000 depending on whether you consult Arion or the current Stallion Register.
ROC DE CAMBES is just a nice horse. The sire of a Derby winner and a Group 1 victor in Australia is good value at $5000. You’ve usually got to wait for his progeny, but what’s an extra 12 months if you get a good one?
KEANO is still $2000 despite his 16 winners from 24 starters.
And yes, I have put my money where my mouth is. So far I’ve booked mares to Pure Champion (2), El Doute and Road to Rock. One mare, Flirtation, to go.
All the best for the breeding season.
March 17th, 2019 — Uncategorized
When I included the Pins – Seven Schillings filly in my list of recommended lots in the Select session of the 2017 Karaka Yearling Sale, it wasn’t a difficult choice.
I wrote at the time…” Pins has reached that stage in his career where buyers are taking him very much for granted and forget his outstanding statistics. This filly has a late foaling date, something which can be safely ignored in assessing her potential. She’s also out of a Group winning O’Reilly mare. Case closed.”
Understandably, I’ve followed the filly’s progress closely since she was knocked down to the bid of long-time client Kevin Hughes. And progress she certainly has. It’s one thing to win the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes on your home track; it’s quite another to beat a genuine Group 1 contender at Trentham after a lengthy season.
It’s also one thing to win a Listed fillies’ event at Wingatui at your previous start by running your opposition into the ground with an impressive display of sustained speed; it’s another to settle near-last in a Group 2, loop the field and simply out-tough your rivals.
What staggers me about Emily Margaret is that toughness. After her Canterbury Belle success she spoilt her chances on several occasions by racing over-enthusiastically and failing to settle. Kevin has clearly worked his magic on the filly by turning this behaviour around without giving her a lengthy spell. Also, the decision to book experienced rider Robbie Hannam was an inspired choice.
Getting back to Emily Margaret’s pedigree, the success of the Pins – O’Reilly cross has been well-documented but I suspect that the influence of the Three Legs stallion Shannon has also been a factor. Clearly, he has passed on his grey colour but his ability to find that extra gear when necessary is also replicated in Emily Margaret.
March 9th, 2019 — Horse Racing, News
Sometimes you feel that the fates spend most of their time concocting cunning plans with the sole aim of preventing your horses winning important races.
Such was the case at Ellerslie yesterday when the rains came and destroyed the chances of Dee and Gee and Rikki Tikki Tavi winning their respective events. Both mares need good ground to show their best form and I had no hope that they would finish as close as they did.
The upside of all this is that RTT will be easier to place in the future, especially as she won’t gain more than a couple of rating points for her efforts. As for Dee and Gee, she’s the sort of mare who, with an ounce of luck, will one day win one of our major staying events. (Fingers crossed everyone, please).
To cheer myself up, I thought I’d do a little addition. To date our racing partnership has contained pretty much the same membership, with just the occasional variation. To date we have owned 12 thoroughbreds of racing age; eight have been retired and four are still in action. Seven of the twelve have been winners, accumulating 36 victories between them.
There are a couple of statistics which do provide a warm glow when the fates do their worst. Firstly, of the seven winners, six have gained black type. Secondly, the twelve horses have accumulated $996,533.38 in stakemoney. Just $3466.62 to go.
Getting back to RTT for a moment, I’m really looking forward to breeding from her. Although Tavistock has gone off the boil in a reasonably spectacular way, she’s got an awful lot of her damsire Volksraad in her, so I’m not too worried. Furthermore, several aspects of her pedigree cross really well with Danehill, so she won’t be difficult to mate.
The lessees of Dee and Gee have a right of purchase on her; I can’t imagine them not exercising it. For the sad, sad story of the circumstances leading to the lease have a look elsewhere on this site. The search facility usually works quite well.
February 10th, 2019 — Uncategorized
The Karaka Sales are always bursting with hype of one sort of another. What spins my wheels is being able to buy into yearlings which are at the very top of my list. I’ve learned over the years that “OK” yearlings are best avoided; the ones who repay you are the ones you really, really want.
This year we are now the proud co-owners of two colts and a filly which not only have strong pedigrees; they are also excellent types.
The first purchase was Lot 982, the colt by Proisir out of the three-win Yamanin Vital mare Yamanna. The female family abounds in stamina and I felt that Proisir would maintain the staying-orientation of the mare whilst adding a touch of speed and class. The son of Choisir pushed Dundeel hard in the Group 1 Spring Championship Stakes and has been well-supported at stud. We are fortunate to currently part-own the Derby prospect Super Gee; hopefully our new colt has the ability to follow a similar path.
The sale then moved onto Book 3. Astute trainer Frank Ritchie outlaid $13,000 for Lot 1113, a chestnut filly by El Roca out of the Sir Percy mare Lady Grace. I was quickly on the phone as this was the filly I rated as the best prospect in this section of the sale. The dam was herself a $75,000 yearling and, in spite of being somewhat injury-prone, had scored a facile maiden victory over 2200 at Wingatui. The pedigree is jam-packed with desirable crosses and the recent performance of El Roca’s 2YOs indicates that we may just have pulled the right rein.
Finally, there was Lot 1278 – a stunning colt by Jimmy Choux – Danness (Danske). Although Jimmy Choux is unlikely to ever be champion sire and is anything but currently fashionable, he can leave a good horse. I’ll analyse our colt’s pedigree in depth should his performances match his looks, but suffice to say it has a range of highly desirable features. At $5000, he could turn out to be a bargain.
January 20th, 2019 — News
Racing is many things to many people but most of us involved would agree that it’s character building. I really did believe that Dee and Gee (Darci Brahma – Gabana by Jungle Pocket) could win yesterday’s Wellington Cup and she certainly tried her heart out before coming up two inches short. The Russians have a proverb which states that when God shuts a door, he opens a window and, whilst not being a religious bloke, I’ve come to admire the philosophy behind the idea.
A couple of posts ago I referenced the success of horses raced by our partnership. Since then Rikki Tikki Tavi (Tavistock – Macinally by Volksraad)) has gained a meritorious second in an Ellerslie open class sprint and Super Gee (Super Easy – Arctic Heights by Johar) has impressed winning a special conditions event at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. Amidst the ashes of yesterday’s defeat I was able to console myself with the thought that Dee and Gee’s placing had taken stakes won by Cloughmore Racing Partnership horses to over $500,000 ($521,152 to be exact). Not bad for an outlay of $93,000.
As you’ll imagine, I’ve spent much of the last three weeks perusing The Karaka Sales catalogues. It’s blindingly obvious that with each year that goes by conformation increasingly weighs more heavily than pedigree in the criteria which determine which horse gets into which part of the sale. To me, this is an opportunity to identify horses in the lower two sales which have pedigrees to create decent race records in spite of what they look like in late January/early February. Dee and Gee was a December foal and out of a Jungle Pocket mare. Many buyers would have been suspicious of Jungle Pocket, whereas I was in the fortunate position of knowing enough about him to form a different opinion.
Anyway, let’s hope our partnership can find another contestant for one or more of our major races. And let’s hope that this time we don’t have to console ourselves with Russian proverbs
January 1st, 2019 — Horse Racing, News, Winners
Yesterday’s win by the son of Super Easy was one of my biggest thrills in racing. As many readers will know, when you are convinced that you’ve got a really good horse the anxiety levels go through the roof. You worry about his inexperience, his ability to handle the Ellerslie noise and the sheer bad luck that can defeat any animal. You think about his previous start when he bumped the smart Spring Bouquet just short of the line and got himself relegated. Would he find another way to lose a race he really should win?
Thank goodness all went well. After being tightened for room at the 1200 and losing his position, he was steadied by Cameron Lammas and encouraged to relax and keep rolling along. In the straight he had to move sideways to take advantage of a gap – and looked more than a little awkward in doing so – but when through the gap off he went to the winning post in the style of a horse who is clearly looking for more ground.
Chris Gibbs, Michelle Bradley and their staff have done an outstanding job educating Ed. In his early days he showed a marked preference for doing things his way and he’s still very much a work in progress. However, their patience and persistence has paid off and I’m sure all my fellow owners are equally grateful.
Super Gee’s win was Cloughmore’s eighth success from just twenty starters over the last eighteen days. Also noteworthy was All In Mana’s explosive victory at Awapuni. The son of Rip Van Winkle and All In Black showed too much class for his R65 rivals and appears to have a bright future. Our homebred Riviera Rock also showed improvement with a four-length win over 2000 at Gore. Trained by Graham and Michael Eade, he cruised away from his opponents over the concluding stages and gave the impression that going over more ground was not going to concern him.
Best wishes to all readers for a happy and successful New Year
November 10th, 2018 — News, Value For Money, Winners
Those of you who read these posts regularly will no doubt recall the bitter-sweet nature of our connection with yesterday’s Riccarton stakeswinner, Dee and Gee.
A yearling purchase by Shaune Ritchie, the daughter of Darci Brahma and the Jungle Pocket mare Gabana was highly rated in my Karaka Sales Analysis of 2015. Our Cloughmore Racing Partnership happily bought into the filly, who looked exceptional value at her $16,000 purchase price.
Dee and Gee raced four times as a 3YO. Although she showed some promise she didn’t meet the requirements of a majority of her owners and was accordingly leased to the South Island. I’ve written before about the wisdom of not unloading a staying bred thoroughbred too quickly, especially if it’s a late foal, but there’s no point in re-opening old wounds.
Anyway, yesterday was her day. Masterfully ridden by Cameron Lammas, Dee and Gee led for the last 2000 metres of that time-honoured contest, the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Metropolitan Handicap, and was simply too good on the day. She will no doubt take her place in the field for next Saturday’s New Zealand Cup and here’s hoping that she does herself proud.
The untarnished bright side of all this is that Dee and Gee has given credence to the concept behind the Cloughmore Racing Partnership. Buying small shares in nicely-bred and competitively-priced yearlings certainly seems to be working. Apart from our two current 3YOs, my partners and I have bought into seven yearlings. One broke down as soon as it went into work, another wasn’t much good and two others were placed, both having leg problems which shortened moderately promising careers.
The other three yearlings developed into Candle In The Wind (G2 placed, $208,805), Rikki Tikki Tavi (Listed placed, $112,187) and now Dee and Gee (SW, $109,485).
The total purchase price of all seven yearlings came to $93,000. To date our purchases have returned $430,477, with hopefully more to come. We have minority shareholdings in all our horses, so none of us have become rich, but winning 16 races and making a profit on our initial investment has been a blast.
Incidentally, the two 3YOs are Sir Ralph (Iffraaj) and Super Gee (Super Easy). Together they cost $24,000; both have won two trials.
