Merry Christmas!

Put a Share in this Racehorse Under the Christmas Tree!

Ready To Race with top Victorian trainer GREG EURELL

This athletic three year old is ready to commence his racing career. 

He’s by Al Samer (a Group winning son of Redoute’s Choice) out of 5-time winner, Lunarism (by Naturalism). She is already the dam of two winners, both of whom have also been trained by Greg Eurell.  The trainer of Group One winners Apache Cat and Pinker Pinker had this to say about the Al Samer gelding:

 “I have trained two foals from this mare and been successful with both. His half brother Street Eclipse is still racing and has won and had 6 placings from 13 starts so far.  He’s been unlucky in not winning more to-date.

“There is no reason to suggest this horse will not be a winner too. He is by an up and coming stallion in Al Samer and is typical of that breed in appearance and type.

“This gelding is in his second preparation with us and has learnt his craft well, doing everything right. He has been given plenty of time and has improved markedly from his first prep. He’s very athletic and a great mover.

I look forward to making it three from three with his family.”  Greg Eurell.

Al Samer - Lunarism

The gelding is registered for the Super Vobis Scheme, giving owners bonuses of up to $40,000 on top of the usual prize money. 

Shares in this horse are very reasonably priced at $2,000 per 10% share.

Join the OZ Racing team – they have been putting together successful racehorse partnerships for over 14 years!

Call Jane Henning on 0414 944094 for further details on this syndication.  

AFS no. 269277.

Examining Superior Runners by Non- Leader Board Stallions

It is always interesting to me when a sire who has been a little disappointing to-date - or in the past few years - throws up a classy racehorse.  What genetic kick in the ribs did the dam's pedigree give him?
A couple of cases in point are the recent stakes winners SOUTHERN SPEED, SKYERUSH and SINCERO.

Southern Image (USA)

Southern Speed is by Southern Image, a son of Halo's Image.  He stood out here for four seasons to 2009, his oldest being Southern Hemisphere four year olds.  To-date he's had 49 runners here for 23 winners, 22 of them vastly inferior to Southern Speed, winner of this year's Caulfield Cup.  What makes that mating tick?  Her dam Golden Eagle is by Zabeel - not only a leading broodmare sire but when combined with the pedigree of Southern Image, he creates a reverse Sir Ivor / Northern Dancer cross to that in Southern Image's dam.  Golden Eagle's damsire is Danehill, who was always touted as being a great cross for Southern Image.  He reinforces Halo on Southern Image's sire line, both tracing back to ALMAHMOUD, as does Danehill's grandsire Northern Dancer  (present three times in this mating).  Not only that, but his Northern Dancer / His Majesty cross is also present in Southern Image's dam.  A bit of Colonial speed is also injected via the tail female line, the granddam being a sister to Golden Slipper winner, Ha Ha.

Super Jet (USA)

Skyerush, recent winner of the Gosford Belle of the Turf Stakes (Listed), is by Super Jet, a beautifully bred son of Dayjur (Danzig) out of a granddaughter of a half sister to Mr. Prospector.  To-date he hasn't set the world alight, having produced 121 runners for 60 winners, however Skyerush is also Group 2 placed and four times Listed placed.  His next best runner is the Group 3 placed Afterburn.  Anybody with a grain of respect for the Rasmussen Factor or indeed merely sex balanced inbreeding, would think Skyerush's pedigree a very pretty mating.  Her sire Bellotto is a son of Mr,. Prospector, thereby creating 4f x 4m inbreeding to Mr. Prospector's dam Gold Digger.  Meeting up with his half sister Myrtlewood Lass on Super Jet's tail female line is a great pattern, complemented by the fact that Mr. Prospector also appears through a daughter (to sex balance the son, Bellotto) in Super Jet's sire, Dayjur.

Umatilla (USA)

While Sincero is by Umatilla, a stallion who has produced many classy runners over the years (19 Group winners), it's been a long time between drinks.  Four of Umatilla's six Group 1 winners were born in 1994, the other in 2000.  Recently deceased at the age of 23 years, Umatilla served his last mare in 2009.  In the year Sincero was conceived (2007) Umatilla produced a healthy 57 foals with fertility statistics over 85% in that year and all those preceding.  So what was special about As Always, dam of Sincero?
What caught Umatilla's genetic attention appears to be the presence of a sister to Umatilla's third dam, the predominant BEST IN SHOW, on As Always' tail female line. BEST IN SHOW is a taproot member of the TORPENHOW family, which is also represented in Umatilla's pedigree by his damsire, Nijinsky II.  It's interesting that another of Umatilla's Group 1 winners, Bohemiath, also carries Nijinsky II, creating sex balanced inbreeding to that icon.

A Great Week for Buyers of Mares Sold by Pedigree Dynamics

Just on a year ago, we advertised and sold an Irish bred mare named Finko (by Caerleon) in foal to Snippetson.

Finko (Ire)

Out of Rosefinch, a Group One winning mare over 2000 metres, Finko is also a half sister to a stakes winner over the same distance.  Her granddam Oh So Sharp was Top Filly on the European 3yo Classification, winning three Group Ones, being the English St. Leger, One Thousand Guineas and The Oaks.
On 12th October, Finko's Commands two year old JIMANDO became her first  stakes winner, scoring impressively in the Listed MRC Debutante Stakes at Caulfield.
Finko's owner Boyd Curran is understandably very pleased, especially as he now has a 'very nice' Snippetson yearling filly and the mare is about to foal to Dylan Thomas.
Jimando's trainer Tony McEvoy yesterday commented, ""His dam line says that he should be three and further and I never had any intentions of running him at two, but funny things happen with horses.” 
All we can say is congratulations to Finko's owners on an astute buy!

Rising Eagle

Late in 2009, Pedigree Dynamics sold Rising Eagle, a full sister to Ha Ha, with a lovely Host filly at foot and in foal to Snippetson.  On the 15th October, her new owner Robbie Proctor reaps the benefit of a boost to her pedigree when SOUTHERN SPEED won the Group One Caulfield Cup. She is out of Golden Eagle, a daughter of Rising Eagle.

Loving New (Brz)

Sourced, purchased and imported by Pedigree Dynamics for clients back in 2007, Loving New was Brazilian Champion 3 Year Old Filly, winning two Group Ones.
At the time of purchase, Loving New had produced one foal, Brazilian born QUESTING NEW, who has since become a Group One winner in that country.

Her first Australian bred foal was Dark Matter, a son of Stratum, sold as a yearling by Bellagio Lodge for $140,000. Purchased by Singaporean interests, the now 3 year old has had 4 wins, the latest on 15th October. Since his previous win, he finished second in the Group 2 Aushorse Golden Shoe.  His dam Loving New (Brz), now owned by Patinack, had a colt by Husson (Arg) this season, making him the product of an 'all South American' mating!

Start Looking Now!

Now is a great time to 'take stock' and assess whether you should be tweaking your Thoroughbred portfolio for the coming season.
If you are thinking of buying a stallion for 2012, start looking now before everyone else has the same idea.
The Aussie dollar is still strong and buying an overseas stallion or mare now is a sound plan.
Recent bloodstock sales in Europe and the USA experienced an upturn on the previous year and it's logical that ours will follow suit in the next year or so.
Locally, there are those looking to upgrade and others looking to sell.
If you have breeding stock, racehorses, young stock or stallions you either want to buy or sell, please give us a call!  We'd love to help you.

Mosayter's First NSW Produce Look the Goods

Mosayter foal and nanny

Blue-blooded sire MOSAYTER is producing some stunning stock out at Argyle Thoroughbreds' Central Tablelands (near Orange, NSW) property.
A dual UK winning son of Storm Cat from a Mr. Prospector half sister to two Group One winners (NASHWAN and NAYEF) and three other Group winners besides, Mosayter started his stud career in Western Australia.  After a few seasons of small books however, it was decided to better position the Sheikh Mohammed product for the market.
Owned by Pedigree Dynamics clients in Perth, we were asked to find Mosayter a new location last year.
Enter Louise Ellis from Argyle Thoroughbreds, who was looking for a foundation sire to service the growing number of Thoroughbred mares not only on-farm, but in the district.

Mosayter has been greeted with open arms by breeders in the area and these recent photos attest to the fact that he seems to be working well with local mares.
With strong, correct foals on the ground, many are sending their broodmares back to Mosayter for the 2011 season.
Mosayter has produced 16 winners to-date including a stakes place-getter and seven metropolitan winners.

**UPDATE** - Mosayter produced a metropolitan double at Ascot on 5th November.  Mr. Moet racked up his second consecutive win in 5 days, scoring as favourite in the 2100 metre event. This was his 5th career victory. Later on in the Summer Carnival program, Solsay, also favourite, landed a 1200 metre sprint, chalking up his third win in only 6 career starts.

The Cutting Edge of the Thoroughbred Industry

Most of us who buy young stock or own a couple of mares and outsource the agistment, foaling and service, have no real concept of how much hard slog goes into getting these animals off to a viable start.

The long hours, physical work, joy and heart break experienced by those actually charged with the responsibility of bringing healthy horses into the world are not for the faint hearted.

For several years now, I have kept my mares, foals, weanlings and yearlings at "Oaklyn Farm", a family run broodmare facility at Willow Tree, north of the Hunter Valley.

An unusual midday foaling on the farm

Bloodstock I manage for clients is also kept there, where I can visit and provide regular updates and photos.

With a record number of broodmares on farm for the breeding season, another pair of hands was welcomed when I offered to relocate my office (ie bring laptop and mobile!) for a few weeks and lend a hand during the peak of the season. Daily vet visits to monitor not only the health of new born foals and their dams but the fertility cycles of mares off to stud again (on top of the usual work necessary to keep a farm full of thoroughbreds fed and healthy), make for busy days.  What with the paperwork, phone calls and administration involved in getting mares back in foal, the work days flow straight through to busy nights on a small farm.

Foal watch has been interesting, to say the least! While the vast majority of births result in a healthy foal, several need immediate attention due to an assortment of possible problems. These include awkward foetal presentation, contracted tendons, low IgG (immunity) levels and even poor mothering skills on the part of the mare. All these possible problems (and much, much more) require eagle-eyed observation and experienced 'first aid', backed up by dependable, proficient vet care.

Hypothetical Scenario: As a broodmare owner, you get a call at lunchtime to tell you that your mare foaled at 3am, the foal took a long time to stand, he required supplementary colostrum in order to increase his IgG to an acceptable level and that the mare is a protective mother. After the vet's visit in the morning, all was progressing well. While obviously this doesn't sound the ideal start, you get off the phone knowing that all is under control. What you don't hear is that it was cold and raining at 3am, and that the staff carried out the usual ministrations in a wet and windy paddock. As the foal was not getting up any time soon, he was carried on a foal stretcher down to a warm dry stable, with Mum in close attendance.  Once ensconced there, the mare was checked over, given pain relief (and was not pleased at being given a needle) and offered a hard feed while the foal was thoroughly checked out.  The mare bit/ kicked the handler in her over zealous maternal state.  The handler then had to give the foal a supplementary bottle feed of colostrum (while fending off a protective mother), the mare having depleted her natural supply by running her milk a few days early.

While there are multiple variations of the foaling scenario, from 'absolute breeze' through to middle-of-the-night dashes down to Scone Equine Hospital's emergency unit, what impresses me is the unwaivering goal of ensuring the mare and the foal have every opportunity of becoming a healthy family unit, to the detriment only of the short term sleep deprivation / bodily safety and comfort of those people caring for your stock.  And when there's awful news (ie the foal's born dead, mare haemhorraged etc), you can be assured that while the news is devastating for the owner, it is a lot easier than actually being there, dealing with reality on the cutting edge. 

Best Value Sires $16,501 to $38,500

A few weeks back, we looked at the best value stallions priced $16,500 or under.  The article drew several comments and by popular demand, here are (in our opinion) some of the best value stallions offered in the $16,501 to $38,500 price range.  They’re listed in alphabetical order.

BEL ESPRIT

Yes, he is the sire of BLACK CAVIAR and her deeds did catapult him into 6^th place on the Leading Sires by Earnings List 10/11.  He did however, also finish 7^th on the Leading sires by Winners list.  His stats are actually very similar to those of More Than Ready for the same season, the latter finishing 5^th on the ‘Earnings’ list and 9^th on the ‘Winner’s’ list.  At a stud fee of $27,500, this son of Royal Academy has 12 stakes winners to-date.  Of those, six of those create line breeding to Vain (including BLACK CAVIAR) or to Vain’s damsire, Orgoglio.  A further three stakes winners create line breeding to  Nijinsky II’s ancestress, TORPENHOW via The Minstrel, Try My Best or Umatilla.  Bel Esprit stands in Victoria at Eliza Park Stud.

CHOISIR

This evergreen stallion couldn’t have done much more last season and early into the current season, is firing out winners left, right and centre.  An Australian bred son of Danehill Dancer, Choisir is a dual Group 1 winner and International Horse of the Year 2003, he is now the sire of Champion Sprinter in Europe and Australia, STARSPANGLEDBANNER.  Like Choisir, SSB will be standing in the Hunter Valley at Coolmore this season.

Of the 16 Group winners Choisir’s produced to-date, five carry Sir Tristram or his sire Sir Ivor; two carry Vain (including STARSPANGLEDBANNER) and two carry Nijinsky II.

Choosing the right stallion can come right down to the wire.

CONGRATS

A new boy on the block, Vinery Australia has already closed the2011 book on Congrats.  Champion First Season Sire in the US last year, he is proven to produce lovely, saleable types.

Not only that, but Congrats appers to be very easy to mate. By Seattle Slew’s son A.P. Indy (also sire of Bernardini), Congrats looks pretty with Northern Dancer and Mr. Prospector sire line mares as he provides those two influences through daughters (his first and second dams).  Not only does that point alone make him easy to mate, but his dam line traces to LA TROIENNE and reinforcing this line is also highly desirable.  Dam sires (and second dam sires) such as More Than Ready, Woodman, Hula Chief, Private Account, Buckpasser, Noble Bijou, Belong To Me, Air De France and Rhythm reinforce LA TROIENNE. 

DOMESDAY
At one stage the cheapest stallion on Darley's roster at $5,500, Domesday spent his first four seasons at Cootamundra, largely soaking up the local broodmare population and the less commercial of Darley's lovely broodmare band.  It soon became evident though, from the deeds of his first season foals that he was destined for higher status. He was relocated to Darley Victoria, with a rise in fee from $5,500 to $11,000 and served a personal best of 162 mares in 2010.
An immaculately bred stallion by Red Ransom out of member of the BEST IN SHOW branch of the TORPENHOW family, Domesday has shown a leaning towards his own female line.  Of his 7 stakes performing progeny to-date, Group 1 winner PRESSDAY (via family member Nijinsky II) and Group 2 winner DOMESKY (via Masterclass) are out of mares reinforcing this line.
Three of his stakes performers are out of Grand Lodge mares - a great ratio when it's known that he has only had 6 foals of racing age out of Grand Lodge mares for 5 runners and 4 winners (3 black type).
With an Average Earnings Index of a healthy 2.31, Domesday's stud fee this season is $22,000 - surely still great value.

HUSSONET

A sire of several Champions here, in the USA and in South America, Hussonet has recently relocated to Cornerstone Stud, South Australia.

Being by Mr. Prospector, he is a great outcross for the Danehill line and has proven this time and again.  Of his four Australian–sired Group 1 winners, three are from this line: REAAN (Danehill), GOLD TRAIL (Danewin) and EAGLE FALLS (Desert King).  In fact, of his 14 Aussie bred stakes winners, 6 are out of Danehill line mares.  He has also worked very well with Snippets mares, with 3 of those 14 stakes winners bred that way.  His Champion 3yo Sprinter WEEKEND HUSSLER is out of a Helissio mare.

Having peaked at a stud fee of over $137,500 in 2008, Hussonet stands at the very reasonable fee of $25,000 this year.

MOSSMAN

Having started his career in Queensland at the fee of $8250 in 2000, the son of Success Express had to make his own luck and the second to fourth seasons saw him standing for only $5500.  In the fourth season however, his progeny’s racetrack performance saw his book soar to 103 mares – 6 more than the first three seasons put together!

Mossman was moved to Vinery in New South Wales in 2004 and suffered a debilitating colic attack, resulting in a crop of only 18 foals that year.  So really, his foals born in 2006 (97 in total) are the first substantial NSW born crop.

While a Group 1 winner still eludes him, six of his stakes winners are Group 1 placed (including the full sisters SEGMENTS  - 2^nd VRC Oakleigh Plate - and PURE ENERGY – 2^nd STC Golden Slipper).  The quality of his girlfriends has been steadily improving and he has two unraced crops on the ground.

At a fee of only $27,500, Mossman is great value.  He is working with a variety of lines both Colonial-orientated like himself, and out of mares by imported stallions.

NOT A SINGLE DOUBT

As a Listed winner, Not A Single Doubt started his stud career at Arrowfield at a fee of $13,750.  His first crop yielded the subsequent Group winners DOUBTFUL JACK and ALWAYS CERTAIN and stakes placed My Girl Helen, while his next crop produced the highly talented SQUAMOSA and South African Group 3 winner, CASTLETHORPE.

Magic Millions winner KARUTA QUEEN capped off a great 10/11 season for Not A Single Doubt, placing him 2^nd on the Leading Sires of Two Year Olds by Earnings

While he is working with a variety of lines, two of his six stakes winners and one of his stakes placegetters to-date carry Sadler’s Wells.   It could be that Not A Single Doubt’s second damsire Grand Chaudiere may be linking up with Sadler’s Wells’ damsire Bold Reason, both being descendants of SUNSHOT.  This is supported by the fact that another of his stakes placegetters has Bold Reason in the dam’s pedigree and another has Never Bend as his second damsire.  Never Bend is a half brother to Bold Reason.

By Redoute’s Choice out of a half sister to Snippets, Not A Single Doubt is still great value despite the rise in his 2011 fee to $24,750.

SHOW A HEART

A long term resident of Glenlogan Park Queensland, Show A Heart is the only stallion standing there in 2011 in this fee range.  His nearest rival is Jet Spur at a fee of $16,500. Show A Heart’s fee this year was lowered to $27,500, a figure at which he hasn’t stood since 2007.

The sire of 14 stakes winners to-date, it is interesting to note that ten of those competed successfully outside of Queensland.  They include Group 1 winners HEART OF DREAMS and TOORAK TOFF.  Apart from heading the General Sires List in his home state, Show A Heart ended up in the National Top 20 Sires by both Earnings and Winners for the 2010/11 Season.

One of the very few successful stallions remaining from the Bletchingly sire line (Canny Lad being another that comes to mind), Show A Heart is working with a wide variety of pedigrees.