Bittersweet Oaks Success for Cambridge Stud

Media Release - Tuesday May 5

It was an emotional day on Saturday for the team at Cambridge Stud.

The prestigious thoroughbred nursery went through a tumultuous few months last year when losing three stallions, including flagbearer Tavistock, but they had something to cheer about on the weekend when celebrating his first Oaks winner.

His daughter Toffee Tongue went close when finishing runner-up in the Gr.1 Australian Oaks (2400m), but she was not to be outdone on Saturday when taking the inside alley down the straight to run away to a 0.8 length victory in the Gr.1 Australasian Oaks (2000m).

While it was Tavistock’s first Oaks victory, success in Classic races is not new to the ill-fated stallion.

Tavistock - image Trish Dunnell  He has sired three Derby winners – Tarzino (Gr.1 Victoria Derby, 2500m), Tavago (Gr.1 Australian Derby, 2400m), and Toffee Tongue’s full-brother Werther (Hong Kong Derby, 2000m).

He has also come close a number of times in an Oaks, with the previous placings of Harlow Gold (Gr.1 VRC Oaks, 2500m), Imperial Lass (Gr.1 Queensland Oaks, 2400m), and Toffee Tongue’s full-sister Milseain (Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks, 2400m).

“For him to get an Oaks winner was particularly satisfying because he has been close a number of times before,” Cambridge Stud’s Head of Sales and Nominations Scott Calder said.

Calder highlighted there could be plenty to look forward to with Toffee Tongue given her family’s tendency to get better with age.

“You only have to look at her pedigree to see what the potential upside is with her with Werther and the like,” he said.

“She is in the right stable with Chris Waller. It (Oaks win) is definitely a highlight but certainly one you would hope that she can go on and be better in the future.”

The victory was made even sweeter for Cambridge Stud with Toffee Tongue having been bred by the group who raced Tavistock, including trainer Andrew Campbell and Real Estate mogul Tommy Heptinstall.

“It was a bittersweet result,” Calder said. “On the one hand he is no longer with us, but on the flipside it was a fitting result with Toffee Tongue being out of Bagalollies and the personal connections with her.

“Bagalollies has been a big part of putting Tavistock on the map with what she has produced.

“To put Tavistock back up in lights, I was glad it was her because there are a lot of parallels between her and those who raced Tavistock.”

While Cambridge Stud lost Tavistock last year, Calder said the farm can continue to look forward to watching his last few crops compete on the track.

“His stud season was obviously cut short but he did breed to a number of mares (76) to give him a little bit of a last crop,” he said.

“He has got big numbers coming through and for us it was a case of believing he would really kick back with his better bred crops.

“In the next 12 months you are going to have those $65,000 stud fee foals turning three and that’s when you would like to see that momentum building.

“I certainly don’t think it will be the last race we have got to celebrate and hopefully in the coming seasons he will continue to remind us of what a loss he was.” – NZ Racing Desk

 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Antrim Coast to Fly Flag for The Oaks Stud
The well-renowned colours of The Oaks Stud will feature across two feature Trans-Tasman meetings this week, kicking off with Antrim Coast lining up in the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday November 5
Here is the full list of 145 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
$6million Frankel Mare Tops Fasig -Tipton November Sale
The Fasig-Tipton November Sale, billed as the World’s Premier Breeding Stock Event, was held Monday at the company’s Newtown Paddocks in Lexington, Kentucky. Twenty-five offerings sold for $1,000,000 or more, led by a trio of Grade/Group 1 winners with international appeal.
El Vencedor wins G3 Balmerino Stakes
El Vencedor is making a habit of picking up major victories at Ellerslie, adding the Gr.3 Balmerino Stakes (2000m) to his burgeoning record at Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup Day meeting.
Knights Choice a True Underdog Story
Punters were left stunned when the Queenslander Knight's Choice and Japanese visitor Warp Speed (JPN) emerged from the pack to fight out a dramatic finish to the $8,560,000 Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3200m) at Flemington.
2024 Melbourne Cup Result - It's Knights Choice
The 2024 Melbourne Cup has been run and won with Knight’s Choice, a five-year-old gelding by Extreme Choice victorious.
Kiwi Bred Gringotts Wins $3million Big Dance
Talented New Zealand-bred gelding Gringotts(NZ) (Per Incanto) delivered a big payday for his connections with victory in Tuesday’s A$3 million Big Dance (1600m) at Randwick.
Kiwi Bred Grey Wins Subzero for OTI at Flemington
New Zealand-bred gelding Cloudland proved a handful for James McDonald at Flemington on Tuesday, but the champion jockey was in a forgiving mood after they had claimed top honours in the Subzero Handicap.
Sires With Winners - Monday November 4
Here is the full list of 21 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
All Too Hard's Arran Bay Brave in the Furphy Plate
Phillip Stokes admitted his preference was to run Arran Bay in the Listed John Letts Cup at Morphettville but was overruled by the owners, who made the correct decision in favouring the Listed Furphy Plate (1800m) at Flemington.