This One Won’t Be Getting Away

Tara Madgwick - Tuesday January 23
The late great Thorn Park was often lamented as the one that got away by Australian breeders after his rise to champion sire status in New Zealand, but the same mistake will not be made twice.

A powerhouse chestnut with an electric turn of foot, Thorn Park capped a stellar career for astute Randwick trainer Bob Thomsen with a win in the Group I QTC Stradbroke Handicap earning himself a ticket across the Tasman and a stud career at renowned Kiwi nursery Windsor Park Stud.

Thorn ParkLike Australian bred sprinter miler Pins, who was also dispatched to New Zealand four years earlier, Thorn Park found immediate success before going on to be Champion New Zealand Sire in 2011.

He died prematurely in 2012 at the height of his fame leaving some impressive statistics that make us all wonder how good the son of Spinning World (USA) could have been given he only ever had eight full crops of foals.

Thorn Park had 435 runners for 307 winners (70.6% winners to runners) with 50 of those being stakes horses (11.4% stakes horses to runners).

His 29 stakes-winners are headed by seven exceptional Group I winners, three of them champions that won five Group I races each in Jimmy Choux, Ocean Park, Veyron, two more dual Group I winners in Suavito and Norzita as well as The Party Stand and Ryan Mark.

Very few stallions produce multiple Group I winners, so to have five of them suggests Thorn Park was a stallion of the highest quality.

Depth of female pedigree, given he came from the legendary Denise's Joy family, coupled with brilliant speed are often touted as the key ingredients for his overwhelming success and they are shared by his lookalike son Spieth.

Spieth - Grant CourtneyAcquired by Aquis Farm late last year, Spieth is getting ready for an autumn campaign with his new trainers David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig at Lindsay Park.

Spieth will be raced by Aquis Farm and partners in the Aquis Farm silks and the partnership will feature several prominent industry figures who have a savvy eye for an opportunity to not only get in early on a talented future stallion, but also the chance to race with the Aquis Farm team.

Win, lose or draw in coming months Spieth already has the attributes for sire success.

A $200,000 NZB Premier purchase from Trelawney Stud, who also bred and sold Thorn Park's Cox Plate hero Ocean Park, Spieth won five of his first eight starts before being beaten a short head in the Group I VRC Darley Classic at Flemington to Malaguerra.

Spieth resumed after a short break over Christmas 2016 to go tantalizingly close to Group I success in the prestigious Group I VRC Lightning Stakes.

He went down by a short half head in a pulsating finish with Terravista the winner and Star Turn in third place.

Spieth - image Grant CourtneyThere is no denying his Group I ability and on the pedigree front, Spieth is every bit as well-bred as his illustrious sire.

Completely free of Danehill blood, Spieth traces in tail female line to internationally renowned matriarch Fanfreluche, whose descendants include champion Australian sires Encosta de Lago and Flying Spur as current Group I sprint star Russian Revolution.

His dam Stella Livia (GB) is a half-sister to Group I winner Ransom O'War and her branch of this super successful family has also produced Champion Miler Charm Spirit (IRE), tipped to be the star first season sire at Karaka next week after his progeny found favour at Magic Millions earlier this month.

Whatever the future holds for Spieth on the racetrack, his stud credentials will ensure a warm reception from astute breeders looking  for an outcross sire when he ultimately retires to Aquis Farm later this year.


Advertisment
More Reading...
2024 Favourite Foal Winner
Firstly we’d like to thank everyone for taking an interest in our foal gallery and supporting their favourites, but there was always a sentimental top pick for many and the most famous foal in the country has now won his first race!
Four MM Lead Ups for Icarian Dream - what are the stats?
Two-year-old filly Icarian Dream’s win in the B.J. McLachlan Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday will see her head into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic having had four starts before year’s end, which might seem a lot in this day and age – but is it? We’ve had a look.
Promising New Winner for Black Caviar
The racing and bloodstock world were saddened earlier this year following  the passing of undefeated world champion sprinter Black Caviar and her memory was recalled at Wangaratta on Monday when her three year-old filly Persian Caviar made a winning debut.
Juvenile Trial Watch – Rosehill
A busy set of trials at Rosehill on Monday morning featured four heats for juveniles and the winners were all unraced youngsters by Tassort, Too Darn Hot (GB), Super Seth and Golden Slipper winner Farnan, while a Wootton Bassett (GB) colt showed he could possibly still get to the Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
Sires With Winners - Sunday December 22
Here is the full list of 54 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Little Brose to Stand at Little Avondale
Arguably there is no better stallion making race in Australasia than Victoria's only Gr.1 event for two-year-olds, the Blue Diamond Stakes, and when you add the hottest bloodline in the Southern Hemisphere to the mix, you have an exciting stallion prospect. 
Brave Smash Winning Double Hong Kong
The Sha Tin meeting on Sunday produced some great  results for the Yarraman sires with Brave Smash (Jpn) posting a winning double and Hellbent siring a promising new three year-old winner.
Vale, Don Goodwin
Don Goodwin, the breeder of 11-time Group One winner Verry Elleegant, has passed away, aged 86.
Is He the Next Via Sistina or Buckaroo?
The Fastnet Rock x Galileo cross is a formidable one and has produced this spring’s elite Group I winners Via Sistina (IRE) and Buckaroo (GB) with another lightly raced import bred the same way in Gilded Water (GB) going two for two in Australia with a cavalier win at Randwick on Saturday.
Hong Kong Summed Up - Dec 22 - Brave Smash Winning Double
A double for Brave Smash, including a new winner, also new winners for Hellbent and Kermadec, and three yearling catalogue updates amongst seven Australasian bred winners at Sha Tin on Sunday.