Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday March 8

OK, so we received no brownie points for bravery in selecting odds-on favourite Santos, a grandson of Emirate Park’s excellent broodmare Elated Lady, as last week’s Best On Breeding, however, we will be sticking with the Emirates Park theme for this week’s tip.

Back in 2002, Emirates purchased the imported mare Nanshan (IRE) off Rob Ferguson for $425,000 when carrying a filly by the great Zabeel.

Bred by Sheikh Mohammed, Nanshan (IRE) was a beautifully bred daughter of the superb racehorse Nashwan out of Pass The Peace (Alzao), the Champion 2yo filly in Ireland at two in 1988 when she won the Group 1 Cheveley Park Stakes at Newmarket.

Pass The Peace produced another Cheveley Park winner in Embassy as well as the Group II Pretty Polly Stakes winner Tarfshi.

When Nanshan (IRE) passed away in 2011 she had left nine winners from 11 foals however her only black-type performer was the Danewin filly Shaan who was third in the Listed James Carr Stakes at Randwick.

A solid if unspectacular record at stud.

But back to that Zabeel filly in utero when Nanshan (IRE) was purchased by Emirates Park in 2002.

Her name was Regard and she was purchased by trainer Graeme Rogerson on behalf of Lloyd Williams for $235,000 at the 2004 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

She had just three starts, winning at Bendigo and Sandown and finishing second at Geelong, before finding herself back in the sales ring at the 2008 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale where she was knocked down to Steve Brem, on behalf of Vinery Stud part owner Greg Perry, for $340,00.

Tragically, Regard was destined to have just two live foals before her death a few months after her mother.

The first was the champion, Atlantic Jewel.

Demi O’Byrne signed the ticket on behalf of a Coolmore Syndicate for the daughter of Fastnet Rock at the 2010 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

What a superstar she proved to be. The winner of 10 of her 11 starts including four at the highest level and run down by Dundeel in the shadows of the post in the Group 1 Underwood Stakes, Atlantic Jewel was exported to Ireland in 2014 to begin her career as a broodmare.

The second and final foal of Regard was Commanding Jewel. The daughter of Commands followed her half-sister into the same sale ring a year later where she was purchased by Brad Spicer for $205,000.

Twelve months after Atlantic Jewel won the Group 1 One Thousand Guineas at Caulfield, Commanding Jewel added her name to the honour roll.

Commanding Jewel has a yearling colt by I Am Invincible and a filly foal by More Than Ready (USA). She was bred back to I Am Invincible last spring.

Four years after foaling Regard, Nanshan (IRE) produced a filly by General Nediym (pictured ) who was consigned by Emirates Park to the 2004 Magic Millions.

It was Graeme Rogerson again putting pen to paper but this one named Lady Beckworth carried the silks of Bruce Reid Racing.

A winner on the Kensington track at Randwick at her second start, Lady Beckworth’s form tailed off and her final three starts in a 12-start career came at Dubbo, Wellington and Cowra where she failed to add to her winning tally.

Covered by Not A Single Doubt, she was consigned to the 2011 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale where she made $120,000.

But Atlantic Jewel and Commanding Jewel had yet to bolster the pedigree page so it was a different story at the Bell River Thoroughbreds dispersal in 2016 when Lady Beckworth was offered with a positive test to Hinchinbrook.

Newgate Farm’s Henry Field needed to go to $400,000 to secure the daughter of General Nediym on behalf of SF Bloodstock.

Just as significant was the fact that Lady Beckworth’s first visit to Hinchinbrook had produced the classy filly Flippant who had already claimed a pair of Listed races.

Last Saturday at Flemington, Flippant took her stakes tally to four when claiming the Group III VRC Frances Tressady Stakes while taking her earnings to $655,360 a significant return on her $220,000 purchase by McKeever B/stock at the Magic Millions.

Waiting in the wings was the third foal of Lady Beckworth, a Snitzel filly named I Am Excited who is raced by Bell River Thoroughbreds in partnership.

A 2yo winner at Warwick Farm, I Am Excited placed in the Group II Furious Stakes at Randwick and Group III Red Roses Stakes at Flemington before making a winning debut in 2018 over 1100 metres at Rosehill Gardens on February 24.

The David Pfieffer-trained filly gets her chance to open her stakes account in Saturday’s Listed Fireball Stakes (1000m) at Randwick where the Magic Millions 2yo Classic heroine Houtzen is likely to be the bookies elect.

A win by I Am Excited will certainly make Newgate Farm just that as they will be offering a full brother to Flippant at the upcoming Easter Yearling Sale.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Juvenile Trial Watch - Three States
Some interesting two-year-old trials around Australia on Monday with a couple of first season sires showing up, a high priced Horses In Training graduate and a pointer to one selling at Magic Millions Perth this week.
Group One Blue Diamond Barrier Draw
The Blue Diamond Stakes barrier draw is done for the first two-year-old Group One of the season and connections of the favourites will be on good terms.
Fierce Impact 2YO Aiming For Stakes Racing After Riccarton
Former champion jockey David Walsh scored his first training success in more than two decades when Leah Hemi saluted aboard Zelia at Riccarton last month, and the local horseman is hoping the same combination can put in a repeat performance at the Christchurch track on Wednesday.
Latest Golden Slipper Order Of Entry
The latest Golden Slipper order of entry has been released by Racing NSW with Farnan's Inglis Golden Gift winner North England sitting at the top, while one of the highest earning youngsters in the country has nothing to show for it.
OTI Racing Acquire Oaks Prospect
Australian syndicator OTI Racing have added a $1 million Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) contender to their New Zealand racing arsenal after securing promising filly Twisted Love last week.
Group One Winning Savabeel Mare Retired
It was an emotional day at Te Akau Racing’s Matamata stables on Sunday when co-trainer Sam Bergerson farewelled Skew Wiff for the final time following her retirement from racing.
Pivotal Ten Highlights Valachi Downs Legacy
Kevin Hickman has left a lasting mark on New Zealand’s breeding industry, with the recent success of sensational filly Pivotal Ten an embodiment of his vision at Valachi Downs.
Juvenile Trial Watch - Rosehill
There were six juvenile heats at the Rosehill barrier trials on Tuesday with a first look at two impressive youngsters by I Am Invincible a highlight along with another Farnan youngster confirming his talent.
Yulong Acquire Australian Guineas Favourite
Yulong have announced they have acquired ruling Australian Guineas favourite Angel Capital.
Blue Diamond Market Movers Trying To Defy History
A day out from acceptances, the Monday market moves in the Blue Diamond have come for two horses trying to defy recent history on several fronts, while the favourite has paid up.