Best On Breeding - Hawkesbury

Mark Smith - Wednesday August 21

Thursday's Listed Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury features a descendent of a mare that has a truly remarkable story.

Long before the great Shergar and the hugely influential broodmare Fanfreluche hit the headlines after being kidnapped, a filly by the Australian champion Noholme went missing from the stables of Italian trainer Luigi Turner.

This was no ordinary filly. It was the 1975 Italian Oaks and Fred Darling Stakes winner Carnauba owned by the Texan oil tycoon Nelson Bunker Hunt.

Hunt received a ransom note for $300,000 for Carnauba's safe return but he refused to pay and despite the price being lowered the answer was always the same, no deal. Eventually the kidnappers were apprehended but Carnauba was still missing until one day Luigi's son Frank tracked her down to a slaughterhouse.


Apparently, the classic winner had been taken to a riding academy attached to a girl's school. She had her mane cut right down and shoes removed. The ruse didn't work as the flighty 16-hand thoroughbred didn't fit in and she was quickly dispatched by the riding school.

Looking a long way off the sleek thoroughbred she was, Carnauba was only recognised by Frank Turner through her distinctive markings. She was less than 24 hours away from being killed.

Though she never raced again, Carnauba went on to live a long and productive life at Bunker Hunt's Blue Grass Farm in Kentucky.

She had 11 foals, 8 raced and 7 were winners led by the stakes-winner Valid Carnauba who had two stakes winners of her own as did her half-sisters Lyphard's Holme and Rich And Riotous.

The latter is the dam of Group II Prix d'Astarte winner Shaanxi, who placed in the Group 1 Prix du Moulin de Longchamp and Poule d'Essai des Pouliches, while Rich And Riotous's stakes-winning daughter Kraemer is the granddam of Group III Jersey Stakes winner Ouqba who ran Paco Boy to a neck in the Group 1 Lockinge Stakes.

A winning sister to Valid Carnauba, Carnival Appeal is the granddam of Love Valentine (Fruits Of Love) who is the dam of the Rowley Mile topweight Duca Valentinois (IRL).


A son of the former Coolmore and Aquis shuttler Holy Roman Emperor (IRE), Duca Valentinois (IRL) was originally purchased by Johnny Murtagh from the Drumbaragh Stud draft for €21,000 at Tattersalls Ireland in 2013. Two year's later he was knocked down to John Ferguson on behalf of Godolphin for £190,000 at Goffs.

A two-time winner at the Curragh, Duca Valentinois (IRL) is typical of the type of horse that would be slogging around for a pittance in Europe that can accumulate a small fortune in Australia.

The 8yo gelding has banked over $706,000 with a Group III win in the BRC Lord Mayor's Cup and three Listed stakes.

The spritely veteran won the Listed Munn Stakes (1820m) at Eagle Farm on June 22 and was far from disgraced when beaten less than two lengths in the Listed Winter Challenge (1550m) at Rosehill on July 22.

He should have no problem with the Hawkesbury track having won the Listed Ladies Day Cup (1400m) in 2017.

Advertisment
More Reading...
New French Stakes-Winner for Churchill
Currently finishing his seventh season of shuttling to Coolmore Australia, Churchill has had a productive year and sired his 16th stakes-winner of 2024 when progressive three year-old filly Some Skye landed the Listed Grand Prix de Fontainebleau (1900m) at Chantilly.
One to Watch – Sha Tin
A full brother to a Group I winner, this promising two year-old has won two of three starts and appears to have many more wins in store.
Another Glorious Group One Winner for Holy Roman
Welcomed back to Aquis Farm in Queensland last weekend for another breeding season, world renowned shuttle sire Holy Roman Emperor (IRE) added a 13th Group I winner to his tally in the US on the weekend when Glorious Empire captured the $1million Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga.
Expensive Xtravagant Wins $1million Meteorite
The highest priced yearling by Xtravagant sold in 2022, progressive sprinter Nadal (Xtravagant) produced an explosive turn of foot to come from near last to win the inaugural running of today’s $1m The Ladbrokes Meteorite at Cranbourne.
Duca Valentinois Captures Mumm Stakes in a Thriller
In a slogging finish to Saturday's Listed GH Mumm Stakes (1820m) at Eagle Farm, Godolphin's import Duca Valentinois (IRE) earned his first win in over a year.
Do Deuce From Last to First in Japan Cup
The visitors were once again humbled by the locals in the 44th running of Sunday’s Group 1 Longines Japan Cup (2400m) at Tokyo Racecourse.
Aussie Mare Youngstar Produces Exciting Japanese G3 Winner
Australian Group I winning half-sisters Youngstar and Funstar are both at stud in Japan and the former has a very smart two year-old colt in Eri King, who made it three wins from three starts when taking out the Group III Radio Nikkei Hai Kyoto Nissai Stakes (2000m) on Saturday.
One to Watch – Canberra
At the 2023 Magic Millions Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast US investors Richard and Tammy Rigney of Rigney Racing purchased two yearling fillies by I Am Invincible for $2million and $1.2million and got a result with one of them in Canberra on Sunday.
Top Sales for Holy Roman
Some very good stallions always seem undervalued by the local marketplace and one of those is high class shuttler Holy Roman Emperor (IRE), who had two youngsters offered and both sold at the NZB Ready to Run Sale of 2YO’s this week for $240,000 and $200,000.
Sun City Filly to Target Karaka Million
The Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) has been the goal for Sierra Leone from the moment she was purchased at the Yearling Sales, and she took an important step towards the $1 million feature with a game second in Saturday’s Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m).