Chasing a big Reward

REWARD FOR EFFORT (pictured winning the 2009 Blue Diamond Stakes) is being chases by the major studs.

Issue 19, July 23, 2009

In 2005, Rod Russell, a long-time friend whos is part-owner of 1995 Melbourne Cup winner Doriemus, sent me on a mission to New Zealand – “buy me a stayer to win the Perth Cup”.

The purse was NZ$40,000 “and not a cent more”, so I looked at every ‘cheapy’ at the Karaka Yearling Sales.

I had my eye on a leggy, immature colt from Jim Wallace’s Ardsley Stud draft by his veteran sire Lord Ballina (Bletchingly–Sunset Girl, by Star Affair), who had died, aged 24, in July 2004. The athletic colt, from the Victory Dance (by Sadler’s Wells) mare Victory Flight, was a fluent walker and I wanted him badly.

During the bidding, I got myself on the ‘wrong leg’ as the bids were rising in $2000 calls and I was $34,000 – my next bid would have been $38,000, leaving my rivals the luxury of rounding it off at $40,000, and me without a cent more. So I tactically jumped the bidding from $36,000 to my limit of $40,000, which was enough to scare off the others.

That colt, named Dvoryan, is rising six and he has won his past two starts in Perth, over 1400m, like a good horse. He has won Russell and partners $108,000 in stakes, and according to Russell, he is still not mature enough for a summer campaign.

Lord Ballina has sired 40 Stakes winners, mostly stayers, despite his 3x3 cross of Star Kingdom blood, and for Dvoryan, given time by veteran trainer Alan Matthews, a Perth Cup beckons.

The owners of Reward For Ef for t, the 2009 Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner, seem to be taking a monstrous risk by rejecting an offer (reported being from Lindsay Park) that values the colt at $5 million – we all know the old saying about birds and bush. Are they?

It can be argued that Reward For Effort’s value as a stallion, as a Blue Diamond Stakes winner, will hover around the $5 million mark even if he fails to win at Group 1 level as a 3YO. He certainly was a high-rating Blue Diamond winner, beating Real Saga (by Tale Of The Cat), recently retired to Glenlogan Stud, Qld, with an exceptional display of sustained speed.

The 2008 Blue Diamond winner Reaan (by Hussonet) failed to come up as a 3YO, and he stands at Lindsay Park for his first season at a fee of $16,500 (inc. GST), which is

the fee you would expect Reward For Effort to stand if he was to retire immediately.

It has been reported that several studs are chasing the son of Exceed And Excel (by Danehill) – the implication from managing part-owner Dean Watt that the best offer “values” the colt at $5 million, means that the studs are trying to buy a percentage of Ready For Effort to secure him as a future stallion.

Blue Gum Farm did just that with Elvstroem, and Blue Gum made significant gains when Elvstroem went on to win the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free (1770m) at Nad Al Sheba in Dubai

Watt claims that he believes that Reward For Effort’s value will climb if the colt can win a Group 1 race as a 3YO and he is buoyed by the fact the ‘touts’ at Caulfield are raving about the rising 3YO’s track work leading into a spring campaign. There are

three Group 1 options in the spring for Reward For Effort. The fact that trainer Peter Moody has the colt up and running and ready to trial next week suggests he is eyeing the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m), against the older horses, at Caulfield in September.

After that a decision can be made on whether the speedster is suited to the 1600m of the Caulfield Guineas, or needs to be freshened for the Coolmore Stud Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Derby day.

A win in any one of these famous races will mean that Watt and his syndicate have rolled the dice in their favour – and big time. First in the queue is likely to be Darley, who stand RFE’s sire Exceed And Excel.

Reward For Effort is from the Rory’s Jester mare Miss Prospect, from Imposing Life, by Todman’s son Imposing.

DANNY POWER

WORDS BY DANNY POWER

In the image of Bletchingly Watching Aultone charge through the inside to win at Randwick (Kensington track) on Wednesday, and with the knowledge that she is a daughter of the wonderful Canny Lad, I was taken by how much she looked like Canny Lad’s sire Bletchingly (by Biscay from Coogee, by Relic).

A quick look at the Stud Book (studbook.org.au) confirmed there was good reason – in fact two good reasons – as Aultone is inbred to Bletchingly (2x3).

The filly, owned by Darley, is from the Twig Moss mare The Wrythe, a 1993 mare whose dam Carshalton is by Bletchingly from the Sir Tristram mare My Tristram’s Belle.

Like most of the Canny Lad stock, Aultone relished the wet ground, and she should train on to get black type in a suitable race under the right conditions.

Aultone comes from one of New Zealand’s great families – her fifth dam Dulcie Dee (1966, Le Filou (FR)–Dulcie, by Duccio (ITY)) is a half-sister to the great Balmerino (by Trictrac (FR)) and a sister to three other outstanding Group 1 winning gallopers Fulmen, Fileur and Gay Filou.

On Wednesday evening, at Kranji in Singapore, Aultone’s half-brother Abdicate (5YO, by Octagonal) won over 1600m in easy style.

Rothesay is rocking Much has been expected of Coolmore’s young sire Fastnet Rock (by Danehill (USA)), who has teased us all season with promising horses from his first crop without leaving a horse

that could be considered a star. It has taken to the last month

of the season for Rothesay, a magnificent son of Fastnet Rock, to emerge as a horse that could ‘make’ the Rock’s future as a stallion.

I believe Rothesay’s debut win at Rosehill last Saturday, when he came from last to run down the highly-rated Stryker (also by Fastnet Rock) to be one of the best performances by a 2YO this season. Rothesay, trained by Gerald Ryan, has emerged at the right time for Fastnet Rock, who will cover his fifth crop of mares at Coolmore this spring at a fee of $60,500 (inc. GST), after covering more than 250 mares in each of his previous two seasons.

Rothesay (b c 2006, ex-Schiaparelli, by Woodman (USA)) has a pedigree that will appeal to the stallion buyers – his granddam Canny Lass (Bletchingly–Jesmond Lass, by Lunchtime (GB)) won three times at Group 1 level and she is a sister to the Golden Slipper winner and top sire Canny Lad.

The fact that both Rothesay and Stryker (ex-Laetitia, by Woodman (USA)) are from Woodman (by Mr. Prospector (USA)) mares shouldn’t have

every breeder with a Woodman mare rushing to Fastnet Rock, but history shows that a Danehill line stallion over a Mr. Prospector line mare is a brilliant cross. Flying Spur, Miss Finland, Mentality, Miss Danehill, Primus, Queen Of The Hill, Shania Dane, Shinzig and Foreplay are just a few Australian examples produced from this cross.

Shamardal keeps surprising There is no doubt that Shamardal (by Giant’s Causeway (USA)) is the success story of the first-season sires.

Hubka (f 2006, Doduo, by Danehill (USA)) gave Shamardal his 11th individual 2YO winner of the season when she won at Sandown on Wednesday. Sharmardal joins Fastnet Rock, and also sits only one behind Not A Single Doubt (by Redoute’s Choice) in the intriguing battle for leading first-season sire honours.

Shamardal has only 58 named youngsters from his first crop of 83 foals, so he is striking high with nearly 20 per cent of them winners. And there should be a lot to look forward to with this Darley-owned stallion, as his progeny

should excel at three and over distances 1600m or longer.

Shamardal stands at a fee of $27,500 (inc. GST) at Darley, Kelvinside, NSW.

Volitant finally finds a home The muddled life of the stallion Volitant has finally settled into normality, in a new home.

The multiple Group-winning son of Flying Spur has returned to Victoria to stand in 2009 at Michael and Rebecca Howard’s Oxford Park Stud, Bunyip.

Volitant (b h 2001, Flying Spur–Sibon, by Bletchingly) stood his first season at Eagle Park Stud, Orange, NSW. Expectations were high after breeders showed considerable interest in the horse, who is from the family of top sire The Judge, but EI stuck and he could cover only 43 mares.

However, an ownership dispute meant that Volitant wasn’t in commercial service in 2008, so he covered only three mares on return services.

Michael Howard believes Volitant should appeal to Victorian breeders, especially those based in Gippsland, as he did all his racing in Victoria under the care of trainer Michael Hibbs, and he is from a strong Victorian family, founded by the top mare Bellition, dam of The Judge

Volitant was a brilliant racehorse, who won the 2005 Group 3 MRC Stakes (1400m) and the 2006 Group 3 Victoria Handicap (1400m), both at Caulfield. His MRC Stakes win in 1.21.37 remains the second fastest 1400m run at Caulfield. He also finished second behind Lieutenant in the 2005 Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes (1600m) at Moonee Valley.

Volitant’s fee at Oxford Park is $4400 (inc. GST) and Howard said the stallion, who has a good temperament, has settled well into his new home.

DANNY POWER

VOLITANT, pictured in full flight at Caulfield, has returned to stand in Victoria.