Street Cry's Champion Mares

Street Cry Dynasty  

   Racing at Rosehill and Flemington yesterday and the wins by Heavens Above in the group 1 Coolmore and Circular in the group 3 Schweppes Trophy both by the amazing Street Cry and with Winx having a track gallop between races at Rosehill. This inspired me to get my hand to a keyboard and write something on the great stallion. 
      Street Cry's biggest win was the Dubai World Cup before retiring with an injury.  He was by Machiavellian a Mr Prospector sire line out of a mare with a staying line pedigree and this makes his offspring very versatile.  In his first season at stud he sired the 2007 Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and Street Boss. Then he sired the Champion mare Zenyatta and Shocking, the 2009 Melbourne Cup winner . Zenyatta is ranked up among the greats like Secreteriat and its hard to deny her that . If you just look at her 19 wins from twenty starts posted below and of course that amazing head loss in the Breeders Cup at her last start . Street Cry's passing at 16 was a great loss but before he left he produced a mare that could possibly become the best of all time. Her name is Winx . 

 Zenyatta 19 Race Wins

   Its hard to deny Zenyatta as being his best up to now but Winx is chasing down that title and over the next 12 months may just earn her place as the greatest . She is now ranked as equal highest rated racehorse in the world with Arogate. If she stays sound and there is a good chance she will as Chris Waller looks after her. She may race through her six year old season and travel to Europe with the possibility of becoming the greatest of all time .This saturday in the Group 1 George Ryder Stakes, Winx goes for her 16th straight win, taking on the likes of Chautauqua and Le Romain then goes into the two million dollar Queen Elizabeth Stakes in her last start this preparation. 

Winx 2016 Cox Plate 

Heavens Above  2017 Coolmore Classic Group 1

   Zenyatta has Forli on her grand dam side and Forli sired that great dam Special who produced Nureyev and Saddlers Wells both by Northern Dancer. . There is a strong female line here . Zenyatta has lost two of her foals the most recent to War Front last year. She is currently in foal to Megdalia D'oro.

 Zenyatta 2nd Breeders Cup

 

Highlighted Winners

Jameka and Global Glamour

   There are talks by connections of both Global Glamour and Jameka to make the trip to Royal Ascot this year. Ciaron Maher is keen to take the mare, Jameka to the King George but Hong Kong is also an option for her. Her run on Saturday in the Orr Stakes behind Blackheart Bart positively points to a winning campagne for her this Autumn . While after Global Glamours win on monday her syndicate of owners are very keen on having a crack at the Ascot Gold Cup or even the Breeders Cup meet . Global Glamour is by Star Witness a winner of the Blue Diamond out of a Testa Rossa mare Spectacula . Its great these horses connections are considering taking on the world as it will give Australian racing a great profile lift . Both horses are of high class and am sure they will do Australia proud. Just maybe Winx will follow next year after she completes her Cox Plate treble. 

Winx 14 in a row Apollo Stakes  

 Local Thoroughbred Racing
Sunshine Coast Turf Club Caloundra Racing Sunday 12th of February

Pride of Destiny

      Four year old gelding out of the Lion Hunter mare Academy Pride broke through for his first win in the 1000 metre maiden . He is by Natural Destiny who stood at Willowbend Stud before relocating to Phuttocks End Stud in New Zealand.  A son of Naturalism, he won 7 of his first 9 starts in Brisbane and Sydney and retired after a clean-sweep of the 2006-07 Doomben Triple Crown.

 Simply Ming 

    This eight year old mare won the benchmark 70. She is by Bel Esprit out of the More Than Ready mare ,The Dash .Bel Esprit won the Blue Diamond and went on to produce the great Black Caviar who was out of Scandinavia and at Werribee today we saw another horse out of Scandinavia win for the Hayes, Dabernick stable. Its name is Lionhearted by Fastnet Rock . He cost a pretty penny but maybe now hes broke through he could go on and win better races. The same cant be said here but an interesting win none the less.

 Simply Ming Sunshine Coatst Benchmark 70

Lionhearted Fastnet Rock by Scandinavia
Winning at Werribee 12/02/2017

  These winners lead us into the HIGHLIGHTED Stallion this week
Magnus by Flying Spur  out of Scandanvia

     Malaguerra is his best racing progeny being out of the Bletchingly mare Tennessee Morn. He recently won the $200,000  Australia Stakes at the Valley beating Blackheart Bart but on saturday the Bart had his revenge winning the Orr Stakes. Magnus's best nicks are with Distant Music and Zabeel mares but there is another interesting nick that works here and that is Kenny Best Pal mares ! Kenny Best Pal was a Bletchingly stallion out of a Sir Tristram mare of course Sir Tristram is the sire of Zabeel . It brings back memories of the eighties and nineties when the two great stallions Bletchingly and Sir Tristram battled the sire prmierships out !

    The sire of Magnus was Flying Spur one of the first Danehill stallions to stand at stud and i believe one of his most productive . He was from the Mr Prospector broodmare line. This undoubtably has a positive effect on rain affected ground for the Magnus breed! They tend to handle all distances between 1000 to 2400 metres ! 

 Magnus stands at Sun Stud Victoria

 
 Black Caviar all 25 wins 

International Racing

Lucky Pulpit Dies

The stallion that sired the great California Chrome has died in the breeding barn. He had a heart attack while servicing a mare yesterday. 12/02/2017

My Subzero Story

 The Ghostly Grey

       Super Impose miraculously wins the Cox Plate of 1992 against an epic field . Miracles always cause me to light up, and with a spur of the moment decision it sends me on a quest, as I head Melbourne way for the Melbourne Cup of 1992 in hope of another one. Its announced Super would retire after the race that stops a nation and wanting to witness him race just once and maybe get a fairy tale ending. His unforgettable performances in the Epsom and Doncaster still stuck in my head coming from last either down the outside or along the rails swerving between horses and each time starting at a better price because as they say weight stops a train but not old Super he just kept performing miracles and as an eight year old in Australias race of champions he had just performed another miracle beating probably the greatest field ever assembled in Australian racing . Horses like Naturalism,Better Loosen Up, Lets Elope, Rough Habit,Slight Chance,Mannerism so why could'nt he perform another miracle like he did in the Cox Plate and defeat Better Loosen Up,Saintly, Veandercross, Lets Elope, his nemesis last year .
     The Melbourne Cup leaves memories of the champions and the battlers . I love looking for the legends and stories behind them . In racing, my first experience of this was the great Kingston  Town when he put his incredible winning sequence together and the Melbourne Cup of 1982 was a day i wont forget . When no one thought the King, had a chance, the broken down champion nearly pulled off a miracle but was caught in the last stride of the grueling two mile classic by Gurners Lane. His jockey Malcolm Johnston, not the greatest jockey of all time had taken off too early down the long Flemington straight. Many cheering because they thought the champ had lasted but the fairytale wasnt to be. Now ten years later, living in a unit on the Tweed River 1400 kilometres from Melbourne. I jump in my car on my search for a miracle in the Melbourne Cup of 1992 .  Knowing that Super could'nt win if it rained I was hoping for divine intervention that would bring the sun out but it never happened and down came the rain. We were on the grass at Flemington with showers in the morning but around lunchtime the heavens opened as the race got closer the fairytale was looking impossible and so it was. I watched through the pouring rain still hoping for the Super miracle but he couldnt pull one out that day and i saw the champs fade Better Loosen Up, Saintly, Lets Elope and Super himself then out of the mud and rain I saw a ghostly grey horse emerge into equine immortality his name Subzero . I sat on the grass with 100,000 others, a bit disappointed but you do get that when you look for miracles but after as I headed back to the Pakenham Hotel soaked and broke i thought this is a day i will never forget.  Its a memory that will stay with me until i leave this world. All the thoroughbreds from that race, are gone now, all but Subbie. When I hear that old boy Subbie is doing this and doing that my mind flashes back to that wet Melbourne Tuesday in 1992 and the fairy tale that would never be.

Super Impose 1992 Cox Plate the race that took me to Melbourne long ago.
https://www.racing.com/videos/2015-10-22/1992-cox-plate
Subzeros 1992 Melbourne Cup
Super Imposes Unbelievable Doncaster Epsom wins with Top Weight

    Today Subbie at 28 has become a bit of a legend himself visitng aged care centres,schools and sporting events. His owner Graham Salisbury told how once, years back the Sheik in Dubai said I love your horse and offered him 500000 for the retired racehorse but Graham refused saying he wasnt for sale at any price. Graham says i dont know what I"ll do when the old boy passes. He has been a part me and my families life for so long. I will miss having a beer with him every arvo. I hope I go first he said. Subbie gets a beer every afternoon when his duties are over. Champions and legends come in different forms. You never know when one will appear from the mist.   

Subzero Story The Book

    This is more than a racing story. Sure, there is the breeder who took a punt on an untried stallion, the owners who thought they were buying a fast two-year-old, the trainer who was breaking records and the jockey whose career was resurrected by the promise of a young grey stayer.

However, his Melbourne Cup victory became secondary after forming an endearing partnership with veteran clerk of the course Graham Salisbury. Subzero was reinvented under Graham’s care, leading the horse to become a versatile community ambassador, and ultimately to his induction into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame. He has attended primary schools, visited children in hospital beds, socialised in aged-care facilities and even shared drinks with publicans in licensed establishments. He has become a celebrity in his own right, mixing with world leaders, pop stars and actors.

This is also a story of the love that a man has for his best friend, who happens to have four legs and a tail, and answers to the name Subbie.

Subzero’s name was etched into history as a sporting champion, but his achievements off the racecourse are what make him legendary. Subzero is truly more than a Melbourne Cup hero.

                                      
                                                       Subbies Appearances Recently
 Subbies latest appearance at the National Jockeys Trust cricket match at Caulfield Park in Melbourne. He will also be visiting aged care centres and schools in the next couple weeks. Here he is at work and play !

General Nedyim

Successful Bloodlines This Week 

        The incredible strength of the Danehill line in Australian Thoroughbred racing was highlighted so much this week. The Oaks and the Emirates saw Danehill's son Redoutes Choice family in the winners circle and his deceased son Beneteau producing the Oaks winner out of a General Nedyim mare which is a real light bulb moment because with Jameka being out of a General Nedyim mare and her sire My Boy Charlie from the Danehill line. Even the extreme staying test of the Melbourne Cup won by the German bred Almandin who is out of a mare from the Danehill line.

• Prized Icon Victoria Derby More Than Ready by Tropical Affair Danehill

• Almandin  Melbourne Cup Monsun by Anatola Tiger hill Danehill

   German bred horse with a touch of Danehill on the mares side. Monsun's are strong stayers and have a good success rate in the cup. Monsun died at the age of 22 in 2012 and was Germany's four time leading stallion. He has produced the 2013 winner Fiorente and 2014 winner Protectionist.

• Lasqueti Spirit VRC Oaks Beneteau by Supriym Story General Nedyim

    Led all the way to win the Oaks.She is by the ill fated Redoutes Choice stallion Beneteau who was an absolute blueblood. He died in 2013 after only two seasons at Arrowfield stud. What a loss!His female line leads to Encosta De Lago who is of course a son of Fairy King son of that grand matron Fairy Bridge. I would like to make a mention the broodmare here being by General Nedyim as another high class performer Jameka who won the Caulfield Cup is out of a General Nedyim mare. I remember General Nedyim racing and even though he was known as a sprinter he always showed a good bit of tenacity on the track leaving a good record of 13 wins from 21 starts.

• Awesome Rock Emirates Stakes Fastnet Rock by Awesome Planet Giants Causeway

 This Fastnet Rock horse unluckily had the Australian Cup taken off him early this year on protest and this weekend finally got that elusive group one on his resume for his stud career. The Danehill stallion Fastnet Rock was an awesome horse on the track and his progeny have continued to succeed. He has both Nijinsky and Sir Tristram on his female side so its an impressive bloodline. The female line of Awesome Rock is not bad either going back to Secreteriat through Storm Bird.

International Racing 
Arrogate 5 wins from 6 starts the new boy on the block who broke a track record the start before and now has defeated the champ California Chrome in the Breeders Cup. Arrogate has Mr Prospector twice in his fourth generation. Arrogate by Unbridles Song out of Distorted Humor mare.
Breeders Cup Classic Arrogate beats California Chrome 

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 Stallion of the Week 
I Am Invincible 
Invincible Spirit by Cannarella
He has produced horses like Brazen Beau Voodoo Lad and now I Am A Star
The Danzig line into the Canny Lad line similar to that super Danehill stallion Redoutes Choice who was out of that awesome Canny Lad mare Shanthas Choice.
Yarraman Park Stud 

 

Jameka and the Caulfield Cup

International results this week 

    Almanzor the brilliant french 3 year old colt beats the Arc winner Found in the Champion Stakes group 1 at Ascot to keep his spot as Europes number one thoroughbred and maintain his world ranking of 4th behind California Chrome. Almanzor now has had 17 starts for 13 wins. This week Winx has a chance to try and nudge ahead of Almanzor in the Group 1 Cox Plate where she clashes with the in form Hartnell and make it 13 in a row. Click here to watch the Champion Stakes win.

                                                           Almanzor Champion Stakes

Caulfield Cup Jameka

Jameka wins the Caulfield Cup in a completely dominant win by the four year old My Boy Charlie mare and looks a really good chance of completing the cups double in this years Melbourne Cup even with the one and half kilo penalty. She finishes her races off so strongly and the cup on the first tuesday in November looks ideal for her. There is a lot of internationals to contend with but she handled them easily on saturday and I really fancy that she can do it again. 

Jameka on the morning after with her Cup . Jameka was bred on Gilgai Farm by Rick Jamieson who bred the champion Black Caviar !

Click here for Jamekas Caulfield Cup replay

Jameka as a Foal at Gilgai Farm

Other Australian Thoroughbred Results
Our Boy Malachai the eight year old Rockhampton rocket made it 19 wins from 26 with a win in the group 2 Caulfield Sprint. First Seal the 5 year old mare that in her three year old days beat Winx twice got back into the winners circle in the group 3 Tristarc Stakes. She is by Fastnet Rock out of Episode. I think you can look for another win or two from her and in the last the group 3 Moonga Stakes was won by that super honest I Am Invincible gelding Voodoo Lad who made it 10 from 18 starts . His jockey Brad Rawiller suggesting he should be given another shot at a group one.
Off the Track News
Octagonal dies age 24 . The big O thrilled crowds in the nineties with his incredible will to win often only winning by the smallest of margins with his last dive.
Last years Melbourne Cup winner Prince of Penzance retires . Here he is a few days back.

This Weekend coming up

The Cox Plate and the clash between Winx and Hartnell with the highly rated French horse Vadamos and three year old filly Yankee Rose thrown in. Check out Winx and her brilliant trackwork on saturday. Click Trackwork Friday night sees the Manikato Stakes group 1 with Chautaqua battling it out with old Buffering and the three year old Capitalist .

Breeding Check

Almanzor breeding by Wootton Bassett out of a Maria Mon's mare. It may look an obscure bloodline but if you look back in Wootton Basset you find the Nureyev,Danzig connection with Mr Prospector thrown in as well.

Winx and the Superstar Three Year Olds

       This weeks racing in Australia and the world. After last weeks international performances with the running of the Arc and California Chrome's continued success in the USA it needed some good performances from down under this week to keep our resume in good order and i can tell you the three year olds in Australia at the moment must arguably rank as the best of all time.They remind me of that superstar 1996 group which included Octagonal,Saintly and Nothing Leica a Dane, Our Maizcay and Filante. Octagonal being by Zabeel who was out of Lady Giselle a Nureyev broodmare. The great Zabeel who died a few months back has left a dynasty in New Zealand which will have a long lasting effect on Australian racing. Octagonal was out of the great broodmare Eight Carat.

 The Eight Carat Dynasty 

Octagonal victory in the 1996 Australian Derby 

       The win of Extreme Choice in the Moir Stakes defeating Chautaqua was the first three year old on show last week.  Then we saw Russian Revolution hold off Astern who i still believe is the best of the crop and now this week we have seen Star Turn take on the older horses and win the Schillaci in arrogant fashion. Now the fillies have begun to show their colours as well with Yankee Rose flying home to win the Spring Champion Stakes. 
     The Caulfield Guineas the race for stallions was run and won by another awesome prospect, Divine Prophet who was narrowly beaten by Impending a couple of weeks ago after Impending having the sit on him but in the Guineas on saturday he was the one with the run of the race and it did the trick. Divine Prophet is by Choisir the Danehill line out of the Encosta De Lago mare Prophet Jewel. This win lifted his value to heavenly heights and now possibly onto the Cox Plate to take on Winx with Yankee Rose heading in the same direction. This Cox Plate could easily be a superstar plate with Hartnell in epic form and the arrival of the French horse Vadamoss and add the three year olds in the mix. We could witness a gem of a Cox Plate in a fortnight. 
     I think if Winx is able to win two plates in a row against this field she could be on her way to legendary status but she has to get past these super up and comers. I am sure there could easily be a superstar amongst these three year olds we have in Australia this year and Winx's crown could be under threat. Winx didnt reach her peak until later in her three year old season so anyone of these could be her nemesis . The Queen is under siege ! 

       The Three Year Old Stars

        

      Astern Megadalio Doro out of Exceed and Excel mare

      Star Turn Star Witness out of Made of Gold mare

      Global Glamour Star Witness out of Testa Rossa mare 

      Divine Prophet Choisir out of Encosta De Lago mare

      Yankee Rose All American out of Xaar mare

      Russian Revolution Snitzel out of Stravinsky mare 

      Extreme Choice Not A Single Doubt out of  Hussonet mare 

      Impending Lonrho out of  Encosta de Lago mare

    Astern 

                 

 The Grand Matron Special and her Daughter Fairy Bridge

  Broodmares highlighted this week ! I have a feeling Australia maybe onto a successful formula right now. This double Northern Dancer through Danzigs son Danehill and the connection through that awesome matron Special the mother of Nureyev. Specials daughter Fairy Bridge produced the full brothers by Danzig they are Fairy King and Perugino and was also the mother of  the Northern Dancer stallion, Sadlers Wells . Encosta De Lago is producing a super dynasty at the moment with Chautaqua by Encosta De Lago  out of the Danzig stallion Lion Hunter mare Lovely Jubly . Encosta De Lago was by Fairy King and his full brother Perugino produced Testa Rossa so i think value wise some good Testa Rossa mares could produce just as good horses rather than paying the extra for the Encosta stamp approval.  

Testa Rossa winning Fillies 

International Racing 

 Vyjack sets mile all time record at Santa Anita Park on the weekend with a breakneck speed in front Vyjack sat back to have last crack at them. The Into Mischief six year old Group 2 City of Hope Mile win.

 

Sadlers Wells Weekend

Found

       The Aidan Obrien trained Found was a good winner in the Arc de Triomph on the weekend beating Highland Reel who finished third to Winx in last years Cox Plate. In third place was Order of St George completing the trifecta for Aidan. That horse is suppose to be heading down under for the Melbourne Cup and his win by 11 lengths in the Irish St Leger and now this must give him some chance. Found is by the Sadlers Wells stallion Galileo and with Hartnell winning the group one Turnbull Stakes in Australia it was a good weekend for Sadlers Wells grandsons. 

Found winning the Arc De Triomph from Highland Reel

California Chrome 
Another win for California Chrome on the weekend in the Awesome Again Stakes consolidating his spot as the number one thoroughbred in the world.

 

Jameka

    A four year old mare  By My Boy Charlie . This Danetime stallion producers good stock and the Group 1 Caulfield Cup looks an excellent target. Ran a awesome second in the Turnbull Stakes over the weekend and drops a good bit in weight for the cup. She did not settle early which could have meant she could have finished closer to Hartnell who had a perfect run in the race. 

Hartnell

    A great grandson of Sadlers Wells who was a great grandson of Forli . Has really come up this preparation and made it another group 1 on the weekend and looks to be a major threat to Winx in the Cox Plate in a few weeks if they choose to go that way instead of the Caulfield cup.

                                                 Hartnell and Jameka Turnbull Stakes

Hauraki

   A super performance from this five year old gelding on the weekend to come from last to win the group one Epsom Handicap . After his second to the amazing Winx a couple of weeks back looked a good bet. Its amazing how many times after a finishing second to the mighty Winx horses come out and perform enormously next start. Hauraki is by Reset the Zabeel stallion and of course Zabeel leads back to Special the great matron of the sixties through Nureyev. He is also out of a Dehere mare which takes you back to the mighty Secretariat . If you look back in the the pedigree of Jameka you can come across an interesting connection between all these four gallopers the sire of Special was Forli and you come across another of his daughters Thatch on the broodmare side of My Boy Charlie linking Jameka with Found, Hartnell and Hauraki. 

Hauraki drops from clouds 

 Winners to follow on the weekend in Australia

 Hell or Highwater by Not a Single Doubt 
Nozomi by Street Cry
Sylpheed by Real Saga
Khan by Exceed and Excel 
Russian Revolution by Snitzel
Global Glamour by Star Witness
Takedown by Stratum
The Quarterback by Street Boss out Encosta de Lago mare.
Serenely Discreet by Exceed and Excel
French Emotion by Snitzel
Ulman by Seabring out of Danehill mare.