Europe

Ever since Australia’s ground-breaking sprinter Choisir claimed the double of the King’s Stand Stakes and Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2003, there has occurred a near-annual pilgrimage to the same meeting.

In 2006 Takeover Target took up the challenge, defeating 27 rivals in the Group 1 Kings Stand and was third in the Diamond Jubilee. He returned twice more to run in the same two races and was never worse than fourth.

Then came Miss Andretti and Scenic Blast who both won the King’s Stand and Starspangledbanner who won the Diamond Jubilee and Newmarket’s July Cup, with Black Caviar overcoming injury to keep her winning record intact in the Golden Jubilee in 2012.

The mare Ortensia further enhanced the Australian reputation with victory in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai before winning the Group 2 King George Stakes at GHoodwood and the Group 1 Nunthorpe Stakes at York.

Black Caviar, Ortensia and company, along with so many others in Hong Kong and Singapore, proved that Australia produces the world’s best sprinters.

And the Victoria Derby and Caulfield Cup winner Elvstroem and his half-brother Haradasun showed the Europeans that we can find some decent middle-distance performers as well.

Elvstroem won the Group 1 Dubai Duty Free on World Cup night in Dubai and then campaigned in Europe where he finished in the top four in each of his four starts.

Haradasun, after being purchased by Coolmore, won the Group One Queen Anne Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2008.

More recently the Australian stallion Exceed And Excel, Starspangledbanner, Fastnet Rock, Choisir and others have made their impression in a European breeding industry that may be even more difficult to succeed in than the racing game.

BlackCaviar-Eurpoe
Black Caviar, Ortensia and company, along with so many others in Hong Kong and Singapore, proved that Australia produces the world’s best sprinters.
  • Black Caviar

    Breeding: Bel Esprit x Helsinge
    Breeder: Rick Jamieson
    Race: Diamond Jubilee Stakes (G1)
    Cost: $210,000 at 2008 Inglis Premier Sale
    Vendor: SWETTENHAM STUD, Nagambie
    Buyer: Moody Racing Pty Ltd

    Race Wins and Replays

    G1 Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Royal Ascot
  • Brazen Beau

    Breeding: I am Invicible x Sansadee
    Breeder: Bernie Howlett
    Race: 2nd Diamond Jubilee S (G1), 1200m, Royal Ascot
    Cost: $70,000
    Vendor: Murrulla Stud, Wingen
    Buyer: Ontrack Thoroughreds

    Race Wins and Replays

    Diamond Jubilee Stakes, Royal Ascot

  • Choisir

    Breeding: Danehill Dancer (IRE) x Great Selection
    Breeder: Mr R.M. Daisley, NSW
    Race: Golden Jubilee Stakes and King’s Stand Stakes, Royal Ascot

    Race Wins and Replays

    Kings Stand Stakes
    Golden Jubilee Stakes
  • Crabtree Gets His Rhythm

     

    It was frustrating. In the 1998 Goodwood Handicap, the Rob Crabtree bred and raced, Scandinavia, finished second … one of four Group One placings for the Snippets mare. Success at the elite level would continue to elude Scandinavia, but as the granddam of Black Caviar, she kinda made up for it.

    Crabtree returned to Adelaide for the 1999 Goodwood, this time with Any Rhythm, another of his homebreds. The flashy grey crossed the line in lockstep with French Clock but the judge declared the latter to be the winner. Crabtree asked to see the developed print and argued – unsuccessfully for a change – that the tip of Any Rhythm’s white nose didn’t show up in the photo and that the race, should at least, be declared a dead heat. Close, but no cigar and Crabtree still marvels that the judge didn’t possess a magnifying glass.

    Crabtree eventually broke through the Group One barrier when Scandinavia’s son, Magnus, won the 2007 Galaxy, but only after tantalising placings in the Newmarket Handicap and Oakleigh Plate.

    Any Rhythm was just a distant memory on Saturday however as Crabtree and his wife Sylvie led, firstly, Catchy back to the winners’ enclosure after the $1.5 million Ladbrokes Blue Diamond Stakes (1200m), only to be called up again 40 minutes later with Sheidel’s victory in the Resimax Group Oakleigh Plate (1100m).

    “It’s great when it works,” Crabtree understates. “The thoroughbred industry has many ups and downs, but sometimes it just all comes together, like on Saturday. I’ve had something like 32 Group One placings prior to Saturday but that’s probably the furthest thing from my mind at the moment!

    “I was pretty confident Catchy would do well in the Blue Diamond, although that confidence might have been a little bit shaky when she was turning for home behind a wall of horses. I also fancied the chances of Sheidel and Miss Promiscuity (a homebred that ultimately ran fifth) in the Oakleigh Plate.

    “The Oakleigh win was particularly satisfying as Magnus was placed in successive years and another of my horses in The Heavyweight ran third, so to win it for the first time really added to the day.”

    Crabtree adds that Catchy is now likely to head to Sydney for the $3.5 million Golden Slipper in three weeks time, while a number of Group One options are available for Sheidel … the Galaxy, the Newmarket or the Robert Sangster in Adelaide.

    “Catchy was purchased as a yearling because I really like the Fastnet Rocks and have a couple of very good broodmare prospects by him,” Crabtree points out. “As for Sheidel, she had won three stakes races in Perth before Damon Gabbedy (Belmont Bloodstock) suggested I might take a look at her.

    “I’m in no hurry to retire my mares and love to race them. They are purchased with a view to breeding, but you can have a lot of fun with them beforehand. Why not have the best of both worlds?

    “I only breed around 15-20 foals a year, but the broodmare lineup is improving constantly: I now have Catchy, Sheidel and Miss Promiscuity all set to go into the breeding barn at some stage, but I’ve also got a couple of imported stakes winning mares in Gabella, a black type winner in France and Australia and, an Irish mare, Not Only Florina, that won over 2000m in France last September.

    “Magnatti has won three from four and I would be surprised if she doesn’t add black type over the next couple of starts.”

    Crabtree is currently in the process of selling a number of yearlings at the Inglis Melbourne Premier: three by his top 20 sire, Magnus, including a full brother to Miss Promiscuity.

    “I started out in the 1980s with just a very small share in a horse that I became involved with through a charity auction and now 30 years or so later, I’ve managed to win two Group Ones in an hour.

    “This is a wonderful industry, regardless of whether you get a winner at Ballarat or in a Group One.

    “It’s all about getting the best out of every opportunity you can.”

    Coolmore Australia was, naturally enough, extremely happy with Crabtree’s success given it stands Fastnet Rock and stood Sheidel’s sire, Holy Roman Emperor at the time of conception.

    “It was an incredible day for the Coolmore stallions, but the spectacular win of Catchy was undoubtedly the highlight,” Coolmore Australia’s Sales & Nominations Manager, Colm Santry, adds. “So many good clients and friends of Coolmore were involved … Joy and Sam Jenkins have been great friends of Coolmore for many, many years and actually bred Catchy’s dam Cats Whisker at Coolmore.

    “She was a high-class filly in her own right, running second in the Thousand Guineas and winning a trio of Group races.

    “Robert Crabtree has been a tremendous patron of our stallions and purchased Catchy from our draft at Easter last year. She becomes the 27th Group One winner for her sire, Fastnet Rock, so the $220,000 he paid looks incredibly good value now!

    “It was also a great result for the Coolmore-owned Holy Roman Emperor who stood at Aquis Farm in Queensland in 2016 and will again stand there in 2017. A great day all round.”

  • Haradasun

    Breeding: Fusaichi Pegasus (USA) x Circles of Gold
    Breeder: Arch of Gold Pty Ltd Syndicate, F Meduri, G Moffitt
    Race: Queen Anne Stakes (2008), Royal Ascot

    Race Wins and Replays

  • Merchant Navy

    Breeding: Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Legally Bay (AUS)
    Breeder: Chris Barnham, QLD
    Sold: By Segenhoe Stud for $350,000 at 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
    Purchaser: Ciaron Maher
    Race: Group Two Greenlands Stakes in Ireland (26 May 2018)

  • Merchant Navy

    Breeding: Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Legally Bay (AUS)
    Breeder: Chris Barnham, QLD
    Sold: By Segenhoe Stud for $350,000 at 2016 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale
    Purchaser: Ciaron Maher
    Race: Group One Diamond Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot (23 June 2018)

  • Miss Andretti

    Breeding: Ihtiram (IRE) x Peggie’s Bid
    Breeder: K. Beauglehole & Mrs. P. Beauglehole
    Race: King’s Stand Stakes, Royal Ascot

    Race Wins and Replays

    Kings Stand Stakes
  • Starspangledbanner

    Breeding: Choisir (AUS) x Gold Anthem
    Breeder: Makybe Racing & Breeding Pty Ltd
    Race: Golden Jubilee Stakes, Royal Ascot and July Cup, Newmarket

    Race Wins and Replays

    July Cup
    Golden Jubilee Stakes
The Power of Passion

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