マーク・トエインが、見たのは、多彩で長い歴史を誇るオーストラリアの競馬の一瞬でしかありませんでしたが、あれから、オーストラリアの競馬は、国の主要産業となり、さらに人々の情熱を掻き立てる娯楽となっています。オーストラアリアの競馬は多くの詩人に謳われ、皇室がパトロンとなり、国家の伝統として高く評価をされ続けてきました。、
It’s probably a breeder’s worst nightmare. You’ve got yourself a lovely yearling by an in-form sire and then you take it to the sale, only to have the horse get passed in.
Such was the case with Rob Dixon’s Written Tycoon filly that he had bred, raised and prepped at his Reibey Lodge property, before consigning her to the 2015 Tasmanian Magic Millions.
“I had really high hopes for the filly,” Dixon explains. “She was such a great mover around the paddocks and did everything right going into the sales. Unfortunately, she was in season and played up badly at the complex and didn’t parade very well at all. Buyers really weren’t seeing the best of her, that’s for sure.
“She was eventually passed in and Brendan McShane, who trains her half brother, came up to me after and asked whether I’d be interested in keeping a couple of shares in the horse if he bought her. I agreed and ended up getting a good mate, Rob Schaeche, and brother-in-law, David Daking, who raced the filly’s dam (Galvanized) with me, into the horse too.”
Well, it turns out Dixon was right on the money and the filly – now named Hot Dipped – won her sixth race from only nine outings last Friday night: the Listed Cascade Draught Tasmanian Guineas at Hobart.
It was the filly’s second stakes victory having won the Gold Sovereign Stakes at Launceston as a 2YO.
McShane recalls the sale well: “I spoke to Rob (Dixon) and he was prepared to sell her to me for $33,000 and while he had some friends takes shares, I also got some clients – old and new – into her as well. I was already training the half brother, Hugo (by Magnus) and I knew that horse had plenty of ability and he actually came out and won over 2100m the week after I purchased Hot Dipped.
“She (Hot Dipped) is a still a little immature but I reckon she’ll get out over a bit of distance and, while we’ll wait for the dust to settle, I reckon she’d be perfect for races like the Strutt Stakes or the Tasmanian Oaks, which are both Listed races over 2100m.
“Written Tycoon is going terrific as a sire: Capitalist, Winning Rupert and company, but while they’ve had so much success over the sprint distances, I’d love to be the first one to train a Written Tycoon stakes winner over 2100m!”
Woodside Park’s Matt Tillett, would be happy too if McShane gets his wish: “I remember seeing that filly (Hot Dipped) at the sale and thought then what a lovely type she is.
“I’m glad she’s ended up kicking so many goals for Rob and Brendan and all the other owners.”
Tillett is currently on the Gold Coast where Woodside Park has a draft of eight yearlings, including two by Written Tycoon, who stood the 2016 season at a fee of $49,500.
“Unfortunately, the Written Tycoon colt out of Manzanilla has been withdrawn and will now be consigned to Easter, but there’s also a lot of interest around the first foals of Transonic and Bloomingdale Miss.
“They’ve both been out of their boxes a lot since we got up here and, naturally enough, there’s plenty of talk around Written Tycoon on the Coast … potentially a whole lot more talk if Winning Rupert makes it six from six by taking out the $2 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas on Saturday.”
HOOFNOTE: Rob and Liz Dixon will offer a Statue of Liberty half brother to Hot Dipped at next month’s Tasmanian Magic Millions Yearling Sale via their Reibey Lodge draft.
“He’s a nice mover too,” Dixon explains. “Galvanized was a very good racehorse (a stakes winner and four stakes placings) but has been a bit of a problem breeder. She’s now 16 but only has four live foals: three of them multiple winners and, of course, the Statue of Liberty colt.
“In light of Hot Dipped’s success, I’m pretty confident we’ll have a few people taking a second look at the Statue of Liberty!”
