Golden Rise to Group 1

UP CLOSE: Trainer Luca Cumani enjoys a tender moment with Falbrav – the sire of exciting Victorian colt Tan Tat Brav.

Issue 17, July 9, 2009

You can’t doubt trainer Doug Harrison’s eye for a nice horse. Not only did he have the nous to purchase impressive Bendigo winner Tan Tat Brav as a yearling, but he also was the underbidder on the runner-up Schrapnel Gully (by Danzero).

Tan Tat Brav is by the former Arrowfield Stud shuttler Falbrav (by Fairy King), who stood from 2005 to 2007.

The colt, who cost Harrison’s Hong Kong-based clients $360,000 at the 2008 Magic Millions Gold Coast Sale, scored brilliantly by seven lengths, running a slick 57.95s for the 1000m on a slow track. Harrison believes the colt is a potential Caulfield Guineas contender.

Tan Tat Brav is out of the royally-bred Nureyev mare Tamari (USA), who has produced the 2005 Group 2 QTC Grand Prix (2100m) winner Spuruson. Tamari is a half-sister to four Stakes winners, including the 1996 Group 1 Breeders’ Cup Sprint (1200m, Woodbine) victor Lit De Justice and Commander Collins, who won the 1998 Group 1 Racing Post Trophy (1600m, Doncaster) in England.

Falbrav, who stands in Japan, has sired two Group winners – Fravashi and Brava Fortune – from his first Australian crop. Tan Tat Brav is a magnificent looking colt, in the image of his upstanding, imposing sire.

Tan Tat Brav is inbred to Fairy King and his three-quarter brother Nureyev, both by Northern Dancer. Fairy King’s dam Fairy Bridge (by Bold Reason) is a half-sister to Nureyev (ex Special, by Forli).

The Australian Racing Board has approved the elevation of the Golden Rose Stakes (1400m, for 3YOs), run at Rosehill on August 29, from Group 2 to Group 1.

The upgrade was recommended by the Australian Pattern Committee. It is a natural progression for this fledgling race that began in 2003 as an adjunct to the Golden Slipper – to compensate for late maturing horses not ready for the rigors of a Slipper campaign as 2YOs.

Right from the start, the Golden Rose has been a race of impact. The first winner was the chestnut gelding In Top Swing (by Beautiful Crown (USA)) who went on to beat Face Value in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield later that spring.

In 2004, the Queenslander Doonan beat the 2005 Group 1 Cadbury Australian Guineas (1600m, Flemington) winner

Al Maher (by Danehill), now a promising stallion, and the 2005 Alister Clark Stakes winner Lieutenant (by Danehill Dancer).

The Golden Rose was elevated to Listed status in 2005 when the John Hawkes-trainer Paratroopers (by Commands) beat Racing To Win (by Encosta De Lago). Both horses franked the form by going on to become outstanding Group 1 winners.

The prestige of the Golden Rose continued to grow. In 2006, it was elevated to Group 3 status – the speedy Court Command (by Commands) beat the subsequent Group 1 winners Empires Choice (by Redoute’s Choice) and Mentality (by Flying Spur).

Equine influenza saw the 2007 version of the race transferred to later in the 2007-08 season – run in March 2008, and further elevated to Group 2 –the

exceptional 2007 Golden Slipper winner Forensics (by Flying Spur) beat stablemate El Cambio (by Commands).

The near black colt Duporth (by Red Ransom) won the Group 2 Golden Rose, run in October 2008. Later in the season, in May, Duporth beat the older horses in the Group 1 BTC Cup (WFA 1200m, Doomben).

The only query on the Golden Rose is that is a race that is very Sydney specific – few Victorian trainers attempt the trip north because the Melbourne spring carnival doesn’t really get warm until after the Golden Rose is run.

However, there has been a need for another Group 1 sprinting race for 3YOs – remembering there wasn’t one before the Ascot Vale Stakes (1200m) at Flemington on Derby Day (now run as the Coolmore Stud Stakes) was upgraded in 2006.

BYLINE

WORDS BY DANNY POWER

Goldikova wins for Anabaa It was fitting that the champion mare Goldikova was to win the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes (1600m) at Newmarket on Thursday morning (Australian time), within days of the death of her sire Anabaa (by Danzig).

Anabaa, 16, who was put down in France on Monday after suffering complications from colic surgery, was a long time shuttler to Australia, where he stood at historic Widden Stud in the Hunter Valley between 1997 and 2007.

Anabaa’s biggest racetrack success was during the Newmarket carnival in 1996 when he won the Group 1 July Cup (1200m) – the race Scenic Blast will try to win on Friday (12.10am, Saturday AEST).

Anabaa arrived in Australia in the wake of a surge in interest in sons of Danzig (by Northern Dancer) following the incredible success of Danzig’s most famous son Danehill. Anabaa, the sire of 66 Stakes winners worldwide, remains the most significant sire-son of Danzig apart from Danehill.

Anabaa’s stout maternal family – out of a Vaguely Noble-line mare from a Riverman-line mare – means that he had the strength of pedigree to sire winners over all distances, as indicated by the fact his first Group 1 winner, Anabaa Blue, won the 2001 Prix Du Jockey Club (French Derby, 2400m).

In Australia, Anabaa is best known as the sire of the sensationally fast mare Virage De Fortune, triple Group 1 sprinter Yell and the Group 1 AJC Australian Derby winner Headturner.

Anabaa hasn’t been able to produce a Group 1 winning colt in Australia that could become a commercial sire, although his Listed winning son King Of Prussia has done well from limited opportunities standing at Greta West Stud, near Wangaratta, in Victoria.

Goldikova, winner of the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Mile (1600m, Santa Anita), is a small, athletic mare with a scrambling action, but she has tremendous talent and an amazing will to win. The 4YO Goldikova is from the Blushing Groom mare Born Gold.

Fertility problems restricted Anabaa to only 617 foals in 11 years in Australia, but his legacy will live on through his daughters who are becoming sought-after broodmares.

There is Nothin’ Leica Dane The Australian quest for juvenile speed has meant that stallions with staying backgrounds, such as Nothin’ Leica Dane (by Danehill), have struggled for quality mares despite their pedigrees and race records.

Even so, Nothin’ Leica Dane, winner of the 1995 Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at

Flemington, continues to prove a more than adequate stallion, and it makes you wonder what sort of horses he could have produced with a better quality of mare visiting his barn.

The last-to-first win on Saturday at Flemington of Leica Falcon’s 3YO brother Leica Larrik in (br g 2005, Nothin’ Leica Dane (NZ)-Lady Peregrine, by Scrupules (IRE)) again shows that NLD is a perfect stallion for breeders who breed to race, especially those with the patience for a stayer. NLD inherited his stamina from his strong female family – he is out of the Sir Tristram mare Leica Pretender – but he also has sired some exceptionally talented speedsters, including the multiple Group winning mare Hot Danish and the Group 2 Villiers Stakes (1600m) winner Utzon. Also among his eight Stakes winners are the Group 1 Doomben Cup winner Cinque Cento, Ain’t Seen Nothin’ and Group 2 WA Oaks winner Superior Star.

Nothin’ Leica Dane, who last season serviced a ridiculously low 27 mares, stands the 2009 season at Byerley Stud, Sandy Hollow, in the Hunter Valley, for a fee of $5500 (inc. GST).

Selene double for Savabeel filly Lady Selene, an impressive winner at Eagle Farm on Wednesday, is closely related to the great Might And Power.

Lady Selene is the third winner from the first crop of 2004 Cox Plate winner Savabeel, from the imported mare Selene’s Bequest (by Lion Cavern), a half-sister to Benediction, the dam of Might And Power.

Of course, Savabeel and Might And Power (1998) are two of four Cox Plate winners sired by Zabeel – he also is the sire of Maldivian (2008) and Octagonal (1995).

Lady Selene gets her name because of the double cross of the mare All Moonshine and her dam, the famous broodmare nick Selene. Zabeel’s sire Sir Tristram boasts All Moonshine as his third dam, while the mare is the fifth dam of Might And Power.

Savabeel stands at Waikato Stud, Matamata, NZ, for a fee of NZ$20,000 (plus GST).

Costly colt shaping well Nathan Tinkler’s $2.2m colt, Metallurgical (b c 2006, Redoute’s Choice–Lady Capel, by Last Tycoon (IRE)), trained by Jason Coyle, is on the verge of making his debut. The colt, a half-brother to Tinkler’s young stallion Casino Prince, scored comfortably in a 900m Rosehill trial on Tuesday. Metallurgical, who is part-owned by Gerry Harvey, is shaping as an early Sydney spring contender.

Tinkler’s other $2.2m purchase, Dance Hero’s half-brother Foxtrot Oscar (b c 2006, Redoute’s Choice-Gypsy Dancer, by Dance Floor (USA)) is beinbg prepared by trainer Gai Waterhouse. The late maturing colt is part-owned by Coolmore Stud.

DANNY POWER

GOLDIKOVA: Flying the flag for her recently deceased sire Anabaa.