Photo: Bruno Cannatelli
A move to New Zealand and rekindling an old friendship may have led Robert and Kim de Courcy towards breeding the next Gr.1 VRC Derby winner.
The couple under their Kinsale Bloodstock banner, bred Keeneland (Almanzor- Savabeel Star), the impressive winner of the Listed VRC Super Impose Stakes over 1800metres. A win that has propelled the gelding into second favouritism.
Raced by Tommy Hepinstall and partners, Keeneland races in the distinctive lime green and blue colours carried by Tavistock and numerous other good gallopers. He is trained by Natalie Young and Trent Busuttin, noted for their success with stayers.
He was having just his fourth start when he scored at Flemington and went into the race on the back of an emphatic victory at Benalla over a mile late last month. He had previously run second at that venue after debuting fourth at Sandown in late August.
“He looks an exciting horse” Queenstown-based NZTBA member Rob de Courcy enthused “and it’s great to see him in a good stable with good owners, we are looking forward to the Derby.
“I bought Keeneland’s mother Savabeel Star off Gavelhouse.com in foal to Almanzor for not a lot more than Almanzor’s stud fee.
“She had previously produced a stakes winner in Stella Di Pace and a few runners, she was in foal to Almanzor, and I liked the mating and thought she was good value.
“We sent her to Shamexpress and will probably keep that filly, she is in foal to Profondo, but it’s a late service, but we may still have time to send her back to Almanzor.”
Out of Astradane, she was bred and raced by Max Whitby and won one race over 2200 metres and prior to Keeneland had produced six winners including the Listed Castletown Stakes winner Stella Di Paco.
She is also a half-sister to three winners including Stardane who won the Gr.3 Hawkes Bay Guineas and Listed Wanganui Guineas before being sold to Macau.
Astradane herself was a daughter of Danehill and the winner of the six races. She is a full-sister to the very good stakes winning German filly Genevra, who in turn left a stakes winner in Golden Whip herself a stakes producing mare.
Along with his wife Kim, De Courcy who has been in racing in all his life with various roles in Macau and Hong Kong, moved to Queenstown from Australia five years ago.
“I was reluctantly calling races in Macau until Bruce Sherwin came along in the mid 90’s ,” recalled De Courcy who claims he was relieved when Sherwin came along as he was the much better commentator.
“So, when I moved here from Australia I thought I would give Bruce a ring and see what’s up and maybe get a couple of broodmares. That led to us getting a little farm together along with another friend from Hong Kong Lawrence Wadey, and things have progressed from there.”
The trio share in the ownership of Frontier Bloodstock and Frontier Farm situated on the outskirts of Hamilton and that is where Savabeel Star and the rest of Kinsale Bloodstock’s stock reside.
Included in that portfolio is Majella Magic another mare he purchased through Gavelhouse.com and also in foal to Almanzor. That foal being Simsala, a three-year-old filly trained by Kenny Rae.
After winning at Ruakaka Rae has transferred that filly south where she ran third in the Guineas trial at Riccarton last Saturday and will line up in the Gr.3 Barneswood Farm Stakes at Ashburton this Saturday. She is on a path to the Gr.1 Barneswood Farm 1000 Guineas next month and holds a nomination for the NZB Kiwi.
Majella Magic is by I Am Invincible out of Little Evie a placed half-sister to the stakes winners Jade Marauder and Bliss Street. She is currently in foal to Profondo and has a two-year-old brother to Simsala and yearling filly by Turn Me Loose. Her mating for this year is undecided.
Kinsale Bloodstock named with a nod to de Courcy’s Irish heritage, is also the owner of Bebeleche a sister to Amarelinha who has a Satono Aladdin yearling colt and is foal to Proisir, she will probably visit Paddington, along with Chosen Peak a winning well-related Redoute’s Choice mare. She is in foal to Satono Aladdin and previously produced colts by Hello Youmzain and U S Navy Flag.
As well as, there is a number of racehorses including a share in Val Di Zoldo who we bought from Kevin Hickman’s dispersal sale. The War Decree mare won the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes at three and now as a five-year-old races out of the Tony Pike stable, which Frontier Bloodstock also has a close association with.
“I chose the New Zealand base for my racing interests,” de Courcy added, “as the people involved are more friendly everyone is cheering for everyone.
“They are pleased to see owners having a bit of luck it’s not seriously competitive.
“I love the people in the New Zealand industry they are great, the horsemanship skill levels across the board are fabulous, the jockey ranks are a bit lean at the moment, but I think that will improve.
“I think it’s starting to get going again with the stake increases and the likes of the NZB Kiwi next March. Hopefully we will get some of those ex-pat jockeys back here to ride in it and the other big days.
“Whether it’s racing or breeding Bruce is the brains behind the operation and really is the guiding light.
“I have the odd thought bubble now and then and run everything past Bruce all the time. Anything I do I run past Bruce, he’s the maestro.”
