Photo: Trish Dunell
New Year began with a bang for Rich Hill Stud when four of their stallions sired five stakes winners within the first 11 days.
A treble on New Year’s Day featured Satono Aladdin (Deep Impact) siring Too Sweet in the Eclipse Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m). Vadamos (Monsun) sired Real Class and Island Life to run first and third in the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) and Proisir (Choisir) sired Bourbon Empress, winner of the Rich Hill Mile (Gr 2, 1600m). Third in the Mile was Uderzo (Vadamos). Proisir came close to securing a daily double when Arby finished a neck second in the Queen Elizabeth II Cup (G 3, 2400m).
Three days later, at Trentham, Ace High (High Chaparral) sired My Lips Are Sealed to win the Phar Lap Trophy (Gr 3, 1600m), the new name for the Anniversary Handicap. A week later, also at Trentham, Whangaehu (Proisir) made it back-to-back stakes when taking out the Trentham Stakes (Gr 3, 2100m) while Kitty Flash (Ace High) was a futile second behind Savaglee (Savabeel) in the Levin Classic (Gr 2, 1400m).
Momentum for the NZB Karaka Yearling sale series was virtually assured and the results reflected that momentum when Proisir pushed Savabeel (Zabeel) to within $500,000 of leading the Book 1 sires by aggregate. Proisir sired two of the top three lots including his career second million dollar lot, a sister to the 2024 sale topper.
Satono Aladdin’s stock were also in demand as he finished fourth by aggregate in Book 1 but was the dominant sire in Book 2, siring the top two lots as well as four of the top top six to lead the aggregate and second by average.
Don’t forget me
Have you figured it out yet? All the while, Rich Hill Stud’s Shocking (Street Cry) is all but ignored which was certainly true at the yearling sales. The under-appreciated and largely underrated Shocking was completely overlooked at Karaka where he was represented by just 13 lots comprising two in Book 1 both of which sold, for $150,000 and $100,000.
Five sold out of Book 2 headed by Lot 964 which made $115,000 (more about him later) but three were passed in and three were withdrawn. Have breeders and buyers overlooked Shocking? It appears so. And what might be the cause?
A fair guess might be the Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m) curse. Curse? Winning a Melbourne Cup? This column has discussed this topic previously but the commercial realities of breeding then selling tend towards early maturity and the enormous prize money on offer for two-and three year olds. A Melbourne Cup-winning sire doesn’t fit the criteria, that is until you start stats and facts digging, which this column has also done.
Briefly, yes, Shocking scored the Melbourne Cup as a four-year-old yet at five he returned to Flemington to add a Group 2, the Makybe Diva Stakes (now rated as a Group 1 race) and the Australian Cup (Gr 1, 2000m). Dour stayers don’t do that. Shocking simply had the class to see out the 3200 metres. A stayer, yes, but a fast one.
Having the last laugh is Shocking himself. No one can overlook his stunning Saturday at Te Rapa, siring both Group 1 winners and tellingly, the second over the sprint distance of 1400 metres. His El Vencedor in the Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) and Here To Shock in the BCD Group Sprint (Gr 1, 1400m) were most convincing – sire versatility on display right there.
The Sprint drew a top class field, perhaps the best this season. Although top sprinter Crocetti (Zacinto) was missing, the race attracted Grail Seeker (Iffraaj), who was so impressive when winning the Telegraph Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) a month ago. She arrived at Te Rapa as the winner of two Group 1s in two starts this season and started as favourite.
A three-year-old from Annabel Neasham’s Sydney stable, Australian-bred Bosustow (Blue Point), merely added to the intrigue. The half-brother to $3.9 million earner Amelia’s Jewel (Siyouni) was a last-start winner of the $3 million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas (RL, 1400m).
Also present was the New Zealand’s leading three-year-old, Savaglee (Savabeel), attempting to add to his superb season by taking on the older horses at weight-for-age as a prelude to the Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) next month.
The two three-year-olds performed admirably, finishing second and third but they were simply no match for Here To Shock (Shocking), who not only ran out a four lengths winner but also ran a slick 1:21.84 in the process.
Sitting just back and outside speedster and leader Babylon Berlin (All Too Hard), Here To Shock kept her honest all the way to the home straight then levelled up before the 200 metres. Taking over, he burst clear at the 100 metres and as commentator George Simon rightly stated, Here To Shock was too good. This was an emphatic win.
Bosustow held the rail in sixth position at the 600 metres, got out inside the 300 metres and ran home nicely but the winner was off and gone at that point. Savaglee tracked Babylon Berlin into the straight. For a second or two she moved off the rail and left a possible gap for him then back to the fence, forcing Savaglee to wait. Approaching the 200 metres he was alongside Bosustow and matched strides with the latter for a very solid third. Waitak (Proisir) flew into fourth short of the line while pacemaker Babylon Berlin held on for fifth. Grail Seeker plugged away for sixth.
No excuses
All honours, however, were with the winner as he notched his 13th success, taking his earnings beyond $2.7 million. Ten of his wins have been at 1400 metres or shorter and apart from Saturday’s Group 1 his three Group 3 victories were over 1350 metres or 1400 metres. Prior to his New Zealand raid he also scored the rich 1400 metres Alan Brown Stakes at Randwick plus Pakenham’s 1400 metres Supernova.
Here To Shock is a graduate of the 2019 NZB Karaka Yearling Sales and was purchased by Slade Bloodstock from the Cambridge Stud draft for $70,000. Interestingly, Slade Bloodstock also purchased Lot 964 from this year’s Book 2 sale, outlaying $115,000 for the colt by Shocking from Baltis (Al Akbar).
Here To Shock’s dam Frescoes (Lonhro) was hardly tested on the track. She raced three times for two wins and at stud has now produced two stakes winners. The other is nine-times winner Turn The Ace (Turn Me Loose), a Listed winner at Te Rapa.
Here To Shock’s great granddam may provide the clue as to his sprinting ability. Shaybisc (Biscay) was the champion two-and three-year-old of her crop. She scored six of her nine career wins at two including the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m). At stud she foaled three group winners plus the dam VRC Patinack Classic (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Mental (Lonhro). Frescoes and Mental rank as three-quarter relations.
But wait, there’s more….
Some gloss was taken off the Herbie Dyke Stakes (Gr 1, 2000) with the withdrawal of stars Orchestral (Savabeel) and Snazzytavi (Tavistock). Orchestral’s path to another Sydney raid is through the New Zealand Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) on Champions Day at Ellerslie on March 8. Snazzytavi contracted a virus and is out for the remainder of the season.
Nevertheless, a more than worthwhile field was assembled for the $700,000 feature which, like the Sprint, also attracted an Australian-based runner in Numerian (Holy Roman Empire). Top performers La Crique (Vadamos) and Ladies Man (Zed) were obvious contenders but it was El Vencedor (Shocking) who dealt his rivals a sound beating by running clear from the top of the straight.
During the running it was unusual to see El Vencedor headed before they reached the 1000 metres but he took over again before they straightened for the run home, adding decisive pressure. Half way down the straight he was well clear and kept adding to his lead which was three lengths at the line.
La Crique was the nearest to El Vencedor at the 400 metres and kept up a solid chase but second was always going to be her lot. Sharing last position at the top of the straight was Whangaehu (Proisir) who then made a strong run along the inner and kept going doggedly to get with a half-length of La Crique for third. In yet another highlight for Rich Hill Stud, the first three home were all by their stallions.
Once in form El Vencedor is one tough customer to head. Added to his victory is that just seven days prior he carried the steadier of 61kgs when taking out the Fulton Family Stakes (Listed, 1500m) at Ellerslie. He bowled that race over by five lengths so was clearly very fit for this assignment. His season is far from over and Ellerslie’s New Zealand Stakes, where he will be defending his 2024 crown on Champions Day at his favourite track, should be a doozy. One thing we know for sure is that the race will be run at pace, providing a thrilling contest, especially if Orchestral lines up.
The Herbie Dyke marked El Vencedor’s second Group 1 success and his tenth career success, taking his earnings beyond $1.2 million. His brother Chocante (Shocking) took out the Brisbane Cup (Gr 2, 2200m) and the Counties Cup (Gr 3, 2100m) whereas his half-brother Sky Darci (Darci Brahma) was the champion four-year-old in Hong Kong, scoring seven wins including the rich Hong Kong Derby (Listed, 2000m).
They descend from great-granddam Red Chiffon (Sovereign Red) who succeeded at Group 3 level in the Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m), one of her 11 career wins. She was also a Listed winner three times including in Sydney and Brisbane.
And finally…..
There were three Group 1 races in Australasia on Saturday. The third was the CF Orr Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Caulfield and Shocking’s sire Street Cry (Machiavellian) featured in all three. Another Wil, like Here To Shock and El Vencedor, is a grandson of Street Cry, being by Street Boss, sire also of champion Anamoe.
