Photo: Peter Rubery (Race Images)
Geographically, the New Zealand thoroughbred industry is largely centered in the Waikato region and within that, principally around the towns of Matamata and Cambridge.
The lower–half of New Zealand’s North Island (known as the Central Districts) has just two significant studs that stand stallions, namely Little Avondale Stud near Masterton in the Wairarapa, and Grangewilliam Stud which is based in Waitotara in South Taranaki. These two studs shared the limelight last Saturday.
Grangewilliam’s Derryn (Hinchinbrook) sired his first Group 1 winner when Leica Lucy scored in the New Zealand Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) at Trentham while Little Avondale’s Per Incanto (Street Cry) sired his ninth Group 1 winner when Gringotts bested a super field in the George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1, 1500m) at Rosehill.
Leica Lucy has taken all before her among her sex and completed the season as the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year. However, Saturday’s win was not as dominant as those in the lead–up races.
Although her races have been well spaced, she has been up since last October when placing in a Foxton trial before winning on debut at New Plymouth. Beaten a head at her second start, she has since reeled off five successive wins and, until the Oaks, each win seemed easier than the previous. In particular, her Lowland Stakes (Gr 2, 2100m) victory was impressive, moving away by more than three lengths and rounding out the last 600 metres in a slashing 33.37 seconds.
The Lowland is the best indicator when finding the Oaks winner as four of its last six winners have gone on to land the Classic. Additionally, the first three home were also the first three home in the Group 2, however Leica Lucy’s winning margin was a much tighter 0.4 lengths.
Either her regular opponents had improved or Leica Lucy was feeling the 2400 metres because the kick we witnessed at Te Rapa, for the David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic (Gr 2, 2000m) and her acceleration from the 150 metres in the Lowland, were missing. Her class carried her to the line this time but she had to dig deep to hold out a very determined Dubai Gold (Pride Of Dubai). The overall time of 2:29.41 was good given the sticky Soft 6 track conditions.
The filly changed ownership after her Desert Gold Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m) victory in January and she will do her future racing from Chris Waller’s stable. The fact that she can run her last 600 metres in 33 seconds and change suggests that she should be competitive in Australia but her preferred distance is likely to be 1600 metres to 2000 metres. Whether she will have a tilt at the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) will be very interesting and doubtful. Kiwi Chronicles’ guess is that Waller will wait. It will surprise if she is set for something like a Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m).
She is the only foal of her dam, Dynamite Lucy (Sir Percy), who ranks as a winning half-sister to Auckland Guineas (Gr 2, 1600m) second Endowment (Savabeel). Lecia Lucy’s damsire Sir Percy (Mark Of Esteem) won the Epsom Derby (Gr 1, 1m 4f). He stood only three seasons in New Zealand and in his stud career sired 26 stakes winners.
Leica Lucy’s third–dam is the Listed–placed Timamou (Deputy Governor) whose half-brother, Just Aqua (Justice Prevails), was a Group 3 winner of the Tauranga Stakes (1600m). Their dam, Aquilac (Crested Wave) is a half-sister to the dam of dual Group 1 miler Elevenses (Star Way).
Looking south
Geography was one of several subjects when Kiwi Chronicles spoke with Little Avondale Stud’s Sam Williams late last week who stated that, as one of two studs in the lower half of the island: “It’s lonely down here.” New Zealand may be a small country by international standards but road travel is deceptive, especially heading either north or south. It is easy to understand why broodmare owners are reluctant to add expensive each-way float trips to their breeding bills.
Geography also explains why Grangewilliam Stud’s Derryn served a surprisingly small book of mares last spring. The simple fact is: there are only so many mares in the stud’s area. Combine that with the attraction of “new and shiny” Hilal (Fastnet Rock) and the result is dumbfounding. The new boy on the block, Hilal, served more than 130 mares whereas Derryn covered less than 30.
The only other explanation is that local broodmare owners already had a foal or three by Derryn and it was simply time for a change. After Leica Lucy’s picket fence sequence of five wins, culminating with the Oaks, those same mare owners might be having a second look at their decisions next spring.
With four crops on the ground, Derryn, a Group 2 winner who placed at Group 1 level, is still young and Leica Lucy’s form should have an effect on his 2025 bookings.
Then again, Grangewilliam had more good news regarding their stallion line up as “new and shiny” Hilal can now lay claim to being a half-brother to 2025 Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Marhoona (Snitzel).
Edging into the elite Slipper field as the last qualifier, Marhoona is from Hilal’s dam Salma (Encosta De Lago) and the siblings are bred on a similar pattern. Sire-line-wise, Hilal is a grandson of Danehill (Danzig) whereas Marhoona is a great granddaughter of Danehill.
Their dam, Salma, has an enviable record as the producer of four stakes winners. Her 2014 colt foal, Trojan Harbour (Harbour Watch), was a Listed winner in South Africa. Her 2017 filly foal, Salateen (I Am Invincible), was also a Listed winner and Group 2 placed in Brisbane.
Hilal was foaled in 2018 and scored in Rosehill’s Stan Fox Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) but also raced very well against star Anamoe (Street Boss) on several occasions including when second to the champion in the AJC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m).
That answers that
Prior to Saturday’s George Ryder Stakes, Gringotts was officially a Listed winner whose record also included two rich-race wins. Defying protocol, earlier this season the NSW authorities deemed The Gong (1600m), run at Kembla Grange, a Group 3 race. They also classified The Big Dance (1600m), run at Randwick, as a Listed race. The Gong’s gross prize–money was $1 million while The Big Dance was worth a total of $3 million. Neither race is recognised by any other jurisdiction as a black-type race or for that matter by Arion Pedigrees, the authority regarding pedigrees.
These two big prizes have certainly helped propel Per Incanto to being the leading New Zealand-based sire in Australia for the current season. Gringotts has contributed more than $3 million to Per Incanto’s total of $8.27 million which has him 11th on the Australian premiership.
Gringotts completed business by adding the time-honoured Ryder Stakes which arguably drew the best field of the day. He didn’t reach the lead until the 100 metres and was immediately challenged hard but never gave way to hold on in a head bobber. His record stands at ten wins from 20 starts and the precious Group 1 takes his career earnings to $3.67 million.
A month ago Per Incanto celebrated his eighth individual Group 1 winner when Jimmysstar bagged the Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m). Jimmysstar was a late–finishing third in Saturday’s William Reid Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at The Valley. Between Gringotts and Jimmysstar they added $670,000 to Per Incanto’s total which also sets up a great battle for another sire premiership known as the Centaine Award for New Zealand–based stallions and their world-wide earnings.
That battle is between Per Incanto and Savabeel (Zabeel), who just happens to be the sire of Gringotts’ dam. Before Ellerslie’s NZB Kiwi day, Per Incanto enjoyed a comfortable lead over Savabeel but that all changed, somewhat dramatically, when Savabeel’s Damask Rose claimed The Kiwi, worth $1.2 million to the winner and Damask Rose’s sister Provence took out the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) adding a further $345,000.
Heading into this past weekend Savabeel’s lead was about $500,000, which has now been cut to $140,000, setting up a highly interesting tussle throughout the rest of autumn and into winter.
Winx rellies
Gringotts is one of two close relatives of Winx (Street Cry) to score at stakes level during the weekend. His connection with the great mare is via his grandam Operavega (Stravinsky), a half-sister to Winx’s dam Vegas Showgirl (Al Akbar). The other is Wellington Guineas (Gr 2, 1400m) winner Vegas Queen (Proisir). She and Gringotts are from the half-sisters Miss Bluebell (Savabeel) and Miss Vegas (Carlton House), daughters of Operavega.
Wiremu Pinn, aboard Vegas Queen, took all luck out of the equation by sending Vegas Queen straight to the front and into the home straight there were any number of challengers. To her credit, she held them all off all the way down the long Trentham straight to score by a half–length. Her 1:23.89 for the 1400 metres on the Soft 6 surface was better than okay. She did all the donkey work and the rest had no excuses.
Her previous best effort was a solid second in the Almanzor Trophy (Gr 3, 1200m) on Karaka Millions night. She rounded into the straight rather awkwardly but once balanced ran home strongly. Her two runs in the meantime were less than convincing, hence her $34 starting price in the Guineas.
On reflection, Trentham was her first go left-handed and the awkward run into the straight during the Almanzor Trophy might have provided a small clue to her greater comfort racing anti-clockwise. Her maiden stakes win brought up stakes winner number 22 for Rich Hill Stud’s Proisir (Choisir).
