Sacred Park (above) takes out the Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie
Photo NZTM website
Mapperley Stud's Simms Davison knew he was making the right decision when he purchased Dosh (Danske – Heaps) out of the 2011 National Broodmare and Weanling Sale for $20,000, having already purchased her Thorn Park(AUS) weanling colt for $30,000 earlier in the sale.
He knew the mare well as she was owned by a client of the stud, Victorian bloodstock company Harvey Digby Bloodstock Ltd.
"I purchased her 2009 colt by Thorn Park as a weanling out of the paddock for $30,000 and sold him for $120,000 at the Select Sale the following year. As a foal he was a big colt and a bit of an ugly duckling with a big plain head like his mother's, but he grew into a lovely big strong yearling.
"I thought the next foal would do the same, but this time the client, who had decided to reduce his involvement in New Zealand, thought I wasn't going to be allowed to raid the cookie jar twice and put the weanling through the sale.
"It was a similar result, I paid $30,000 and the following year sold the yearling for $110,000 in the Select Sale to Raffles Dancers (NZ) Pty. He too grew into his ugly head and was a striking yearling," he said.
That striking yearling was Sacred Park, the recent winner of the Group Three Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie, and is trained by Tony Pike and Mike Donoghue who had so much success last year with the top three-year-old colt Sacred Falls. He had one start for a win as a two-year-old in May and ran a nice fifth at Taupo in preparation for the Bonecrusher and an extended three-year-old campaign.
"I took a full sister back to the sales this year, but she was still a little bit plain, and she failed to meet her reserve, but now I am quite happy to have her at home in the paddock. It was a no brainer for me to buy the mare, and so far she has been pretty good to me.
"The first Thorn Park I sold was called Sharp Money and he won a maiden race impressively in Victoria last July and was on-sold to Hong Kong for big money, and the way Sacred Park is racing he looks the goods and, according to Tony Pike, the 2000 Guineas is on the cards for this fellow too. But what is even more encouraging is that he thinks that this horse may get the Derby distance."
That wouldn't be too much of a surprise. Thorn Park has already left a Derby winner in Jimmy Choux, and Heaps (Fiesta Star[AUS]- Plenty), the grandam of Sacred Park, is closely related to another Fiesta Star mare in Staring (ex Sweet Violet), an Oaks winner herself and the grandam of the champion three-year-old and AJC Derby winner It's A Dundeel. They both trace back to the Targui (FR) mare Money.
Dosh was bred by Hawkes Bay breeding stalwart Graham de Gruchy, but did not race. She is a full sister to the group three Lowland Stakes winner Molta, and to Mucho who won seven races including six in Hong Kong. This is also the family of the New Zealand Cup winner Gold Bullion, and Hawke's Bay Cup winner San Juan. De Gruchy sent her to Volksraad (IRE), and she produced Shekels of Gold, a winner of two races before being sold to Digby Harvey Bloodstock who sent her to the ill-fated Thorn Park three times.
She is currently in foal to Guillotine and has a Guillotine colt heading to Karaka this summer. This season Dosh will visit Ocean Park.
Simms Davison took over the management of Mapperley Stud at Matamata a couple of years ago. The stud was originally established by his grandfather John in 1964. It then passed on to John's son Mark, Simms father, and during the 90's while Volksraad was standing at the stud, a partnership was formed with Windsor Park Stud and the properties worked in tandem together. However, when Simms, a former professional rugby player, retired from that sport he took up the reins and has set about re-establishing Mapperley as an independent entity.
In 2012 they presented their first yearling draft and it is from that first draft that Sacred Park was purchased. Coincidentally, Spellbinder (O'Reilly – Scenic Sprint [AUS]) the winner of the Listed Soliloquy Stakes on the same card as the Bonecrusher Stakes, was in the same draft.
"She was a lovely filly with a lot of presence about her. I am not surprised that she has now won two races from two starts. She was out of our Select Sale draft and was bred by Victorian trainer Danny O'Brien. David Ellis paid $80,000 for her and they think she is pretty special," he added.
As part of the rejuvenation of Mapperley Stud, Davison is once again standing a stallion. He's Remarkable (Pentire [GB]- Axiom) took up residence there this season.
"He is going great so far. He is very fertile and has only missed on two mares so far. He is great to work with and has adapted to being a stallion well. In the last 30 days he has served 29 mares, we are really pleased with the response we have had from breeders and I am sure he will do well," said Davison.
- Michelle Saba
He knew the mare well as she was owned by a client of the stud, Victorian bloodstock company Harvey Digby Bloodstock Ltd.
"I purchased her 2009 colt by Thorn Park as a weanling out of the paddock for $30,000 and sold him for $120,000 at the Select Sale the following year. As a foal he was a big colt and a bit of an ugly duckling with a big plain head like his mother's, but he grew into a lovely big strong yearling.
"I thought the next foal would do the same, but this time the client, who had decided to reduce his involvement in New Zealand, thought I wasn't going to be allowed to raid the cookie jar twice and put the weanling through the sale.
"It was a similar result, I paid $30,000 and the following year sold the yearling for $110,000 in the Select Sale to Raffles Dancers (NZ) Pty. He too grew into his ugly head and was a striking yearling," he said.
That striking yearling was Sacred Park, the recent winner of the Group Three Bonecrusher Stakes at Ellerslie, and is trained by Tony Pike and Mike Donoghue who had so much success last year with the top three-year-old colt Sacred Falls. He had one start for a win as a two-year-old in May and ran a nice fifth at Taupo in preparation for the Bonecrusher and an extended three-year-old campaign.
"I took a full sister back to the sales this year, but she was still a little bit plain, and she failed to meet her reserve, but now I am quite happy to have her at home in the paddock. It was a no brainer for me to buy the mare, and so far she has been pretty good to me.
"The first Thorn Park I sold was called Sharp Money and he won a maiden race impressively in Victoria last July and was on-sold to Hong Kong for big money, and the way Sacred Park is racing he looks the goods and, according to Tony Pike, the 2000 Guineas is on the cards for this fellow too. But what is even more encouraging is that he thinks that this horse may get the Derby distance."
That wouldn't be too much of a surprise. Thorn Park has already left a Derby winner in Jimmy Choux, and Heaps (Fiesta Star[AUS]- Plenty), the grandam of Sacred Park, is closely related to another Fiesta Star mare in Staring (ex Sweet Violet), an Oaks winner herself and the grandam of the champion three-year-old and AJC Derby winner It's A Dundeel. They both trace back to the Targui (FR) mare Money.
Dosh was bred by Hawkes Bay breeding stalwart Graham de Gruchy, but did not race. She is a full sister to the group three Lowland Stakes winner Molta, and to Mucho who won seven races including six in Hong Kong. This is also the family of the New Zealand Cup winner Gold Bullion, and Hawke's Bay Cup winner San Juan. De Gruchy sent her to Volksraad (IRE), and she produced Shekels of Gold, a winner of two races before being sold to Digby Harvey Bloodstock who sent her to the ill-fated Thorn Park three times.
She is currently in foal to Guillotine and has a Guillotine colt heading to Karaka this summer. This season Dosh will visit Ocean Park.
Simms Davison took over the management of Mapperley Stud at Matamata a couple of years ago. The stud was originally established by his grandfather John in 1964. It then passed on to John's son Mark, Simms father, and during the 90's while Volksraad was standing at the stud, a partnership was formed with Windsor Park Stud and the properties worked in tandem together. However, when Simms, a former professional rugby player, retired from that sport he took up the reins and has set about re-establishing Mapperley as an independent entity.
In 2012 they presented their first yearling draft and it is from that first draft that Sacred Park was purchased. Coincidentally, Spellbinder (O'Reilly – Scenic Sprint [AUS]) the winner of the Listed Soliloquy Stakes on the same card as the Bonecrusher Stakes, was in the same draft.
"She was a lovely filly with a lot of presence about her. I am not surprised that she has now won two races from two starts. She was out of our Select Sale draft and was bred by Victorian trainer Danny O'Brien. David Ellis paid $80,000 for her and they think she is pretty special," he added.
As part of the rejuvenation of Mapperley Stud, Davison is once again standing a stallion. He's Remarkable (Pentire [GB]- Axiom) took up residence there this season.
"He is going great so far. He is very fertile and has only missed on two mares so far. He is great to work with and has adapted to being a stallion well. In the last 30 days he has served 29 mares, we are really pleased with the response we have had from breeders and I am sure he will do well," said Davison.
- Michelle Saba
