Fifty odd years ago when Cambridge octogenarian Gladys Hodgson, was asked by her husband Geoff what she would like for her birthday, she asked him if she could keep a filly he had bred that was unable to race and he was considering selling.
That filly, Gabadee (Gabador[FR]-Chickadee),went on to leave a couple of smart stakes winners in Urupukapuka and Dee Dee and a dynasty to follow that is still giving Gladys a huge thrill and something to bet on today. The most recent stakes winner from this family is Rolling Pin (Pins[AUS]- Gypsy's Daughter), the winner of the group three Newcastle TC Cameron Handicap, followed ten days later by the group two ATC Shannon Stakes at Rosehill, and bred by Gladys's daughter Josie Hines.
"Mum still enjoys having a few bets on her TAB account on a Saturday and got pretty excited like the rest of us when Rolling Pin won at Rosehill. Even though we don't own him anymore, we all still yell and scream at the TV when he is racing," said Josie, who along with her husband Geoff is a member of the Waikato branch of the NZTBA.
Rolling Pin is the fifth foal of the stakes winning Mi Priferido(GB) mare Gypsy's Daughter, who was raced by Josie along with her mother and late father Geoff. She won seven races three of which were in Australia including the listed Lord Mayor's Cup and the Neville Sellwood Stakes. She also won the listed Manawatu Breeders Stakes, and is a half sister to Kiss N'A Shilling, herself a winner of seven races including the listed Wairarapa Breeders' Stakes.
Their dam, Jean Gordon, won three races and was a half sister to the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes winner Joal (Alvaro [GB]), being out of the placed Sovereign Edition (IRE) mare Maid of Orleans. She in turn was out of Dee Dee, a daughter of Gabadee.
Dee Dee was by Alcimedes (GB) and she was the second leading three-year-old filly of her year (1966-67). She won the Great Northern Oaks and the Waikato Guineas, and was second in the Great Northern Derby and Wellington Derby.
Dee Dee's older half sister Urupukapuka (Summertime) won four races as a two-year-old before winning the Great Northern Guineas, the Avondale Guineas and the Foxbridge Plate as a three-year old.
She went on to be a top producer with her best son being Wellington Road. Her daughter Blondie went on to leave the stakes winners Librici, and Procol Harum, who later became a successful sire, and they were bred by the Hodgsons. After she was sold she left two more stakes winners in Beachside – the dam of Cannsea – and Double Take
These days Josie is proud to be breeding from this family developed by her mother.
"Mum was the one with the breeding interest and she selected all the matings. It's a great old family, we have had a bit of a lull, and a few quiet spots, but families like this usually come around again, you just have to be able to have the time and the commitment to ride it out.
"Gypsy's Daughter is pretty old now and she won't be having any more foals. Her last foal is a two-year-old by Shakee's Secret (GB) and he is in the Ready To Run Sale next month. She has a three-year-old by High Chaparral (IRE) that we sold for $130,000 and she is in work with Roger James. She was placed at her first trial recently.
"Gypsy's Daughter was a good racehorse. She broke a cannon bone in the Royal Stakes when she was a three-year-old and was off the scene for a year, so what she did when she came back was pretty good.
"I have kept one of her daughters - Chico by High Chaparral(IRE). She won one race and I sent her to stud last season. I am anxiously waiting for her to foal as she is in foal to Pins and is carrying a three-quarter relation to Rolling Pin. She will foal at Cambridge Stud and will be served by Stravinsky (IRE)," she added.
Josie mainly keeps her horses at home on the farm she shares with her husband Geoff.
"We used to do everything from foaling down through to pre-training, but now we stick to just weaning and their general day-to-day care. We have scaled down our bloodstock numbers and only had one foal last year. That was out of One of Me (Danske – Joal) by Bachelor Duke and I gave that to my brother.
"Besides Chico's foal we have one other due this year out of Genaffair, a Generous mare out of the family that won three races. She is in foal to Thorn Park (AUS), and I was hoping to go back to him but will have to reconsider now."
Genaffair is out of Famous Affair (Famous Star [GB]), a winning daughter of Joan Mary who was by Imperial Seal (GB), out of Maid of Orleans.
"Mum was the pedigree expert in our family, but now we mainly breed to horses that have performed well on the track and at stud and are good physical types. However, these days we have to consider the cost of the stud fees more, and the associated costs.
"Generally we try and sell all our colts and keep at least one filly out of each family, but it doesn't always happen that way. If the Sahkee's Secret colt doesn't sell I guess we will have to race him as well, and I know Mum will be keen to take a share.
"After all," Josie said proudly, "I am privileged to have descendants of this family and it's great that Mum can still get pleasure from them."
- Michelle Saba
That filly, Gabadee (Gabador[FR]-Chickadee),went on to leave a couple of smart stakes winners in Urupukapuka and Dee Dee and a dynasty to follow that is still giving Gladys a huge thrill and something to bet on today. The most recent stakes winner from this family is Rolling Pin (Pins[AUS]- Gypsy's Daughter), the winner of the group three Newcastle TC Cameron Handicap, followed ten days later by the group two ATC Shannon Stakes at Rosehill, and bred by Gladys's daughter Josie Hines.
"Mum still enjoys having a few bets on her TAB account on a Saturday and got pretty excited like the rest of us when Rolling Pin won at Rosehill. Even though we don't own him anymore, we all still yell and scream at the TV when he is racing," said Josie, who along with her husband Geoff is a member of the Waikato branch of the NZTBA.
Rolling Pin is the fifth foal of the stakes winning Mi Priferido(GB) mare Gypsy's Daughter, who was raced by Josie along with her mother and late father Geoff. She won seven races three of which were in Australia including the listed Lord Mayor's Cup and the Neville Sellwood Stakes. She also won the listed Manawatu Breeders Stakes, and is a half sister to Kiss N'A Shilling, herself a winner of seven races including the listed Wairarapa Breeders' Stakes.
Their dam, Jean Gordon, won three races and was a half sister to the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders' Stakes winner Joal (Alvaro [GB]), being out of the placed Sovereign Edition (IRE) mare Maid of Orleans. She in turn was out of Dee Dee, a daughter of Gabadee.
Dee Dee was by Alcimedes (GB) and she was the second leading three-year-old filly of her year (1966-67). She won the Great Northern Oaks and the Waikato Guineas, and was second in the Great Northern Derby and Wellington Derby.
Dee Dee's older half sister Urupukapuka (Summertime) won four races as a two-year-old before winning the Great Northern Guineas, the Avondale Guineas and the Foxbridge Plate as a three-year old.
She went on to be a top producer with her best son being Wellington Road. Her daughter Blondie went on to leave the stakes winners Librici, and Procol Harum, who later became a successful sire, and they were bred by the Hodgsons. After she was sold she left two more stakes winners in Beachside – the dam of Cannsea – and Double Take
These days Josie is proud to be breeding from this family developed by her mother.
"Mum was the one with the breeding interest and she selected all the matings. It's a great old family, we have had a bit of a lull, and a few quiet spots, but families like this usually come around again, you just have to be able to have the time and the commitment to ride it out.
"Gypsy's Daughter is pretty old now and she won't be having any more foals. Her last foal is a two-year-old by Shakee's Secret (GB) and he is in the Ready To Run Sale next month. She has a three-year-old by High Chaparral (IRE) that we sold for $130,000 and she is in work with Roger James. She was placed at her first trial recently.
"Gypsy's Daughter was a good racehorse. She broke a cannon bone in the Royal Stakes when she was a three-year-old and was off the scene for a year, so what she did when she came back was pretty good.
"I have kept one of her daughters - Chico by High Chaparral(IRE). She won one race and I sent her to stud last season. I am anxiously waiting for her to foal as she is in foal to Pins and is carrying a three-quarter relation to Rolling Pin. She will foal at Cambridge Stud and will be served by Stravinsky (IRE)," she added.
Josie mainly keeps her horses at home on the farm she shares with her husband Geoff.
"We used to do everything from foaling down through to pre-training, but now we stick to just weaning and their general day-to-day care. We have scaled down our bloodstock numbers and only had one foal last year. That was out of One of Me (Danske – Joal) by Bachelor Duke and I gave that to my brother.
"Besides Chico's foal we have one other due this year out of Genaffair, a Generous mare out of the family that won three races. She is in foal to Thorn Park (AUS), and I was hoping to go back to him but will have to reconsider now."
Genaffair is out of Famous Affair (Famous Star [GB]), a winning daughter of Joan Mary who was by Imperial Seal (GB), out of Maid of Orleans.
"Mum was the pedigree expert in our family, but now we mainly breed to horses that have performed well on the track and at stud and are good physical types. However, these days we have to consider the cost of the stud fees more, and the associated costs.
"Generally we try and sell all our colts and keep at least one filly out of each family, but it doesn't always happen that way. If the Sahkee's Secret colt doesn't sell I guess we will have to race him as well, and I know Mum will be keen to take a share.
"After all," Josie said proudly, "I am privileged to have descendants of this family and it's great that Mum can still get pleasure from them."
- Michelle Saba