Falkirk
He may not be in the NZTBA's Register of Thoroughbred Stallions in New Zealand but Falkirk (Tale of the Cat[USA]- Madam Valeta) is still very much alive and kicking at Windsor Park and preparing for the new stud season.
"He's a box of birds" said Windsor Park Stud's General Manager Steve Till, "and looking forward to the new season, and deservedly so with a flag bearer like Well Done (Falkirk- Gold Cloud) in Singapore."
Till was referring to the recent Group One victory in the Singapore Derby by the Falkirk four-year-old bred by the stud.
"It was a great day for the New Zealand bred, winning nine out of 11 races on the day on one of Singapore's flagship days. It was the second Derby winner for Falkirk having already sired Fay Fay to win the Hong Kong Derby in 2012."
A top sprinter, Falkirk won eight races before commencing stud duties in 2006, and has sired the good sprinters Durham Town, Jaggard and Arietta, in New Zealand and in Asia, the Stakes winners Fay Fay, Makura and Solar Great.
"As far as racehorses go the Falkirk's are always popular in those Asian countries, and that has set him up well".
"Breeders like them as they know they don't have to sell them as yearlings. There is a good market for them as trialled horses, or in the Ready to Run market. We have a couple of nice colts in the Ready to Run Sales this year and we have a couple of nice mares in the broodmare band, including Group One placed Trepidation."
Well Done is out of the multiple Stakes winning Truly Vain (AUS) mare Gold Cloud, and carries a close-up duplication of the great racehorse and sire Vain(AUS), a factor evident in the background of many of Falkirk's best progeny including Hong Kong Derby winner Fay Fay and Stakes winning race mares Arietta and Makkura.
"Gold Cloud was a good race mare, who got better with maturity," added Till, "she was a proven race mare when we purchased her and she went on to win the Group Three Thames Valley Stakes after we purchased her. She won 10 races in all".
"Her first foal was by Spinning World(USA) and called Luminous and he won eight races in Hong Kong, she has left two other winners in Game Changer and Gold Lining. We also have a two-year-old filly by the promising young sire Zacinto(GB)."
Gold Cloud has since passed away. She was out of the winning English Harbour(GB) mare Mitsuko, herself a half-sister to the Stakes placed winner Volimoon, both being out of the Resurgent (IRE) mare Fleet Vixen.
"I would expect that Well Done will also improve with maturity, and should really hit his straps. He has a phenomenal turn of foot. When he won the Patron's Bowl leading into the Derby, he didn't look like he was going to get clear, and when he did in the last 250 metres he motored home. He did the same in the Derby, and won by three-quarters of a length".
"Well Done is our third Group One winner in Asia this season, with Debt Collector(Thorn Park[AUS]-Prompt Payment) winning the Singapore Guineas, and giving us the best three-year and the best four-year old in Singapore . And we also bred champion sprinter Aerovelocity(Pins[AUS]-Exodus) who won the Centenary Cup in Hong Kong in January. It's been a big season," he mused.
"He's a box of birds" said Windsor Park Stud's General Manager Steve Till, "and looking forward to the new season, and deservedly so with a flag bearer like Well Done (Falkirk- Gold Cloud) in Singapore."
Till was referring to the recent Group One victory in the Singapore Derby by the Falkirk four-year-old bred by the stud.
"It was a great day for the New Zealand bred, winning nine out of 11 races on the day on one of Singapore's flagship days. It was the second Derby winner for Falkirk having already sired Fay Fay to win the Hong Kong Derby in 2012."
A top sprinter, Falkirk won eight races before commencing stud duties in 2006, and has sired the good sprinters Durham Town, Jaggard and Arietta, in New Zealand and in Asia, the Stakes winners Fay Fay, Makura and Solar Great.
"As far as racehorses go the Falkirk's are always popular in those Asian countries, and that has set him up well".
"Breeders like them as they know they don't have to sell them as yearlings. There is a good market for them as trialled horses, or in the Ready to Run market. We have a couple of nice colts in the Ready to Run Sales this year and we have a couple of nice mares in the broodmare band, including Group One placed Trepidation."
Well Done is out of the multiple Stakes winning Truly Vain (AUS) mare Gold Cloud, and carries a close-up duplication of the great racehorse and sire Vain(AUS), a factor evident in the background of many of Falkirk's best progeny including Hong Kong Derby winner Fay Fay and Stakes winning race mares Arietta and Makkura.
"Gold Cloud was a good race mare, who got better with maturity," added Till, "she was a proven race mare when we purchased her and she went on to win the Group Three Thames Valley Stakes after we purchased her. She won 10 races in all".
"Her first foal was by Spinning World(USA) and called Luminous and he won eight races in Hong Kong, she has left two other winners in Game Changer and Gold Lining. We also have a two-year-old filly by the promising young sire Zacinto(GB)."
Gold Cloud has since passed away. She was out of the winning English Harbour(GB) mare Mitsuko, herself a half-sister to the Stakes placed winner Volimoon, both being out of the Resurgent (IRE) mare Fleet Vixen.
"I would expect that Well Done will also improve with maturity, and should really hit his straps. He has a phenomenal turn of foot. When he won the Patron's Bowl leading into the Derby, he didn't look like he was going to get clear, and when he did in the last 250 metres he motored home. He did the same in the Derby, and won by three-quarters of a length".
"Well Done is our third Group One winner in Asia this season, with Debt Collector(Thorn Park[AUS]-Prompt Payment) winning the Singapore Guineas, and giving us the best three-year and the best four-year old in Singapore . And we also bred champion sprinter Aerovelocity(Pins[AUS]-Exodus) who won the Centenary Cup in Hong Kong in January. It's been a big season," he mused.
