Let Her Rip wins the Gp.3 Rotorua Stakes
West Australian breeders Sue and Alan Olive have reason to believe in "Murphy's Law" after Let Her Rip(Rip Van Winkle[IRE]- Keeper Special) won the Group Three ISCL Rotorua Stakes recently.
"Isn't it always the way," said Sue Olive, "as soon as you sell a mare, she will leave a stakes winner!
"We sold Keeper Special earlier this year, and now I'm kicking myself about it, but that's the name of the breeding game isn't it, and good luck to her new owner."
Sue and Alan Olive own Gold Front Thoroughbreds just south of Gingin which is north of Perth, their 300 acre property specialises in rearing, agisting and training horses. They stand the Fastnet Rock(IRE) Group One winning stallion Awesome Rock (ex Awesome Planet[AUS]) and Slater (AUS)(Redoute's Choice[AUS]- Special Harmony[AUS]).
On selling a successful contract drilling company a few years ago, the couple decided to indulge in their love of horses and develop Gold Front Thoroughbreds and have enjoyed some success along the way.
In the 2012 season the Olives sent Keeper Special to Rip Van Winkle(IRE) and after she foaled she went to Savabeel(AUS) before being exported to Western Australia. Her Rip Van Winkle foal stayed behind and was purchased by Shaun Ritchie from the Leanach Lodge draft at the 2014 NZB Select Sale for $41,000.
Let Her Rip is raced by Ritchie's wife Alison along with Lindsay de Souza, Doug Painter, Todd Hartley and Paul Vawdrey, who also share in the ownership of the triple Group One winner Turn Me Loose (Iffraaj[IRE]-Indomitable) who commences stud duties at Windsor Park – the home of Rip Van Winkle – this spring.
The Rotorua Stakes brought up win number five for the four-year-old mare and is her best win to date although she has always shown potential. Earlier in this preparation she was an unlucky fifth in the Group Three Cuddle Stakes, and as a three-year-old was fifth in the Group One One Thousand Guineas.
Let Her Rip is the sixth individual Group winner by Rip Van Winkle from his first southern hemisphere crop and his 16th stakes-winner overall. The son of Galileo(IRE) will return to stud again in New Zealand this spring.
She is the second foal of Keeper Special a Keeper(AUS) mare who won three races for her breeder Auckland branch member Margaret Watson, including the Ryder Stakes and the Wanganui JC Fillies Stakes both at listed level, before incurring an injury.
Keeper Special earned her name following her very difficult breech birth which Watson assisted at, and her dam Jasben a three winning Sun And Shine(GB) mare was then retired from breeding. This is also the family of the multiple Group One winner Vite Cheval and the tough stakes winning race mare Nat The Brat.
Prior to her injury Keeper Special was on track for a tilt at the Group One One Thousand Guineas, instead she was sent to stud.
Her first foal by Librettist(USA) won one race in Australia. After being exported Special Keeper produced a filly by Savabeel(AUS), Stacey's Savabee,l now three and she has a two-year-old colt Wickets by Snitzel(AUS). Her yearling filly is by Eurozone(AUS) and sold this summer to Karl Kazmer for $14,000; she is in foal to the Encosta de Lago(AUS) stallion My Admiration(AUS) who the Olives are shareholders in. - Michelle Saba
"Isn't it always the way," said Sue Olive, "as soon as you sell a mare, she will leave a stakes winner!
"We sold Keeper Special earlier this year, and now I'm kicking myself about it, but that's the name of the breeding game isn't it, and good luck to her new owner."
Sue and Alan Olive own Gold Front Thoroughbreds just south of Gingin which is north of Perth, their 300 acre property specialises in rearing, agisting and training horses. They stand the Fastnet Rock(IRE) Group One winning stallion Awesome Rock (ex Awesome Planet[AUS]) and Slater (AUS)(Redoute's Choice[AUS]- Special Harmony[AUS]).
On selling a successful contract drilling company a few years ago, the couple decided to indulge in their love of horses and develop Gold Front Thoroughbreds and have enjoyed some success along the way.
In the 2012 season the Olives sent Keeper Special to Rip Van Winkle(IRE) and after she foaled she went to Savabeel(AUS) before being exported to Western Australia. Her Rip Van Winkle foal stayed behind and was purchased by Shaun Ritchie from the Leanach Lodge draft at the 2014 NZB Select Sale for $41,000.
Let Her Rip is raced by Ritchie's wife Alison along with Lindsay de Souza, Doug Painter, Todd Hartley and Paul Vawdrey, who also share in the ownership of the triple Group One winner Turn Me Loose (Iffraaj[IRE]-Indomitable) who commences stud duties at Windsor Park – the home of Rip Van Winkle – this spring.
The Rotorua Stakes brought up win number five for the four-year-old mare and is her best win to date although she has always shown potential. Earlier in this preparation she was an unlucky fifth in the Group Three Cuddle Stakes, and as a three-year-old was fifth in the Group One One Thousand Guineas.
Let Her Rip is the sixth individual Group winner by Rip Van Winkle from his first southern hemisphere crop and his 16th stakes-winner overall. The son of Galileo(IRE) will return to stud again in New Zealand this spring.
She is the second foal of Keeper Special a Keeper(AUS) mare who won three races for her breeder Auckland branch member Margaret Watson, including the Ryder Stakes and the Wanganui JC Fillies Stakes both at listed level, before incurring an injury.
Keeper Special earned her name following her very difficult breech birth which Watson assisted at, and her dam Jasben a three winning Sun And Shine(GB) mare was then retired from breeding. This is also the family of the multiple Group One winner Vite Cheval and the tough stakes winning race mare Nat The Brat.
Prior to her injury Keeper Special was on track for a tilt at the Group One One Thousand Guineas, instead she was sent to stud.
Her first foal by Librettist(USA) won one race in Australia. After being exported Special Keeper produced a filly by Savabeel(AUS), Stacey's Savabee,l now three and she has a two-year-old colt Wickets by Snitzel(AUS). Her yearling filly is by Eurozone(AUS) and sold this summer to Karl Kazmer for $14,000; she is in foal to the Encosta de Lago(AUS) stallion My Admiration(AUS) who the Olives are shareholders in. - Michelle Saba
