Photo: Trish Dunell
Sandy Moore had plenty to celebrate over the weekend as the breeder and part-owner of Bonny Lass (Super Easy-Posh Bec) who won the Gr.2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) at only her second start.
“It was a great thrill and very exciting, and great to see a little old home bred filly winning such a prestigious race,” said Moore, a member of the Auckland Branch of the NZTBA.
“When she won her first start, I got a real thrill, it was so great to see her winning so impressively ahead of Noverre an $800,000 yearling who was a real hot pot and backed off the tote, and she beat him by over a length.”
That little filly is a real home bred. She is by the Hallmark Stud sire Super Easy who is by Darci Brahma (Danehill[USA]-Grand Echezeaux), out of the Le Bec Fin (Tale of the Cat[USA]- Romanee Conti) mare Posh Bec. For good measure Darci Brahma and Le Bec Fin are out of half-sisters, both daughters of Richebourg, and Richebourg is a daughter of another New Zealand bred sire Vice Regal.
Moore, the Vice-Chairman of the Auckland Racing Club and a retired advertising entrepreneur, is only a small breeder and currently Posh Bec, the dam of Bonny Lass, is his only mare but he is involved in a number of racing syndicates with both Social Racing and Te Akau Racing.
Sandy bred Posh Bec from a mare he bought to race back in 2004.
He had selected a Centaine filly out of a Karaka catalogue but when he got to the sales she had been withdrawn.
“I thought bugger, as I really liked the look of her pedigree,” recalled Moore who has been an avid racing fan for over 50 years.
“Anyway, I asked New Zealand Bloodstock who owned it and they told me it was David Ellis. I didn’t know him at that stage, so I rang him up and said I was interested in buying her, and he invited me down to Te Akau to see her.
“I decided to buy her and named her Silver Cent (she was grey). David suggested I get it trained by Mark Walker who was Te Akau’s trainer at that time, so I did.
“After a few trials and tribulations Mark told me that the horse might look pretty but she wasn’t going to be any good, she’s too slow. I thought well that’s bloody good what will I do with her now? I decided to send her to stud.
“About the same time Te Akau had retired Le Bec Fin to stand at Hallmark Stud and although he hadn’t won much, he had a lovely pedigree, so I decided to send her there. I’ve been a client at Hallmark ever since and Posh Bec is based there.
“Silver Cent’s first foal was Posh Bec who won three races for us and ran second in the Soliloquy Stakes, and I decided to keep her and breed from her and sell Silver Cent. Bonny Lass is the best horse I have bred.”
Photo: Trish Dunell
Posh Bec has had four named foals and the three to race are all winners and all by Super Easy. She has a yearling colt by Super Easy and a Shocking filly at foot. She wasn’t served this season and will go back to Super Easy next season.
Silver Cent went on to leave another two winners including Time To Celebrate (Per Incanto[USA]) a winner of six races including four in Hong Kong and was placed in the Gr.3 HKJC Premier Cup. She in turn is out of the Sound Reason (CAN) mare Umhlanga Rocks a winner of five races and a half sister to the multiple group winner King of Ashford and the Listed Wanganui Cup winner Govicar.
Moore races Bonny Lass with the Social Racing Starting Gates Syndicate managed by fellow Auckland Racing Club Director Brent Cooper. He had previously raced Poker Face and Boogie Easy (Super Easy- Coat du Roan) whom he bred and owns with Social Racing syndicates.
“I have a lot of time for Brent Cooper and he does a great job with his Social Racing syndicates,” said Moore, “I was in the syndicate that raced Boogie Easy (Super Easy - Coat du Roan) and when she finished racing I knew they were short of a horse and looking for something so I offered to lease them this filly and stayed in myself.
“The people in the syndicate are delightful, it’s a great syndicate to be in. It’s more fun being in a syndicate than racing a horse on your own, they are all hilarious, they love having a day out at the races, with a few grogs, it’s great. I’ve been quite lucky with the syndicates I am in; I am in a couple of Te Akau syndicates as well including the syndicate that races In A Twinkling.
“He’s probably the best horse I have raced so far, he’s won nearly half a million and was second in the Gr.1 New Zealand Derby, the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas, third in the Gr.1 Zabeel Classic plus he has won two Gr.3 Counties Cups.”
Given the ease with which Bonny Lass won the Matamata Breeders Stakes after blundering the start, she could soon surpass In A Twinkling, with her next assignment likely to be the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes. -Michelle Saba, NZTBA
