New Queensland Rocket next Our Boy Malachi
Hidden Pearl has exploded out of her shell
HIDDEN PEARL'S dynamic 5.3 lengths win over 1000m at the Cup meeting at Toowoomba on May 2 added to the impression that this 4-year-old daughter of the Lyndhurst Stud Danehill sire Hidden Dragon is worthy of the soubriquet of a new Queensland Rocket and of consideration as a rival for Our Boy Malachi.
Since she returned to racing in early April from nearly year off, Hidden Pearl has exploded out of her shell, winning all her three outings spectacularly. A non-winner in her only earlier four outings, she kicked off the campaign with a 9.3 lengths romp in a 10 runner field at the Sunshine Coast on April 12. This was followed with a win by 3.3 lengths win at Doomben on April 22 and then the dominating victory at Toowoomba.
Raced by her breeders, B.P. Purcell and Mrs S.L. Purcell, with seven others and trained at Eagle Farm by Barry Lockwood, she has speed breeding. Besides being by Hidden Dragon, an Australian bred good quality Hong Kong sprinter, she is from Panama, a smart winner in both the Hunter Valley and Tamworth regions.
Panama was bred of a cross of speed influences, being by Beautiful Crown and from Cypress, a Switch in Time winner of seven sprint races, including one at in Sydney. It is the same family that produced Charlton Boy, an idol of Queensland racing in the first half of the 1970s, a period in which he won 20 races, including the Doomben 10,000, a race in which he had previously been runner up twice.
Charlton Boy was by Smokey Eyes, an Ireland bred son of Star Kingdom's sire Stardust who propelled Lyndhurst Stud at Warwick in the ownership of the Kruger family from the mid1950s into one of the world's most prolific source of winners (sire progeny). He led Australia numerically six times and was Queensland's leading sire 15 times.
Astute sire selection saw Smokey Eyes followed at Lyndhurst by four other sires who led Australia numerically last century, namely Hail to Success, Grand Chaudiere, Head Over Heels and the spectacular Celestial Dancer. Grand Chaudiere left huge legacy as the sire of the dam of Snippets.
Two sires who have maintained the Lyndhurst reputation in the past five years have been Hidden Dragon and recently deceased Sequalo. For 2013-14 Australian racing, Sequalo led Queensland by winners and wins and Hidden Dragon was the most successful by 2-year-old winners and third in the all age stats by winners, the oldest of were six.
Currently Hidden Dragon is Queensland's leading sire by winners and wins for 2014-15 and in the top 15 nationally. Taking in contributions from a small number of runners overseas, including Singapore (5 winners from 10 runners) and Hong Kong, as well as those in Australia, his stats for the year to the end of April were 86 winners, 127 wins and $2,643,000.
Predominately an influence for performers up to1600m, he has included among his best progeny to date the stakes winners Hollowlea (stakes winner Melbourne Adelaide, MVRC Bill Stutt-Gr2), Hidden Warrior (5 wins, MVRC Red Anchor Plate-Gr3, second to Pierro in the Breeders' Plate at Randwick), Hidden Kisses (8 wins, ATC Toy Show Handicap-Gr3), Miss Imagica (10 wins, including historic Toowoomba Weetwood twice) and Hidden Jewel (three successes Brisbane).
A Hidden Dragon dazzler has been Obsidian Dragon, a winner of nine races Adelaide, Melbourne and Cranbourne (Apache Cat Classic) by up to 5.1 lengths.
A sire who has a good strike rate, one in excess of 61%, Hidden Dragon appears a very affordable good source of winners on his 2015 service fee of $5,500. His fee is typical of the value the Krugers have placed on their sires in their sixty years ownership of Lyndhurst.
Now conducted by third generation family members, Jeff and Griffith Kruger, Lyndhurst has four sires in their stallion yards for 2015, Hidden Dragon (Danehill (USA) – Ballroom Babe, by Citidancer (Ire), Drumbeats (Redoute's Choice – Delicate Choice, by Last Tycoon (Ire) fee $7,700, Better Than Ready (More Than Ready (USA) – Sallys World, by Agnes World (USA) $9,900 and Rash Horizon (Our Horizon – Yansu, by Namnan (USA) $1,100.
Winner in Sydney of the Shannon Stakes and Bill Ritchie and a sire whose oldest are two, Drumbeats has had three books each in access of 100 mares, while Better Than Ready appears certain to have a big quality book in his first season this year.
Bred on similar lines to brilliant sire Sebring and considered one of the best sprinters of his time, Better Than Ready ran in16 races, four of them Group1, for eight wins including four stakes. In one of the wins he bettered Northern Meteor's Randwick track record for 1200m.
Picture: David Martinelli
Three Stratheden mares served by All Too Hard
REWARDING prizes at this year's Magic Millions National Sales at the Gold Coast May 24 – June 6 are predicted to be among first crop weanlings by All Too Hard and the selection of broodmares on offer who were mated with him last season.
A half-brother by Casino Prince to Black Caviar, the Vinery Stud based All Too Hard was close to her in class and has outstanding opportunity to be a to brilliant sire, looking after high quality books of 176 and 175 in his two seasons. His first crop yearlings should be in big demand at 2016 sales.
In earning $2,288,200 at the races earned national respect through seven wins from 12 outings. All in Group1 races, his last five starts were wins in the ATC All-Aged Stakes, MRC Futurity, C.F. Orr Stakes and Caulfield Guineas and a neck second in the MVRC Cox Plate.
He was named Champion Australalian 3Y0, ranked the best 4-year-old miler in the World Rankings, assessments headed by Black Caviar, and, although he did not race outside Australia, awarded a high Annual Timeform of 129.
The quality of the opportunity All Too Hard has been accorded is indicated by the perusal of the sires of the dams of the eleven weanlings and of the19 mares served by him in the Gold Coast catalogue.The weanling producers are by Redoute's Choice, Zeditave, Desert Prince, More Than Ready, Starcraft, Encosta de Lago (two), Testa Rossa, Ashkalani, Red Ransom and General Nediym.
Three of the mares in the catalogue served by him are in the dispersal of the Stratheden Stud broodmare band, Being offered without reserve, they are Fidelias Dance (GB), a Danehill Dancer relation to Myboycharlie who could have a late August or early September foal; Radio Song, a daughter of shuttled Unbridled's Song served November 22; and Tivoli Dancer, a Pins stakes winner who could have an early August foal.
Other mares served by All Too Hard booked into the Sale include daughters of Snitzel, Street Sense, Danzatore, Redoute's Choice, Last Tycoon, Diesis, Royal Academy, Dynaformer, Zabeel and Dehere.
Vendors and bidders flocking to online auction
ILLUSTRATING the widespread interest attracted by the bloodstock online auction sale system, a fairly new innovation established by Hawkesbury businessman and stud farm owner Anthony Gafa, was the offering and at their May 5 sale of the General Nediym 2011-12 New Zealand Champion 2YO Warhorse (Australian registered name Tougher Than Ever) as a sire prospect.
He attracted an aggregate of 77 bids from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and New Zealand. The son of General Nediym was not the only lot to attract many bids among the 71 in the online auction catalogue, one which included offspring of Exceed and Excel, Flying Spur, More Than Ready, Fuji Kiseki, Spinning World, Lonhro, Good Journey, Quest for Fame, Rory's Jester, Danzero, Bel Esprit, Beautiful Crown, Artie Schiller, Red Dazzler, High Chaparral, Oasis Dream, Choisir, Zizou and Secret Savings.
A collection including broodmares, tried and untried horses, they included lots which sold for $10,000 (23 bids), $7,700 (24), $7,250 (24), $5,250 (14), $5,000 (20), $5,000 (10), $4,500 (8), $4,000 and $4,000 (19).
Conducted twice month, the first and third Tuesdays, on easily accessible www.bloodstockauction.com, the sales provide owners of all types of thoroughbreds the opportunity to dispose of them at a modest cost through online auction.
Held twice a month – first and third Tuesdays - and easily accessed on bloodstockauction.com, the service lists online entries along with catalogue details, photographs and asking prices and invites online bids.
Entries close a week before each sale and are listed on the auction site along with an asking price as a guide.The entry fee is $220,000 (bronze listing) and all lots sold have a 5% commission payable except if a vendor lists a horse which is offered without reserve and sells at $5,000 or less.
Anthony Gafa reports is has been an incredible year for the online service, using consistently increasing to the extent that 313,755 users have accessed the site.
The good results has seen the quality of the offering also increase. This shown by the listing for the May 19 onlne auction, the biggest catalogue to date.
It is a collection that includes nominations to super sire Sebring and Group1 winners Red Arrow and Hayil (USA) and also 27 broodmares, 24 racehorses, 9 yearlings, 9 untried horses and 2 off the track. The final countdown is 7.00pm. The catalogue is available for viewing on bloodstockauction.com.
