8 September 2010 - Vol 65

Courage’s Progeny Top $5m. for Year

Courage Under Fire’s career in the stallion barn continues to go from strength to strength….

In the closing season the sons and daughters of the former ‘Derby King’ amassed almost $5million in stakes – a new seasonal high. Courage Under Fire's haul of $2.23million in New Zealand saw him elevated into second place on the All Aged Sires’ stakemoney list. He finished third on the three-year-old stakemoney table (behind Mach Three) and second on the winner’s list.

Courage Under Fire

‘Courage’ left the second and third richest three-year-old fillies for the term in Secret Potion ($247,764) and Lancome ($218,241), both Group 1 winners.

In Australia, ‘Courage’ was represented by 124 winners and progeny earnings of $2.57million to finish in fifth spot on the national Sires’ Premiership. He also finished second on the three-year-old Sires’ list and was responsible for the second richest male three-year-old in the Victoria Derby winner Courage To Rule ($193,210).

Riverboat Filly is America's Fastest

The Riverboat King filly Anndrovette became the joint fastest three-year-old filly on a half-mile track this year when she trounced her rivals in a $92,304 division of the New York Sire Stakes at Yonkers recently.

Rolling straight to the front, Anndrovette cut out sections of 27.6, 28.8, 28 and 28.2 seconds to win by nine-and-a-half lengths in 1:52.6.

The time knocked a tick off the track record for sophomore pacing fillies set by the great Southwind Tempo in 2007.

Last Monday Anndrovette reduced her lifetime mark to 1:52.2 winning the opening division of the $146,073 New York Sire Stakes at Vernon Downs’ seven-eighths mile track.

Anndrovette

Anndrovette, who has now bankrolled more than $180,000, is one of a North American crop of 19 three-year-old foals sired by Riverboat King.

The wins completed a stellar month for ‘Riverboat’ whose son Rohan Home turned in an amazing display of power pacing to capture the $60,000 Group 2 Breeders Graduate Free-for-all at Tabcorp Park, Melton on ‘Super Sunday’.

Mach Three Strikes Gold in Ontario

Our champion stallion Mach Three is proving the dominant force in this year’s rich Ontario Sires Stakes scheme in Canada.

The outstanding Matt’s Scooter progenitor has produced the winners of three $130,000 Group 1 OSS Gold Finals as well as several Final placegetters and elimination winners.

Mach Dreamer, a three-year-old colt, captured two $130,000 Gold Finals at Mohawk Racetrack in the space of a month to advance his seasonal tally to $258,337. He holds a record of 1:49.2.

Meanwhile, the two-year-old Mach Of Ballykeel notched his most important win to date when he charged down the outside to win the OSS Gold Final at Flamboro Downs by three lengths in 1:55.

Mach Of Ballykeel, who has a mark of 1:53.6, will attempt to defend his Gold Final title at Mohawk on September 18.

The Big Macher 1:57.8, Mach Wheel and Face Book have been other Ontario Sires Stakes elimination winners during the past fortnight.

Of Mach Three's current crop of two year olds in North America, 46 have raced and 25 are winners with three in 1:55 and 15 in 2:00. They have earned $672,507 in stakes between them.

Mattjesty Making an Impact

The Matt’s Scooter horse Royal Mattjesty is enjoying a breakout year with his progeny in North America this season. He is ranked among the top bracket on both the two-year-old and three-year-old Sires’ lists in respect of average earnings per foal.

Royal Mattjesty’s two and three-year-old progeny have earned almost $1.1million, of which $863,224 has been won by his 38 three-year-old starters from a crop of 57 foals.

They are headed up by the brilliant Bay Girl 3, 1:50 ($406,796), winner of the $170,000 Canadian Breeders Championship equalling the race record; Dr Dew 2, 1:54.2, the fastest juvenile on a half-mile track in Canada this year; Kim’s Quest 3, 1:52.2 ($143,139); Heavenly Ash 3, 1:53.8, who broke the Woodstock track record recently; Royal Outlook, a 1:52.4 two-year-old winner at Mohawk, and Bunkhouse Babe 2, 1:56.4, the winner of $95,432 this year.

Royal Mattjesty’s current crop of youngsters has produced 17 starters, 10 winners and nine in 2:00, according to Standardbred Canada’s computer as at September 7.

Meanwhile, in Australia, Our Mattjesty, one of Royal Mattjesty’s first small Australian crop, scored back-to-back wins at Tabcorp Park and Yarra Valley recently.

Tiana Bromac in form

Tiana Bromac is proving a splendid advertisement for her royally-bred sire Righteous Hanover in Victoria. The Graeme Lang trained mare has won four of her last seven starts and is progressing quickly through her classes.

Staff Profile – Les Joslin

As the Sales and Marketing Manager, Les Joslin is very much the ‘face’ of Stallion Station in the marketplace.

A former Test and Shield cricket opening batsman, Les was lured out of ‘semi-retirement’ three years ago to join the staff at Stallion Station’s Toolern Vale branch and is relishing the role.

“I sit down with breeders over a cup of coffee and discuss matching their broodmares with our stallions,” Les said. “It’s always very satisfying when they get a beautiful foal.”

Les travels thousands of kilometres every year visiting breeders and owners all over the country. He also attends harness meetings and presentation nights on behalf of Stallion Station.

His other duties include overseeing the farm’s marketing and promotion department, liasing with clients on matters of pedigree matching bloodlines and, at the height of the breeding season, delivering semen to individual breeders and semen transport bases.

The breeder and owner of numerous smart pacers, Les is well qualified for this demanding role.

The best horse he bred and raced was Scoleala. He won races at Moonee Valley and Harold Park and later took a record of 1:50.6 in North America, finishing with a bankroll of $417,109.

A pair of half-brothers to Scoleala in Jack Bassett and Torben were other smart performers he bred, while he also raced the good Melbourne winners Aftoodo, Together We Do and Thatwilldo in partnership with friends.

Les is a committeeman of Harness Breeders Victoria and is the driving force behind the Association’s gala Awards Presentation Night at Melton in November.

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