Noor Elaine Farm’s, Tim Jackson, is pretty confident about the future for the stud’s standard bearer, Iovethiscity … and seemingly with good reason.
Despite a stellar racing career with Grahame Begg which included a Group 1 Randwick Guineas victory and placings in both the Group 1 Golden Rose and Group 1 George Main (finishing a neck off the pace in both), Ilovethiscity wasn’t exactly swamped with mares in his first few seasons at stud.
Indeed, his Group 1 winning 2YO – El Dorado Dreaming – hails from a crop of just 26 live foals, while the following season, the Freedmans stakes winner, King of Hastings, 4-time Hong Kong winner, Beauty Fit and city winner Love From Lucy are among a crop of just 10!
Fortunately, Ilovethiscity got a whole lot more love last spring, ultimately covering 124 mares – his biggest book thus far.
“I don’t think you need to be Einstein to work it out,” according to Jackson. “Ilovethiscity is arguably not only the best value for money stallion in Victoria (the El-Fakhri family owned Noor Elaine is based at Euroa) but throughout Australia too.
“Horses like King of Hastings helped his cause along before things got serious last spring, but he’s got over 60% winners to runners and with seven stakes horses it’s a bloody good black type strike rate as well.
“At Ilovethiscity’s fee level ($8,800), broodmare owners just want to get a good winner and that’s what the stallion is doing.”
Previously working at Newhaven Park and stud manager at Rangal Park for 11 years, Jackson took up the reins at Noor Elaine in July.
“It worked out really well – Rangal Park was sold in June and long-term manager, Mark Calwell had only just retired from Noor Elaine. Mark did a fantastic job with Noor Elaine and help lay the foundations for Ilovethiscity … the rewards from which we’ll hopefully be reaping over the next few years,” Jackson adds.
“We’ve already got quite a few foals on the ground from his 2020 covers and it’s encouraging to see that a horse – with a proven track record for 2YOs that train on – has his biggest crop of runners ahead of him.
“Ilovethiscity has produced stakes horses for each of the last five seasons with El Dorado Dreaming, Chapel City, King of Hastings, Moonlover, Ilovemyself and co. and I’m tipping it will be six straight in 2021/22.”
