Breednet always run popular One to Watch stories for promising young racehorses when they start showing potential, so we’ve had a look through some of the younger thoroughbreds that were competing at the TSHA National Titles last week to highlight some of the up and coming jumpers to follow.
It takes years of training and experience for horses to become good showjumpers and the majority of horses competing in Ring One at heights of 1.05 and higher are older well seasoned horses that know their craft.
Ring Two is the nursery where you will find the up and comers and the 75 and 85cm classes are always packed with interest, so I’ve highlighted a few of these horses that caught the eye.
Churo
Four year-old Capitalist gelding Churo would have been one of the youngest horses competing at this event and he did a terrific job for Elaine Robl jumping some very flashy clear rounds and taking home some ribbons.
An $80,000 Inglis Classic purchase from the Newhaven Park draft, Churo then sold for just $35,000 at the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale and after one race start when he finished last at Kembla in August last year he was retired.
Jumping is obviously going to be a better path for the handsome chestnut rather than racing!
Oscar Eighty One
Five year-old Sebring gelding Oscar Eighty One was bred to be good as a half-brother to Group I winner Mourinho, Group III winner Molto Bene and stakes-winner Classic Weiwei, but after passing in shy of his $150,000 reserve when offered by Little Wych at Inglis Premier he showed very limited ability on the track. Named Tasting Stars, he had three barrier trials in which he failed to beat home a runner and was duly retired unraced.
Competing at this show for Dale Frew, he jumped some really lovely rounds and also went home with ribbons.
Gold Pegasus
When I arrived at Stonewall, the very first horse I saw at the stables was leggy buckskin gelding Gold Pegasus, who would be one of the most unusual looking thoroughbreds you will ever see.
Stabled near us with his owner Rebeccca Bates, five year-old Gold Pegasus is tall and angular with a jumper’s physique and his one race start in May of 2022 produced an inglorious last placing at Warwick and a ticket to a new career.
He was beaten 26 lengths that day and hit by stewards with an uncompetitive embargo, but that just goes to show what makes a good racehorse and a good showjumper can often be two very different things.
Five year-old Gold Pegasus is from placed Octagonal mare Octagonal Heights, whose dam Moonlight Heights is a half-sister to Caulfield Cup winner and four time Group I winner Sky Heights, so there is quality New Zealand staying blood right through the female sire of his pedigree.
The really interesting part of his pedigree is his sire Rocket of Gold, a rare palomino thoroughbred that had 36 starts around country Queensland winning one of them before turning his hand to showjumping.
9YO Rocket of Gold and his rider Kadell Sykes were stars at this show last year being a part of the winning team in the Racing Challenge and they were back again this year and had a crack at the puissance clearing 1.60m!
Earlier in his life before being gelded and switched to showjumping, Rocket of Gold covered 11 mares in 2017 which produced six foals and Gold Pegasus is one of them and five time race winning palomino gelding Milky Rocket is another.
Gold Pegasus might have shown nothing on the racetrack, but his big scopey floating jump easily made him a one to watch at this show.
He competed successfully in Ring Two and then stepped it up in Ring One to be a part of the Bates Equine team that finished second in the Maiden Challenge.
“I always thought was good enough for the teams event, but given he’s so young and we had no performance I thought nobody would pick us for a team, so I decided to make my own,” said Rebecca Bates.
Gold Pegasus and Rebecca jumped a glorious clear in the final round of the teams event and there is no doubt this horse is on his way to better things as a showjumper!
