Larneuk Stud's Neville Murdoch enjoyed a great day at Randwick last Saturday, excited enough when his home-bred O' So Hazy was a gallant third after facing the breeze in the Country Championship Final and just over an hour later delighted when El Dorado Dreaming broke her maiden in spectacular fashion in the Gr.1 Sires' Produce Stakes.
Both talented gallopers are by Larneuk Stud stallions - O' So Hazy being by the record breaking Gr.2 Chelmsford Stakes winner O'Lonhro whilst El Dorado Dreaming is a daughter of the Gr.1 Randwick Guineas hero Ilovethiscity.
Whilst both stallions have been under utilized they have been quietly doing
a great job - never serving large books of mares but churning out the winners.
From just 57 named foals Ilovethiscity - son of the classy and consistent Zeditave stallion Magic Albert - has been represented by 50 runners, 24 of whom are winners. To sire the winner of one of the country's biggest juvenile contests is some feat of such limited numbers!
In winning the Sires, El Dorado Dreaming added her name to an honour roll alongside the likes of Octagonal, Pierro, Sebring, Dance Hero, Merlene, Burst, Tierce, Snippets, Luskin Star, Toy Show, Tulloch, Shannon and Ajax.
And the home-bred for Yvonne Pearce defeated well credentialled horses - such as I Am Invincible's Golden Slipper runner-up Oohood and $460,000 Millions graduate Outrageous - who cost a fair bit more to breed than she did!
The winner of five of her 12 starts to date, missing a placing just once, O' So Hazy - who has already amassed over $200,000 in stakes - also showed that breeders on a budget can compete in metropolitan company and beyond.
"The most satisfying feeling walking away from Randwick on Saturday was that the results showed that smaller breeders can mix it up with the big guns," Murdoch said.
"We bred O' So Hazy out of a mare we paid just $1000 for whilst Ilovethiscity was standing at $6600 when Yvonne sent her mare to him."
O' So Hazy's longshot placing made Wagga Wagga trainer Scott Spackman extremely proud, especially as her bold showing was the culmination of a long term plan.
"I had this race in mind for her ever since she ran second at her Corowa debut in July last year," he said. "We did not always know that she had ability - she was beaten 15 lengths in her first trial - but when she won her maiden at Albury she showed a lot of fight and she had a lot of bad luck with barriers since."
On board for four of her five O' So Hazy's victories has been Brooke Sweeney who was delighted by the four-year-old's performance on Saturday.
"She was amazing," she enthused. "She was travelling so well at the top of the hill and I knew she'd go close. At the 300m she changed legs and stuck on like glue, she is as tough as nails."
Sweeney has enjoyed considerable success on the progeny of O'Lonhro, a
stallion she describes as her favourite.
"I absolutely love them, the are so honest, so tough. They put themselves into the race make themselves known. They all try... they are just what you want racehorses to be."
Bound for the Gr.1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick, El Dorado Dreaming may have been at big odds in the Sires but trainer Ben Smith had been confident of a bold showing, noting that "in her track work she is nice and relaxed and she goes through her gears... it was good to see her attack the line like that."
The progeny of Ilovethiscity have been in fine form of late, Son Of City impressing at Ballarat the day after El Dorado Dreaming's big win whilst the likes of Bris Vegas, City Of Pearls, Tan Tat Trum and Ilovethislady are also recent winners.
The O'Lonhros are also racing well, winners of late including Union Jukebox, Skyscraper, Mr Bellagio, The Mood I'm In, O'Lonhro Bay, Blue Valour, O'So Tempting, Franquin, King Of The Ark, Moving On Up, La Rita, Mamzelle Tess, Lonruse and the tough stakes placed O'Lonera.
"Hopefully the good results both stallions are enjoying will give breeders food for thought as they consider their spring plans," Murdoch said. "There is a lot to be said for using proven stallions whose service fees offer such great value."
For further information on O'Lonhro and Ilovethiscity who stand alongside exciting youngsters Wolf Cry, Cluster and Honorius, contact Neville Murdoch on 0418 105 706 or visit www.larneuk.com andwww.facebook.com/pages/Larneuk-Stud/455896497806590
