Two newly minted Australian bred Group I winners last Saturday showed that Australian breeders big and small can achieve the same goal, one paying a $22,000 service fee and the other $71,500.
The $1million Group I BRC Queensland Derby (2400m) delivered the first Aussie bred G1 winner for ill-fated global sire sensation Wootton Bassett (GB) when Providence took the prize for the Newgate/ China Horse Club partners, read about him here.
The colt was bred by Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock and is the latest in a long line of G1 winners bred by the man whose distinctive white with red stripes colours are carried by horses such as Giga Kick.
When Wootton Bassett arrived here it was hoped he would dominate in the manner of Danehill and while that hasn’t quite happened, he is now challenging to be Leading Second Crop Sire in a strong division with four stallions all siring the winners of over $5million this season.
If you had to pick a colt by Wootton Bassett with the pedigree to suggest Derby potential… good chance you would have landed with Providence, who is the second foal of G1 placed Southbank, whose dam Rezoned won the G3 SA Fillies Classic (2500m) and she is a full sister to four time G1 winning stayer Preferment, who won a Victoria Derby.
When he won on Saturday he became the 20th G1 winner for Wootton Bassett and that figure is now up to 21 with Constitution River winning the French Derby on Sunday.
Wootton Bassett has had 16 winners from 24 starters (66% winner to runner and 12% SW to runner) ) out of Fastnet Rock mares and the nick has produced three stakes-winners that also include Aussie bred Napoleonic, while stakes-placed 2YO Filly Katoto promises to add to that success.
The $1million Group I BRC Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m) was won by progressive sprinter Headley Grange, who has done the hard yards getting to elite company and was deserving of the win, read about him here.
Headley Grange was bred and is co-owned by NSW breeder Bob Manwaring, who also bred and raced his mother Hard Go Jo, who won three of 23 starts at distances ranging from 1400 to 2000m.
Hard Go Jo was no superstar, but she was tough and while there are no stakes-winners in the immediate family, toughness is definitely a theme with fourth dam being Twig Moss (Fr) mare Oaks Day, who was second in a VRC Oaks.
Sent to Lonhro’s G1 Golden Rose winner Exosphere in his fourth season at stud at a fee of $22,000, the mating has produced a G1 winning sprinter in Headley Grange, who is the second G1 sprinter for his ill-fated sire who has also give us Skybird.
So why did Exosphere bring the genetic magic to Hard Go Jo? Pedigree gurus will espouse all sorts of theories, but one thing that does stand out when you look at the six generation pedigree is the presence of four hugely influential sires that appear in BOTH Exosphere and also Hard Go Jo – Danzig, Mr Prospector, Sir Tristram and Biscay.
Danzig (USA) 1977 : 5m x 3m
Sir Tristram (IRE) 1971 : 5m x 5m
Mr. Prospector (USA) 1970 : 5m x 6f
Biscay (AUS) 1965 : 5m x 6f
For breeders that cannot afford to go to expensive stallions, delving into extended pedigree patterns can deliver exceptional results allowing the passion for producing elite thoroughbred to extend beyond the realms of the wealthy few.
