The curtain comes down on an historic Sydney Autumn Carnival at Randwick on Saturday and the hope is it brings a change of luck for this week’s Best On Breeding.
Ole Kirk kick-started his career in the best possible fashion when overcoming difficulties to land the Listed Talindert Stakes (1100m) at Flemington on February 15.
But things have gone pear shapes in two runs since.
He was hopelessly blocked for a run when third in the Group II VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes at Flemington and he did not have the rub of the green in the Group 1 Inglis ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes at his most recent start.
Back near the tail of the field, Tommy Berry elected to move off the fence approaching the home turn and Hugh Bowman, who was on one of two horses behind Ole Kirk, gleefully took that spot on King’s Legacy and in the blink of an eye had put three lengths on Ole Kirk.
King’s Legacy gradually wore down the Prague to give the two, one million dollar sons of Redoute’s Choice the quinella.
Ole Kirk battled on gamely to be less than two lengths behind the winner in fourth.
King’s Legacy has been installed at a short-quote to complete the Sires’ – Champagne Stakes double on Saturday.
Trained by Michael. Wayne and John Hawkes, Ole Kirk was a $675,000 purchase by International Thoroughbred Solutions from the Gilgai Farm draft at the 2019 Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale runs for a syndicate headed by Neil Werrett, in whose colours he runs, with his breeder Rick Jamieson of Gilgai Farm also retaining a share.
The son of Written Tycoon was the second-highest priced lot of the sale behind only his now stablemate, the $800,000 Brazen Beau colt North Pacific who, at his career debut, finished third in the Group II Silver Slipper won by subsequent Golden Slipper hero Farnan.
Ole Kirk is the first foal of the unraced Bel Esprit mare Naturale who is a sister to the undefeated world champion Black Caviar and a half-sister to Vinery Stud’s 4-time Group 1 winner All Too Hard.
Despite being six year’s younger than Black Caviar, Naturale has beaten her famous sister to the punch in leaving a stakes-winner.
Although due to Black Caviar’s heroics on the track, the two went to stud just two years apart.
Their sire Bel Sprit will be honoured at Caulfield on Saturday with a stakes race named after him.
Sun Stud’s son of Royal Academy (USA) is no one-hit-wonder with the likes of Bel Sprinter and Bel Mer also winning at the highest level and he looks to be making his mark as a broodmare sire.
For someone who was happy to make the trek to Coolmore just to see Royal Academy (USA) it is particularly pleasing to see his line carrier on.
Not forgetting that Royal Academy’s hard-knocking son Ihtiram (IRE) produced another Royal Ascot success story in the 5-time Group 1 winner Miss Andretti.
It would be hard to beat Ole Kirk’s sire Written Tycoon as a sire that made it to the top from humble beginnings.
The glorious looking son of the Last Tycoon stallion Iglesia has risen to the top of the stallion ranks in Australia.
After standing two seasons at $6,600, Written Tycoon now commands a service fee of $110,000 at Mark Rowsthorn’s Woodside Park Stud.
Bred and sold by Daandine Pastoral, Written Tycoon was purchased by Grahame Begg for $50,000 at the 2004 Gold Coast Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
He won at Randwick on debut before defeating Domesday in the Silver Slipper and was later transferred to John O’Shea.
Daandine also bred Written Tycoon’s best son, the Golden Slipper hero, Capitalist who put his sire in the big league.
So, here’s the irony. Capitalist was purchased by James Harron at the Gold Coast for $165,000.
Ole Kirk’s main rival in Saturday’s Champagne Stakes, King’s Legacy, will sport the Harron silks.
