b4breeding

Among all the flashly-bred qualifiers getting their racing ticket this Spring is a 3yo filly called Olde Oak Ellie who is as far removed from modern sires as you can get these days. She’s the first foal of her dam Exceptional Star, a Presidential Ball mare.

But what makes her filly exceptional is the top and bottom lines of her pedigree – because Olde Oak Ellie is a daughter of the colonial sire Magic Rule, the last in New Zealand I believe from Globe Derby siring line. That’s the line that has its origins in Hambletonian’s son Strathmore, and in this neck of the woods comes down to us via Logan Derby (AUS), then Johnny Globe, then Lordship and Starship, the sire of Magic Rule.

Magic Rule

The pedigree interest for Olde Oak Ellie doesn’t end there.

On her maternal line, Olde Oak Ellie also descends from Starship’s dam, Star Nurse.

This 3yo filly’s great grandam is actually Venetian Star, a full sister to Starship. So that makes the filly 3×4 to Lordship and 3×4 to Star Nurse.

You can check out Olde Oak Ellie’s pedigree here on the HRNZ Info Horse database. Venetian Star is the dam of Anvil’s Star (15 wins, $444,705) and the family has produced a few good races horses over the years although not as many as you might hope given its sprawling branches.

Olde Oake Ellie is bred, owned and trained by the Reedys, and she qualified yesterday at Westport (on the west coast of our South Island in New Zealand). The Reedys then sent Exceptional Star to Bettor’s Delight for a now 2yo filly.

Note: Magic Rule was a good racehorse himself, not in the very top class, but he achieved 10 wins and 10 placings in just 46 starts. His interest as a stallion was as one of the few remaining “colonial bred” sires in New Zealand from the Globe Derby line, rather than his potential to breed a modern racehorse. But he did garner some minor support from breeders to at least give him half a chance to leave something. He had three recorded small crops in New Zealand and his last foals were born in 2013. (There are just 9 of his foals who are 3yos, 12 who are 4yos and only one registered 2yo in the HRNZ database. Five of his progeny are still colts.) Magic Rule died in 2013, as an 18yo.

Read article from 2011 when he moved to Macca Lodge to stand at stud

Happy to receive current information from those involved in the Globe Derby Society (if it is still going) or breeders/trainers who can report on any other “colonial bred” foals who look to have potential on the track. Either add response to the blog, or email me at bee.raglan@xtra.co.nz