b4breeding

Most owners of horses who are getting old or who have chronic problems or who get very ill will identify with the ache that the Kennards have gone through nursing and finally releasing Monkey Bones, the grey trotting sire who stood at Wai Eyre.

As a sire, he has done a very solid job in a short time with a reasonable number of mares and good promotion. Let’s not forget his breeding – a son of Andover Hall and a lovely maternal family – with multiple links back into the stunning Goddess Hanover family. He got 66 mares in his last season, which shows how his reputation was growing, so good hear there will be frozen semen available in future.

• HRNZ news release
• Harness link assessment of Monkey Bones from December 2013.

So low key but always a great way to notice what’s coming through, especially from less-than-high-profile trainers and sires.

Today in glorious sunshine I watched the learner’s pace (where they first do a circuit of the course behind the mobile for practice before released) at the Cambridge workouts.

Racehorses are always a story in the making, so I like to sometimes cover these modest events and report on something of interest.

The small learners field included (in finishing order)

• Ranfurly Brogden – a 2yo filly by Christian Cullen x Swift Mirage (What’s Next)
• Fire Chaser a 3yo colt by Flashing Red x Iola May (Live Or Die)
• Genociate – a 2yo filly by Rob Roy Mattgregor x Rocket Blaster (Pacific Rocket)
• Lana Royal – a 3yo filly by Shadow Play x Katcha Fire (Courage Under Fire)
• Norvic Thriller – a 3yo colt by Grinfromeartoear x Norvic Star (Courage Under Fire)

Close to the finish line Cambridge learners workouts 11 April 2015

It was a non-eventful workout, dawdle and run home, good practice, and all of them finished pretty close up as you can see from the photo, except for Norvic Thriller who went rough a couple of times and tailed off.

There was just a nose between Fire Chaser, who had lead the last round, and Ranfurly Brogden, who finished on from back in the group down the home straight and pipped Fire Chaser on the line. The other two both finished it off well – the Shadow Play filly is not big but looks to have some get-up-and-go, and the Rob Roy Mattgregor 2yo is a striking type of filly who I could see developing into a really nice 3yo.

These are all horses from families that have shown potential but are not really kicking on as you might have expected for quite a while. So it is good to see something flying an early flame and worth watching how that grows with time and experience.

Check them out here:

Ranfurly Brogden  – Christian Cullen x Swift Mirage

Hats off to the Bowens for going back to the well and getting a nice Christian Cullen filly from Swift Mirage. Her best other foal by far was Swift Therapy, a gelding by Christian Cullen. Sugar Ray Brogden was a Grinfromeartoear yearling from the mare that I really liked at the sales, and he seemed to add some strength to Swift Mirage. Unfortunately a palate problem got in the way and he’s now sold to China. But this Christian Cullen filly today looked strong and ran home particularly well after settling back in the field.

Fire Chaser – Flashing Red x Iola May

A nose back to Fire Chaser who must be a result of the free Flashing Red services that were on offer a few years ago – 67 live foals in the year Fire Chaser was born but a rapid decrease in services since. However let’s not forget Flashing Red as a remarkable racehorse at the highest level. The oldest of his progeny here are 4yos. 8 starters to date (1 winner, Red Hot Toddy), and with the ability shown this morning I think Fire Chaser could well joins those ranks.

Genociate – Rob Roy Mattgregor x Rocket Blaster

The main reason I was there this morning was to see Genociate – one of the few Rob Roy Mattgregors to get to the track in New Zealand so far. What a lovely strong looking filly she is. I have had a soft spot for the sire Rob Roy Mattgregor who stood here briefly before going to Australia, but has died since (and it appears there is no frozen semen.) He was a beautifully pedigreed horse with a good North American record, not a top liner but with real racing ability who had to retire from an injury. So it will be interesting to see if any others of his progeny here and in Australia show up. Breeder/owner/trainer Dave Iremonger liked the look of the sires pedigree, which has Leah Almahurst on the bottom line and Direct Scooter on the top line, and thought such a classy pedigree at an affordable price was a good prospect with his mare, Rocket Blaster (Pacific Rocket x Game Hostess). I think he got it right, because looking at the resulting filly today, particularly after the race when she was washed down and walking around, I thought she looked a very nice strong type of filly and will just get better with experience.

Lana Royale – Shadow Play x Katcha Fire

The 3yo filly Lana Royale came fourth in a good learning experience, as these workouts should be, and finished the race off well. She is the Shadow Play half sister to the Tintin In America filly yearling I have blogged about before. (Leanne Edwards took the Tintin yearling home from the yearling sales after she didn’t make a tough reserve, and she’s been pleased with that decision. The Tintin filly has been broken in by Richard Brosnan and given him plenty of “workouts”, being quite headstrong but lovely gaited.) This Shadow Play older half-sister at the workouts today is not a big filly but she will learn to understand the racing game and did a good first up job today.