Elvstroem Success Highlights Role of X-Rays 23 September 2003
A spectacular win by Elvstroem in the MRC Caulfield Guineas Prelude Gr 3 has sparked plenty of debate on the x-ray issue.
The Danehill (USA) colt from Group One winner Circles of Gold was sold for $330,000 at the 2002 Australian Easter Yearling Sale and then later returned to his breeders following a post-sale x-ray which apparently revealed a problem.
Under the current rules of sale, prospective buyers are largely provided with x-ray information PRIOR to sale and can make their decision before forking out the big dollars.
But whether it comes before or after the point of purchase, the same decision must be made. How bad is the problem? And is it really a problem or just an imperfection?
Elvstroem raced just once as a late two year old, winning an easy assignment at Swan Hill before being put away with a spring campaign in mind. The patience shown by his connections looks like being rewarded with the colt striking top form and giving all the indications of a genuine Derby contender.
Elvstroem isn’t Robinson Crusoe.
Scaredee Cat, winner of the VRC Ascot Vale Stakes Gr 2 is another well documented example of a horse being purchased (this time in New Zealand for $110,000) and then returned following a negative vet report on his x-rays.
Scaredee Cat hit the ground running, winning one of the first juvenile features of the season, the MRC Debutant Stales L last October. Not even patience was required to coax a win out of him.
So what does it all mean?
Basically if you like a horse enough to want to buy him, then you should think long and hard before being put off by an x-ray.
They are a guide only and you are reliant on an individual vet’s interpretation of the information, which may or may not have relevance to the horse’s future racing career.
Looking for a Value Stallion?
Broodmare owners are faced with a bewildering array of talent in the stallion ranks this season. At the top end of the market you find that 6 of the 12 stallions standing in Australia for a fee in excess $40,000 aren’t proven under our conditions. They all have great credentials and some are highly successful sires in the Northern Hemisphere, but again their progeny are not proven performers here in Australasia. Why not look to the end of season sire lists and seek out the horses which do the job year in year out. When it comes time to sell, their progeny invariably have a ready made market of trainers and syndicators all well familiar with their traits and potential ability. Sires such as Canny Lad, Quest for Fame (GB), Zeditave, Success Express (USA), and Rubiton all represent fantastic value. Many of the sires mentioned here are featured on the shares and nominations page. Call me today if I can assist with your mare’s service arrangements. Danzero is a great punt for breeders this spring with his fee set at it’s lowest price ($26,400 inc. GST) since 2000. He has three big crops coming through, following on from the success of Fairway and Danglissa in the 1999/2000 season. I expect him to come up with some top class horses and jump right back into favour with buyers. Strategic is another stallion who is going to benefit from large crops of better quality youngsters coming through. He begun his stud career playing second fiddle to Octagonal (NZ) at a fee of just $7,000, but after taking champion first season sire honours Strategic is now well established as a source of quality winners. Consistent stallions El Moxie (USA), Hurricane Sky and Danewin enjoyed some of their best ever results this season, both in Australia and the all important marketplace of Hong Kong. El Moxie (USA) had a brilliant year with his juveniles headed by Group One winning Victorian Winestock. Adding to his local success was the emergence of unbeaten Hong Kong based sprinter Silent Witness. At a fee of $7,500 inc. GST he is impossible to beat in the value stakes. Hurricane Sky produced the reigning Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Grand Delight, and on the home front came up with his first Group One winning mare, River Dove. He’s one of the few Star Kingdom (IRE) line stallions available and is closely related to boom young horse Redoute’s Choice. Again, at $11,000 inc. GST he seems like a great value option. What Danewin lacks in numbers, he more than makes up for in quality. His high class daughter Elegant Fashion is now ranked the highest stake earning Australian bred mare and her effort to win the prestigious Hong Kong Derby was remarkable to say the least. When compared to the other consistent Group One producing sons of Danehill (USA), Danewin is competitively priced at $22,000 inc. GST. Two promising sires led the way in the battle for second crop honours and are both well priced to succeed. Helissio (Jap) returns this spring after a break of two seasons but is likely to be far more popular this time around with a horse of the calibre of Helenus to his credit and a most inviting fee of $13,750 inc. GST. Belong to Me (USA), a stable-mate to Helissio (Jap) at Widden Stud, achieved some remarkable statistics from his first Australian crop now just turned four. A winner to runner ratio of 68% and a versatile selection of stakes-winners, ranging from VRC Oaks winner Bulla Borghese to sizzling speedster Before Too Long. Given that Danzig’s finest son Danehill (USA) is now out of the picture, a horse like Belong to Me (USA) with proven Group One producing ability under our conditions and a fee of $30,000 inc. GST is an attractive proposition indeed. |
Vin Cox Bloodstock Nominations price list Admire Mambo $5,000 Anabaa $36,000 Belong To Me $25,000 Blu Tusmani $3000 Brahms $12,000 Carry The Crown $2000 Covetous $2000 Danewin $18,000 Danzero POA Distant Music $$10,000 El Moxie $5500 Encounter $4,000 Esperero $5000 Falvelon $12,500 Filante $5000 Frisco View $2000 Helissio $11,000 Honours List $6500 Hurricane Sky $7000 Jetball $4,000 Juene King Prawn $10,000 Keltrice $5000 King Cugat $13,000 King of Danes $7000 Langfuhr $10,000 Lion Hunter $11,000 Magic Albert $9000 Peintre Celebre POA Quest for fame $30,000 Rubiton $14,000 Shovhog $10,000 Strategic POA Zeditave $22,000 |
|
Bold Changes to Improve Stakes Race Listings
A proposal put forward by the the Australian Group and Listed Races Advisory Group to completely overhaul the current schedule of Black Type events has the potential to greatly enhance our racing and breeding industry.
Many industry participants have long felt that the current classifications do not accurately reflect the direction in which our racing is heading. The advisory group carried out a comprehensive study on the structure of both metropolitan and stakes races and found this to be true.
The study revealed a number of areas within the current system that could be improved to better service our horses and maximize the value of Australian Black Type.
Fillies and mares have been disadvantaged under the existing rules with just one Group One race for older mares and none at all for juvenile fillies. Three year old sprinters represent another category which has been overlooked, with not one Group One race set aside for what is arguably our most competitive division.
Other trends noted were an oversupply of juvenile stakes races and long distance events, both indicative of the past history of Australian racing rather than it’s future.
In order to address the issues raised, the advisory group are seeking
to rewrite the existing Black Type listings from scratch. If successful,
this move will pave the way for a modern and well balanced classification
of stakes races, perfectly suited to the Australian thoroughbred.
Choisir Raises Classification Issues
The resounding success enjoyed by Choisir and his connections at Royal
Ascot last week is likely to have a great flow on effect for the Australian
bloodstock industry.
His domination of Europe’s finest sprinters has opened the eyes of the world to the merits of the Australian thoroughbred and it will be up to us to pick up the ball and run like hell.
Prior to his ground breaking wins in England, Choisir was rated at 112 on the Australia - New Zealand Classifications. Immediately afterwards he was re-assessed at 123, that’s just one pound short of Northerly on 124.
Australian racegoers are well aware that as good as Choisir has shown himself to be, he is not in the same class as Northerly. This raises the question of whether the entire Classification system is consistently under rating our horses, based on the false assumption that they are greatly inferior to their Northern Hemisphere counterparts.
Clearly Choisir has proven this isn’t the case.
But where does that leave Choisir’s contemporaries, horses like Bel Esprit, Yell and Snowland. Yell for instance is rated on 113 and before last week was deemed a superior performer to Choisir. Seven days later and he’s 10 pounds in arrears, that hardly seems fair.
As a bloodstock agent, the financial implication of this chronic under rating of our horses is enormous.
For example when selling tried horses to Hong Kong as replacements they are required to have an international rating of 95 or better. If the current system is inaccurate then Hong Kong buyers are on a good wicket, securing horses that have the ability to warrant a superior rating for the price of a lesser horse.
If the ratings were re-evaluated and our horses judged more favourably
in comparison to their Northern cousins it would greatly increase the
available pool of horses eligible for Hong Kong and enable us to place
a much higher value on them.
Stallion Nominations
Here is a run down on a number of stallion nominations I have available
for sale on behalf of shareholders, that may be of interest to you;
Belong To Me, sire of the brilliantly fast and sensational
filly Before Too Long ( I own a share in her, and we all know nothing
improves a horse like ownership) also the equally impressive Oaks winner
Bulla Borghese. Belong To Me has a winner every week, a sire that will
always command interest in the sales ring.
Danewin, could be the best performing sire son of Danehill……is
there a better one?? I have some nominations in him available. We all
know he has a fertility problem, at the price it might be worth sending
one of your fertile mares along.
El Moxie, what a great little stallion he is. Someone
said he can’t get a 2YO, you have a look at the 2YO winners he has
had. Nominations available in him.
Filante, sire of a classic winner from his first crop.
A share or a nomination available.
Hurricane Sky, a very consistent stallion that has one
of the best horses racing in Hong Kong. I have a share in this stallion
available.
Rubiton, why would you consider an unproven stallion
above this horse. He gets the lot 2YO’s, colt and fillies, older
horses……and at seriously good value.
Zeditave is without question one of the best stallions
in the country. Take Danehill ( and he is) out of the equation and where
does the market fall, onto to proven stallions…..here is one of
the best at very good value. Gai buys them by the truck load.
If you have any interest in the above or something else you might be looking
for please get in contact with me.
Magic Millions Weanling Purchases 2003
Magic Millions threw everything at their National Weanling and Broodmare Sale in a bid to attract the better bloodstock and it worked. The sale achieved best ever results across the board and the quality was vastly improved on what’s been offered in previous years.
However, they’ve still got a way to go in their quest to establish a truly top class sale. The lack of pass-in commission and the unusual sales clause of no commission being charged on lots sold for $100,000 or more, had many buyers questioning the integrity of the deals being done.
Inglis Broodmare Sale Purchases 2003
Again, no pass-in commission and some silly reserves, resulting in a great many mares heading back to the paddock unsold.
Inglis Select Weanling Sale Purchases 2003
The market for commercial weanlings was strong again, with the average at this sale up significantly on last year, boosted by the dispersal of youngsters from Newhaven Park Stud. The absence of a pass-in commission led some vendors to place unrealistic reserves on their horses, however there was still plenty of value if you were prepared to look for it.
Inglis Easter Purchases 2003
Australia’s premier bloodstock event proved a topsy turvy mix this year. The opening session was a buyers market with vendors left reeling after many of the Asian trainers and agents failed to materialise in the wake of the SARS scare. The evening session featured the record breaking colt by Sunday Silence. Then on the last day, market confidence returned with a rush and it was business as usual. The sale concluded on a strong note, which flowed on to the broodmare sale where the top quality mares were in great demand.
Inglis Autumn Yearling Sale Purchases 2003
The Autumn Yearling Sale in Melbourne is a great source of moderately priced young horses, maybe not bred on the most fashionable lines, but from good winning families never the less. When I was commissioned by the Chinese based Huajun Stud to find 35 yearlings for immediate export to China, Autumn was the obvious place to come.
It was a big task, but at the end of the two day sale, we had our 35 yearlings for a grand total of $159,500.
The Chinese racing and breeding industry has the potential to be bigger than anything else we’ve seen in Asia. Through my close association with the Domeland Syndicate, I have been a keen observer of developments in China.
A great deal of progress has been made, but the creation of an entire thoroughbred industry from scratch is something that takes time to establish. Success for the project will mean incalculable opportunities for Australia breeders and the rewards promise to be worth waiting for.
Inglis Premier Purchase 2003
Predictions that the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale would be strong this year were proven correct, particularly on the second day. It seemed like everyone was holding back a bit during the opening session and then on day two the atmosphere changed and things just took off. The popularity of the Super VOBIS scheme has really boosted this sale and the financial advantages of VOBIS horses can certainly be very rewarding. But VOBIS or not, you’re there to buy nice horses and I believe we’ve come away with some really good prospects at some even better prices!
Inglis Classic Purchases 2003
The Inglis Classic is one of the most challenging sales for a bloodstock agent to attend. History shows us that the sale produces outstanding racehorses, but it s almost never the obvious ones that stand out from the pack as yearlings. It s like looking for a needle in the proverbial haystack. Your star runner could be by a sire you would normally not entertain and might be less than perfect in the conformation department. Last year we were lucky enough to come away with Mimzical ($12,500) and Regrade ($20,000), both of whom made it to the final field for the $610,000 Inglis Classic. Although not placed, they both have good ability and promise to be more than handy performers given time.
Magic Millions Purchases 2003
Magic Millions is clearly the second best yearling sale in Australia and this year's catalogue was significantly stronger on pedigree and type than in previous years. The rise in quality was reflected by their best ever turnover and the buoyant market made for keen competition on the fancied horses. In saying that, there was still plenty of value to be had and I am sure that our purchases represent quality at an affordable price.
