Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2021 i Turf Monthly

Looking at the yearling sales is always an interesting time, and we have just seen Magic Millions completed on the Gold Coast. We are putting some of the first season stallions under the spotlight over the next couple of months but there are a few comments I would like to make. Firstly, the number of coverings for some of these first season stallions is amazing. Merchant Navy covered 247 mares while Russian Revolution covered 226, Hellbent 182 and, well, you get the picture. It was not all that long ago that a full book sign went out when the number of mares reached 60. These huge numbers mean a narrowing of the gene pool and irrespective of what you think about inbreeding, it cannot be good for the long-term health…

I was born at Northcote in October, 1907, and my people went to Montrose, in the Dandenongs, when I was a few years old. We had an old horse that I rode everywhere. I weighed less than 4.0 (25.5kg). A friend of the family told my dad I that he should make a jockey of me. Dad knew nothing about racing, but ultimately I went to Caulfield to a man named O'Halloran who raced ponies. I rode them work, also Merry England and Carry On for Mr Dave Marks. Mr Marks gave me a letter of introduction to Mr Richard Bradfield. My first ride in a race was on Chelae at Flemington for Mr RM Hawker, whose horses were trained by Mr Bradfield. It was on June 4, 1923. My…

Sunday Mail (Brisbane, Qld: 1926 - 1954), Sunday 23 February 1941 AJAX, OUR WORST CHAMPION .. Says Darby Munro AUSTRALIA'S ace jockey, Darby Munro, in the fourth instalment of 'My Secrets of the Turf,' as told to Geoff Hawksley, describes the races in which he rode against Ajax and why he thinks he was 'overrated.' I know this is going to start something, but everybody is entitled to his own opinion. I honestly believe that Ajax was our worst champion for many years. I don't say he wasn't a good horse. He was, but he had the good fortune to meet very moderate opposition when he was stringing together an amazing sequence of wins. As I have ridden in races against Ajax, I think I know what I'm talking about…

Caravaggio is another high-quality offering from Coolmore although rather disappointingly looks like he may not be returning to Australia any time soon. The attractive grey stallion was a top class racehorse and was never beaten at his own age group. He won his four 2yo starts including the G1 Phoenix Stakes. Returning as a 3yo he won his first start against his own age before winning the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Ascot against open horses. He was beaten into fourth by another 3yo in Harry Angel who had run second to Caravaggio at Ascot at his next start in the G1 July Cup Stakes. An ordinary sixth in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest was followed by a G2 win at The Curragh. His last start was a third in…

Russian Revolution is one of the new boys at Newgate Farm, standing alongside a host of other young stallions at that emerging powerhouse. He is a son of Snitzel, Australia’s leading stallion who in turn is by the champion son of Danehill in Redoute’s Choice. Snitzel’s dam is out of a mare by Snippets, a former Magic Millions winner suggesting plenty of speed in the pedigree. Russian Revolution is also one of the most popular stallions in Australia covering over 220 mares in each of his first two seasons. At the races, Russian Revolution was another of the new stallions who did not appear until quite late in their 2yo season. He won his first two starts at Canterbury and Randwick in June 2016. A freshen up saw him win…

Almanzor is an interesting newcomer to the Australasian breeding scene. The stallion stands at the famed Cambridge Stud in NZ and his first crop saw him cover 140 mares although he produced only 94 live foals. Immediately this puts him numerically on the back foot against stallions like Russian Revolution who covered 226 mares for 158 live foals in his first season. Perhaps this comparison is a little unfair as he will be judged primarily in NZ where stallions in general cover fewer mares annually. The French bred stallion was champion European 3yo winning the French Derby before beating the older horses in the Irish Champion Stakes at Leopardstown and the Champion Stakes at Ascot both over 1800m. Almanzor was trained by Jean-Claude Rouget and his stable was hit with…

One of the most famous races in Australian history was held on 3 November 1956 with the running of the Hotham Handicap over one and a half miles (2400m) at Flemington. The race was part of VRC Derby Day and was a traditional lead up to the following Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup. It was the last race of the day on a card that included the Derby, Wakeful Stakes, Maribyrnong Plate and Mackinnon Stakes. The VRC had adopted the photo finish camera in 1946, reducing the frequency of dead-heats which had necessitated run-offs years before. The field that lined up for the Hotham consisted of eleven runners. Topweight with 9.3 (57.5kg) in the Handicap was Pushover, a 6yo mare who had won the Turnbull Stakes at her last start, having finished…

He Was Sacked A Three Times Because he wasn’t on the spot, on the tick, when veteran trainer Frank Musgrave arrived with Ajax for training exercise.… A kindly old soul, in spite of his gruff manner, was the late Frank Musgrave, trainer of the celebrated Ajax. In the sunset of his career no one was more closely associated, with him than Harold Badger, who gave his horses first preference. Badger declares that the old man's bark was worse than his bite. Badger was "sacked three times in the one week," but didn't take it. There was a strong bond of friendship between trainer and jockey, and the young man spent many happy hours listening to the old man's reminiscences. My story would not be complete without some reference to the…

Hellbent is one of the first sons of boom stallion, I Am Invincible to go to stud. He has been very well supported at stud serving 182 mares in his first season, and 156 in his second year. Given that his sire is a noted speed influence, it appears that his progeny will make an immediate impact when they hit the track. The stallion won seven of 23 starts making him a little unusual among the current stallion ranks that see few stallions having quite this many racetrack appearances. It does suggest a degree of soundness and this is an advantage if he can pass on this longevity to his progeny. He did not start quite surprisingly until late in his 2yo season, winning his first start at Canterbury on…

Merchant Navy is among the early frontrunners for First Season honours simply by weight of numbers. He served an incredible 247 mares in 2018 and those resultant foals are now being offered for sale this season. Magic Millions catalogued 25 of these for January. Most likely even more will be presented for sale at the Inglis Easter sale which gives him a great chance of having enough runners earning stakes to take him up near the lead of any first season table. Merchant Navy was an outstanding racehorse winning seven of his ten career starts. He first faced the starter in March of his 2yo season winning at Pakenham and Sandown before his first black type success in the Listed Anzac Day Stakes at Flemington over 1400m. A spell saw…