Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2021 i Turf Monthly

The Bach family was well known on the Darling Downs. Frank and his wife owned a large property around Oakey which was not far from the current Army base. Frank, who is sometimes referred to as Fred, had at least four sons; Colin, Jack (John R), Frank Jnr and Edward. The first three were to own property in South East Queensland, while Edward, it seems, worked and lived on Frank Jnr’s property. It was Frank Senior’s name on the docket of sale for Bern Maid and her colt foal by Emborough in 1940. It was later claimed that the purchase was on behalf of his son Jack. The family had a strong interest in racing and breeding. In 1936 Frank sent his son to a Toowoomba sale to purchase a…

Admire Mars has to be one of the most interesting stallions to come to Australia in recent years. Standing at Arrowfield, the champion Japanese 2yo has a pedigree that will probably confuse a few breeders at first glance. It is a pedigree though that includes influences we are very familiar with and he should be a valuable addition to the stallion roster. On the track Admire Mars was the winner of six of thirteen starts, with five of these at G1 level. His career earnings that equate of almost AUD$6 million puts him among the top racehorses internationally. His unbeaten 2yo season included wins in the G1 Hanshin Asahi Hai Futurity Stakes and the G2 Kyoto Daily Hai Nisai Stakes both over 1600m. At three he won the Hong Kong…

Ole Kirk might well be the enigma of Australian racing and breeding. Arguably he was a superstar on the track, but he could also look pretty moderate at times. He started his career winning the Talindert in sensational fashion coming from behind over 1100m at Flemington at the juicy odds of $31. He then went to the Sires’ Produce where he was closing fast after being held up in the straight to finish third behind Lunar Fox. He then went to Sydney for the AJC Sires’ Produce and got a long way back before finishing solidly for fourth behind King’s Legacy. King’s Legacy confirmed his 2yo superiority at their next start over the mile of the Champagne Stakes when Ole Kirk was well backed. Again, he was towards the tail…

Rumours abounded on the Darling Downs that there were some of Bernborough’s foals born there. One persistent rumour was that the good horse, Black Law was in fact by Bernborough. He was to win the VRC Bagot Handicap in 1948 over 14 furlongs. Black Law was foaled in 1942 which would have meant that Bernborough had just turned two when he was said to have sired him. Interestingly Black Law ran in the 1946 Caulfield Cup that saw Bernborough’s winning streak come to an end. It seems highly unlikely that this rumour was true, but it was not the only one. Again, the story traces to the Bach family. Bernborough spent long periods spelling when racing in Toowoomba. He spent one of these on the property of Jack Bach near…

Bernborough as everyone knows is by Emborough out of Bern Maid. We have already discussed the other progeny of Bern Maid who was a very good broodmare even without the success of Bernborough. His sire Emborough was to prove a quality stallion as well, and we have also touched on his performances. The family of Bernborough traces to the most populous female family in the Stud Book; Bruce Lowe’s number one family. It would not be a story of Bernborough though if we did not have controversy. In the study that has become more widely known as the Hill MtDNA study, one of the most significant discrepancies in heritage was identified as the line tracing from Maid Of The Glen. They concluded that at some point a mare from this…

Farnan was the 2019 Golden Slipper winner and goes to stud with a considerable fee. He raced only eight times for five wins, but his record needs a little closer inspection. Clearly, he was an early type, racing and winning twice before Christmas. He blotted his copybook in the Magic Millions finishing a disappointing tenth in the Magic Millions behind Away Game at his first start at 1200m. Farnan then won the Silver Slipper, Todman and Golden Slipper convincingly to stamp himself the top 2yo of his season. The highly awaited return was to come in the G2 Run To The Rose where jockey Hugh Bowman was roundly criticised for the breakneck speed that saw Farnan lead but fold up to run a well-beaten fifth over the 1200m behind the…

While Australia remembers Bernborough as the champion racehorse, if you were in the US you would remember him as a great stallion. He was among the top stallions of his day standing at Mayer’s Spendthrift Farm and finishing near the top of the US Sires Tables. Among his best progeny were Berseem champion American sprinter, Bernwood who established a new world record for a mile, First Aid who won the Whitney Handicap, and High Scud who won the Kent Stakes and Inglewood Handicap. Bernborough’s daughter Briartic won 9 of her 32 starts including the Acorn Stakes and Vosburgh Handicap as a 3yo against older males. At stud she was produced a daughter called Sweet Lady Briar by Round Table who raced in Canada, setting a new track record at Woodbine…

Cambridge Stud in NZ continues to bring exciting new bloodlines to the region. This year’s new stallion is Hello Youmzain, a multiple G1 winning sprinter bred in France. The stallion started his career by winning a maiden at his first start over 1000m in August of his 2yo NH season. He then ran second before heading to France where he won the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte over 1200m. Hello Youmzain was beaten first up as a 3yo over 1400m but won the G2 Sandy Lane Stakes at Haydock back over 1200m at his next start. In this race he beat the long odd-on favourite Calyx, a stallion now standing at Coolmore in Australia. A third over the same distance in the G1 Commonwealth Cup at Ascot behind Advertise followed. After…

Wootton Bassett might be a little out of place in our Freshman Sires feature, but he is standing his first season in Australia this year. Despite his success overseas we know this does not always translate to success under local conditions, so it is worthwhile to look at what the stallion has to offer local breeders. Firstly, it is important to note that his best son, Almanzor is at stud at the famed Cambridge Stud in NZ and his first runners will hit the track this season. Almanzor has been a sensation in the sales ring to date if that is any indicator of his future, and we did have a look at him in an earlier edition. Wootton Bassett started with a first crop of only 23 foals and…