Lessons Learned This Weekend: Jan. 3

A Star Exhibition of Patience Rewarded…

The G2 Perth Cup has come down a long way in the world since its glory days when it ranked alongside the Cups of Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide as one of Australia's major two-milers. It lost its Group 1 status in 1993, and the reduction in its distance in 2009 from 3200m to 2400m was a cry of desperation which has not so far yielded the desired results. Despite the race's current value of A$500,000, the days when it attracted high-class stayers from the east have (inexplicably, some might say) gone: this year's edition failed to attract a single interstate raider. Even so, it is still a valuable and prestigious big race. As such, it provided a good reminder of the rewards which can stem from breeding from tough mares and showing patience.

Bred and owned by successful West Australian bloodstock identities Bob and Sandra Peters, Perth Cup winner Star Exhibit (Aus) (Statue Of Liberty) is the first foal of their former hardy racemare Star Encounter (Aus), a daughter of 1994 G1 Melbourne Cup hero Jeune (GB) (Kalaglow {Ire}). Some old-time horsemen used to believe that having had a busy racing career lessened the chances of a mare being successful in her second career. That Star Encounter has produced a Perth Cup winner with her first, foal flies in the face of this generally discredited line of reason. She was a proper trouper for Mr. and Mrs. Peters in her racing days. She won eight of her 30 starts including the 2009 Pinjarra Cup and recorded seven minor placings including finishing second in the G3 West Australian Oaks and third in the G1 WATC Derby, the G3 Strickland S. and the Bunbury Cup.

Mr. and Mrs. Peters were entitled to hope that Star Encounter would breed nice horses if she could pass on her class, honesty and durability. She has done that at the first attempt, but they have had to show patience to reap the dividends. Star Exhibit has won now won eight of his 17 starts, but he was a late-developer. He did not run as a 2-year-old, while his second season only saw him racing three times, including winning a 1300m maiden race at Northam on debut. He was kept busier at four when he won four of his seven starts, but only this season has he progressed to stakes company at the age of five. Having landed a handicap over 1600m at Ascot at the end of November, he has now run in three black-type contests, registering a second placing in the JRA Trophy over 2200m at Ascot before taking firstly the ATA S. over the same course and distance and, now, the Perth Cup. He is clearly still improving, and it will be interesting to see how far up the rankings he can eventually progress.

Star Exhibit has thus become the 19th stakes winner for his sire Statue Of Liberty (Storm Cat), who won the G2 Coventry S. at Royal Ascot as a 2-year-old in 2002 before being beaten only a head in the G1 Sussex S. at Goodwood the following season. Statue Of Liberty has enjoyed a peripatetic stud career which has seen him standing most recently at Sun Stud in Victoria, where his fee during the past season was A$8,800. He has sired decent horses wherever he has been, most notably the top-class sprinter Hay List (Aus) and the tough Group 2-winning speedster Mic Mac (Aus). Star Encounter currently has a Statue Of Liberty foal at foot, i.e. a full-brother to Star Exhibit, and has an unraced 2-year-old filly by Redoute's Choice named Perfect Jewel (Aus).

Another Ace for Harvey…

The forthcoming Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale represents a big and busy week for Magic Millions proprietor Gerry Harvey. His ownership of the burgeoning sales company represents merely one of his many large investments in various aspects of the racing and breeding game, and he can currently be very happy with the way things are going. The signs are that this year's Gold Coast Sale and Carnival will be an excellent one in many respects, while the stallions at his Westbury Stud in New Zealand are currently going well.

This column recently highlighted the promising start which Westbury resident Redwood (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) has made to his stud career. Makfi (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) is also enjoying a good run of success, most recently coming up with last week's QAT-G1 Qatar Derby winner Noor Al Hawa (Fr). Makfi had previously enjoyed Classic success with the 2015 G1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Make Believe (GB) and the Harvey-bred 2016 G1 Australian Oaks victrix Sofia Rosa (NZ). Another young Westbury stallion doing well at present is Swiss Ace (Aus) (Secret Savings) who hit the target at Ellerslie on New Year's Day with G2 Great Northern Guineas winner Swissta (NZ).

Bred by Gerry Harvey, Swissta was sold in the Westbury Stud draft at the 2015 NZB Festival Yearling Sale at Karaka, where he was bought for NZ$24,000 by his trainer Richard Collett. He has so far only raced five times, but he has won his last three starts and clearly represents a great bargain. He is the third recent stakes winner in New Zealand for Swiss Ace, following the successes of G3 Canterbury Breeders' S. heroine First Serve (NZ) and the Harvey-bred Trevor Eagle Memorial S. winner Top Prospect (NZ). Furthermore, Bella Gioia (NZ) finished second in November in the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas.

Gerry Harvey has shown plenty of faith in the merit of Swiss Ace, who recorded his finest hour on the racecourse when taking the G1 Oakleigh Plate over 1100m in 2009. He can be happy that his confidence has been justified, not least because he potentially has a very appealing prospect to look forward to: his wide-margin 2013 G1 Australian Oaks heroine Royal Descent (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) is currently in foal to the stallion.

Another Carat Shining Brightly…

While Cambridge Stud in New Zealand will always be synonymous with its first great stallion Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor), Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight) will forever rank as the greatest broodmare to have called the property home. A descendant of HH Aga Khan III's legendary matron 'The Flying Filly' Mumtaz Mahal (GB) (The Tetrarch {Ire}), Eight Carat came from a branch of the family replete with high-class sprinters but became notable as an influence for class at pretty much any distance. She bred five individual Group 1 winners, while the numerous high-class colts and stallions have descended from her include her sons Octagonal (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), Kaapstaad (NZ) (Sir Tristram) and Mouawad (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), as well as the Danehill full-brothers Commands (Aus) and Danewin (Aus), plus Viking Ruler (Aus) (Danehill) and Don Eduardo (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).

Now another descendant of Eight Carat has gained the distinction of siring a Group 1 winner. Eighth Wonder (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) was very popular at the yearling sales in 2007 selling for half a million dollars, which was understandable as he was a son of Eight Carat's Group 1-winning daughter Diamond Lover (Aus) (Sticks And Stones {Aus}). However, having joined Lee Freedman's stable in Melbourne, he only raced once: last in a provincial 2-year-olds' maiden race at Sale in April 2008. He subsequently suffered a career-ending injury when bowing a tendon. It was obviously hard for him, even with his stellar pedigree, to get a chance at stud, but New Zealand studmaster Steve Bliss gave him a chance at Sentry Hill Farm near Whanganui at a fee of NZ$2,000. His small first crop was born in 2010, and its star Start Wondering (NZ) is now a Group 1 winner, courtesy of having landed the G1 Railway H. over 1200m at Ellerslie on New Year's Day.

This was Start Wondering's ninth victory and second strike in black-type company, following his victory in the Westminster H. over 1200m at Te Rapa in November. He was formerly trained in Australia by Chris Waller, but did not race until he had returned to his homeland and joined the Whanganui stable of Evan and JJ Rayner. Sadly, this is a posthumous triumph for Eighth Wonder, so Sentry Hill Farm will not be able to benefit from this vindication of Steve Bliss' judgement.

Limestone's Prospects Look Rock-Solid…

All eyes at Flemington on New Year's Day were understandably on the debut of the 2-year-old filly Oscietra (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) as this was the first start for the first foal of the former unbeaten international champion sprinter Black Caviar (Aus) (Bel Esprit {Aus}). She dominated both the lead-up to and the betting for the New Year Day Plate but, although she showed brilliant speed during the first four furlongs of this 1000m sprint up the straight, the prize actually went to another very talented filly. The winner was the Darren Weir-trained Limestone (Aus) (Helmet {Aus}) who has previously shown promise when finishing third at Moonee Valley last month.

Even post-race discussions centred mostly around Oscietra (who now heads off for a spell), but it would be wrong not to focus on the winner, who seems to be a filly with an exciting future. Limestone looks to be the latest in a long line of high-class horses to carry the colours of long-standing owner/breeder David Moodie, former proprietor under his Contract Racing banner of the now-defunct Hobson's Lodge Stable at Flemington. Moodie has raced many extremely good horses since the 1980s including 2010 G1 Golden Slipper heroine Crystal Lily (Aus) (Stratum {Aus}) and 1996 G1 Caufield Cup victrix Arctic Scent (Aus) who, incidentally, recorded her great win at the expense of the subsequent great broodmare Circles Of Gold (Aus) (Marscay {Aus}). Arctic Scent, who had landed the G1 Queensland Oaks the previous season, was a daughter of one of the several good stallions whom Moodie has stood, Blazing Sword (Aus) (Marscay {Aus}).

Whether Limestone ever achieves similar heights remains to be seen, but it is not impossible. She is a good advertisement for her young sire Helmet (Aus) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), winner of the G1 Caulfield Guineas in 2011 having taken the final two legs of Sydney's 2-Year-Olds' Triple Crown earlier in the year. Her dam Limerock (Aus) (Charge Forward {Aus}) was a smart filly, who was trained for Moodie by Peter Moody to win five sprints in the 2010/'11 season, when her victories included triumphs at Flemington, Caulfield and Sandown. Limerock is now shaping up as a good broodmare for her Moodie, having already bred the smart Weir-trained 3-year-old Gimlet (Aus) (Dream Ahead), a winner over 1000m at Warrnambool last season.