 |
|
Wattle Grove Thoroughbreds on the Southern Highlands of New South Wales is home to three stallions for the 2012 breeding season and whether you are looking for a sprinter or a stayer, they have a sire to suit.
Serving his second season at Wattle Grove at a fee of $8,800 is Group I winning sprinter Shellscrape, whose sire Dane Shadow continues to go from strength to strength, highlighted by the recent sale of his Group I winning daughter Hurtle Myrtle, who sold for $1million at the 2012 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Shellscrape (pictured) was the first winner for Dane Shadow, the first stakes-winner, the first Group I winner and is now his first son at stud.
On the pedigree front, Shellscrape has much to offer being a full brother to Red Tracer and one of four winners from four foals to race from the Snippets mare Kisma, whose dam Vain Hope is by champion sprinter and influential sire Vain.
The family has produced stakes-winners Hayley's Hope and Kirkberg as well as last season's juvenile stakes-winners Defiant Dame, who also sold for big money at the MM National Broodmare Sale fetching $740,000.
Red Tracer will attempt to add further lustre to the family when she lines up this Saturday in the Group I Tattersalls Tiara at Eagle Farm, the final Group I event of the racing season.
On paper, Shellscrape always appealed as a fast maturing sprinter and that is exactly what he turned out to be - winning the Group I AJC The Galaxy, Group II AJC Roman Consul Stakes and Group III AJC San Domenico Stakes - those enviable qualities sure to be imparted to his offspring, the first of which will be born later this year.
If Shellscrape is about speed, then Helenus is at the other end of the spectrum as a Group I VRC Victoria Derby winner, who is already the sire of two Group I winning stayers in ill-fated Cedarberg and ATC Australian Derby hero Ethiopia.
A top class racehorse, who also won the Group I MRC Caulfield Guineas and STC Rosehill Guineas, Helenus (pictured) started his career in Western Australia before moving across to the East and despite covering comparatively small numbers has produced encouraging statistics.
He is the sire of 48 winners of $5.4 million in prizemoney from his first five crops, four of those winners being stakes-winners, one stakes-placed and many others successful on metropolitan tracks.
Helenus is owned by astute WA breeder Trevor Delroy, who bred his two Group I winners Cedarberg and Ethiopia.
"I bought Helenus as a stallion because I was keen to breed stayers and he was just what I was looking for," Delroy explained after Ethiopia's Derby triumph in the autumn.
"He has a great pedigree going back to an outstanding mare called Carozza, who won the English Oaks and was the dam of a great staying sire in Battle Waggon.
"Helenus also had that real turn of foot and for a staying sire, they have to have that to be successful I think.
"His stock aren't two year-olds and people have to be patient with them, but he really stamps them. They are all like peas in a pod, big shoulder and deep girth, a good thing when you're trying to breed stayers."
Rounding out the roster at Wattle Grove is a brilliant newcomer in Master Harry, a Group II winning son of Magic Albert that will stand at a fee of $6,600.
A muscular chestnut in the mould of his sire, Master Harry (pictured www.stevehart.com.au) is one of 15 stakes-winners by highly successful sire Magic Albert, who has left four Group I winners in Albert the Fat, Ilovethiscity, Magic Cape and Fighting Warrior.
Completely free of Northern Dancer blood, Master Harry has a real outcross pedigree and comes from a fine colonial female family renowned for speed and featuring stakes-winners such as Momentaire, Salaam, Hot as Hell, Flaming Hot and the HK based Craig's Dragon.
A dominant debut winner at Flemington beating top class filly Curtana in a Listed event as an autumn juvenile, the Peter Moody trained Master Harry was immediately promoted as a serious Golden Slipper contender, but shin soreness sent him back to the paddock.
He returned to win the Group II ATC Royal Sovereign Stakes over 1200 metres at Randwick defeating Group I winners Skilled and Pressday, then beat older sprinters to win the Listed VRC ATA Bob Hoysted Stakes at Flemington over 1000 metres.
Breeders will find much to like about Master Harry and his outcross bloodlines make him an appealing option.
For more information on any of the Wattle Grove sires contact Ian Macpherson 0404 839453 or Varda Green on 0409 394 093 or 02 4877 2333 or email wattlegrovethoroughbreds@bigpond.com.au
|
