| 2010 Covering Season | 27 Aug 2010 |
| A reminder to stallion proprietors and breeders, that the 2010 covering season begins on Wednesday 1 September. Any produce of a mare covered before 1 September 2010, regardless of when it is born in 2011, will be deemed to have commenced its second year of life on 1 August 2011 (that is, it will become a yearling on that day). A foal is only eligible for inclusion in the Australian Stud Book or the Australian Non Thoroughbred Register if it is the product of a natural service, which is the physical mounting of a mare by a stallion, and unless a natural gestation takes place in and delivery is from the body of the mare in which the foal is conceived. |
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| The Keeper says: ‘They’d never catch Rising Fast!’ | 19 Aug 2010 |
| Sure, he won the Caulfield Cup, Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup in the one season, but what is not mentioned is what else he won during the Spring of 1954. Rising Fast started off winning the Feehan Stakes on 18 September, 12 days later he was second in the Underwood Stakes, 2 days later won the Turnbull Stakes, 11 days later won the Caulfield Stakes, 3 days later won the CAULFIELD CUP, 7 days later won the COX PLATE, 7 days later won the Mackinnon Stakes, 3 days later won the MELBOURNE CUP, and 4 days later the CB Fisher Plate (now the Queen Elizabeth Stakes). Nine starts in seven weeks for eight wins and one second. Rising Fast’s exploits a season later were better than most horses since but not as good as 1954: wins again in the Caulfield Cup, Mackinnon Stakes and CB Fisher Plate, won the Herbert Power, second in the Turnbull, Underwood, Caulfield Stakes and Melbourne Cup. Why couldn’t he win a second Melbourne Cup? He carried 10.0 or 64kg, and Toparoa beat him carrying only 7.8 or 48kg. What a horse! |
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| Reminder To Breeders | 27 Jul 2010 |
| Live Foal Mare Returns are due within 30 days of birth. To access the Online mare return program, log on via the home page and select the ‘Online Services’ header. |
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| Keeper’s Awards for the 2009-10 season | 20 Jul 2010 |
| Based on a special points system whereby placegetters in a Group 1 are allocated in order of 1st-2nd-3rd: 6 -5 -4 points, in a Group 2: 5-4-3, in a Group 3: 4-3-2 and in a Listed race 3-2-1. This is system that was used to qualify horses for the USA Breeders’ Cup series. Horse of the year: no surprises with Typhoon Tracy with 36 points over Rangirangdoo on 43 points losing out because of her 4 consecutive Group 1 wins. 2yo of the year: Crystal Lily, 19 points from Pressday, 18 points. 3yo of the year: Melito, of course with 58 points, a fantastic achievement with 14 starts in Group races, won G1 Tatts’ Qld Winter Stakes and AJC TJ Smith Stakes, unplaced only in the AJC G1 Flight Stakes and G1 VRC Victoria Oaks. Starpangledbanner is a special mention with 4 Group 1 wins, including two in England, and 35 points. On the same basis, Tulloch would have received 86 points as a three-year old, High Caste 77, Phar Lap 73, and Kingston Town 70 points. Most improved horse: Lady Lynette, 27 points, a mare who started to fire as a five-year old. Sires of the year: Lonhro, based on 20 Group wins from 12 winners, Red Ransom based on 5 Group 1 wins (from All American and Typhoon Tracy). Broodmare of the year: hard to go past Tracy’s Element, the dam of Typhoon Tracy with 5 Group winners in total. |
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| STARSPANGLEDBANNER has Star Kingdom in his pedigree | 14 Jul 2010 |
| The internationally acclaimed Starspangledbanner (AUS) 2006 who authoritatively defeated Europe’s best sprinters twice on the last four weeks at Group 1 level has Star Kingdom his dam’s Gold Anthem’s line. Her sire, Made Of Gold (USA), descends on the sireline from Todman’s younger brother Noholme (AUS) both by Star Kingdom (IRE) . Nohlme was almost equal in ability to Todman with Cox Plate, Champagne Stakes and Epsom Handicap wins. Noholme made his name in the USA with over twenty stakeswinners including the champion sires Nodouble (USA) and Shecky Greene (USA) who is Made Of Gold’s grandsire. |
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| STARSPANGLEDBANNER has a hidden gem in his pedigree | 14 Jul 2010 |
| The real gem is the appearance of Australian unheralded champion Royal Gem (AUS) 1942 in the female line of Made Of Gold. Royal Gem established himself as one of the best horses of his era with 13 stakeswins including Group 1 equivalents Caulfield Cup, Caulfield Guineas, Underwood Stakes, Toorak Handicap, Goodwood Handicap, the current Emirate Stakes (Cantala), Futurity Stakes and Newmarket Handicap. Exported to the USA, he produced Dark Star (USA), only horse to have defeated the champion racehorse and sire, Native Dancer in the 1953 Kentucky Derby. Dark Star produced the champion French mare Gazala (FR) who in turn produced a champion herself in Youth (FR) which won the Prix Du Jockey Club and Washington DC International amongst others. Youth went on to sire Teenoso (USA) which won the 1983 Epsom Derby. |