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PRIME DISPATCH

Edition 57 – 19/03/2015 Compiled by Joe o’Neill

Annaman storming home to win at Ipswich on Wednesday

Two on the trot!!!

The Prime Thoroughbreds team has really enjoyed a purple patch during the past four weeks. We had

a quiet January which happens in this business. Rumeron got things really rolling winning the

Tasmanian Magic Millions Three Year Old Classic, this was followed up with Atalanta Miss winning

the Adelaide Magic Millions Two Year Old Classic.

Annaman continued the charge on Wednesday winning his second race at Ipswich on the trot. These

mid-week races at Ipswich now have metropolitan status which is great for all concerned. He is one of

a number of progressive three year old we have in our team. He is out of our very good mare Shine

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on Anna who I regard as probably the best horse I have syndicated so the win had special

significance.

At Warwick Farm our three year old filly Savoureux was very good resuming after having no luck

from the wide gate but we needed to give her a run as she heads towards better races.

Annaman, Rumeron and Savoureux are three year olds and Atalanta Miss is only a baby so the future

looks bright indeed with a host of talented young horses about to hit the track or resume from a break.

Husson Eagle not far off returning to the track!!!

He was 5th behind Brazen Beau in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes

ON THE TRACK

I am getting very excited as we move forward with our team really starting to hit its straps. Included

in this group are some really nice two year olds. Our policy has always been not to push our babies

until they are ready.

We have 15 two year olds on our books and I expect that a couple of these will be seen at the races in

the coming weeks. Atalanta Miss has given us a glimpse of what is to come.

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Our only runner for the weekend is Arrayanes at Kyneton. She is one of only three of our three year

old team of thirteen not to post a win. She will have her first start for Patrick Payne. I wish the

owners well.

COBALT

I was pleased to see Dayle Brown from the Integrity Unit at RVL put out an update on where the

investigations into the four trainers in Victoria with cobalt levels above the permitted limits were at.

He didn't say much other than the investigations were continuing and would take longer to conclude

than originally anticipated.

It is very important that the racing public are kept up to date with information involving such

investigations. To say nothing allows the rumour mill to operate out of control.

The misuse of cobalt is a serious matter and could well turn out to be the biggest issue the industry

has faced since the 'Fine Cotton Affair'.

On a number of occasions over the past 5 years I had been suspicious that some stables were using

EPO or a similar substance in their horses. I was aware that testing was being done but with no

positive findings being found felt my suspicions were just that, suspicions.

I am now starting to wonder just how long cobalt may have been used by some trainers. I know that

the test for cobalt was being finalised in a West Australian laboratory early in 2014 and Victoria

introduced a thresh hold in April of that year once this test was confirmed and in place.

As I understand it cobalt has a similar effect in horses as EPO has in humans and probably is believed

to be most effective in middle distance and staying types of horses although a new development from

one of the stables under investigation earlier this week saw a sprinter testing positive.

I was interested to read in Tuesday's Herald Sun that NSW Chief Steward had cleared Black Caviar of

cobalt contamination in her win in the TJ Smith Stakes. If the Herald report is correct he gave the

impression further testing was continuing on frozen samples of other past feature winners.

If this testing in NSW comes up with positive results then as I see it RVL must follow the NSW lead

and conduct further testing prior to April 2014.

Each of the four trainers under investigation in Victoria have major trophies in their cabinets that were

won over the past few years.

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I believe that if these trainers are charged and found guilty of operating outside the rules then it is only

fair the 'frozen samples' of all their major winners in recent years be tested and appropriate action

taken should they be found to be positive to cobalt or any other illegal substance.

RVL owe this the great majority of participants in our industry that do the 'right' thing and operate

within the rules.

Today is an important one with Racing NSW set to hand down its penalty to Darren Smith.

My feeling is that we are in for some black days ahead before this affair is put to bed but the industry

now has the opportunity to weed out those not doing the right thing and move forward.

One thing for sure is that there are plenty of competent, honest young trainers ready to take over the

training of the horses currently under the care of those under investigation should they be found to

have a case to answer.

Husson filly out of Head Over Heels by Fasnet Rock

MAGIC CROSS BACK WORKING

Over the years I have spent hundreds of hours studying which crosses work with which sires. One of

our big winners was establishing early that Zeditave or his sons when crossed over Rubiton mares

worked very well. Calming, Horrocks and Too Many Reds were products of this cross.

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We have a similar situation with Husson and Danehill line mares and we have been reminded just

how potent this cross is over the past 10 days with Peron, Hi Son and the highly impressive Private

Secretary running great races.

In fact 9 of his 17 stakes horses from Australia are out of Danehill Line mares. I have a couple of

shares remaining in the Husson filly out of Head Over Heels to be trained by Tony Gollan. Check her

out on the website. She is a cracker and represents this potent cross..

NSW CHAMPIONSHIP CONCEPT A BIG WINNER

We are just over two weeks from the first of the two big days of the NSW Championship race series

at Royal Randwick. The whole concept of the Championships and the decision to include many

provincial and country centres has been a big winner.

In the past Easter Saturday had been like a big reunion with many country people heading to Sydney

for Easter with Doncaster Day a must do. I have a feeling Racing NSW has hit the jackpot with the

concept and I can’t wait to get to Randwick, my favourite track for one of the days. Hopefully we

will have a runner or two.

ANNIE VASSALLO

Annie Vassallo is a very popular lady with our clients that have horses with Patrick Payne. Annie

gets married on Saturday and I’m sure you all wish her and Andy a wonderful life together. She is a

great help to me and highly regarded in the industry. She worked with David Hall for many years and

has a great knowledge of the racing industry.

TVN

It was with mixed emotions I watched the final day of TVN on Saturday. Over the years Prime

Thoroughbreds received terrific support from some of the presenters at TVN. I will always appreciate

their support and wish them well for the future.

I just how much the clubs and Country Racing Victoria lost over the decade or so TVN was broadcast.

I doubt if we will ever know this figure.

I will be interested to see how racing is presented in the two main states with different platforms

broadcasting their racing.

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YEARLINGS

I am highlighting the Tough Speed colt out of Vickers that I purchased recently at the Tasmanian

Magic Millions Sale. He is a cracking horse and at the breakers now.

Also I have information on the Hinchinbrook filly out of Velasco for David Hayes and Tom Dabernig.

She is a beautiful filly.

While I was in Adelaide I was approached by Darren Weir to see if I had selected a trainer for

this colt. He said he was very impressed with him at the sale and was the under bidder. This is a

great recommendation for the horse as I’m confident he was the best colt in the sale.

Tough Speed / Vickers 2013 colt

The colt

When I attended the Tasmanian Magic Millions Sale this year I was taken by this colt. I had

inspected the high profile colts in the sale but was more impressed by this fellow than any of

the other ones on offer.

He has a beautiful easy walk and gets around very well. He is a beautifully relaxed horse and

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our vet Tim Roberts was also very impressed with him. I don’t purchase too many colts but

was determined to get this fellow. To put it simply he oozed class and is out of a very good

Flying Spur mare by a stallion that can get a very good horse.

I expect this colt to run at two and have paid him up for the Tasmanian Magic Millions but

really expect him to excel as a three year old and beyond where his best distances should be

at 1600m.

The colt will be a great addition to our team of horses trained by Charlie Goggin and Leuella

Meaburn at Runnymede Stud in Tasmania.

Tough Speed

Tough Speed has stood at Armidale Stud in Tasmania for nine seasons serving relatively

small books of mares. In the main this was due to the Tasmanian economy and the

uncertainty surrounding the state of the thoroughbred Industry. It is interesting to note in the

2013 breeding season he served his biggest book of mares.

In any case his results have been very good with his best being the Stakes winners

Black’n’Tough, Banca Mo, Lyell and Tough Chick as well as the stakes placed Settler’s Joy,

Speedy Sky and Jay Bee’s Gee Gee.

When assessing a stallion I like to look at the number of stakes winners to winners a horse

has. Very few have a 10% or greater conversion rate. Tough Speed has a 6% conversion rate

which is very good considering the quality of mares he served.

Many of his progeny go on to win multiple races with 79% of his winners being metropolitan

winners.

Australia’s leading sire Fastnet Rock has 66% winners to runners compared with Tough

Speed’s 56% which gives you an idea of his effectiveness.

In my opinion Vickers is one of the highest quality mares to go to Tough Speed.

Vickers

Vickers is by the Champion broodmare sire Flying Spur who is currently 4th

on the Australian

Broodmare List. Vickers was a very good race mare winning metropolitan races at

Flemington, Caulfield and Sandown. She ran a terrific 5th

in the Group 3 Tranquil Star

Stakes. Unfortunately she had a race fall and this ended her racing career.

Vickers comes from one of the best families in Tasmania being out of the stakes winning

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mare Eascapada. The 3rd

dam is Knightly Belle a high class Sydney two year old and dam of

the stakes winners Poacher’s Star, The Old China and of course Escapada.

As a broodmare Vickers has done a very good job with four of her six foals winning on for

mainland. I purchased the first foal out of the mare for $70,000 but unfortunately she had to

be put down after a paddock accident.

It should be noted she missed getting into foal in the season before she had this colt. The

odds of a mare getting a stakes horse increase after missing a year and a good mare like

Vickers is entitled to get a very good horse. Hopefully it is this colt.

10 shares @ $5,790 (5% shares @ $2,895) Only 5 remain

Hinchinbrook filly out of Velasco 2013

$9,000 per 10% share with $4,500 per 5% share

David Hayes and Tom Dabernig to train at Lindsay Park Euroa

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The filly

Pictured above is a high class filly by Hinchinbrook out of the stakes winning Flying Spur

mare Velasco which was Group 1 placed. Velasco has had three to race for as many winners

including the Stakes winner Devoirs.

I expect this filly will race as a two year old but that she will be a really good three year old

as she develops.

This female line is heading in the right direction with Velasco being the dam of the Anabaa

mare, Reve de Victoire. Reve de Victoire is the dam of the Smart Missile filly I purchased at

the Gold Coast Magic Millions Sale in January for Charlie Goggin and Leuella Meaburn to

train.

I am thrilled to have more exposure to the family and regard this Hinchinbrook filly as

one of the very best buys at the Premier Sale.

This pedigree has a number of well-bred young mares at the top of the page with Devoirs first

foal Edge away being placed 2nd at her only two starts including one behind the highly

touted Darley colt Inner Circle (Street Cry out of Camarilla).

Hinchinbrook

I made a prediction before the start of this season that Hinchinbrook would be the best of the

first season sires of his year. There were about 50 contenders and as I write this he is in 2nd

place and I am still hopeful he will finish on top as we move into the later part of the season. I

have received good reports on Hinchinbrook’s progeny from Kris Lees, David Hayes, Tony

McEvoy and Tony Gollan.

He was a top class juvenile winning the Group III AJC Skyline Stakes and Listed Canonbury

Stakes before being the first colt home when fourth to Crystal Lily in the Group I STC

Golden Slipper and was then third in the Group I AJC Sires Produce Stakes.

He then trained on at three for Group I placings in the AJC All Aged Stakes, MRC Oakleigh

Plate and MVRC William Reid Stakes, before being injured in the UK while preparing for

Royal Ascot and retiring with earnings in excess of $590,000.

He is a three-quarter brother to leading young sire Snitzel and Group III winner Viennese by

champion sire Fastnet Rock from stakes-winning sprinter Snippets’ Lass.

Snippet’s Lass was the best mare trained by Bill Mitchell while I was with him and had one

of the very best pedigrees in Australia. While she was only small in stature she was big on

quality and had a heart as big as herself.

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Velasco

Velasco is by the great broodmare sire Flying Spur out of the Listed placed mare Vital

Curves out of another Listed stakes mare Career Girl. This is a great family and as I wrote

earlier has a lot of good mares in foal to the ‘right’ stallions at the top of the pedigree page.

I am pleased I am in a position to influence the future of this page by purchasing two good

fillies from this highly promising family. As I have written many times in the past ‘winning

families tend to keep on getting winners.

Annaman’s ½ sister by Magic Albert

He’s a cracker