Dancing to a new beat

This strapping chestnut colt, by Encosta De Lago, with his dam from Gypsy Dancer at Coolmore Stud, is a half-brother to Golden Slipper winner Dance Hero.

Issue 28, October 2

Well-known owner-breeder Jonathan Munz is having a wonderful run with one particular family that traces back to the high-class mare Gypsy Moss, the Irish import who proved a star on the racetrack and in the breeding barn for the Foyster family in the late 1960s.

The branch of this family that is doing so well for Munz’s breeding outfit GSA Bloodstock comes through the grey mare Irises (gr m 1988, Tate Gallery (USA)–Gypsy’s Hope, by John’s Hope). Gypsy’s Hope is a granddaughter of Gypsy Moss (b m 1966 Mossborough–Bedecked, by Rockefella). Irises was a precocious juvenile who won a 1991 Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude at Sandown.

The 2009 Group 3 SA Oaks winner Zapurple is by Zabeel from the Listed Let’s Elope Stakes winner Purple Groove (by Rhythm), who is a daughter of Irises. Purple Groove also is the dam of Munz’s promising 3YO filly Zapurb, by Zabeel.

This week, another daughter of Irises, the Last Tycoon mare Tyrises, already the dam of Stakes winners Taikun (by Anabaa) and Super Groove (by Dehere), produced two winners bred by GSA and owned by Munz’s Pincecliffe Racing Syndicate.

Boogaloo (gr f 2005, by Encosta De Lago), who is Stakes-placed, won at Moonee Valley on Wednesday, and on Thursday, the first starter Groovy Choice (gr f 2006, by Redoute’s Choice) was impressive winning at Ballarat.

Breeder Tony Akkari has been lucky, despite the fact he sold the 2004 Golden Slipper hero Dance Hero, as a yearling, for only $90,000, when the bay son of Danzero was expected to bring much more at the 2003 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.

It wasn’t a bad result on his investment, as Akkari paid only $15,000 for Dance Hero’s dam, Gypsy Dancer (ch m 1996, Dance Floor (USA)–Racy Belle, by Straight Strike (USA)), off the track.

The ride for Akkari has been far from roller coaster as he since has sold Gypsy Dancer, in foal to Redoute’s Choice, for $1.5 million, and her weanling Redoute’s Choice colt for $1.15 million – both to the bid of Coolmore Stud at the 2007 Magic Millions National Broodmare and Weanling Sale.

Akkari has retained three daughters of Gypsy Dancer. Two of them were unraced

and are already in the matron paddocks at Vinery Stud – Aleesar (2003), a sister to Dance Hero, and Arzetna (2002,by Fuji Kiseki (JPN)), are producing nice foals for Akkari. The Lebanese-born breeder, ever the optimist, believes his luck is about to take another turn for the better.

“Aleesar is a strong mare, whereas Arzetna is a lot like her mother, smallish and lightly-framed, and like Gypsy, she throws foals with much more strength than herself,” Akkari said.

Akkari has another daughter of Gypsy Dancer, Batroun (by Danzero), now four, in work with Peter Morgan. “She’s more like Dance Hero than them all, and she has his ability but unfortunately she suffered a tendon injury with Bart Cummings, so we sent her to Peter for training in the water walker.

Aleezar’s first foal is a Mossman yearling colt and she has been mated to More Than Ready, while Arzetna has a 2YO Danzero filly in work and a Flying Spur colt at foot. She is booked to Redoute’s Choice.

Gypsy Dancer has two high-priced Redoute’s Choice colts to race for her. Both are in work with Gai Waterhouse at Randwick. The 3YO Foxtrot Oscar cost Patinack Farm $2.2 million as a yearling, but the big colt has been a late maturer. The unnamed 2YO, who cost $850,000, is part-owned by Coolmore Stud, and is far more precocious.

Akkari is hoping one of the two colts can enhance the pedigree, which has been quiet since the amazing deeds of Dance Hero.

Gypsy Dancer has a strapping chestnut colt at foot by Encosta De Lago and she is booked back to the stallion.

DANNY POWER

WORDS BY DANNY POWER

Rockferry deposits a return Trainer Danny O’Brien was always going to have to wait to find out if his decision to outlay a hefty NZ$550,000 on a Pentire (GB)-Excelo (by Centro) colt at the 2008 NZB Karaka Premier Yearling Sale was a good one.

The colt, a magnificent individual from the Rich Hill draft, had his value enriched by the fact his a brother to the star New Zealander Xcellent, who in 2005 spring had finished a wonderful third behind the champion mare Makybe Diva in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup.

Xcellent, who cost Moroney only NZ$45,000 at the same sale in 2003, also won the Group 1 New Zealand Derby (2400m), Group 1 Kelt Capital Stakes (2040m), Group 1 New Zealand Stakes (2000m) and the Group 1 Mudgway Stakes (1400m) in an illustrious career that was cut short by injury.

O’Brien and his owners, who race under the name of the Distinct Syndicate, named their purchase Rockferry and the 3YO colt stepped out at his second start to win over 2206m at Ballarat on September 25.

Rockferry looks every bit a stayer, and he should be with a pedigree that boasts a close relation in 1982 Caulfield and Melbourne Cup winner Gurner’s Lane.

Rockferry’s granddam Domindora (by Sir Tristram (IRE)), is a half-sister to the champion broodmare Taiona (by Hermes (GB)), the dam of Gurner’s Lane, Group 1 Victoria Derby winner Sovereign Red and the Group 1 Marlboro Cup winner Trichelle – all by the great Sir Tristram.

Domindora also is the granddam of the Group 2

Newcastle Cup winner Seto Bridge and the Listed Darwin Cup winner Tucker Box.

Another brother to Rockferry is the handy Lloyd Williams-owned Instructor, now a 6YO, who has won seven of his 19 starts and has been twice Group 3 placed.

Harrison’s smart Karaka find Another winner at Ballarat last Friday that looks to have a bright future is the Doug Harrison-trained The Red Emperor.

The 4YO gelding has been a work in progress for Harrison, but the son of the Danehill stallion Spartacus is unbeaten in his two starts this preparation.

The Red Emperor is from the Gaius mare Princess Gaius, and he cost the astute Harrison only NZ$50,000 at the 2007 NZB Karaka Premier Yearling Sale.

Harrison is a regular buyer in New Zealand, and it is safe to say his strike rate is very good shopping at the bottom end of the Premier Sale and again at the following Select Sale.

Harrison bought The Red Emperor because he is a half-brother to his handy Stakes-

placed galloper Mr. Donizetti (by Kreisler). The gelding also is a half-brother to the good Listed winning mare Mercurous (by Mercury), who in turn is the dam of the Group 1 Hong Kong Champions Mile winner Figures.

Spartacus twice won at Group 1 level for Aidan O’Brien in Ireland and France, but he hasn’t been a sparkling success at stud. He stands in 2009 at The Oaks, Cambridge at a fee of NZ$6000 (plus GST).

The Comedian –at last a laugh

When trainer Lee Freedman selected a Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude at Caulfield as the debut race for The Comedian, the expectation was that this high-priced colt might be something special.

In turn, the bookies were holding some hefty pre-post bets on the colt, and all the Coolmore clan made the trip to watch the son of Encosta De Lago step out.

Unfortunately, The Comedian’s debut left most of his camp with scowls after he finished a disappointing and distant 13 lengths-last behind Real Saga. Freedman expected the colt to sit back and hit the

line hard, but when Dwayne Dunn put the youngster under pressure, the colt floundered.

The Comedian was turned out and it has taken a while for Freedman to get the headstrong colt to concentrate on being a racehorse. He was rewarded when The Comedian beat a very smart filly, Pretty (b f 3, Pins–Escada, by Centaine), a half-sister to Group 1 winners Glamour Puss and Vision And Power, at Ballarat on Thursday.

The Comedian is from the Listed Tommy Smith Slipper winner How Funny (by Rory’s Jester-Intertwined, by Sir Tristram (IRE), who also was runner-up in both the 2003 Magic Millions (to Regimantal Gal) and the Golden Slipper (to Polar Success).

The Coolmore crew bought The Comedian from the Tyreel draft with a Golden Slipper in mind, but he has thrown more to his Fairy King–Sir Tristram cross, that should see him emerge as a smart middle distance 3YO in the autumn.

The Ghost that can run Last Saturday night’s winner of the 2YO race at Toowoomba looks a likely type.

Ghostnthedarkness hit the line strongly to win over 1000m for trainer Michael Nolen. The colt, by Sadler’s Well’s son Refused To Bend, who stands at Darley, is from the fast Lion Hunter mare Lion Queen. He gets his speed through the influence of Lion Hunter, who is regarded as Danehill’s fastest son.

Ghostnthedarkness was bought as a weanling for only $1500 at 2008 Magic Millions Winter Weanling Sale to the bid of veteran trainer Brian Smith. First prize on Saturday night was $48,000!

The colt was withdrawn from the Magic Millions 2009 yearling sale.

DANNY POWER

The Comedian, by Encosta De Lago from How Funny, pictured at Markdel.