Pedigree of the Week: Rising Force

Approaching 16.3 hands, todays impressive all the way Ruakaka winner Rising Force has certainly been an expensive work in progress for connections. The four-year-old who realised $240,000 at Karaka in 2011 when bought by 1000 Guineas winner Planet Rock's connections, has sensibly been sparingly raced; todays win coming at his sixth career start and his first for the new season.

Taken straight to the front by Danielle Johnston the long striding gelding set up a solid tempo which ultimately saw the winning time come in nearly 2 seconds quicker than the other maiden 1400m on the programme. Favourite Sacred Spin, who had raced outside the leader throughout momentarily looked a threat after straightening for home but Rising Force was drawing away over the concluding stages, going onto record a length victory.

Rising Force is the third foal of the non winning Fusiachi Pegasus mare In Essence, whose best effort in three career starts was a ninth in a Cesnock maiden. The mares first foal, the useful two time winning Fastnet Rock mare Fastnet Lady - who also managed two fourth placings at listed level - has her first foal, a colt by Domesday sell as part of the Oaks Stud's draft at this months Karaka Select Sale.

In Essence's second foal,a Dehere gelding who fetched $210,000 at Karaka in 2010 is a winner at 1600m in Singapore while a Darci Brahma colt from the mare, purchased by David Ellis at Karaka in 2012 for $135,000, has gone to Singapore where he is yet to race.

A strongly put together yearling with a lovely shoulder and hindquarter, Rising Force was well balanced and light on his feet for his size. Understandably he created a lot of interest at Karaka, even despite the fact that he was by an unproven stallion in Dylan Thomas, with Masterton trainer Andrew Campbell, one of the better judges of a yearling in these parts, and acting on behalf of the the same connections for whom he purchased Tavistock and Cauthen, the underbidder on the colt.

Rising Force's distaff traces to the imported Australian taproot mare Great Klaire, a half sister to the hugely influential Eight Carat. Great Klaire has been an outstanding broodmare in her own right with the likes of group one winners Bonanova, Telesto and Fraternity all descendants of the daughter of Great Nephew.

Dylan Thomas (Danehill-Lagnon by Diesis), the sire of Rising Force, did not return to Coolmore's Australian base last year after five successive seasons there. His best local representative by some way is this season's exciting three-year-old gelding Not Listenin'Tome (Dylan Thomas-Flame of Sydney by Encosta De Lago)who largely emerged from nowhere to run second to Zoustar in the Group 1 Coolmore Classic at just his fouth career start.

The son of Danehill whose six group one victories included success in the Prix De Larc De Triomphe has a superior record in the Northern Hemisphere where his progeny include two group one winners, both four-year-old mares, whose wins at the elite level came over 2400m in Germany and 2000m in the USA respectively.

While some of the underbidders on Rising Force as a yearling probably still won't be losing any sleep over todays result, with further strengtening of his already considerable frame and longer distances, connections of the gelding could well stand to recoup a fair bit more of his purchase price than looked conceivable on his five start three-year-old campaign.

Ringo: Fitting the Mould

In it's short history, the Group 2 Couplands Mile has uncovered some serious weight for age talent. Ringo (Fastnet Rock - Akris by Zabeel) a leading contender for this years event has shown in just five career starts that he is developing a similar profile to the likes of Wall Street and Nashville, who both scored their breakthrough win in the Riccarton feature before going onto Group 1 WFA success.

Although to the naked eye in his most recent start, the 1400m rating 75 on the last day of the recent Hawkes Bay Spring Carnival, Ringo looked a tad dour, the rangy four-year-old only ever does what he needs to win and was going away again towards the line. Add the fact he carried clear topweight of 60.5kgs; had not started for five weeks, and the true merit of the performance becomes clearer.

On type Ringo resembles the 2009 Kitt Ormond Spring Classic winner Wall Street at the same age and the similarities don't stop there.

Wall Street first came to prominence during the 2008 Hawkes Bay Spring Carnival winning on all three days before going onto win the Couplands Mile, while Ringo with a bit better luck from the weather gods should conceivably be unbeaten in three starts on the Hastings circuit. A winner over 1600m on Hawkes Bay Cup day earlier this year, he was a gallant second fresh-up over 1400m on the first day of this years carnival on a heavy 10 track.

As far as styles of racing are concerned Ringo has yet to display the same turn of foot as Wall Street and Nashville can produce. Whether this counts against him at Christchurch over 1600m remains to be seen and his best chance of success may lie in him drawing sufficiently well enough to sit close to the speed from where he will be hard to run down with his low weight.

Wall Street developed significantly physically from a four-year-old to a five-year-old when he won the Spring Classic. Ringo will need to do the same if he is to step to the next level of WFA racing.

With natural strengthening Ringo looks a leading contender for next season's Spring Classic. He won't win it running sub 34 last 600ms like Excellent and Princess Coup, neither is he likely to suddenly inherit the push button speed of Jimmy Choux or Cent Home, for he looks more in the tough, relentless combatant mode of a Distinctly Secret or The Message. 





  

Royal Academy: Don't Put it Past Him

Last weekends results at Hastings and Flemington highlighted the influence Royal Academy (Nijinsky - Crimson Saint by Crimson Satan) continues to exert in black-type races despite being retired from stallion service in 2009.

At Hastings, he came within a nose of claiming a unique double as a broodmare stallion when Nashville (Darci Brahma - Royal Kiss by Royal Academy) was touched out on the line in the 2000m Group 1 Turks Spring Classic. Two hours earlier at the same venue, Sir Andrew (Sir Percy - Biennale by Royal Academy)won the semi-classic 1400m Group 2 Hawkes Bay Guineas.

The same afternoon his four-year-old daughter Molto Bene (Royal Academy - Benevolent by Generous)produced an outstanding last 200m to land the 1410m Listed Headquarters Stakes at Flemington. A beaten favourite in last seasons Group 1 MRC 1000 Guineas, Molto Bene is one of eight live foals from her sire's final crop.

Rightly or wrongly sire sons of Nijinsky were often criticised as being slightly coarse on type and there was corresponding opinions that the great racehorse, despite a successful stallion career, was largely unable to transmit his own speed and verve through his sons and grandsons. An outstanding physical type, Royal Academy flew directly in the face of such perceptions with an ability to transmit the same speed and class he displayed when winning the July Cup and Breeders Cup Mile into his stock.

As the damsire of the champion stallion Fastnet Rock and having his son Bel Esprit sire the immortal Black Caviar, Royal Academy's greatness in these parts is forever assured, however if there is ever a stallion capable of leaving a further legacy despite reducing representation, it is the unique Royal Academy.

Ellerslie 3 Year-Old Features: Impressive Quinella

Although contrasting performances, the winners of both three-year-old features at Ellerslie earlier today look set to be leading players in Pattern company this season.

A comprehensive Taupo winner on debut earlier this month, Spellbinder (O'Reilly - Scenic Sprint by Scenic)was even more impressive today in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes over 1400m, idling outside the leader till the turn before quickening away effortlessly, dashing away to win by six lengths, which could have been substantially more had rider Mathew Cameron not taken hold of her over the closing stages.

A tall, long barrelled filly with a decent dindquarter and plenty of scope, the scary thought for her counterparts is that physically she is far from the finished article.

Spellbinder continues the tremendous run of her sire who has gone to a new level over the last couple of seasons. With the first progeny of his very large books of mares just reaching racing age there is unlikely to be any slowing of the O'Reilly juggernaut.

Although the scratching of Gobi Ranger robbed the race of some interest, a field of promising three-year-olds lined-up in the 1400m Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes. While the race was run nearly two seconds slower than the Soliloquy there was still plenty of merit in the winning performance of Sacred Park (Thorn Park - Dosh by Danske).

Despite being hampered in the early stages by Kings Rock and racing greenly near the 600m, the impressive looking Thorn Park colt showed a turn of foot to put a length and a half on his rivals turning for home, and although appearing under pressure with 200m to go he drew away again near the line for a three quarter length win. The Tony Pike/Mark Donoghue trained colt carried some condition in the parade ring prior to the race which gives connections plenty of options leading into more important engagements.

There was some nice runs in behind Sacred Park off a slow early pace. Burnt Orange made ground well over the closing stages and third place getter Pajaro, a good looking Align gelding, looks an early winner back in maiden company.

King's Rock (Fastnet Rock - Nureyev's Girl by Nureyev) should not be dropped on his run. He appears a bit of a handful judging by the headgear he displayed in the parade ring, then he threw his head around in the opening stages of the race but ran home well enough when appearing like he was not entirely comfortable coming between horses, to suggest the step to 1600m is going to suit him.

Both winners look genuine candidates for their respective Guineas assignments in Christchurch.

Maiden Performance of The Week: I'mdaone

Franking his debut second to the well regarded Sir Andrew, the impressive looking I'mdaone (Fully Fledged-Cape Merlot by Cape Cross) ran out a narrow but impressive winner of a 1200m maiden event at Avondale on Monday.

Slowly away, the leggy, long striding gelding was inclined to race a little greenly in the early stages, although some of this may have been due to feeling uncertain of his footing on the Heavy 10 surface. Still well back on the point of the home turn, once balanced by rider Mark Du Plessis he was switched back to the centre of the track and despite giving the leaders a conservative 5 lengths with 200m to go and having to come between tiring horses, he hit the front just short of the line to post a strong win.

Although brown in colour and not the chestnut of his sire, I'mdaone is a tall, long barrelled type who bears a strong physical resemblance to his father.

Stole My Thunder's (Fully Fledged-Copious by Racing Is Fun) debut win on Thursday at Gisborne franked a good week for the Fairdale Stud sire. With last season's promising two-year-olds Constellation and Dufellforte due to return to the race track shortly, Fully Fledged has some nice prospects for the spring and beyond.

I'mdaone was bought from Masterton's Ardsley Stud 2012 Karaka Select draft for $75,000 by his trainers Keith and Brendan Hawtin. His younger half sister by two years is the dual juvenile stakesplaced filly Elusive Red, and they hail from the black-type laden Bourbon Lass family whose latest headline horse is last season's Group 1 2000 Guineas and Doncaster Handicap winner Sacred Falls.

There is sufficient scope in I'mdaone's profile to suggest that this weeks win will not be his last.

I Am Invincible: Quickly Into Stride

There would have been a large number of investors with differing reasons for being excited about the all the way win of Vinnie Eagle (I Am Invincible-Sweet Maggie by Danehill Dancer) in the two-year-old event at Ruakaka on Saturday.

Vinnie Eagle is the first runner to the races by freshman stallion I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit - Cannarelle by Canny Lad), an Adelaide Group 3 winning sprinter who has been well supported by punters to win the Australian First Season Sires Title and by breeders who have already sent over 400 mares to the impressive looking grandson of Green Desert.

Another encouraging sign for his supporters is Vinnie Eagle's female pedigree which suggests he may well be more than just a jump and run type. His maternal family is a black-type European family which is covered off in more depth in an article written on this blog earlier this year on his close relation Nashville.

Vinnie Eagle is the second foal of an unraced Danehill Dancer half sister to last season's Group 1 WFA Haunui Classic winner Nashville who showed he is on track for next month's Group 1 WFA Spring classic (Formerly the Kelt) with an authortaive fresh-up win at Wanganui recently.

This display of precocity should not be a surprise because I Am Invincible was forward enough to win his debut as a summer two-year-old at Warwick Farm over 1000m in 57.6. He ran third to the eventual Golden Slipper winner Forensics at his next start in the Listed Kindergarten Stakes after crossing to the lead from a wide draw.

Unfortunately the leg problems that ultimately restricted his career to 13 starts began to flare up after the Kindergarten run and he did not return to the races until the spring of his four-year-old season. His most significant performance came that season when he finished second to the champion Takeover Target in the 1200m Group 1 Goodwood Handicap.

I Am Invincible is the best performed male representative from the 256 live foals left by the champion Irish stallion Invincible Spirit during his four seasons shuttling to Victoria. Triple Group 1 winner Yosei is his only Group 1 winner from that sojourn.

The female family of I Am Invincible is a tough and fast Woodlands Stud family that has produced Mamzelle Pedrille and O'Lohnro amongst others.

Vinnie Eagle looks a nice sort to kick-start the business end of the stallion career of his sire I Am Invincible.

Three-Year-Old's: In Perspective

A well known racing website forum last week contained a post lamenting the lack of talent in our male three-year-old ranks. This seems a rather misplaced statement given the number of impressive performances already witnessed this season, the latest of these coming at this weeks Taupo meeting.

Justification for the post centered on last seasons Two-Year-old Free Handicap and the fact that there were four fillies ranked above the highest male, Al Strada - since sold to Hong Kong.

Aside from the fact that Rudd Awakening, Recite and Bounding happened to be as good a bunch of juvenile fillies as we have seen in years, the poster overlooks that there is rarely any relevance between those handicaps and three-year-old performance.

Last season's top rated three-year-old filly and colt, Habibi and Sacred Falls, had one raceday start between them as juveniles for a back-end season Te Rapa win for the O'Reilly colt.

Ironically this seasons male three-year-old ranks look to have more depth than they have had in some time.

Unfortunately Cauthen may have gone by the wayside, for a while at least, but the likes of the unbeaten Cosmic Cube, All Decked Out, Lord Turbo and El Roca, along with Salamanca, Franzac, Orion and Beauty's Beast, have all shown real potential.

The Taupo meeting may have uncovered some more contenders. Wolfwhistle (O'Reilly - Legs by Pins)who had some private reputation prior to two disappointing runs last season, showed that earlier confidence was not misplaced with a strong win over 1300m.

In contrast to Wolfwhistle, Sacred Park came into the new season with his reputation squarely intact following a very impressive win at his only run at two. And while he only managed third on Monday there was sufficient merit in his performance to suggest he can still figure in some of the better races this spring.

The Thorn Park colt seemed a little at sea around the undulating Taupo home bend, then he ducked to the inside rail after the leader and subsequent winner started racing greenly shortly into the home straight, before doing his best work over the last 50m.

This weekends three-year-old event at Ruakaka has the depth of quality to determine favouritism for the semi-classic the Group 2 Hawkes Bay Guineas which will be run on the last day of the Hastings Carnival. Last years Ruakaka quinella of the winner Sacred Falls and Southern Lord went onto quinella the Guineas in the same finishing order.

While form from Ruakaka is sure to again be relevant at Hastings, it is worth remembering that Tell A Tale when he won the Hawkes Bay Guineas in 2007 defeating Fully Fledged and subsequent Group 1 winner Altered Image, was coming off a single lead-in race, a second place finish in a Rating 70 1100m at Taupo. Very good trainers work to a program and form lines are about as relevant to many of them as a Free Handicap.