Roc De Cambes: Inside Information

While NZ Bloodstock would have wished for more of a financial return from the larger than usual Japanese turnout at this years Karaka Premier Yearling Sale, a conversation with the team at The Oaks Stud will clarify the reason for their numbers; something clearly not lost on the farms GM Rick Williams when he received word earlier this year that their home bred Roc De Cambes was on the market as a stallion prospect.

As one of the more form savvy studmasters around these parts, Williams for one would have appreciated the true value of the colts race record in Japan, however even he was allegedly moved by the steady stream of visitors from the land of the rising sun - many of them here to see geysers and glowworms rather than thoroughbred yearlings - who trod a path to Barn D at Karaka earlier this year to see RDC's half brother by Darci Brahma. The colt - a cracking type - could have been three legged for all the tourists cared; their motivation solely to see the close relation to a horse, that despite a career cut short by injury, had obviouly still managed to capture the imagination of the Japanese racing public.

Even allowing for their first class international record including the quinella in the 2006 Melbourne Cup at then and still their only genuine major race campaign down under, Japanese form still probably doesn't get the same kudos here as say American and European does so the marketing staff at The Oaks have a challenge to convince local breeders about the legitimacy of RDC's race record, made more the harder by the fact that his winning runs are only classed internationally as listed events.

Staying races in Japan are no place for the faint hearted with many of their feature events producing sectionals that would make the resumes of many of our leading milers and overall times that would saturate the record books in Australasia. When RDC ran fourth- coming from well off the pace - in Japan's biggest race the NZ 4 million Group One Arma Kinen at 2500m, the overall time was 2.31.3 with the last 600 off the front run in 33.7 - the NZ record for the distance is 2.32.41 held by Frequent.

The Red Ransom factor should appeal to local breeders who will have watched of late the demand for his sire sons in Australia which has come on the back of very encouraging starts by Charge Forward and Doomsday. And in Ekraar - his only sire son with progeny of racing age here - he has a staying performed son doing the job; with his oldest still only four and already represented by group one winner Ekstreme, recent VRC St Leger winner Exceptionally, 2000 Guineas third-place-getter Clapton and the promising but ultimately ill fated Revoke.

RDC's looks a particularly well timed acquisition by The Oaks coming as it does on the back of a resurgent demand for staying bred yearlings and an emerging sire-line.