ALL thoroughbreds turned a year older last Sunday - August 1, the southern hemisphere's official birthday, which signals renewed hope from owners of the next generation of two-year-olds which for some will begin racing in October.
A champion Australian two-year-old that I came across when on a southern-districts jaunt last June was the much-loved home-bred Burst, a happy and treasured chestnut mare in the paddocks of her breeders and owner's Newhaven Park, and which just turned 32 years-old.
"She (Burst) is still the only filly to have won the two-year-old triple crown; she is a very special horse," John Kelly - a principal of Newhaven Park said.
The triple crown that Mr Kelly is referring to is Sydney's renowned autumn string of juvenile Group 1 races, the Golden Slipper Stakes - now the richest two-year-old race in the world at $3.5 million (1200 metres), then the Sires Produce Stakes (1400 metres), followed by the Champagne Stakes (1600 metres).
The late and great Sydney conditioner Tommy Smith prepared Burst to win this prestigious Triple Crown title in 1992.
In total Burst won seven races all at stakes level and $2.2m.
Never to reach any glory via her progeny, Burst is all Newhaven Park breeding, being by New Zealand bred Golden Slipper winner Marauding (by great sire Sir Tristram), and produced from juvenile Melbourne stakes winner Sudden, a daughter of US bred Boucher and Valour, which is by imported French bred champion sire Wilkes.
Newhaven Park stood stallions Marauding, Boucher and Wilkes, as well as breeding broodmares Sudden and Valour.
This year the Boorowa district property will stand three stallions - two young sires of winners Xtravagant (a New Zealand bred horse by Pentire) and I Am Invincible stallion Super One, as well as highly appealing new boy Cool Aza Beel, a New Zealand bred son of champion sire Savabeel.
Vale Paris Lane
The great Australian gelding, Paris Lane - which highlighted on Melbourne tracks, passed away as a 30-year-old last month.
Living out his later life at "Living Legends" - a property dedicated to retired racehorses just north of Melbourne's Tullamarine airport, Paris Lane was one of nine original foundation horses to the Greenvale located property which was initiated in the mid-1990s.
Winning seven races, and having 10 seconds and four thirds, the outstanding Paris Lane majored when taking the 1994 Caulfield Cup, then second (to Jeune) in the Melbourne Cup.
