SCRATCHED from the George Ryder Stakes-G1 on Golden Slipper day, New Zealand bred horse Mo'unga may make an appearance in a forthcoming feature at Randwick.
Now in the Warwick Farm stable of Annabel Neasham, Mo'unga played a star role in New Zealand's showcase Karaka Yearling Sale when his young brother commanded $NZ1 million when selling to Canungra, Gold Coast conditioner Kacy Fogden, on behalf of Aquis' Tony Fung and Annabel Neasham Racing.
When I studied the parentage of Mo'unga - which is a son of champion Zabeel sire Savabeel, I noticed the four-year-old stallion carries a six-by-six pedigree cross to the great Australian bred Todman which reminded me of Thoroughbred pedigree analyst and Late author Jennifer Churchill.
Former writer of "Under The Figtree" in Thoroughbreds in The Land, Jenny loved Todman, so much so that she stood a Todman stallion Todhunter at her small Castle Hill property in the late 1960s.
I can "hear" some echoing of Jenny's banner, saying "of course Mo'unga is a good horse just look at the Todman in his pedigree".
Produced from O'Reilly mare Chandelier, Mo'unga looks likely to add to his earnings of $1.5m, and which was highlighted winning the ATC Rosehill Guineas-G1 and Winx Stakes-G1 last year.
Winning Rosehill's initial Golden Slipper Stakes in 1957, Todman was the first of five successive winners by the Irish bred champion sire Star Kingdom of the race, (which this year was taken by Fireburn).
Inducted into the Australian Racing Hall Of Fame in 2005, Todman is honoured with a life-sized stature behind the major grandstand at Rosehill.
While there are no known Todman line sires active, he does appear in the pedigrees of proven stallions Flying Artie, Danerich, Holler, Reward For Effort, and young sires Yes Yes Yes and Strasbourg.
Easter on show
ANY broodmare that produces six winners from six to race is a special producer. But one that is the dam of eight winners from eight to race is a super-special producer, and when the mare's ninth foal emerges at auction - by an inform stallion, you would be well advised to pay it some attention.
This is the case for a colt by Widden Stud's headlining sire Zoustar, which will be offered early on the first day of the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale via Lime Country Thoroughbreds, Blandford.
The Zoustar colt - from Group winner Valkyrie Diva (a half-sister to Melbourne Cup heroine Makybe Diva) is the dam of eight winners three of them stakes winners, and is one of 487 catalogued lots in the two-day prestigious auction of Thoroughbred yearlings next Tuesday April 5 and 6 at Warwick Farm.
Conducted at Riverside Stables, the sale is a southern-hemisphere mecca for the best-southern hemisphere bred young horses available with world enthusiasts closely watching our market.
Since 2018 Inglis' Easter extravaganza auction has been a spring-board for Group 1 winners and young sires including Alabama Express, Trapeze Artist, The Autumn Sun, Merchant Navy, Russian Revolution, Exceedance, and Super Seth.
Other younger colts and Easter yearling graduates include In The Congo, Wild Ruler and Home Affairs, the latter two likely to stand its first stud season later this year.
By I Am Invincible, Home Affairs is a dual Group 1 winner and earner of $2.3m, and has a half-brother (by Dundeel) to be offered via Torryburn Stud at the sale.
Among the Easter graduating fillies includes Golden Slipper winner Estijaab, and the Bowness Stud sold and $1.1m earner Funstar, both of which also have immediate relations at the sale.
Vale Zipping
VIA a paddock accident, $4.5m track earner and a favourite among race-goers, Zipping, has died at age 20 at "Living Legends" at Oaklands Junction just north of Melbourne. A wonderful but earlier advertisement for the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale when selling for $190,000, Zipping had an interrupted career as a young horse however his ability shinned brightly as an older galloper when winning 16 races as well as having 10 placings from 47 starts. Trained by Graeme Rogerson, John Sadler and lastly Robert Hickmott, Zipping won two Group 1 races and four successive MRC Sandown Classics-G2.
Love agricultural news? Sign up for The Land's free daily newsletter.
