REMEMBERING THE CATALOOCHEE SPEED MACHINE

Cataloochee
(Photo : Summerhill Stud)

CATALOOCHEE
EQUUS CHAMPION SPRINTER 2004/2005

Following Ms Loochee’s win at Scottsville this past weekend, the Sporting Post remembers her Champion Sprinter sire, Cataloochee :

“The deceased Cataloochee became the first of the new batch of freshman sires to be credited with a winner when his daughter Ms Loochee won at the second time of asking over 800m at Scottsville on Sunday. Ms Loochee had faded after showing pace in the opening two-year-old event on the same course one week earlier, but this time she led her rivals a merry dance from the break and never looked like being caught.

The sheer straight-line speed showed by Ms Loochee won’t come as a surprise to those who remember Cataloochee as the outstanding sprinter of his time. Trained by Geoff Woodruff, Cataloochee won 5 races from only 8 starts, between 1000m - 1200m including Gr1 Computaform Sprint and the Gr1 Golden Horse Casino Sprint. He was voted the Equus Champion Sprinter of the 2004/2005 season. He only raced once more the following term, finishing fifth in the Computaform Sprint and was retired in 2006 to take up stallion duty at Summerhill Stud. Cataloochee died after a paddock accident in 2008.

Cataloochee was a son of former champion sire Al Mufti, whose other stallion sons include the excellent and prolific Captain Al. Cataloochee was out of the Old Testament mare Lexington Love, who won 5 races up to 1400m and finished third in the Gr1 Allan Robertson Fillies Championship. She, presumably, was the source of Cataloochee’s preference for sprinting. Lexington Love in turn was out of the Brigadier Gerard mare Miss Waterloo, a Stakes winner in Italy. This is the family, amongst others, of European Gr3 winners Andreyev, St Expedit, and Asian Heights.”

FROM FAR AND WIDE : BIG PEOPLE WITH GENEROUS HEARTS

Team Summerhill
(Photo : JC Photographics)

Please click photo to enlarge

EQUUS CHAMPION BREEDER 2009

It’s always gratifying to receive the good wishes of our friends when things go our way, and this year’s Breeders Championship has been as gratifying as any in the many good wishes we’ve received.

As satisfying as any was the note we received from Wayne Aldridge, international doyen of the bloodstock and insurance worlds, and the founder of what is today the Equine insurance business, headed up by Gary Grant and Chris Haynes. Wayne hails from Sydney today, and is one of Australia’s top purveyors of these services. He knows this industry as well as anyone we know, and his opinions carry the weight of gold. Of course, we’re all human, and he may have been overly generous in what he had to say, carrying a bias on the back of a thirty year friendship with those of us associated with Summerhill. Nonetheless, when Wayne has something to say, he does so sincerely and with the weight of a mind that’s as smart as any in the game.

Note from Wayne Aldridge :

Hi MJB,

I was thrilled to see that Summerhill Stud was awarded 2009 Equus Champion Breeder. Many congratulations to you and your champion team. A difference between Champion’s Summerhill and the Springboks is that you are more dominant and consistent in your field of expertise. Also the Boks have only two, perhaps, three others to beat – thoroughbred breeding is more or should be more competitive. However given the regularity with which you retain the Champion Breeder trophy, one could be forgiven for thinking that it’s a “one horse race” and that others are giving up out of despair. I’ve lost count – Summerhill has been Equus Champion Breeder for at least the last 4 years. Very well done Mick. You deserve every success.

Congratulations also on Rebel King being awarded Champion Sprinter. Keep up the good work.

Kind regards,
Wayne

Wayne Aldridge
B.Com, CA(SA), QPIB, Dip Fin Serv (Ins Brok)
Managing Director
E-Quine Insurance Services Pty Ltd (AFS licence no. 315794)
ABN 59 125 513 500
PO Box 229, St Ives, NSW, 2075, Australia
Tel: 02 9988 4546 Fax: 02 9988 3849
Mob: 0412 333 808
Email: wayne@e-quine.com.au
Website: www.e-quine.com.au