COOKING IN MELBOURNE

Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale
(Photo : Inglis Bloodstock)

INGLIS MELBOURNE PREMIER YEARLING SALE
Oaklands Junction
3-6 March 2013

Mick Goss
Summerhill Stud CEOMake no mistake, these guys have got it right. Thirty-two South Africans at the Melbourne Premier Sale tells you the marketing efforts of Team Inglis are working, and in terms of our country at least, they’re working better than anywhere else. That’s just about as many as the total attendees we used to attract to the Ready To Run in the early years, and it may pay to borrow the services of the much-liked man behind it all, Simon Vivian, to help us get our own back at the National Yearling Sale. It’s not just a matter of propaganda though; when it comes to service, these guys measure up to the best practice of any industry anywhere.

Of course, it helps when the treasures we’ve taken home include the likes of Igugu, Le Drakkar, Hollywoodboulevard and Rio Carnival. But when you think that this week alone, our countrymen splurged more than R20million on Aussie bloodstock, you understand: these fellows have unlocked the code to our wallets. Another way of looking at it, is that with the horses we’ve picked, Summerhill has become the victim of its own successes.

To compound matters, it’s become increasingly competitive down under, not only with the sale itself reaching new heights, but because we have an appetite for much the same horses, South Africans are competing among themselves. Pile on an exchange rate which has moved from the mid “fives” when we initiated our programme a few years back, to beyond nine to the Australian dollar today, and you begin to ask whether there remains a margin in your endeavours. On the evidence of this week’s sport, it is apparent there are still many who clearly believe there is.

On another topic altogether, but in a field just as close to our hearts, last evening Cheryl and I were treated to a meal for the ages. Capetonians already know the sensual pleasures of a visit to the One And Only’s Nobu restaurant, and we sampled the Melbourne version right here in the excellent Crown Hotel. On a rare visit to Australia, the Japanese icon, Nobu Matsuhisa was on hand to autograph his cookbook for the Hartford restaurant. And in a goodwill gesture many of you will recognise, he signed it off “From one champion team to another”.

www.inglis.com.au

DANEHILL: THREE x THREE = PARTY TIME

Statue of the great Danehill at Coolmore, Australia
(Photo : TDN Staff Blog)

SIR TRISTRAM vs DANEHILL

Mick GossWe had a fascinating evening in the restaurant at Hartford House last Sunday. Their celebrated chef, Jackie Cameron, had just enjoyed the distinction of her restaurant being counted once again among the Top Ten in the nation, the only one in KZN so exalted. Inevitably, good food and a good bottle of wine equals good conversation, not that these two ingredients are essential to an exuberant chat when Inglis’s Simon Vivian is part of the company. He is nothing if he is not one of the world’s most accomplished auctioneers, and his skills are not limited to his way with people. Simon knows his horses, not only the theory, but he is a fine example of a practical horseman, and of course as an inspector of all yearlings that make the Inglis sales in Australia, he sees a lot of horses. We all have our opinions on this game, that is one of its fascinations, and for good reason, Simon has well-reasoned thoughts on his observations.

One of these is that, in his opinion, Sir Tristram is the greatest Australasian sire of all time, which startled us a little in the light of the overwhelming influence Danehill has had on the affairs of breeding in that part of the world, particularly in Australia. Into the melting pot we should throw the names of Sir Tristram’s most famous son Zabeel, and the major Danehill influences, Fastnet Rock, Redoute’s Choice, Flying Spur and Commands, among many others. We countered with the proposition that Sir Tristram stood in an era when the competition was not nearly as stiff as it is these days, given that his principal opponents of the time were the likes of Bletchgingly and Marscay across the Tasman, while back at home there wasn’t much beyond Sovereign Edition and Star Way, and Sir Tristram’s early sons, Grosvenor and Kaapstad (forgive us if we’ve left anyone out!)

Another statement from Simon which surprised us, but obviously true in that moment, was that line-breeding to Danehill had thus far witnessed, at best, lukewarm results. This reminded me of a statement by another master of the pedigree world, Bill Oppenheim, who once remarked to us that (on the evidence available at that time), line-breeding to Mr Prospector and his sire Raise A Native, was not only inadvisable from a soundness perspective, but it had been disappointing in its outcomes.

No sooner had Bill given us the stats on the “Mr Ps”, than the cross of Mr P on Mr P began churning out an avalanche of top horses, and in Danehill’s case, Simon’s words were scarcely out of his mouth, and a Group One winner pops up with two lines of Danehill. The nine times Australian Champion sire has produced an unprecedented 347 Stakes winners and progeny earnings in excess of A$403million (more than R3.6billion), yet his achievements do not end there. As a sire of sires, he already has the Group One producers Al Maher, Arena, Blackfriars, Catbird, Commands, Danasinga, Dane Shadow, Danehill Dancer, Danetime, Danewin, Danroad, Danske, Dante’s Fury, Danzero, Darci Brahma, Desert King, Exceed And Excel, Fastnet Rock, Flying Spur, Holy Roman Emperor, Honours List, Keeper, Lion Hunter, Lucky Owners, Nothin’ Leica Dane, Oratorio, Rock Of Gibraltar, Redoute’s Choice and Viking Ruler.

Another generation down and Danehill’s grandsons Bradbury’s Luck (Redoute’s Choice), Choisir (Danehill Dancer), Casino Prince (Flying Spur), Duelled (Redoute’s Choice), Fast ‘N’ Famous (Redoute’s Choice), Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) and Stratum (Redoute’s Choice) have also each sired Group One winners.

Four of Australia’s current top ten stallions, Fastnet Rock, Commands, Redoute’s Choice and Exceed And Excel, are sons of Danehill, whist another two of the top ten spots are held by sons of Redoute’s Choice, Stratum and Snitzel.

Currently second leading Australian broodmare sire (a title he has already won on six occasions), Danehill has also passed on his genetic strengths to his daughters, who have produced over 200 stakes winners, among which are 41 Group One winners, including superstar Frankel (Galileo).

His son Flying Spur is Australia’s fifth leading broodmare sire, whilst three sons of that Golden Slipper (Gr1) winner occupy the top seven positions in the second season sire chart; Casino Prince, Magnus and Shaft.

Meanwhile in the third season sire list there are five Danehills in the top ten: Holy Roman Emperor, Danerich, Churchill Downs, Darci Brahma and California Dane. In the sires of three-year-olds chart, Danehill dominates with the top four; Fastnet Rock, Commands, Casino Prince and Redoute’s Choice.

Danehill continues to make his mark in New Zealand also, with Darci Brahma and Keeper currently third and fourth. Eleventh meanwhile is Stratum, whose son Southern Lord added his name to the long list of Group One winning descendants of Danehill when storming home to take out last week’s Levin Classic (Gr1).

In overpowering another member of the line, Le Choix (Choisir), Southern Lord (Stratum) provided a further milestone for Danehill, in becoming the first Group One winner line-bred to that influential stallion.

The A$125,000 Magic Millions National Sale weanling is bred on a 3 X 3 cross of Danehill, where he appears as grandsire of his sire and sire of his second dam.

Out of the two times Stakes-placed Rory’s Jester mare, Angel Girl, Southern Lord carries a further two crosses of Danehill’s grandsire Northern Dancer, through Nijinsky II and Lyphard.

Southern Lord is the seventh stakes winner line-bred to Danehill, including the Group Three winners Psychologist (Choisir out of a Danzero mare), Ladies Are Forever (Monsieur Bond out of a Danetime mare), Leitir Mor (Holy Roman Emperor out of a granddaughter of Danehill) and Florentina (Redoute’s Choice out of a granddaughter of Danehill).

MELBOURNE PREMIER YEARLING SALE : THE SA CONNECTION

Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale - Oaklands Parade Ring
(Photo : Inglis)

MELBOURNE PREMIER YEARLING SALE
27 February - 1 March 2012

One of the early features of the 2012 Melbourne Premier Sale was the large contingent of South African owners, trainers and agents in attendance. Simon Vivian has had some sleepless nights in organising travel arrangements but is delighted with the results already.

“Mike de Kock and his agent Jehan Malherbe have flown in from Dubai with their vet Dr John McVeigh. Dean Kannemeyer and Geoff Woodruff are also here and all have been active at varying levels today so it is satisfying,” Vivian said. “Markus Jooste bought three lots under his Mayfair Speculators banner, including colts by Encosta de Lago and Danehill Dancer, so it has been a good start on day one.”

The logistics of getting everyone to Melbourne has been daunting. “The government bodies overseas have been very helpful, the Austrade office in Dubai was fantastic and we’re obviously delighted to have got them here. They are enjoying their accommodation at Crown and enjoying Melbourne and all it has to offer.”

Vivian feels that there will be more purchases to come from the South African visitors. “There’s a lot of horses over the next two days that suit them, they have come to buy, they have indicated to me that they are very happy with the quality of horse on site, they have specific things they look for, they very much like to buy proven sires and they are all shopping at different levels so there is something for everyone. Mick Goss who is a great supporter of the sale has not bought yet but I’m sure he will at some point over the rest of the week.”

“Given the fact that the Australian dollar is so strong right now, considering that the South Africans are here and spending is a very serious thing, not just for us but for the Australian industry,” Vivian said. “The South African buyers have not made a significant impact at the major sales so far this year so the fact that they are here in Melbourne and spending can only be a good things for us all.”

The impact of multiple Group One winner Igugu (Galileo) in South Africa, sold by Mick Goss’ Summerhill Stud on the Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale, has had a positive impact in promoting the Melbourne Sale within South Africa and, along with Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), the results out of the Melbourne Sale have definitely worked in the auction house’s favour. “We at Inglis have been building to this for four or five years. Mike de Kock has a client base now that allows him to buy at any sale around the world and the impact that Igugu and Black Caviar have had certainly cannot be underestimated.” Vivian was also at pains to point out the help of Victorian-based agent Paul Guy in helping establish the South African connection. “Paul works tremendously hard. He and I share the workload, we make two dedicated trips a year there to get them here and it is a real team effort to make this happen.”

Extract from ANZ Bloodstock News

THE GAME'S GATHERING GROUND

Mick Goss, Basil Marucs and Michael Roberts
(Photo : Alec Hogg)

“The numbers who sign our register
at the old gates to the farm are verging
on 40,000 a year these days…”

It’s that time of year when fans of the racing nations of the world descend upon the Southern Hemisphere. Dinner tables in England, Ireland, France, Germany and the United States are gloomy affairs : darkness descends upon them at 3:30 in the afternoon, Siberian winds blast across their icy surfaces, and they long for the sunshine of the South. Our country gets its quota of these visitors, and Summerhill enjoys a disproportionate share.

The numbers who sign our register at the old gates to the farm are verging on 40,000 a year these days, and while that includes the visiting plumber and electrician, it’s not far off a hundred a day. Of course, they come for reasons besides horses, as we’re home to the country’s top boutique hotel and restaurant, Hartford House, we run the continent’s second biggest equine insurance business at Lloyds of London, and there are still those that visit our Vuma factory for nutritional advice. Haydn Bam’s intimacy with the secrets of what has revolutionised our agricultural practices, is also much sought after.

Several days a week we’re playing host to luminaries who’ve travelled distances to see us, and occasionally these include guests from the Southern Hemisphere as well. This past week, the man who sold us Igugu, Simon Vivian of Inglis in Australia, and the well known Aussie agent, Paul Guy, joined us on Sunday evening. Two evenings later, the renowned “bloodstocker” turned CEO of Magic Millions, Vin Cox and Rowena Smith of Aushorse were the lynchpins of an evening which included jockey legends and rivals Michael Roberts and Basil Marcus, as well as Moneyweb’s founder Alec Hogg. In the same space, leader of the Democratic Alliance in the Pietermaritzburg environment, Bill Lambert (ex chairman of the Gold Circle chapter and a racing “treasure”) honoured us with a long overdue visit in the company of two august members of the business community, Remgro’s CEO Thys Visser and CFO, Jannie Durand. The latter two represent a relationship with the Rupert family which goes back to the opening of the Summerhill gates, as fine an illustration of the depth of the philosophies by one of South Africa’s most famous sons, the patriarch Dr. Anton Rupert.

Related articles on Alec Hogg’s Graceland Farm Blog :

Roberts, Marcus - legendary competitors in the saddle,
fast friends today
 

Remgro execs visit the Midlands and Gowrie creator’s
impassioned plea for excellence

INGLIS : A FAR CRY FROM ENGLAND

Inglis Yearling Sale, Newmarket, Sydney, 1906
(Photo : Inglis)

INGLIS MELBOURNE PREMIER YEARLING SALE 2010

A couple of years ago, two of the world’s best known horse auction houses teamed up in a cross shareholding arrangement in their respective businesses. Tattersalls in England was founded as long ago as 1766 by Richard Tattersall, who staked his claim to a prime piece of real estate in the heart of what was to become racing’s headquarters, in Newmarket, England, which had been proclaimed thus by Charles II, ruling monarch of the time.

The Inglis family were Scots migrants to Australia in as 1867, and they too, staked their claim to what has become one of that country’s landmark horse auction sites, based at the Australian version of Newmarket, on the doorstep of Royal Randwick racecourse in Sydney.

The contrast in the racing economies of England and Australia right now is as stark as the contrasting styles of the auctioneers of these two grand institutions, and last week in Melbourne we were treated to a display of some of the finest bantering in the world. You’d be tempted to suggest that it was the auctioneers that lifted the sale some 35% beyond last year, but we’d need to remember that these self-same men were on the podium at the 2009 version as well, so you’d have to give credit for the years result to an already bubbling Australian economy.

Those that know the Aussies on the sports fields, know their spirit, and that when their tails are up, they’re hard to stop. It was like that in Melbourne this last week, where anything decent posted healthy gains over last year’s business. The clearance rate (79%) could’ve been better, though, as some vendors were clearly carried away with the euphoria of what people are prepared to pay for their moment of glory.

The Summerhill team has become a regular “shopper” at the Premier Sale, and we’ve seen a leapfrogging in the quality of the catalogue over the past few years. This was the venue which produced Cape Guineas (Gr.1) hero, Le Drakkar, two years go, and it was good to see the Form Organisation and Hassan Adams hard at work upholding South Africa’s reputation for big spending. Jehan Malherbe and his sidekick, Dean Kannemeyer, were twice beaten on the top colt and the top filly (at Aus$400 000), but they probably found better value shopping in the $200 000 range.

Our team were probably fortunate in securing three outstanding prospects, for the variety and flair they will provide when they come under the hammer at November’s Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale.

The Aussies know how to look after their customers better than any nation on earth, and it’s a tribute to John Messara’s foresight that he’s managed to turn Aushorse, the commercial branch of their Thoroughbred Breeders Association, into a wallet- wrenching machine which compels you to spend your money.

Aushorse is run by erstwhile Federal Minister of Agriculture, Peter McGauran, and its “public” face, Rowena Smith, a recent visitor to Summerhill, alongside Inglis’ indefatigable Simon Vivian and never-give-up Bloodstocker, Paul Guy.