Briefs for 11th Sept 2014

Crofskeys lose sister to Habibi; Week off for Bosson; Alias making a name for himself; Quintet for Curraghmore; Broodmare of the Year to Shamexpress

Crofskeys lose sister to Habibi

New Zealand Derby winner Habibi's dam Danny Holiday has aborted a sister to the star mare, two weeks before she was due to foal.

Taranaki breeder-owners Peter and Heather Crofskey were devastated to lose the Ekraar filly, but confirmed Danny Holiday was in good health.

"She's fine but we won't be trying to serve her on foal heat," Heather Crofskey said.

"You can't replace a filly foal like that, but it's just one of the things you have to deal with in the business of racing and breeding - and we know that. But it's still taken us a few days to get over the news."

Crofskey said Danny Holiday would be mated with Windsor Park Stud shuttle stallion Rip Van Winkle as planned this spring, but she would return to Ekraar in the future.

Meanwhile, Habibi will miss this year's Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita after failing to satisfy trainer Dan Blacker. She has been spelled but will return to training for another preparation.

Week off for Bosson

Leading jockey Opie Bosson will next ride at Avondale on Wednesday after standing himself down from rides this week.

Bosson collapsed from dehydration after his first ride at Wanganui last Saturday and St John Ambulance medics put him on a drip.

He rode in 14 heats at Tuesday's Cambridge trials, but felt unwell afterwards and decided to forego his rides at Te Rapa on Wednesday and stand down from rides at Ruakaka on Saturday.

He is booked to ride last-start Gr.1 Makfi Challenge Stakes winner I Do in the Gr.1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m) at Hastings on Saturday week.

"I just needed some time to sort myself out and to make sure I'm in the right shape to ride I Do at Hastings next week," he said.

Alias making a name for himself

Cambridge trainer Fred Cornegé is getting a thrill out of watching the winning streak of his former galloper Alias, who shoots for his fourth straight win in the last race at Rosehill on Saturday.

Cornegé and his wife Lindsay raced the Shamardal gelding, who was named King Willem in New Zealand, on lease from his breeders, the Sullivan family, and exercised a right of purchase on him after he won his debut by 10 lengths on a heavy track at Rotorua last year.

He was sold shortly afterwards for $5036320,000 and raced unsuccessfully in Hong Kong before joining Sydney trainer Joseph Pride, who has lined him up four times for a third placing and three wins.

"We still get a kick out of watching him," Cornegé said.

"We leased him from Lorraine Sullivan and he really didn't show us a lot. He was lazy and we went to Rotorua that day being hopeful rather than confiden,t but that was a huge win.

“He did nothing in Hong Kong, but he's found his straps in Sydney and Joseph Pride is doing the right thing taking advantage of the unseasonal wet weather because he really is a wet tracker."

Quintet for Curraghmore

Gordon Cunningham’s Curraghmore celebrated a super Wednesday with five graduates of the Ohaupo farm successful from just five runners.

Hawke’s Bay Guineas-bound Rockfast kicked off the winning streak with an impressive win over 1200m at Te Rapa for Te Akau Racing.

Across the Tasman, Kuro collected his second consecutive win at Warwick Farm in preparation for Saturday week’s Listed Heritage Stakes at Randwick. Later on the same card the Bart and James Cummings-trained filly Duet landed the third win of her career.

Abaddon, who is currently trained by Paul Duncan on the Sunshine Coast, picked up the third win of his career at Doomben and is set to return to the Cambridge stables of Shaune Ritchie in December for a possible tilt at the Gr.1 Easter Handicap.

Meanwhile, Maastricht made it two from two when winning at Bendigo for Team Hawkes to cap an outstanding day for Curraghmore, with all five graduates sold through New Zealand Bloodstock’s Premier Yearling Sale.

Broodmare of the Year to Shamexpress

Trelawney Stud will send their champion broodmare Sayyida to Windsor Park Stud’s first season sire Shamexpress this season.

A daughter of legendary sire Zabeel, Sayyida produced Gr.1 Cox Plate winning Horse of the Year Ocean Park to claim the 2013 Broodmare of the Year title.

"We are delighted with the support we have received from the Shamexpress syndicate members and those breeders throughout Australia and New Zealand who are sending their mares to Shamexpress,” Windsor Park studmaster Rodney Schick said.

"He has taken to his new career like a duck to water and while the quality of the mares is outstanding, so has been the demand for his services, so much so that we had to close his book three weeks ago.

“Our only disappointment is that we are unable to accommodate everyone wishing to send a mare to him".

Shamexpress is the fastest son of champion sire O'Reilly, having won Australia's premier 1200 metre sprint race, the Gr.1 Newmarket Handicap at Flemington in a blistering 1.08.1.