Clint (pictured above) winning the Singapore Derby last week
When Laurie Laxon moved to Singapore to train horses in 2000 he took a small team of horses with him which included a lightly raced Deputy Governor (USA) mare named Torch (ex Spotlight) whom he sold to a first time owner Chian Kin (CK) Phua.
Fast forward 11 years and Torch is now the dam of the Group One Singapore Derby winner Clint by Casual Lies (USA), raced by his breeder CK Phua and part of an extensive racing team he has in Singapore racing under Oscar Racing Stables and trained by Laxon and fellow Singapore based trainer Cliff Brown.
Torch returned to New Zealand in 2002 after winning three races in Singapore to add to the two she had won here when known as Streisand and took up residence at Windsor Park Stud.
After racing Torch, CK, as he likes to be known, decided he wanted to breed from her and what better place to do that than back in New Zealand.
According to Steve Till, the General Manager of Windsor Park, CK now has around half a dozen mares based at the stud.
"It's purely a hobby for him and he breeds to race, he is breeding from a number of fillies he has raced up in Singapore and is now racing their progeny, Torch was the first mare and she has no doubt produced his best result," he added.
Torch herself is a three-quarter sister to the Hong Kong Derby winner Holy Grail (Deputy Governor – Country Touch) and Madjic a listed winner of eight in Sydney. Her dam Spotlight by Vice Regal (NZ) was an unraced daughter of Country Touch (Prince Echo [GB] –Sassie Lassie [GB]), who was a half sister to the stakes winner Vagabond Boy (by Western Symphony (USA).
Clint a winner of four races in Singapore from the stable of Clint Brown is her third foal, and her third by Casual Lies. Her first foal Whitaker has won one race in Singapore and the second Tracy is at stud here.
Following Clint, she produced Jodie, a filly by King's Chapel (AUS) who is also racing in Singapore, and in 2008 she produced a filly to Golan (IRE) and another filly last year to Guillotine. She is currently in foal to Falkirk (NZ).
Tracy has a two-year-old filly by King's Chapel and a weanling filly by Falkirk, she is now in foal to Guillotine.
Steve Till commented "CK has been a great supporter of our stallions over the years and we are delighted he has bred a Derby winner, afterall there wouldn't be many owners in Singapore that could say they had bred a Derby winner.
"As far as the mating of his mares goes I make the recommendations and discuss them with him and he signs off on what he wants. Breeding and racing are a hobby and an interest for him, a form of escape from his extensive business interests in real estate and engineering throughout Asia.
"He was out here with his family in November 2010, and we look forward to welcoming him back again soon. He has five foals due this spring with his three other mares in foal to Thorn Park, Volksraad, and Guillotine."
- Michelle Saba
Fast forward 11 years and Torch is now the dam of the Group One Singapore Derby winner Clint by Casual Lies (USA), raced by his breeder CK Phua and part of an extensive racing team he has in Singapore racing under Oscar Racing Stables and trained by Laxon and fellow Singapore based trainer Cliff Brown.
Torch returned to New Zealand in 2002 after winning three races in Singapore to add to the two she had won here when known as Streisand and took up residence at Windsor Park Stud.
After racing Torch, CK, as he likes to be known, decided he wanted to breed from her and what better place to do that than back in New Zealand.
According to Steve Till, the General Manager of Windsor Park, CK now has around half a dozen mares based at the stud.
"It's purely a hobby for him and he breeds to race, he is breeding from a number of fillies he has raced up in Singapore and is now racing their progeny, Torch was the first mare and she has no doubt produced his best result," he added.
Torch herself is a three-quarter sister to the Hong Kong Derby winner Holy Grail (Deputy Governor – Country Touch) and Madjic a listed winner of eight in Sydney. Her dam Spotlight by Vice Regal (NZ) was an unraced daughter of Country Touch (Prince Echo [GB] –Sassie Lassie [GB]), who was a half sister to the stakes winner Vagabond Boy (by Western Symphony (USA).
Clint a winner of four races in Singapore from the stable of Clint Brown is her third foal, and her third by Casual Lies. Her first foal Whitaker has won one race in Singapore and the second Tracy is at stud here.
Following Clint, she produced Jodie, a filly by King's Chapel (AUS) who is also racing in Singapore, and in 2008 she produced a filly to Golan (IRE) and another filly last year to Guillotine. She is currently in foal to Falkirk (NZ).
Tracy has a two-year-old filly by King's Chapel and a weanling filly by Falkirk, she is now in foal to Guillotine.
Steve Till commented "CK has been a great supporter of our stallions over the years and we are delighted he has bred a Derby winner, afterall there wouldn't be many owners in Singapore that could say they had bred a Derby winner.
"As far as the mating of his mares goes I make the recommendations and discuss them with him and he signs off on what he wants. Breeding and racing are a hobby and an interest for him, a form of escape from his extensive business interests in real estate and engineering throughout Asia.
"He was out here with his family in November 2010, and we look forward to welcoming him back again soon. He has five foals due this spring with his three other mares in foal to Thorn Park, Volksraad, and Guillotine."
- Michelle Saba
