Photo: Bradleyphotos.com.au
Continued success with resident stallion Unusual Suspect and their racing team has kept Nigel and Adaire Auret busier than they may have envisaged, but without any complaints.
They own and operate Letham Stud on the outskirts of Wanganui, with son and Group One-winning trainer Fraser close by at Marton.
The family celebrated a winning trans-Tasman double at the weekend with homebred She’s Unusual (Unusual Suspect) scoring at Rosehill on Saturday and a day later enjoyed further success at Waverley with Unusual Gem.
“It’s been terrific for us, and we are trying to retire sooner rather than later, but we can’t while this is going on. It’s been fantastic,” Nigel Auret said.
“We cut outside mares completely in the last two years, for our own lifestyle and to try and preserve the longevity of the stallion.
“We’ve got 10 mares in foal to him, and it would be nice to try and cut another couple back.”
Fraser Auret prepared She’s Unusual to win on debut for his parents at Awapuni and she was then sold to OTI Racing and partners and relocated to Randwick trainer John O’Shea, who now operates in partnership with Tom Charlton.
The lightly tried six-year-old has won a further four races and placed six times from her 12 starts in Australia.
“She’s a tough little thing and growing with every start so hopefully it’s onwards and upwards for her,” Nigel Auret said.
She’s Unusual is out of dual stakes winner La Fille En Jeu, a daughter of former Letham resident stallion Mettre En Jeu, whose brother Overtheriver won 24 races and is a multiple black type placegetter.
La Fille En Jeu has produced three fillies and a colt by Unusual Suspect since She’s Unusual and is back in foal once again.
“They’re running around the paddock, and the oldest one went to Fraser on Sunday,” Nigel Auret said.
“They are quite slow maturing, and we let them make their own way before we get cracking with them, patience is a virtue that is working in this case.
“Fraser knows them inside and out and how to deal with them, there are some really exciting ones coming along.”
Unusual Suspect has sired 50 winners from 83 runners, including Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) winner Unusual Countess, following a racing career that featured a Gr.1 Hollywood Turf Cup (2400m) victory and success in the Listed Werribee Cup (2600m).
“We never got into the big numbers game and at the moment he’s still very fertile, he’ll be 22 in March so we’ll keep him as long as we can,” Auret said.
His four-year-old daughter Unusual Gem broke her maiden over 2200m at Waverley following minor placings at her three previous outings.
Her dam Gem Of A Pearl is from a family that features the Aurets’ Group One winners Pompeii Pearl (Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, 1400m) and Saint Cecile (New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, 1600m).
“She had another (Unusual Suspect) filly last season and is back in foal again, she’s about two weeks behind La Fille En Jeu,” Auret said.
