Photo: Race Images South
The astute purchase of a broodmare prospect five years ago has been further underlined by the weekend win of Enchantment (Hello Youmzain) in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton Park.
The Hello Youmzain filly is the first foal to race from the former quality racemare Belle Fascino, who was purchased online by Karaka couple Clyde and Pat Buckingham towards the end of her racing career.
In the autumn of 2021 the Stephen Marsh-trained seven-year-old was already the winner of eight races when she was offered on the Gavelhouse online platform, the last of them the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge WFA (1600m) at her most recent start.
After the Buckinghams successfully bid $85,000 for the daughter of Per Incanto, she remained in Marsh’s Riccarton satellite stable and proceeded to win her next two starts, a 1400m open sprint followed by the Gr.3 Canterbury Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes (1600m).
In her final two starts, also at Riccarton, she finished third in the Listed Easter Cup (1600m) and the Listed Great Easter Stakes (1400m), retiring with 10 wins and total stakes of more than $230,000.
“What she did after we bought her was great,” Pat Buckingham said. “I really enjoy online buying, but Clyde didn’t quite see it like that.
“I remember when I was bidding on Belle Fascino, Clyde was saying ‘That’s it, no more bids’, whereas I was saying ‘another one’, then ‘another one’, so I got my way.
“As it turned out we ended up with a bargain; she won almost her purchase price in the four starts she had for us, and now she’s produced a stakes winner.”
Clyde Buckingham, who was a director of both the Auckland and Counties Racing Clubs, never got to partake in Belle Fascino’s second career, falling seriously ill soon after her purchase and passing away in August 2021.
“It’s very sad that Clyde’s no longer here enjoying the horses with me,” his widow said. “We had some wonderful times together, along with a great group of friends.”
Horses to carry the Buckinghams’ dark green and white chequered colours under their Emblem Ltd banner included Ebony Grosve, the winner of the Gr.1 AJC Derby (2400m) and Gr.1 Mackinnon Stakes (2000m), while they also bred one of Savabeel’s breakthrough progeny, Sangster, whose three elite wins included the 2011 Gr.1 VRC Derby (2500m).
They were amongst the initial shareholders in Waikato Stud’s Hall of Fame stallion, while Emblem Ltd currently holds shares in the Cambridge Stud duo Almanzor and Hello Youmzain.
The latter is the sire of Belle Fascino’s first three foals and Enchantment is his fourth stakes winner in New Zealand and the first from his second crop.
“The first filly she produced was small and I decided to let her go as a weanling, then the next one made $60,000 in Book 1 at Karaka last year,” Buckingham said.
“She was bought by the Australian agent Sheamus Mills for a group of clients and they left her here with Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson hoping to make it to the Karaka Millions.
“I was hoping the same as I had the younger sister in the sales in January, but it wasn’t to be. Even so she made $120,000, so it was still a good result.
“The filly has done it now though, she’s a stakes winner, and the way she won on Saturday there’s hopefully more to come.”
Belle Fascino is Buckingham’s only remaining broodmare, and these days is a permanent boarder at Haunui Farm, from where her progeny are also consigned.
“I tried keeping them at home here, but when Clyde got really ill, I decided to hand them over to Haunui, who after all do a very good job for me.”
Although she no longer owns Enchantment, there’s still plenty happening for Buckingham on the racing scene with horses in which she shares ownership including Gr.3 Anniversary Handicap (1600m) winner Churchillian, who finished a close second at her last start in the Listed Flying Handicap (1400m) at Trentham and has further feature assignments on the horizon.
“I still love being involved in breeding and racing,” Buckingham said. “The big thing for me is you get to meet a lot of wonderful people and you only have to ask and they’re happy to give you sound advice.”
