July is here and the racing season has just a few more weeks to run before it’s over. August is the renewal. September the breeding season begins along with the new season’s Group 1s.
One of the great things about our wonderful industry is that there is almost always something on the horizon. The next season. The next top sire. The next good horse. Or, as the old saying goes: Hope springs eternal.
As we wind down, thoughts turn to sire premierships and award winners. In New Zealand the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association stages their annual breeding awards gathering on Saturday, July 25, announcing the Broodmare of the Year as well as recognising those who have bred a Group 1 winner. Among the recipients is Marie Leicester who bred the New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Romanoff (Belardo).
When Leicester’s parents James and Annie Sarten passed she inherited the responsibility of continuing a legacy, that of ensuring that their great “Belle” family would remain successful. On that score, Leicester has graduated from daughter of successful breeders to successful breeder in her own right.
Add to Romanoff Saturday’s Winx Guineas (Gr 3, 1600m) winner Cellarmaster (Bivouac), whose winning effort had to be seen to be believed. Stuck three deep and back at the 1000m, Cellarmaster remained wide but with cover rounding into the straight. He could see all but two of the field approaching the 300m but with 200m to run was three lengths off the pacemaker, Platinum Pantheon (Hanseatic).
At the 100m Cellarmaster had only stolen a half-length on the leader yet 50m from the line was just three-quarters of a length away, travelling quickly and smoothly to nab the leader a stride from the line, taking his record to three wins in ten starts.
Trainer Tom Charlton gave up on winning, stating post race: “I thought we were beat.” Similar thoughts were echoed by rider Ryan Maloney: “I thought we were going to run a nice second, because I saw Ben Thompson fly past me at a rate of knots but it’s a nice long straight here and once he hit top gear I was delighted.” When contacted by Kiwi Chronicles, Leicester remarked: “What a superb run down the straight that was. I was so proud of him.”
He broke maiden class at start three at Randwick last Boxing day and three starts later added a win at Canterbury immediately followed by a steady third in the Phar Lap Stakes (Gr 2, 1500m) at Rosehill. In Brisbane he tuned up for the Guineas with a strong run from last into the straight for fifth in the Gunsynd Classic (Gr 3, 1600m).
Blood-wise, Cellarmaster has quite a lot to live up to being from a half-sister to Leicester’s greatest claim to fame, as breeder of 14-time Group 1 winner Melody Belle (Commands) from 2020 New Zealand Broodmare of the Year, Meleka Belle (Iffraaj).
Inspired choice
Although conceived in Australia, Cellarmaster was foaled in New Zealand, his dam the Tavistock (Montjeu) mare Moet Belle. The latter faced the starter twice before Leicester decided upon a trip to Australia and a covering by first season sire Bivouac (Exceed And Excel). Instead of the NZB Karaka Yearling Sale, Cellarmaster was consigned via Bhima Thoroughbreds’ draft of the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, fetching $260,000, purchased by trainer John O’Shea in conjunction with James Bester.
Choosing Bivouac turns out to be an inspired choice. “I was impressed with his career and felt that he could be a good mating to get a maiden going, and so it seems,” said Leicester. The stallion has enjoyed a first-class season, especially the latter part of the current season. His Beiwacht was a Group 2 winner as a juvenile, followed his sire to land the Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) last spring then made it two Group 1s when taking out a competitive All Aged Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) back at Randwick in April.
Last month Bivouac added a second Group 1 winner when Fireball Miss ran away with the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m). Meanwhile, waiting in the wings is Bivouac’s Chairman’s Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Big Sky who was unbeaten before having to be withdrawn as favourite from the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Romanoff and Cellarmaster are closely connected and represent a branch of the Belle family that became known as Dad’s family when the Sartens’ breeding stock numbers began to expand. James Sarten looked after the Belle Time (Summertime) branch while Annie looked after the Belle Rosa (Instinct) branch, the two being half-sisters born three years apart.
Belle Time was enormously successful producing four stakes winners including the two Group 1 winners Asgard (Hermes) and Honey Belle (Better Honey). Honey Belle’s Listed-placed daughter Imperial Belle (Sovereign Edition) was mated with Sir Tristram (Sir Ivor) on three occasions, one creation being Empress Belle, the grandam of Romanoff. The last of 16 foals from Empress Belle (she was 22) was Meleka Belle, Melody Belle’s dam and Cellarmaster’s grandam.
Leicester made a very interesting decision in 2023, sending Moet Belle back to Australia to be covered by champion Anamoe (Street Boss). Anamoe also represents the Belle Time branch of the Belle family. Anamoe’s great grandam Electric Belle (Sovereign Edition) ranks as a three-quarter sister to Imperial Belle (see above). This qualifies as keeping it in the family. The resultant colt was sold at NZB’s 2026 Karaka Centenary Yearling sale, making $300,000.
What took so long?
Detonator Jack (Jakkalberry) made his first public appearance at Karaka in January 2020, in Book 1 of that year’s yearling sale. Although a November foal his owners were not prepared to let the colt go cheaply, setting a reserve of $100,000, justified as the colt was a half-brother to Madison County (Pins) who had landed the previous season’s New Zealand 2,000 Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) as well as the Levin Classic (Gr 1, 1600m).
The colt failed to reach his reserve but after being transferred to Australia he delivered five wins in his first seven starts, four of those at either Flemington or Sandown. A third placing at his fourth start was in the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m).
His sixth run as a five-year-old saw him bag The Gong (1500m) at Kembla Grange, the winner’s share worth $580,000. That was in November of 2023 but two years and seven months later, including 21 further starts he failed to salute the judge, until last Saturday, back at Flemington, for the Winter Series Championship Final (Listed, 1600m).
Maybe the jockey had something to do with it? John Allen partnered Detonator Jack in six of his first eight races including three wins but had not been engaged since February, 2023. Allen was reunited on this occasion.
Clearly he was overdue as six of his 11 placings took place in black-type races but his maiden stakes win was not easy. Faced with a wall of horses at the 300m, he had nowhere to go so Allen was forced to tug hard on the right rein and move out about five lanes for clear air. His momentum was diminished but with a direct line to the post Jack pinned his ears back, caught the leaders inside the 50m and did best in a tight finish for his seventh win, taking his earnings to $1.83 million, again justifying his original valuation as a yearling.
He represents a fine Waikato Stud family. His dam is an unraced sister to Flemington Group 3 winner Take The Rap (No Excuse Needed) while his grandam ranks as a half-sister to champion sire O’Reilly (Last Tycoon), himself the son of Courtza (Pompeii Court), winner of the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) and the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
Just gimmee 2400m
What a remarkable record Thebudgiesmugla (Redwood) is assembling. Since his export to Australia the only distance that the gelding becomes interested in is 2400 metres, which he has tackled five times and is yet to be defeated.
A bargain buy from an online auction, realising just $3000, Thebudgiesmugla has raced nine times since his export from New Zealand, taking his career earnings beyond $640,000. The Caloundra Cup (Listed, 2400m) was worth $300,000 to the winner.
Unusually, the five-year-old was well off the pace for most of the race. At the 1200m he had one behind him and with 600m to run had just two runners behind him. Widest into the straight he gobbled up the opposition and at the 300m was almost level with the leaders before taking over. Clear in the lead at the 100m there was one late challenge but he kicked again to win comfortably.
Rider Dylan Gibbons was full of praise for the gelding: “I didn’t anticipate being that far back, so I was a little concerned but it didn’t matter. There aren’t too many horses that can pop out at the half mile mark and circle the field and still get there too soon. His turn of foot is exciting for a stayer. He put a space on them then when they came back at him, he was off and gone again. He’s a ripper and I’m just glad to be a part of it.” Perhaps trainer Bjorn Baker sums up the gelding’s potential best: ”We don’t know how good he is just yet because he keeps raising the bar every start.”
He is one of four winners from four to race from the Keeper (Danehill) mare Hot Pants, herself a winning three-quarter blood sister to Group 2 Emancipation Stakes (1600m) winner Sworn To Secrecy (Keeper).
