Beauty Generation is being hailed as the best miler in the world, following his outstanding victory in the Gr.1 HKJC Longines Hong Kong Mile recently.
In Twittersphere he is being touted as the best miler to come out of New Zealand since the mighty Sunline!
The six-year-old Road To Rock (AUS) gelding has now won 13 races, eight of which have been over 1600 metres, three of which have been at group one level, and two at group two. He has also won twice over 1400 metres at group three level.
He was victorious in the Longines Hong Kong mile, last year winning by a length in a time of 1.33.72, but this year his victory was more concise leaving the opposition in his wake and winning by three lengths, in 1.33.52.
“It’s not something you expect but it is very exciting when it happens,” his breeder Nearco Stud’s Greg Tomlinson said with humility when discussing the achievements of Beauty Generation following the latest victory.
Beauty Generation began his life in the Manawatu, with Tomlinson being a major shareholder in his stallion Road To Rock (ASU), who stands at Wellfield Lodge in Palmerston North. The year he was conceived Tomlinson was a bit light on mares so leased a number of mares to send to the various stallions Nearco has shares in.
“I leased Stylish Bel (Bel Esprit[AUS]-Stylish Victory[AUS]) and that is how it started,” recalled Tomlinson.
“That colt as a weanling was raised at the Bleakley’s Highden Park in Palmerston North. Libby actually grew out the weanling into a magnificent yearling that she presented at the sales in the Select Sale. He was a really lovely individual, good and strong. He was purchased by the Hermes Syndicate and Kylie Bax for $60,000 and placed with Anthony Cummings in Sydney. As Montaigne he raced in Sydney before he was sold to Hong Kong. Anthony had also trained Road To Rock”
As a three-year-old in Sydney he won two races before running third in the Gr.2 Hobartville Stakes, second in the Gr.1 Rosehill Guineas behind Tarzino and fourth in the Weight-For-Age Gr.1 BMW behind Preferment, Who Shot Thebarman and Grand Marshal. He was then sold to Hong Kong and joined the stable of John Moore.
It was another year before he showed any form, being mainly tried over ground, running third in the Hong Kong Derby and winning a class race over 2200 metres. Coming back as a five-year-old the real Beauty Generation stepped up and won fresh up over 1400 metres in the Hong Kong Gr.3 Celebration Cup and followed that with a win in the Hong Kong Gr.2 Sha Tin Trophy over 1600 metres.
His next victory was in last year’s running of the Longines Hong Kong Mile, followed by a win in the Gr.1 Queen’s Silver Jubilee Cup over 1400 metres. To close the season he scored a decisive victory in the Gr.1 Champions Mile.
Coming back as a six-year-old he is unbeaten in four starts, commencing with a win in the Gr.3 Celebration Cup over 1400 metres, followed by successes at 1600 metres in the Hong Kong Gr.2 Sha Tin Trophy and the BOCHK Wealth Management Jockey Club Mile and culminating in the Longines Hong Kong Mile.
Beauty Generation is the third foal of the Bel Esprit (AUS) mare Stylish Bel, an unraced half-sister to the stakes winners Savage Attack and Victory Trump. She is the dam of one other winner in Steel Cutter a brother to Beauty Generation.
Her dam Stylish Victory was a stakes placed winner of three races, and has left two other winners besides her aforementioned stakes performers. Stylish Bel is owned by the Peter Woods Family Trust and this summer Beauty Generation’s half-sister by Tavistock will be offered for sale in Book One at Karaka in the Carlaw Park draft.
Stylish Victory has a Tarzino colt foal at foot and has not been served this season.
Road To Rock commenced stud duties at Wellfield Lodge in 2010. A son of the champion sire Encosta de Lago(AUS) he retired to stud the winner of six races including the Gr.1 George Main Stakes and the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Handicap as a five-year-old. He won at listed level as a three and four-year-old but showed his best form at five.
Tomlinson is a successful entrepreneur based in the South Island, who has always loved going to the races. He raced a few horses over the years and that led to him wanting to breed as well. He has developed a passion for pedigrees and about a decade ago decided to develop Nearco Stud.
“I realised there was a need to reinvest in the stallion pool and the mare pool, and now have about 40 broodmares,” he said.
“At times I do lease other mares particularly if I want to give a young stallion a good start. We have some lovely foals and yearlings at the moment from a number of stallions all around Australasia.”
Last season he was a nominee for Breeder of the Year and along with Beauty Generation he bred the Listed Merlion Trophy winner Dinstinctive Darci (Darci Brahma-Distinctive Lass) and the stakes performers Belle du Nord, Kuru and Jimmy Lincoln.
“It was great to get recognised for the number of horses that I have bred, but it was mainly to do with beauty Generation,” he said.
“When I lease mares they have to meet a certain criteria and Stylish Bel met that, it’s not a science a lot of it is luck. It was a very successful mating but it’s not taking away from the fact that he had a good start in life with Libby and Sam Bleakley, then Anthony Cummings and John Moore, you still need all the stars to align.” - Michelle Saba
