Leading Role winning the Wakefield Challenge Stakes 5/12/15
Photo courtesy of Race Images
"Leading Role was a lovely yearling, and we are absolutely thrilled to see him win the Group Two Wakefield Challenge Stakes," enthused his breeder Waikato branch NZTBA member Vicki Pike.
"It's been a little while since we had a new stakes winner, we have been a little bit spoilt over the last couple of years with Chintz (Savabeel[AUS]-Charmed), Waterford (Darci Brahma – Crystal Hailey) and Kelly O'Reilly (O'Reilly – Grace), and it was a great win, even though he is still very green.
"I have spoken to Gary Vile, his trainer, and he thinks he will be a very very good horse, and will only get better. Leading Role isn't entered in the Karaka Million so will have a little break and race in the big two-year-old races in the autumn."
Under the Longlands Stud banner, the Pike's have bred a host of good stakes winners headlined by the versatile Group One winner Rangirangdoo. There has been a Derby winner in Pantani, their first Group One winner Steely Dan, Satinka and Veronica Franco, before the three smart mares aforementioned.
Leading Role (Darci Brahma-Screen Siren) was indeed an impressive winner at only his second race day start, and credited his sire with one of two stakes winners for the day. Seasoned campaigner Julinsky Prince (Darci Brahma – Julinsky Princess) added to his winning tally that afternoon taking out the Group One Captain Cook Stakes.
Screen Siren a Montjeu(IRE) mare out of the stakes placed winning mare Florinda (Lord Ballina-Surfin Bird) was purchased by the Pike's from the Sydney Broodmare Sale in foal to Stratum (AUS), and produced Pantuo who has won four races in Melbourne.
Her half-sister Valse de Fleurs (Stravinsky [USA]) won two and was second in the Listed Canonbury Stakes, and has left two winners, while another half-sister Entice (Last Tycoon[IRE]) has left the Listed Cranbourne Cup winner in Boom'N'Zoom (Dash For Cash[AUS]).
The third dam Surfin Bird (Crested Wave [USA]) was an unraced half-sister to the Leggings a multiple Listed winner, who is the grandam of Haunui Farm's young Group One winning stallion Ferlax (Pentire[GB]-Legs Akimbo[AUS]).
"Screen Siren is in foal to Showcasing (GB). She foaled late last time to Ocean Park so we gave her a year off. We have kept the Ocean Park yearling colt, and we are leaving him in the paddock to grow out naturally he may go to the Ready To Run Sale or we may race him that's the beauty of having Tony's stable.
"On paper it was a great match and physically we knew it would be a good match. We have been big supporters of Darci Brahma since he commenced stud duties and it's great to see him having such a good year this year. His stock are easy to handle with good temperaments, he is definitely underrated and I think at $20k he is good value."
Leading Role was sold at the NZB Select Sale earlier this year for $28,000, and will be one of the last horses to sell under the Longlands Stud draft.
"After 30 years we felt it was time to step back, we looked around the sales last year and it felt like Sir Patrick was the only vendor older than us! It's too hard now to take 10 days away from the racing stable with it being so busy and successful. Being on the ground at Karaka is a lot of work".
"We are still preparing the horses at home, but someone else will be doing all the hard work at the sales. It will also give us time to look around to buy something and maybe spec something. We have four yearlings going to Karaka, two with Denny Baker and two with Justine Sclater."
The Baker's Hallmark Stud will present the Pour Moi(IRE) out of Charmed, thus a half-sister to the six race winning Group Two Rich Hill Mile winner Chintz, at the Premier Sale, and at Select a Mastercraftsman(IRE) filly out of Penny Whistle a half-sister to Charmed by O'Reilly.
Justine Sclater's Kirwall Thoroughbreds will sell a Darci Brahma colt out of Tattinger, a winning half-sister to the multiple Group Two winner Satinka (Stravinsky[USA])-Miss Saigon), and the stakes placed She Wishes (Kenfair[AUS]) the dam of Rangirangdoo, and stakes placed Maser Hunter. Alongside a filly by Redwood(GB) out of the winning Grosvenor mare Bittersweet, a half-sister to the stakes placed winner Sherbert (Shinko King[IRE).
The Pikes will also consign a Mastercraftsman(IRE) colt out of Miss Elusive(AUS), a winning daughter of the stakes winning mare Miss Jugah, by Elusive Quality (USA), at the Melbourne sale in March, and they will also send a filly by Savabeel out of another Elusive Quality(USA) mare Elusive Elle (AUS) to Sydney at Easter. Elusive Elle is a half-sister to the Group One Myer Classic winner Bonaria and the Group Three winners Time Out and Legally Bay.
"Not taking our own draft to Karaka doesn't mean that we are cutting down our breeding numbers. We have lots of lovely foals this year, including an O'Reilly filly out of Waterford and a Savabeel out of Charmed thus a full sister to Chintz. They won't be going anywhere, you can't sell fillies like that and we are so lucky to be able to race them for little cost," she said.
The Group Two NRM Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes winner Kelly O'Reilly will join that foaling elite next year as she is currently in foal to Tavistock. She will have her last race on Boxing Day in the Newmarket Handicap.
With fillies and mares with pedigrees like that you can almost guarantee that the Pikes and Longlands will go on breeding stakes winners for another 30 years.
- Michelle Saba
"It's been a little while since we had a new stakes winner, we have been a little bit spoilt over the last couple of years with Chintz (Savabeel[AUS]-Charmed), Waterford (Darci Brahma – Crystal Hailey) and Kelly O'Reilly (O'Reilly – Grace), and it was a great win, even though he is still very green.
"I have spoken to Gary Vile, his trainer, and he thinks he will be a very very good horse, and will only get better. Leading Role isn't entered in the Karaka Million so will have a little break and race in the big two-year-old races in the autumn."
Under the Longlands Stud banner, the Pike's have bred a host of good stakes winners headlined by the versatile Group One winner Rangirangdoo. There has been a Derby winner in Pantani, their first Group One winner Steely Dan, Satinka and Veronica Franco, before the three smart mares aforementioned.
Leading Role (Darci Brahma-Screen Siren) was indeed an impressive winner at only his second race day start, and credited his sire with one of two stakes winners for the day. Seasoned campaigner Julinsky Prince (Darci Brahma – Julinsky Princess) added to his winning tally that afternoon taking out the Group One Captain Cook Stakes.
Screen Siren a Montjeu(IRE) mare out of the stakes placed winning mare Florinda (Lord Ballina-Surfin Bird) was purchased by the Pike's from the Sydney Broodmare Sale in foal to Stratum (AUS), and produced Pantuo who has won four races in Melbourne.
Her half-sister Valse de Fleurs (Stravinsky [USA]) won two and was second in the Listed Canonbury Stakes, and has left two winners, while another half-sister Entice (Last Tycoon[IRE]) has left the Listed Cranbourne Cup winner in Boom'N'Zoom (Dash For Cash[AUS]).
The third dam Surfin Bird (Crested Wave [USA]) was an unraced half-sister to the Leggings a multiple Listed winner, who is the grandam of Haunui Farm's young Group One winning stallion Ferlax (Pentire[GB]-Legs Akimbo[AUS]).
"Screen Siren is in foal to Showcasing (GB). She foaled late last time to Ocean Park so we gave her a year off. We have kept the Ocean Park yearling colt, and we are leaving him in the paddock to grow out naturally he may go to the Ready To Run Sale or we may race him that's the beauty of having Tony's stable.
"On paper it was a great match and physically we knew it would be a good match. We have been big supporters of Darci Brahma since he commenced stud duties and it's great to see him having such a good year this year. His stock are easy to handle with good temperaments, he is definitely underrated and I think at $20k he is good value."
Leading Role was sold at the NZB Select Sale earlier this year for $28,000, and will be one of the last horses to sell under the Longlands Stud draft.
"After 30 years we felt it was time to step back, we looked around the sales last year and it felt like Sir Patrick was the only vendor older than us! It's too hard now to take 10 days away from the racing stable with it being so busy and successful. Being on the ground at Karaka is a lot of work".
"We are still preparing the horses at home, but someone else will be doing all the hard work at the sales. It will also give us time to look around to buy something and maybe spec something. We have four yearlings going to Karaka, two with Denny Baker and two with Justine Sclater."
The Baker's Hallmark Stud will present the Pour Moi(IRE) out of Charmed, thus a half-sister to the six race winning Group Two Rich Hill Mile winner Chintz, at the Premier Sale, and at Select a Mastercraftsman(IRE) filly out of Penny Whistle a half-sister to Charmed by O'Reilly.
Justine Sclater's Kirwall Thoroughbreds will sell a Darci Brahma colt out of Tattinger, a winning half-sister to the multiple Group Two winner Satinka (Stravinsky[USA])-Miss Saigon), and the stakes placed She Wishes (Kenfair[AUS]) the dam of Rangirangdoo, and stakes placed Maser Hunter. Alongside a filly by Redwood(GB) out of the winning Grosvenor mare Bittersweet, a half-sister to the stakes placed winner Sherbert (Shinko King[IRE).
The Pikes will also consign a Mastercraftsman(IRE) colt out of Miss Elusive(AUS), a winning daughter of the stakes winning mare Miss Jugah, by Elusive Quality (USA), at the Melbourne sale in March, and they will also send a filly by Savabeel out of another Elusive Quality(USA) mare Elusive Elle (AUS) to Sydney at Easter. Elusive Elle is a half-sister to the Group One Myer Classic winner Bonaria and the Group Three winners Time Out and Legally Bay.
"Not taking our own draft to Karaka doesn't mean that we are cutting down our breeding numbers. We have lots of lovely foals this year, including an O'Reilly filly out of Waterford and a Savabeel out of Charmed thus a full sister to Chintz. They won't be going anywhere, you can't sell fillies like that and we are so lucky to be able to race them for little cost," she said.
The Group Two NRM Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes winner Kelly O'Reilly will join that foaling elite next year as she is currently in foal to Tavistock. She will have her last race on Boxing Day in the Newmarket Handicap.
With fillies and mares with pedigrees like that you can almost guarantee that the Pikes and Longlands will go on breeding stakes winners for another 30 years.
- Michelle Saba
