Amongst all the participants in the celebrations at Trentham following the win of Ekstreme (Ekraar- Cashcade) in the Dixon and Dunlop Captain Cook Stakes (Gr 1) was a gentleman named Alan Jackson with a smile a mile wide.
He had travelled to Trentham from his home in Hawkes Bay, specifically to watch Ekstreme race, and while at the races had by a fluke met up with a couple of members of the Waimea Racing Syndicate, the owners of the mare, and following her win they invited him to participate in the celebrations.
The reason for Jackson's wide smile and his interest in Ekstreme? Well last August he became the proud owner of Cashcade, and on Saturday she became the dam of a Group One winner.
"It was a great day and now it looks like my buying Cashcade was an inspired purchase. I was delighted that on Saturday morning I had decided to go to Trentham. When I met those syndicate members by chance, that was thrilling enough, and when they included me in the celebrations I was even more thrilled," said Jackson.
Jackson, a member of the Hawkes Bay/Poverty Bay branch of the NZTBA, is a relative new comer to the breeding industry, having made an extensive investment in broodmares about four years ago. He enjoyed the races from an early age, and along with his brother Terry was a regular race goer. However it was only about four years ago that he found himself in a position where he had both the time and money to be able to invest in thoroughbreds.
"From the very beginning when we started going to the races as youngsters, I would find myself spending more and more time watching them parade than anything else, and that was how I became interested in pedigrees.
"I have an inquiring mind and love researching pedigrees and nicks, crosses, and theories – it's a passion that I have developed and now I am lucky enough to be able to put some of my theories into practice,"
Jackson purchased Cashcade from NZTBA Councillor John O'Brien, who had purchased the mare in foal to Mr Nancho for $1,000 from the National Broodmare Sale last year. She foaled a colt in November and he decided to leave her empty.
In late summer Ekstreme won the Group Three Lowland Stakes, and during the winter campaigned in Queensland and ran second in the Group Three Doomben Roses, and really caught the eye of Jackson, who approached O'Brien and pestered him until he purchased the mare. A fortnight later he went back and also purchased the yearling Mr Nancho colt.
"I liked her pedigree being by Anziyan, a full brother in blood to Danehill, out of a St Hilarion (Sir Ivor) mare Marscade (ex Elder Time), who had already left a group winner in Blackrock College. Plus I liked the way Ekstreme raced and felt she had been very unlucky but could go on with it.
"When purchasing my mares I have tried to look for value and families that are capable of a good upgrade.
"Since buying Cashcade, the younger sister to Ekstreme, De'Colletage has won a trial, and Andrew Campbell really rates Maradona, her two year old colt by Mr Nancho.
"She is now safely in foal to Pentire and back at Little Avondale where I keep all my horses.
"When I decided to invest in this business I decided I needed to use good stockmen to assist me in purchasing, producing and preparing. When it comes to buying stock I select the breed I like, and then rely on Michael Wallace to check their conformation - he has been a tremendous help to me.
"The same goes for Sam Williams. He is a great guy and a good horseman. I go down to Masterton at least once a month to see my horses and I am always happy with the way they are progressing. Sam is always available to give me advice, and nothing is ever too much trouble. In fact that's how I became to be a member of the NZTBA. I was visiting Little Avondale, and Sam asked me if I was a member, when I said I wasn't, he got on the phone to Head Office straightaway and signed me up.
Little Avondale will be offering three yearlings on behalf of Alan Jackson at the 2010 Karaka yearling sales - a Lonhro colt out of Danone in the Premier sale and a Fast'n'Famous colt out of Oh Blue Angel, and a Don Eduardo colt out of Juliette Heights in the Select sale.
"The Lonhro colt is the first foal out of Danone, who was bred by the Vela's from the last crop of Danehill. She is unraced and was out of the unraced Sadler's Wells mare Jeanetta Cochrane. Danone is a full sister to the stakes performers Saxon, Power of Destiny and Dane Shakira.
"Michael purchased her in Australia for me and we left her there to foal down, and visit Red Ransom before bringing her home. She has just produced a filly from that mating and has now gone to Sir Percy.
"The Juliette Heights colt, who is a half brother to Julinsky Princess and even more closely related to Unknown Heights (Kaapstad), is my first venture into pin hooking as we bought him as a weanling, and the Fast'n'Famous colt is from a stakes winning mare, Oh Blue Angel, we bought in Australia," he added.
As if to ensure that Jackson experienced all the highs and lows of the thoroughbred game, this mare recently died foaling an O'Reilly filly. He plans to race the filly with his brother Terry.
"I was pretty upset when I lost that mare, and it teaches you the realities of this business, but fortunately for me the next thing you know I own the dam of a group one winner,' he enthused.
Harking back to Ekstreme, she is from the first crop of the Red Ransom stallion Ekraar, and represents his first group one winner. A shuttle stallion, Ekraar is a half brother to Hussonet, and currently stands at Stoneybridge Waikato.
Pedigree aficionado Peter Jenkins was responsible for planning the matings at Stoneybridge when Ekstreme was conceived and his explanation of the mating is as follows.
"The mating was based on a couple of pedigree elements that I thought Ekraar needed to get in his mares to correct his own imbalances. He appeared to me to be strong in elements of two key broodmares – Plucky Liege and Selene. By correcting the imbalances of the sire sons of these mares I hoped to breed some superior performers.
"Ekraar has Selene's son Hyperion through a daughter only (Lady Angela), Selene's son Pharamond through a son only, (By Jimminy) Selene's son Sickle through two daughters only (Blade of Time and The Squaw),Plucky Liege's son Bull Dog through a son only (Bull Lea).
"Cashcade (dam of Ekstreme) has:Hyperion through four sons – Heliopolis, Owen Tudor, Stardust and Alibhai Pharamond through two daughters – Creole Maid and Athenia, Sickle through a son - Native Dancer (twice), Bull Dog through two daughters – Boola Brook and Gaga.
"These are all sex-balancing lines representing sound positive line-breeding.
Not to mention a male line of Bull Dog's son Bull Lea (Beau Max) who only occurs through a daughter in Ekraar, once again sex-balanced line-breeding.
"I had noticed that Red Ransom had fared well with the Danzig-line mares in the Northern Hemisphere so this was also a clue," he concluded.
Like Ekraar, Mr Nancho, the second suitor of Cashcade, is from the same Hail To Reason sire line.
That explanation makes you wonder if that is why she is called Ekstreme!
- Michelle Saba
He had travelled to Trentham from his home in Hawkes Bay, specifically to watch Ekstreme race, and while at the races had by a fluke met up with a couple of members of the Waimea Racing Syndicate, the owners of the mare, and following her win they invited him to participate in the celebrations.
The reason for Jackson's wide smile and his interest in Ekstreme? Well last August he became the proud owner of Cashcade, and on Saturday she became the dam of a Group One winner.
"It was a great day and now it looks like my buying Cashcade was an inspired purchase. I was delighted that on Saturday morning I had decided to go to Trentham. When I met those syndicate members by chance, that was thrilling enough, and when they included me in the celebrations I was even more thrilled," said Jackson.
Jackson, a member of the Hawkes Bay/Poverty Bay branch of the NZTBA, is a relative new comer to the breeding industry, having made an extensive investment in broodmares about four years ago. He enjoyed the races from an early age, and along with his brother Terry was a regular race goer. However it was only about four years ago that he found himself in a position where he had both the time and money to be able to invest in thoroughbreds.
"From the very beginning when we started going to the races as youngsters, I would find myself spending more and more time watching them parade than anything else, and that was how I became interested in pedigrees.
"I have an inquiring mind and love researching pedigrees and nicks, crosses, and theories – it's a passion that I have developed and now I am lucky enough to be able to put some of my theories into practice,"
Jackson purchased Cashcade from NZTBA Councillor John O'Brien, who had purchased the mare in foal to Mr Nancho for $1,000 from the National Broodmare Sale last year. She foaled a colt in November and he decided to leave her empty.
In late summer Ekstreme won the Group Three Lowland Stakes, and during the winter campaigned in Queensland and ran second in the Group Three Doomben Roses, and really caught the eye of Jackson, who approached O'Brien and pestered him until he purchased the mare. A fortnight later he went back and also purchased the yearling Mr Nancho colt.
"I liked her pedigree being by Anziyan, a full brother in blood to Danehill, out of a St Hilarion (Sir Ivor) mare Marscade (ex Elder Time), who had already left a group winner in Blackrock College. Plus I liked the way Ekstreme raced and felt she had been very unlucky but could go on with it.
"When purchasing my mares I have tried to look for value and families that are capable of a good upgrade.
"Since buying Cashcade, the younger sister to Ekstreme, De'Colletage has won a trial, and Andrew Campbell really rates Maradona, her two year old colt by Mr Nancho.
"She is now safely in foal to Pentire and back at Little Avondale where I keep all my horses.
"When I decided to invest in this business I decided I needed to use good stockmen to assist me in purchasing, producing and preparing. When it comes to buying stock I select the breed I like, and then rely on Michael Wallace to check their conformation - he has been a tremendous help to me.
"The same goes for Sam Williams. He is a great guy and a good horseman. I go down to Masterton at least once a month to see my horses and I am always happy with the way they are progressing. Sam is always available to give me advice, and nothing is ever too much trouble. In fact that's how I became to be a member of the NZTBA. I was visiting Little Avondale, and Sam asked me if I was a member, when I said I wasn't, he got on the phone to Head Office straightaway and signed me up.
Little Avondale will be offering three yearlings on behalf of Alan Jackson at the 2010 Karaka yearling sales - a Lonhro colt out of Danone in the Premier sale and a Fast'n'Famous colt out of Oh Blue Angel, and a Don Eduardo colt out of Juliette Heights in the Select sale.
"The Lonhro colt is the first foal out of Danone, who was bred by the Vela's from the last crop of Danehill. She is unraced and was out of the unraced Sadler's Wells mare Jeanetta Cochrane. Danone is a full sister to the stakes performers Saxon, Power of Destiny and Dane Shakira.
"Michael purchased her in Australia for me and we left her there to foal down, and visit Red Ransom before bringing her home. She has just produced a filly from that mating and has now gone to Sir Percy.
"The Juliette Heights colt, who is a half brother to Julinsky Princess and even more closely related to Unknown Heights (Kaapstad), is my first venture into pin hooking as we bought him as a weanling, and the Fast'n'Famous colt is from a stakes winning mare, Oh Blue Angel, we bought in Australia," he added.
As if to ensure that Jackson experienced all the highs and lows of the thoroughbred game, this mare recently died foaling an O'Reilly filly. He plans to race the filly with his brother Terry.
"I was pretty upset when I lost that mare, and it teaches you the realities of this business, but fortunately for me the next thing you know I own the dam of a group one winner,' he enthused.
Harking back to Ekstreme, she is from the first crop of the Red Ransom stallion Ekraar, and represents his first group one winner. A shuttle stallion, Ekraar is a half brother to Hussonet, and currently stands at Stoneybridge Waikato.
Pedigree aficionado Peter Jenkins was responsible for planning the matings at Stoneybridge when Ekstreme was conceived and his explanation of the mating is as follows.
"The mating was based on a couple of pedigree elements that I thought Ekraar needed to get in his mares to correct his own imbalances. He appeared to me to be strong in elements of two key broodmares – Plucky Liege and Selene. By correcting the imbalances of the sire sons of these mares I hoped to breed some superior performers.
"Ekraar has Selene's son Hyperion through a daughter only (Lady Angela), Selene's son Pharamond through a son only, (By Jimminy) Selene's son Sickle through two daughters only (Blade of Time and The Squaw),Plucky Liege's son Bull Dog through a son only (Bull Lea).
"Cashcade (dam of Ekstreme) has:Hyperion through four sons – Heliopolis, Owen Tudor, Stardust and Alibhai Pharamond through two daughters – Creole Maid and Athenia, Sickle through a son - Native Dancer (twice), Bull Dog through two daughters – Boola Brook and Gaga.
"These are all sex-balancing lines representing sound positive line-breeding.
Not to mention a male line of Bull Dog's son Bull Lea (Beau Max) who only occurs through a daughter in Ekraar, once again sex-balanced line-breeding.
"I had noticed that Red Ransom had fared well with the Danzig-line mares in the Northern Hemisphere so this was also a clue," he concluded.
Like Ekraar, Mr Nancho, the second suitor of Cashcade, is from the same Hail To Reason sire line.
That explanation makes you wonder if that is why she is called Ekstreme!
- Michelle Saba
