Superturf's win in the Group Three Aussie Browne's Pharmacy Winter Cup certainly vindicated Greg Lambert's decision to bring him home from the 2008 yearling sales. "It's really satisfying to win a decent race with him, he has now won over a $100,000 and that vindicates my decision to pass him in at the sales when he failed to reach his $50,000 reserve. I always felt he would be a good horse. I kept a half share and sold the other 50% in five or 10% shares to various friends, some of whom had never raced a horse before, so in that regard it's also very satisfying. "We set him for this race and it's always a thrill when the plan pays off," said Lambert a former chairman and current member of the NZTBA Central Districts branch, who not only bred the horse but trains him as well from his Manawatu property Lambourn Stud. Superturf (Black Minnaloushe [USA] – Alfred's Jewel) has now won five races for Lambert and his partners and last spring was placed in the group three Marton Merial Mile. He is the sixth foal of the La Belvedere (USA) mare Alfred's Jewelout of Lambourn Star by Star Way(GB)out of the Sanctus II (FR) mare Sanctimonious(IRE), who was imported to New Zealand by Greg's father Graham in the early 1970's when Lambourn Stud was founded. "Dad went on a world tour with a group of like minded breeders in the early 1970's and saw Sanctimonious for sale at a stud in Ireland. She was in foal to Hardicanute(IRE). The resultant foal was 'King Canute' who won four races and ran second in a Trentham Stakes. "We had a share in Amyntor so Dad sent her there next and that resulting foal was the dual group one winner King Pheonix. Also about that time the great Manikato came on the scene and he was closely related to Sanctimonious." In fact Probity the third dam of the champion racehorse Manikato (Manihi – Markato) who won 29 races and over $1million dollars in the late 1970's in Australia, is the fourth dam of Sanctimonious. Sanctimonious had seven foals and they were all winners. As well as King Phoenix she left the listed winner Barbarino Boy (Travolta[FR]), Erinna a full sister to King Phoenix went on to leave Eros who won nine races including the group three Canterbury Challenge Stakes. Another daughter Sanctify (Super Gray[USA]) in turn was the grandam of the group two AJC Chairman's Handicap winner Steel Phoenix.
Lambourn Star herself had eight foals, the best of them being Beaujolis (Classic Fame [USA]) the winner of seven races including the group three Manawatu Cup. The next best performer was Alfred's Jewel the dam of Superturf. Besides Superturf she is also the dam of the stakes placed winner King Kalani (Ashkalani [IRE]) and Turfstar (Danske) who won two races, both of whom were owned and trained by Lambert. Alfred's Jewel is currently in foal to Road to Rock and since foaling Superturf she has left a four-year-old gelding by High Chaparral and a two-year-old filly by Colombia.A decision is yet to be made as to whether she will be served again this season. "When you have a young mare you try and give her every opportunity. When planning the matings they have to be commercial, bearing in mind the resulting foal is being bred for the yearling sales, however the yearling sales are becoming less and less viable for the smaller breeder and those with the lesser pedigreed horse. "With Alfred's Jewel by the time she had had eight foals and really only the first foal King Kalani had come up I decided to spend less on service fees and keep her closer to home. I went to Colombia because he has a terrific pedigree and I felt if she had a filly she would have great bloodlines and I could keep her and race her. As well I know the Colombia's take time and this family takes time as well. It's another filly, so I can keep her on the back of the farm until she's ready to race or the family improves – which now it has. "We have had a run of fillies over the last few years so we have had nothing to sell, and like a number of smaller breeders things were getting a bit tight. At least we have had the income from the other forms of stock that we run on the farm to keep us going. " Besides Alfred's Jewel Lambert has two other mares to foal this spring Turfstar (Danske) a half sister to Superturf, which Greg owns in partnership. The mare is in foal to Nom de Jeu. Her first foal is a filly by Fully Fledged and she will remain on the farm and become one of the half a dozen or so that will join his racing team. Like the half dozen or so broodmares on the farm they mainly stem from two families that have been associated with Lambourn Stud since its foundation. The other mare due to foal is Maghera a stakes placed winning daughter of McGinty and Regal Visit. She is currently in foal to Alamosa and has a yearling colt by that sire that will go to Karaka this summer. Regal Visit (Vice Regal – Turakina) was bred and raced by Lambourn Stud and won four races as well as being stakes placed three times. She is also the dam of the 2004 New Zealand Oaks winner Wharite Princess. However the long term future of Lambourn Stud is in doubt. "We have 88 acres here just out of Palmerston North and with the increasing urban sprawl we have subdivided off half our acreage with a view to a possible subdivision. Adele and I have four children and not one of them has any interest in horses so the long term future of Lambourn Stud is not looking good. "I inherited my love of the industry from my father who had a lot of success both as an owner and a breeder. I have had some great highlights; Wharite Princess undoubtedly gave me my biggest thrill in racing. The fact that I bred her and sold her to a group of good friends who went on to win the Oaks with her was a big thrill. My next big moment would have to have been when we won the Winter Cup with Superturf, again it was the satisfaction of breeding him, keeping him racing him with good friends and training him. And what's even more exciting is that I believe the best is yet to come for this horse."
- Michelle Saba
Lambourn Star herself had eight foals, the best of them being Beaujolis (Classic Fame [USA]) the winner of seven races including the group three Manawatu Cup. The next best performer was Alfred's Jewel the dam of Superturf. Besides Superturf she is also the dam of the stakes placed winner King Kalani (Ashkalani [IRE]) and Turfstar (Danske) who won two races, both of whom were owned and trained by Lambert. Alfred's Jewel is currently in foal to Road to Rock and since foaling Superturf she has left a four-year-old gelding by High Chaparral and a two-year-old filly by Colombia.A decision is yet to be made as to whether she will be served again this season. "When you have a young mare you try and give her every opportunity. When planning the matings they have to be commercial, bearing in mind the resulting foal is being bred for the yearling sales, however the yearling sales are becoming less and less viable for the smaller breeder and those with the lesser pedigreed horse. "With Alfred's Jewel by the time she had had eight foals and really only the first foal King Kalani had come up I decided to spend less on service fees and keep her closer to home. I went to Colombia because he has a terrific pedigree and I felt if she had a filly she would have great bloodlines and I could keep her and race her. As well I know the Colombia's take time and this family takes time as well. It's another filly, so I can keep her on the back of the farm until she's ready to race or the family improves – which now it has. "We have had a run of fillies over the last few years so we have had nothing to sell, and like a number of smaller breeders things were getting a bit tight. At least we have had the income from the other forms of stock that we run on the farm to keep us going. " Besides Alfred's Jewel Lambert has two other mares to foal this spring Turfstar (Danske) a half sister to Superturf, which Greg owns in partnership. The mare is in foal to Nom de Jeu. Her first foal is a filly by Fully Fledged and she will remain on the farm and become one of the half a dozen or so that will join his racing team. Like the half dozen or so broodmares on the farm they mainly stem from two families that have been associated with Lambourn Stud since its foundation. The other mare due to foal is Maghera a stakes placed winning daughter of McGinty and Regal Visit. She is currently in foal to Alamosa and has a yearling colt by that sire that will go to Karaka this summer. Regal Visit (Vice Regal – Turakina) was bred and raced by Lambourn Stud and won four races as well as being stakes placed three times. She is also the dam of the 2004 New Zealand Oaks winner Wharite Princess. However the long term future of Lambourn Stud is in doubt. "We have 88 acres here just out of Palmerston North and with the increasing urban sprawl we have subdivided off half our acreage with a view to a possible subdivision. Adele and I have four children and not one of them has any interest in horses so the long term future of Lambourn Stud is not looking good. "I inherited my love of the industry from my father who had a lot of success both as an owner and a breeder. I have had some great highlights; Wharite Princess undoubtedly gave me my biggest thrill in racing. The fact that I bred her and sold her to a group of good friends who went on to win the Oaks with her was a big thrill. My next big moment would have to have been when we won the Winter Cup with Superturf, again it was the satisfaction of breeding him, keeping him racing him with good friends and training him. And what's even more exciting is that I believe the best is yet to come for this horse."
- Michelle Saba
