They breed them tough in the Wairarapa and Little Avondale Stud's recent stakes winner Marquardt (Sharmardal – Centrefold Angel) is testament to that.
The four-year-old mare recently won the AJC The Nivison (Listed) for four-year-old and older mares at Randwick over 1200metres in only her second start following a 10 month lay off.
That she is even racing at all is a miracle in itself as she was skittled in the 2009 Golden Slipper and received a broken pelvis and a fractured cannon bone which still has three pins inserted in it.
The spring following the Slipper mishap she returned to the track and raced four times winning the listed Snowhite Stakes over 1400 metres before being put aside again to grow.
Naturally Little Avondale's Sam Williams is very pleased to see her performing so well.
"Her mother had a bit of ability but broke down after only three starts. Back in 2005 we had leased her to Tony Noonan in Melbourne and she developed a bone chip in her knee. I made a booking to Exceed and Excel for her, and then Tony said he had her right, so I cancelled the booking and next thing you know, she went amiss.
"When I went back to rebook to Exceed and Excel Darley had allocated my nomination to someone else, so I sent her to Sharmardal and Marquardt is the result. I liked Sharmardal as a racehorse and he is a lovely big bully of a horse. Centrefold Angel is a typical Centaine mare and is quite light framed so I needed to mate her with something with a bit more substance.
"Centrefold Angel returned home and foaled Marquardt and we took her to the Premier Sale in 2008 and sold her to Patinack Farm for $100,000. Marquardt is certainly a tough mare, and we are delighted that she has won another black type race.
"Her mother has continued to produce fillies. We have leased her three-year-old Pins filly Grable to a team of New Zealand Bloodstock staff members known as the "Never Miss a Bid" syndicate and she is in work with Stephen McKee. She has won a couple of trials and is ready to go when the tracks improve.
"Her next filly is a two-year-old by Fast'n Famous and she is in the paddock having just come back from being broken in, and she foaled a cracking filly to O'Reilly this season and is under service to Zabeel. Depending on what she leaves to Zabeel next spring we will decide whether we keep the O'Reilly filly," he said.
Little Avondale purchased Centrefold Angel's da,. Our Kathleen (Decies – Miamain) and her half sister Vaunted (by Voyager) in a package deal which also included five weanlings from Ivan Allan and Keith Gudsell. Both mares were out of the Clem mare Miamian who was out of Holiday (Summertime-Reprieved).
"At the time we bought Our Kathleen in the late 90's she had already left McGuane (McGinty) a listed winner of nine races, and the group three placed Pompeii Lady.
As well she was a half sister to the Canterbury Gold Cup winner Reingard (by Regalis II) and Timian (Taipan II), the dam of the Champion two-year-old filly Ballroom Babe (Citidancer). Ballroom Babe has since left three stakes winners including the promising young Queensland sire Hidden Dragon (Danehill).
"Another half sister Sky Eyes is the dam of the Balmeressa, a group three winner of nine races who has since left a group three winner in Outlaws. It was a good family and it's continued to produce good winners.
"We only managed to get two foals from Our Kathleen, both fillies, the first being I'ma Singa (Danasinga) who wasn't much good and Centrefold Angel.
"We sold the five weanlings from the package at the following year's yearling sales, and didn't have any luck with Vaunted so we sold her as well. At least Centrefold Angel has left us some lovely fillies to breed on with," said Sam.
- Michelle Saba
The four-year-old mare recently won the AJC The Nivison (Listed) for four-year-old and older mares at Randwick over 1200metres in only her second start following a 10 month lay off.
That she is even racing at all is a miracle in itself as she was skittled in the 2009 Golden Slipper and received a broken pelvis and a fractured cannon bone which still has three pins inserted in it.
The spring following the Slipper mishap she returned to the track and raced four times winning the listed Snowhite Stakes over 1400 metres before being put aside again to grow.
Naturally Little Avondale's Sam Williams is very pleased to see her performing so well.
"Her mother had a bit of ability but broke down after only three starts. Back in 2005 we had leased her to Tony Noonan in Melbourne and she developed a bone chip in her knee. I made a booking to Exceed and Excel for her, and then Tony said he had her right, so I cancelled the booking and next thing you know, she went amiss.
"When I went back to rebook to Exceed and Excel Darley had allocated my nomination to someone else, so I sent her to Sharmardal and Marquardt is the result. I liked Sharmardal as a racehorse and he is a lovely big bully of a horse. Centrefold Angel is a typical Centaine mare and is quite light framed so I needed to mate her with something with a bit more substance.
"Centrefold Angel returned home and foaled Marquardt and we took her to the Premier Sale in 2008 and sold her to Patinack Farm for $100,000. Marquardt is certainly a tough mare, and we are delighted that she has won another black type race.
"Her mother has continued to produce fillies. We have leased her three-year-old Pins filly Grable to a team of New Zealand Bloodstock staff members known as the "Never Miss a Bid" syndicate and she is in work with Stephen McKee. She has won a couple of trials and is ready to go when the tracks improve.
"Her next filly is a two-year-old by Fast'n Famous and she is in the paddock having just come back from being broken in, and she foaled a cracking filly to O'Reilly this season and is under service to Zabeel. Depending on what she leaves to Zabeel next spring we will decide whether we keep the O'Reilly filly," he said.
Little Avondale purchased Centrefold Angel's da,. Our Kathleen (Decies – Miamain) and her half sister Vaunted (by Voyager) in a package deal which also included five weanlings from Ivan Allan and Keith Gudsell. Both mares were out of the Clem mare Miamian who was out of Holiday (Summertime-Reprieved).
"At the time we bought Our Kathleen in the late 90's she had already left McGuane (McGinty) a listed winner of nine races, and the group three placed Pompeii Lady.
As well she was a half sister to the Canterbury Gold Cup winner Reingard (by Regalis II) and Timian (Taipan II), the dam of the Champion two-year-old filly Ballroom Babe (Citidancer). Ballroom Babe has since left three stakes winners including the promising young Queensland sire Hidden Dragon (Danehill).
"Another half sister Sky Eyes is the dam of the Balmeressa, a group three winner of nine races who has since left a group three winner in Outlaws. It was a good family and it's continued to produce good winners.
"We only managed to get two foals from Our Kathleen, both fillies, the first being I'ma Singa (Danasinga) who wasn't much good and Centrefold Angel.
"We sold the five weanlings from the package at the following year's yearling sales, and didn't have any luck with Vaunted so we sold her as well. At least Centrefold Angel has left us some lovely fillies to breed on with," said Sam.
- Michelle Saba
