Waikato Branch member Allan Godsalve had mixed emotions when St Germaine won the Group Three Windsor Park Hawkes Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings recently, as it is only a couple of weeks since he had lost his mare Selenium and her Keeper foal, while foaling.
"It was a huge buzz winning the Gold Trail Stakes, it's a big thrill and she is the first stakes winner I have bred, but I couldn't help but feel a bit sad. Loosing the mare was a little gut wrenching but I guess thats racing, and you have to make the most of the good times when you can," he added philosophically.
Godsalve bred St Germaine with his sister Pat Barnett and along with two other family members they retain a 40% share in the smart filly. The remaining 60% is owned by seven clients from the John Sargent stable.
"When it came time to race St Germaine we decided we needed some partners. Over the years I have agisted horses for John Sargent including Red Ruler, Il Quello Veloce and Young Centaur, and I had a chat to him about training the filly and finding some racing partners," he said.
St Germaine commenced her racing career at the end of January with an impressive win at Egmont. Three weeks later she finished a neck behind Te Akau Rose in the Group Two Duke of Bedford Matamata Breeders Stakes, before finishing second behind St Fevre at Waikato. At the end of March she ran third to The Heckler and St Fevre in the Group One Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes, and prior to her win in the Gold Trail Staks she finished fourth behind the highly rated three-year-old The Hombre.She is the fourth foal of Selenium a mare they raced after inheriting her from their brother John.
"We grew up in Putararu and the whole family followed horses, we didn't own any or go to pony club, and we certainly couldn't afford to race any but we loved going to the races, especially at Matamata. Anyway my older brother John teamed up with Porter Stewart and they bred a few together.
"Porter stood Islero at stud and together he and John bred Miss Jaybeejay (ex Nord Etoile) sadly John died in 1985 and he left her to me and my sisters. She went on and won the Sir Tristram Classic and then produced four winners for us including Selenium (Straight Strike-Miss Jaybeejay).
"We raced Selenium and had a lot of fun with her she was an exciting race mare who won six races and ran a heck of a lot of placings. As a broodmare she has been great with four to the races for four winners as well.
About the same time Selenium was racing Allan and his wife Leonie decided to quit the real estate business in West Auckland and move the family to Matamata to set up an agistment farm.
"About 10 years ago we seemed to have horses scattered all over the place, we decided to relocate to Matamata and shift all the horses to one property where we could be more involved with them and established Kintyre Lodge," he added.
Kintyre Lodge is just a short distance from the Matamata race course, where Allan is one of the hardworking Committeemen on the Matamata Racing Club.
As well as St Germaine the Godsalve's have a share in her half brother by Pentire named Selenic a winner of one race from the Logan, Gibbs and Logan Stable. Along with his sister Pat, Allan also raced Kintyre Lil (Casual Lies) Selenium's first foal, and Sequential a full sister to St Germaine and the winner of four races and stakes placed in the listed Mason Appliances 4YO Handicap.
"Sequential won her last race at Avondale last December quite brilliantly, but unfortunately she tore a tendon. She has had quite a long spell, I have started working her along quietly and she seems to be fine so I hope she will come back," he added proudly.
Since St Germaine Selenium has produced two colts to Viking Ruler (Danehill- Tristalove), before returning to Keeper and her untimely death. These matings reflect the liking that Allan has for Danehill line stallions.
"I am a huge fan of Danehill and when Keeper was first announced I went over and had a look at him and physically he is a lovely horse. I liked his female family particularly with the influence of Secretariat in there. I am not into line breeding mainly because I don't really understand it.
"When I was mating Selenium with Keeper I looked at it in a far more simplistic way and there were four keys things that influenced me, I felt with Danehill, Secretariat, Sir Tristram(through Islero) and Mr Prospector (through Straight Strike), quite close up I had a pretty good chance of getting something good, and so far the two Keepers have hardly been out of the money."
With Viking Ruler the mating gets an added dosage of Sir Tristram through Tristalove.
"Selenium's first foal Kintyre Lil is going to stud for the first time this year and will visit Towkay. I like him he is a really neat stallion who upgrades mares, leaves group winners, and I think he will really suit her.
"Selenium really had that X factor and it was pretty sad losing her and her full relation to St Germaine, but I guess in this game that is how you learn to enjoy every success and take the good with the bad."
- Michelle Sabe
"It was a huge buzz winning the Gold Trail Stakes, it's a big thrill and she is the first stakes winner I have bred, but I couldn't help but feel a bit sad. Loosing the mare was a little gut wrenching but I guess thats racing, and you have to make the most of the good times when you can," he added philosophically.
Godsalve bred St Germaine with his sister Pat Barnett and along with two other family members they retain a 40% share in the smart filly. The remaining 60% is owned by seven clients from the John Sargent stable.
"When it came time to race St Germaine we decided we needed some partners. Over the years I have agisted horses for John Sargent including Red Ruler, Il Quello Veloce and Young Centaur, and I had a chat to him about training the filly and finding some racing partners," he said.
St Germaine commenced her racing career at the end of January with an impressive win at Egmont. Three weeks later she finished a neck behind Te Akau Rose in the Group Two Duke of Bedford Matamata Breeders Stakes, before finishing second behind St Fevre at Waikato. At the end of March she ran third to The Heckler and St Fevre in the Group One Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes, and prior to her win in the Gold Trail Staks she finished fourth behind the highly rated three-year-old The Hombre.She is the fourth foal of Selenium a mare they raced after inheriting her from their brother John.
"We grew up in Putararu and the whole family followed horses, we didn't own any or go to pony club, and we certainly couldn't afford to race any but we loved going to the races, especially at Matamata. Anyway my older brother John teamed up with Porter Stewart and they bred a few together.
"Porter stood Islero at stud and together he and John bred Miss Jaybeejay (ex Nord Etoile) sadly John died in 1985 and he left her to me and my sisters. She went on and won the Sir Tristram Classic and then produced four winners for us including Selenium (Straight Strike-Miss Jaybeejay).
"We raced Selenium and had a lot of fun with her she was an exciting race mare who won six races and ran a heck of a lot of placings. As a broodmare she has been great with four to the races for four winners as well.
About the same time Selenium was racing Allan and his wife Leonie decided to quit the real estate business in West Auckland and move the family to Matamata to set up an agistment farm.
"About 10 years ago we seemed to have horses scattered all over the place, we decided to relocate to Matamata and shift all the horses to one property where we could be more involved with them and established Kintyre Lodge," he added.
Kintyre Lodge is just a short distance from the Matamata race course, where Allan is one of the hardworking Committeemen on the Matamata Racing Club.
As well as St Germaine the Godsalve's have a share in her half brother by Pentire named Selenic a winner of one race from the Logan, Gibbs and Logan Stable. Along with his sister Pat, Allan also raced Kintyre Lil (Casual Lies) Selenium's first foal, and Sequential a full sister to St Germaine and the winner of four races and stakes placed in the listed Mason Appliances 4YO Handicap.
"Sequential won her last race at Avondale last December quite brilliantly, but unfortunately she tore a tendon. She has had quite a long spell, I have started working her along quietly and she seems to be fine so I hope she will come back," he added proudly.
Since St Germaine Selenium has produced two colts to Viking Ruler (Danehill- Tristalove), before returning to Keeper and her untimely death. These matings reflect the liking that Allan has for Danehill line stallions.
"I am a huge fan of Danehill and when Keeper was first announced I went over and had a look at him and physically he is a lovely horse. I liked his female family particularly with the influence of Secretariat in there. I am not into line breeding mainly because I don't really understand it.
"When I was mating Selenium with Keeper I looked at it in a far more simplistic way and there were four keys things that influenced me, I felt with Danehill, Secretariat, Sir Tristram(through Islero) and Mr Prospector (through Straight Strike), quite close up I had a pretty good chance of getting something good, and so far the two Keepers have hardly been out of the money."
With Viking Ruler the mating gets an added dosage of Sir Tristram through Tristalove.
"Selenium's first foal Kintyre Lil is going to stud for the first time this year and will visit Towkay. I like him he is a really neat stallion who upgrades mares, leaves group winners, and I think he will really suit her.
"Selenium really had that X factor and it was pretty sad losing her and her full relation to St Germaine, but I guess in this game that is how you learn to enjoy every success and take the good with the bad."
- Michelle Sabe
