​Ontrack Thoroughbreds’ classy sprinting mare Test The World gained more valuable black type with her placing in the Bright Shadow Stakes at Doomben.

The daughter of Testa Rossa was a game second to hot favourite and runaway winner Quilista in a blistering time for the 1200 metres event.

“It was the second placing in a black type event for Test The World following her second in the Silk Stocking at the Gold Coast last season,” said Ontrack Thoroughbreds Managing Director Grant Morgan.

“Test The World was a $40,000 purchase by Ontrack and has won six races and twice placed at stakes level for earnings of $414,975, so she’s been a great mare for her ownership group.

“Her latest run was arguably one of her best as she tried very hard against a high class mare in great form. They ran the 1200 metres in 1.08.75 and that was considerably faster than the previous race when Zoustyle maintained his unbeaten record in 1.09.02.

“With two stakes placings and multiple city wins she has now established some good residual value so we will talk things over with the ownership group and she may head to the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale at the end of the month.
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“Breeders prefer young mares who have been sparingly raced so she fits the bill and it might be a great time to think about calling time on her racing career,” said Grant Morgan.

Freshman stallion Tivaci looks to have an exciting future.

The Group One winning son of High Chaparral has his first crop of foals on the ground and at last week’s New Zealand Bloodstock Sale a weanling colt by Tivaci shared the day’s top price when selling for $95,000.

Consigned by leading Waikato farm Curraghmore, the colt is from the two-year-old winner and stakes placed mare Sitting On A Hill.

The result was good news for Ontrack Thoroughbreds which bought a half-brother to Tivaci by Brazen Beau at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale at the Gold Coast in January.

“The Brazen Beau-Breccia colt was $220,000 and at the time I thought that was amazing buying. A few months further down the track, it seems unbelievable buying,” said Ontrack’s Managing Director Grant Morgan.

“The Brazen Beau yearlings went to another level at sales in Sydney and Melbourne and his yearlings sold up to $1.15 million, so getting one of his colts which is a half-brother to a Group One winner at $220,000 seems fantastic value.

“Our colt is a great type and he comes from a family full of black type performers and it’s great to see Tivaci being so well received in the marketplace now that he’s standing at Waikato Stud.

“Tivaci won an All Aged Stakes in Sydney and has received strong support at stud with books of around 120 mares in his first two seasons.

“Waikato Stud is bullish about this horse and the Chittick family elected to leave the stallion’s service fee unchanged at $20,000 for his third season. It’s a vote of confidence when a horse’s third season fee is untouched.

“Our half-brother to Tivaci has been broken in by master horseman Greg Bennett and he flew through that process without a care in the world.
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“He’s currently having a short spell before returning to Greg for some pre-training and another little break in the Queensland sun before going to Mick Price’s Caulfield stable in the spring,” said Grant Morgan.

​Legendary trainer John Meagher’s induction into the Australian Hall Of Fame has been welcomed by Ontrack Thoroughbreds.

John Meagher, trainer of the 1985 Melbourne Cup winner What A Nuisance, is one of two trainers to be inducted this year along with Des McCormick who was one of Australia’s leading trainers of jumpers from the 1930s to the ‘60s.

The Australian Hall Of Fame released its 10 inductees for 2019 and will induct the recipients at a black tie function in Brisbane this Friday night.

“It’s a fantastic achievement by John Meagher to be inducted and it’s a fitting recognition after a lifetime of achievements in racing,” said Ontrack Thoroughbreds Managing Director Grant Morgan.

“John built a fantastic career firstly in Victoria and then Singapore and more recently in Queensland.

“When John and his sons opened their Eagle Farm stable Ontrack became one of his major supporters and we will have a number of horses prepared by his son Chris at Eagle Farm and Mornington.

“John has built an incredible reputation over five decades, winning 26 Group 1 races including the 1985 Melbourne Cup with What A Nuisance, owned by his fellow Hall of Famer Lloyd Williams.

“He still retains an active interest in Chris Meagher’s stable and his input remains extremely valuable,” said Grant Morgan.

The 2019 Racing Hall Of Fame inductees are:
Horses

• Balmerino (1972)
• Hall Mark (1930)
• So You Think (2006)
• Vo Rogue (1983)

Jockeys

• Brent Thomson
• Hugh Bowman

Trainers

• Des McCormick
• John Meagher

Associates

• Lloyd Patrick (Pat) Lalor
• Sir Edward Williams and Sir Sydney Williams

Ontrack Thoroughbreds staying filly Kolstar quit maidens with an authoritative win over 1800 metres on the Gold Coast.

The three-year-old daughter of Star Witness was having only her fourth start when she overcame a bad start to down the favourite.

Ontrack Thoroughbreds Managing Director Grant Morgan said Kolstar’s win had a lot of merit.
“She jumped awkwardly and nearly dumped rider Paul Hammersley at the start and as a result settled five lengths from the second to last horse.

“We had planned to ride her quietly and make a run down the outer but the plan wasn’t to give them quite that sort of start.

“However, to her credit she travelled well and was strong late and ended up with an authoritative win,” said Grant Morgan.

An $80,000 purchase by Ontrack from the 2017 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, Kolstar is a daughter of the speedy Flying Spur mare Okaylah.

“Okaylah was a winner at 1100 and 1200 metres and was actually second to talented two-year-old Hips Don’t Lie in a listed race at Flemington at her first start.

“This filly is really not bred to stay but she’s always looked like she would appreciate a trip and trainer David Vandyke has done a fantastic job to get her to win over 1800 metres in her first racing preparation.

“She’s the first runner we have had from David’s stable and it was good to get a win on the board,” said Grant Morgan.

Successful trainer David Vandyke capped a great day at the Gold Coast Turf Club by winning later in the day with Bargannon giving him a 100% winning strike rate for the day.

“Kolstar has done well to get a middle distance win at only her fourth start and she’s been a filly that has always looked like the further she goes the better she will be.

“Even when she was winning on Saturday, she did a few things wrong and when she got to the front she got a bit lost and didn’t really know how to put the race away.

“These are things that only come with a bit of time and race experience and her last 50 metres were the best of the race and she flattened out and hit the line nicely.

“We will look for a 2000 metres race with her in the next few weeks and I think time and a bit more ringcraft will suit her,” said David Vandyke.
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Congratulations to our owners: Ontrack Thoroughbreds No 1 Syndicate, Simon Lang, Hans Katala, Obes Nobodies Syndicate (Manager Gavin O’Brien), Brian Cadusch, Stephen Carroll, Ken and Val Walker, Joe and Natasha Mildren, Barry Muller, Chris Shaw, Dianne Linnane, David Preston, David Vandyke,  David and Sue Worthley, Judy Bandidt, Marian Linnane, Merry Mathews, Phillip Madden, Sam and Mel Mayer, Yvonne Bowen

A wet day failed to deter the Ontrack Thoroughbreds crew at the big Gold Coast Turf Club meeting.

A party of 50 Ontrack clients enjoyed the hospitality of the Winner’s Circle at the turf club and the day resulted in a great time for all.

“It was great to have a full muster for the day and in spite of some rain during the day, the mood in the Ontrack room was buoyant all through the day,” said Ontrack Thoroughbreds Managing Director Grant Morgan.

“It was a big day for some of the Ontrack owners as we had Test The World and Cymbalism in the listed Silk Stocking at the Coast and Arctic Shock ran in the Group One Schweppes Oaks at Morphettville.

“The day ended on a high note when Cymbalism ran a gallant third in the Silk Stocking, earning valuable black type for the Denman mare.

“What was especially pleasing was that long-term Ontrack clients Denis and Margaret Frew made the trip from Wollongong to the Gold Coast and they are in the Cymbalism ownership group and were thrilled as she added all important black type form to her pedigree page.
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“It was a great day and talking to the Ontrack clients at the end of the day, everyone seemed to have enjoyed a fantastic day out,” said Grant Morgan.

Ontrack Thoroughbreds’ in-form mare Cymbalism captured valuable black type form with her third in the $125,000 Silk Stocking Stakes at the Gold Coast.

The Denman mare went into the fillies and mares’ race with two wins at her last two starts and produced a career best effort to run third to Demerara and Quilista.

Bought by Ontrack’s Grant Morgan at the 2014 Magic Millions Sale, Cymbalism has now won five races and recorded five wins and nine placings from only 21 career starts.

“We brought her to Queensland after she was a winner in Victoria for Chris Meagher’s Mornington stable and she’s done a great job up here,” said Grant Morgan.

“She’s won three in Queensland and had three placings from seven starts and in a couple,  she had no luck so with better fortunes her record would be even better.

“Being the winner of two city races and now placed in a black type race, she should be a sought after broodmare prospect.

“She’s rising six years old but comes from one of the most successful families established by the Ingham Brothers Woodlands operation and close up in her pedigree is the smart Godolphin-owned colt Microphone, who was second in the Golden Slipper before winning the Group One Sires Produce.
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“The dam of Microphone is Sung who is a half-sister to Cymbalism, so the colt’s great form this autumn and Cymbalism’s recent black type form has come at a great time as she’s likely to head to the Magic Millions Broodmare Sale on the Gold Coast at the end of this month,”