with Steve Hewlett of Radio TAB (Queensland) Newmarket bloodstock agent STUART BOMAN tells the story of how he secured outstanding middle distance prospect ZAAKI (GB) who was a dominant winner of the Grpup 1 Doomben Cup.
Interview courtesy of Radio TAB (Queensland) & Steve Hewlett. Coolmore buy for $1.25m Former OnTrack star Savanna Amour will call Coolmore Stud home after fetching $1.25m to the bid of Tom Magnier at the recent Inglis Chairmans Sale. Savanna Amour will have a spring date with boom new Coolmore stallion Wootton Bassett in the Hunter Valley later this year. Sold in foal to Coolmore’s own Fastnet Rock, Savanna Amour was sold privately off the track by the OnTrack managed ownership group to B2B Thoroughbreds. Savanna Amour has an outstanding first foal filly on the ground by Fastnet Rock who has been retained by B2B Thoroughbreds. Wootton Bassett was acquired by Coolmore earlier this year and he represents one of the most exciting proven shuttle stallions to visit Australia in some time. A son of Ifraaj, Wootton Bassett has made a remarkable start to his career off a low grade of mare from his former base in France. Entering stud in 2013, Wootton Bassett is the sire of 139 individual winners from 257 starters. Of those winners 17 are stakes winners, with another 14 stakes placed. His principle performers have been Group 1 winners Alamanzor, Audarya and Wooded. Wootton Bassett is already represented at stud in the Southern Hemisphere by the very promising Almanzor, who stands in New Zealand at Cambridge Stud.
Alamanzor’s oldest Southern Hemisphere yearlings have been very well received this year, with much expected of the good looking son of Wootton Bassett. Wootton Bassett will be a key feature of the October renewal of the OnTrack Hunter Valley Horse and Wine Tour (10-14 October 2021). Alamanzor will again be popular with our guests on the OnTrack New Zealand Horse and Wine Tour (25-30 November 2021). ZAAKI FUELS TRIED HORSE GOALS Last week’s dominant Group 2 Holindale Stakes winner Zaaki has provided inspiration for OnTrack to enter the European tried horse market later this year. Zaaki was purchased by Newmarket based, Australian born Bloodstock Agent Stuart Boman. A long term friend and colleague of Ontrack boss Grant Morgan, Stuart Boman works closely with the team at OnTrack, most recently co-hosting our last Royal Ascot tour which was last staged in 2019. Working out of Newmarket in the UK, Boman has a detailed understanding of racing in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere’s. Grant Morgan said the team at OnTrack was preparing to enter the European tried horse market, with the assistance of Stuart Boman. “I think now is the time to target some European horses for Queensland. We have some outstanding trainers here now and the races to match,” said Morgan. “We have three high value races here in the Winter run over the the middle distances which are amazing targets. "The Gr 2 Q22 is worth $1.2m (2200m), the Gr 1 Doomben Cup (2000m) is worth $700k and the Gr 2 Holindale (1800m) is worth $700k. "I can see the prizemoney and status of these races only growing in the coming years. "They are aiming to get the Holindale to Group 1 level. I'd love to win a Group 1 in our own backyard. “These races give horses a tremendous platform to head into the Spring and Autumn in Sydney and Melbourne. “I think the model they are using for Zaaki is one I’d love to copy next year,” said Grant Morgan. Zaaki was a 150,000 guineas purchase by Boman under the Blandford Bloodstock banner from Tattersall’s 2020 Autumn Horses in Training Sale.
He was purchased for British born trainer Annabel Nesham, and carries the colours of successful owner and breeder Carl Holt. Zaaki’s Holindale victory represented one of the softest wins of the race which has a sparkling honour roll. “I think you have to go back to a horse like in 1998 Might and Power to find a more dominant win,” said OnTrack’s Grant Morgan. “Whilst his winning margin was only 2.3 len, he appeared to have a huge amount in hand and he travelled so strongly in running and through the line. “The scary thing for his rivals are that he appears a horse better suited on firmer surface than he raced on last Saturday. “If he gets a top of the ground surface, he looks to be the best of good things in the Doomben Cup at Group 1 level,” said Morgan. $38m upgrade now in motion The Gold Coast is geared to become the Australian night racing capital, taking advantage of the Cities iconic skyline as a backdrop. With COVID 19 diverting and delaying attention from the plans last year, it was welcome news to see the Queensland State Government re-confirm funding in recent weeks signalling a green light for the project’s commencement. Major upgrade plans for the Bundall track include the upgrade of the grass course proper, a new all-weather synthetic training track, the latest technology in lights for night racing and an in-field tunnel. Work on the project will commence later this year. Work on the new synthetic track is hoped to begin in August this year and be completed before the Magic Millions raceday in January 2022. Refurbishments of the remainder of the course are expected to begin after that and be finished with ‘two and a half to three years’.
When complete it’s expected the Gold Coast track can enhance it’s status to among the best in the country, with the club keen to increase its footprint on metropolitan racing. “We do five metropolitan meetings at the moment and we see this as an opportunity to become the next metropolitan club in Queensland,” Gold Coast Turf Club Steve Lines said. “We want to be hosting a minimum of 10 metropolitan Saturdays and metropolitan Friday nights so that is all part of the long term plan for the club.” The Gold Coast Turf Club has become hotly sort after as a training venue. Champion trainers John Moore and Lee Freedman have recently setup bases on the Gold Coast confirming the City has come of age as a racing capital, stepping out of the shadow of Brisbane. |
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