By Bren O'Brien
Two star mares from John Singleton's Strawberry Hill Stud broodmare band headed off to the United Kingdom this week for dates with global superstar Frankel (GB) at his home at Juddmonte's Banstead Manor Stud in Newmarket.
Eight-time Group 1 winner More Joyous (NZ) (More than Ready {USA}) will visit Frankel for the second time, having first gone to him back in 2013, while G1 VRC Oaks winner Dear Demi (Dehere {USA}) is making her first overseas trip.
Strawberry Hill's Racing Manager Duncan Grimley said it was a continuation of a plan to send empty mares to Frankel each year.
More Joyous (NZ) will visit Frankel (GB) for the second time
"Last year we sent over Samantha Miss (Redoute's Choice) and This Time Bridie (More Than Ready {USA}) and this season, both Dear Demi and More Joyous unfortunately missed and so we've taken the opportunity to send them over," Grimley said.
"We've had six Frankel pregnancies over the journey and all being well, those will be the next two."
Grimley said having been through the process several times before made it a relatively straight forward exercise, albeit not inexpensive considering Frankel's Northern Hemisphere 2019 service fee of £175,000.
"We've got a great relationship with Banstead Manor, so both of those mares will go there. We have been going there since the very first time he went to stud Southern Hemisphere time," he said.
"We've got a great relationship with Banstead Manor, so both of those mares will go there. We have been going there since the very first time he went to stud Southern Hemisphere time." - Duncan Grimley
"Whenever we have got the mares that have missed of that quality, we are happy to send them over."
The biggest success story so far from Strawberry Hill's mares heading to Frankel has been the G2 Tea Rose S. winner Miss Fabulass, who is out of champion mare Samantha Miss, while the likes of Woman, Merovee and Frankel Star have been winners.
G2 Tea Rose S. winner, Miss Fabulass
Woman is the result of that first mating between More Joyous and Frankel and has recently been retired after four starts.
"She ended up having a foot issue and a throat problem, so she's retired," Grimley said. "I think at this stage she’ll go to Snitzel this year."
More Joyous' second foal by Fastnet Rock, More Sundays, showed promise with a debut win for Lindsay Park at Geelong 12 months' ago, but after a couple of below-par runs in the autumn, it was discovered the colt had a chip in the knee and he is just getting back into work now.
There is also a recently turned 2-year-old colt by Snitzel called Best Ever, who is also with David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig.
"I wouldn’t expect him to be a pre-Christmas 2-year-old by any stretch of the imagination. We’ll just take him along and see how he goes, and if he's there and ready to go, that'd be great," Grimley said.
Snitzel | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
There is also a Snitzel yearling filly out of More Joyous, who Grimley said is making good progress.
Grimley said the progeny of the champion mare have generally inherited the physical characteristics of the stallions she has gone to.
"Out of the four foals she has had two of been chestnuts," he said. "Realistically, there's not much of a pattern there, the Fastnet Rock (More Sundays) is a picture postcard of Fastnet Rock really. He's a big horse with big-sized joints."
Dear Demi's first live foal is a Redoute's Choice colt called Ma And Pa, who has just turned two and is currently under the guidance of Chris Waller.
The late Redoute's Choice
"He's a very nice colt and we are very happy with him, but again he's going to take some time," Grimley said.
Dear Demi's Redoute's Choice yearling filly is definitely one that Strawberry Hill will be keeping themselves, given the loss of the Champion sire earlier this year.
Exciting spring awaits
In terms of racing stock in the famous blue with white crossed sashes, Grimley said there are a few that he and Singleton are looking forward to seeing this spring.
"I'm really looking forward to Girl Tuesday (Street Cry {Ire}) coming back. She had a really nice trial the other day behind (the Strawberry Hill part-owned) Libertini (I Am Invincible) and those horses and she is being set for the G1 Metropolitan. She goes back to the races on the 17th," he said.
Street Cry (Ire), sire of Girl Tuesday
Miss Fabulass will return to the track next month and the now 4-year-old will also be given a shot at some major races.
"She's back in work now and she will go to the G2 Sheraco S. (September 14) first-up and then the G2 Golden Pendant and we will aim towards the Golden Eagle, if not the G1 Myer S,. depending how things pan out," he said.
