Jewel success 40 years in the making

By Bren O'Brien

For nearly 40 years, the Reeves family of Stanthorpe have been enjoying racing and breeding the extended family of Gentle Marchesa (Purple Patch {NZ}) and that ride is set to continue on for some time with Saturday's QTIS Jewel winner Kisukano (Bel Esprit).

Gentle Marchesa was unraced but proved quite the acquisition for Peter and Michael Reeves. They won a free service fee to Black Zephyr (NZ) and matching the mare to him, produced Huntington Girl.

The Reeves took that filly to the sales, she passed in, and they decided to race her in partnership with a couple of friends from Huntington, New York. She won eight races, and was stakes-placed, but proved even more successful as a broodmare, producing 15 foals for 14 winners.

They included G2 Stan Fox S. winner Dynamic Love (Brave Warrior) and Listed winner Key Bar Nights (Anabaa {USA}) as well as stakes-placed pair Grouse Lane (Sea Road) and Arimathea (Zoffany {USA}).

Grouse Lane was a nine-time winner in her own right, and as had become their plan, the Reeves retained the first filly from the mare. That filly was Princess Margaret (Spectrum {Ire}), who racing in the family colours, won her first seven starts before later claiming stakes success in the Listed Silk Stocking S. They then sold her as broodmare prospect for $230,000.

Grouse Lane died foaling a Show A Heart filly in 2012, and that filly was to prove the one and only connection that the Reeves retained to the family. Named Kiss For Gran, she never proved much on the track, but Peter Reeves and his son Rob decided to give her a chance to prove herself as a mum.

With all their eggs in one basket, they sent her to Bel Esprit, with the intention to retain the resultant filly.

"Dad and I syndicated her out to some family and friends with the intention to have a great time racing her amongst friends," Rob Reeves told TDN AusNZ.

Given to family friend Michael Nolan to train, Kisukano has indeed given all involved a great time. She won by 7.5l on debut last month at Toowoomba and while beaten by boom 2-year-old Rothfire (Rothesay) at Eagle Farm at her second start, she subsequently romped in at Doomben by 4.5l.

She then took on unbeaten Rothfire again in the $500,000 QTIS Jewel at the Gold Coast on Saturday and having served it right up to him on the soft track, ran away to a memorable 2l win, taking her prizemoney to $428,750.

That's good going for six weeks' work, but the win also came with a sense of timing, with her half-sister by Better Than Ready set to go through the ring as Lot 272 in this week's Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale as part of Alexia Fraser Bloodstock's draft.

"They are both big, her and Kisukano, and this one's a lovely big filly herself. I think anyone that looks at her will be impressed," Reeves said. "It can’t hurt having her sister winning like she did on Saturday."

Kiss For Gran also has a foal colt by Rothesay which also makes him a brother-in-blood to recent Adelaide Listed winner Over Exposure (Rothesay), another member of the family with black-type.

Kisukano hasn't quite got that factor on her resume yet and will have to wait for her shot at stakes success, with the paddock beckoning.

"We'll leave it to Michael. We’ve had them with Michael for a long time, he's a family friend and so we will let him decide. She needs a well-earned break. She’ll probably have a month or two and we will see how she goes. She’ll get what she needs and leave it up to Michael to work out a program from there," he said.

Reeves himself thinks the filly can only improve into her 3-year-old year and that's an opinion shared by experienced jockey, Mark Du Plessis.

"He's indicated that every time he has got off her, he thinks she can be better when she's three. That'd be exciting if that's the case. There's been a lot of good fillies in that family and most of them race on," Reeves said.