Written by Trent Masenhelder
Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
Marcus Corban, who spent 40 years at Cambridge Stud, 30 as general manager, has great memories of AJC Australian Derby hero and Group 1-producing stallion Don Eduardo (NZ), who has died aged 24.
Don Eduardo was bred at Cambridge Stud and formed part of their draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2000.
Don Eduardo (NZ)
The colt was bred in the purple, being a son of the legendary sire Zabeel (NZ) and the Group 1-winning mare Diamond Lover (Sticks And Stones). A daughter of the great Cambridge Stud mare Eight Carat (GB) (Pieces Of Eight {Ire}), Diamond Lover is a half-sister to one of the all-time great racehorses and a Group 1-producing sire Octagonal (NZ), as well as Group 1 victress and Group 1-producing mare Marquise (NZ) (Gold And Ivory {USA}), Group 1 winner and Group 1-producing sire Kaapstad (NZ) and triple Group 1 hero Mouawad (NZ).
Diamond Lover has produced two-time Group 1-winning heroine Tristalove (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}), Group 2 winner Perruzzi (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Listed victress Antwerp (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}).
Despite his enormous pedigree, Corban told TDN AusNZ his first impressions of Don Eduardo weren’t great, although, that quickly changed.
“He was really the ugly duckling as a yearling. We had him on just average feed and he was a biggish yearling, and then all of a sudden, during his prep, he started to flourish; he really turned the corner, he walked like a train,” Corban explained.
“He (Don Eduardo) was really the ugly duckling as a yearling. We had him on just average feed and he was a biggish yearling, and then all of a sudden, during his prep, he started to flourish; he really turned the corner, he walked like a train.” - Marcus Corban
“Nothing worried him. He prepped up great, but we had him on light food, then all of a sudden he blossomed and he was a big horse with an overreach as big as you’ve seen. He just strolled out the front of the parade ring… Mags Anderson from Maluka Thoroughbreds was our yearling manager, she did a great job prepping him. Everyone that saw him fell in love with him.
“Zabeel had that big year, but he was such an athlete, everyone just went, ‘Wow’, it was unbelievable.”
Ahead of the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2000, expectations for the blueblood colt were obviously high.
Corban remembers the sale as if it were yesterday.
Soon after the colt strolled into the ring, an epic head-to-head bidding duel ensued. Robbie Waterhouse was bidding on behalf of UAE businessman and Emirates Park principal, His Excellency Nasser Lootah, while Tic Tic Trinidad represented Filipino businessman Eduardo Cojuangco, who owned Gooree Park.
Marcus Corban
“The greatest theatre was when he went through the ring. You had Tic Tic lose his phone and Gai in the press box… Sir Patrick (Hogan, owner of Cambridge Stud) jumped out of the tunnel to see who was bidding and couldn’t believe it. It was a fantastic day,” Corban said.
When the gavel came down, the Zabeel colt had sold for a record-breaking NZ$3.6 million, much to the astonishment of Corban and Hogan (and probably countless others in the room).
The winning bid went the way of Cojuanco.
The job was done and the Cambridge team could celebrate. Or so they thought.
Corban added: “It was a real shock when he made that amount. Then, just to add more drama, John Peatfield, the vet for Mr Cojuanco, wanted to scope the horse. Remember, in those days, scoping had just come in so, then I had to hang onto him in a box with Gary Mudgway and we had to scope him and the sale was pending on his scope… everyone was taking photos… you can imagine the pressure! Luckily, he passed, of course, and the rest is history.”
“It was a real shock when he (Don Eduardo) made that amount (NZ$3.6 million). Then, just to add more drama, John Peatfield, the vet for Mr Cojuanco, wanted to scope the horse." - Marcus Corban
Corban remembers the time he spent with the colt post-sale.
“After the sale, he came back to the farm. So, then I flew with him to go to Gooree. The truck picked us up; we put him in the back and I sat in the hammock… it was about five or six hours from the airport to Gooree in those days. We delivered him to Gooree, Andrew Baddock (Gooree Park’s stud manager at the time) met us and we boxed him for the night, then they put him out with their geldings and away he went,” he recalled.
The colt was named Don Eduardo in honour of Cojuanco’s father and would be trained by Lee Freedman.
He made his debut at Sandown on May 13, 2001 and failed to finish in the top three after his four starts. Then, at Bendigo on January 24, 2002, Don Eduardo broke his maiden status. He went on to win his next three starts, including a Listed event and a Group 3 contest, before running second in the G1 Rosehill Guineas. A fortnight later, Don Eduardo claimed his maiden Group 1 when taking out the time-honoured AJC Australian Derby.
Don Eduardo (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
That would be his final win, although, he did place in the 2002 G1 Underwood S. and 2003 G1 Australian Cup.
Don Eduardo was retired to stud having won five of his 18 starts and $1,685,110 in prizemoney.
“It was great that he went on to win the Derby for Mr Cojuanco and Gooree. He was a special horse and it was great to get a result for a major man that was a big influence in the industry of Mr Cojuanco’s status,” Corban remarked.
“It was fantastic, honestly.
“It’s so sad that he’s passed, but we have great memories.”
Don Eduardo went on to stand at stud in New Zealand. He stood his first two seasons at Fayette Park Stud before relocating to Haunui Farm in 2005. In 2013, Don Eduardo retired from stud duties and returned to Gooree Park.
Video: Don Eduardo (NZ) parading at Haunui Farm
He sired individual 12 stakes winners and they combined for 21 stakes wins. His lone Group 1 winner was Booming (NZ), who won the G1 Zabeel Classic in 2011 and the G1 Thorndon Mile in 2011.
