Cover image courtesy of Jamieson Park
Come Saturday evening (local time), James Chapman and the rest of the team at Jamieson Park in Mangatawhiri, 25 minutes south of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Karaka complex, will be glued to the television to watch featuring racing from Australia. At 6.50pm NZDT, Mr Mozart (Snitzel) – a 4-year-old entire they bred and race with partners – lines up in the $1 million Silver Eagle at Randwick, before top mare Inspirational Girl (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) – who was bred by Jamieson Park – contests the $5 million G1 Caulfield Cup just 25 minutes later.
Not a bad effort for a farm that has 35 broodmares.
“It will be a big day, well, at least it could be,” Chapman quipped when chatting to TDN AusNZ.
“We’ll be watching with great interest, that’s for sure. Unfortunately, we can’t get over there this week, but we’re coming over for the Golden Eagle (on October 29).”
James Chapman | Image courtesy of NZ Racing Desk
Inspirational Girl will always be dear to the hearts of the staff at Jamieson Park, being the first Group 1 winner off the farm. The Bob Peters-owned mare achieved that feat when taking out the G1 Railway S. in 2020.
Now seven, Inspirational Girl is from the Zabeel (NZ) mare Be Inspired, who is a half-sister to Group 3 winners Rainbow Styling (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Zingaling (Redoute’s Choice). Be Inspired was offered, in foal to Showcasing (GB), at the 2012 New Zealand Bloodstock Winter Mixed Bloodstock Sale by Curraghmore Stud and secured by Jamieson Park for NZ$100,000. She was one of the first mares they bought.
Be Inspired’s first stakes winner was the Listed victor Ruettiger (NZ) (Duporth).
Inspirational Girl (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
The mare’s Reliable Man (GB) filly (Inspirational Girl) was foaled in 2015 and realised NZ$190,000 at the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale in 2017. Bloodstock agent John Chalmers purchased her on behalf of leviathan Western Australian owner-breeder Peters.
“We sent her (Be Inspired) to Reliable Man in the spring of 2014 and sold her at Karaka. It would appear we got that one right,” Chapman explained.
“She was a nice filly, very feminine… she wasn’t a big, heavy foal.
“She was a good yearling that made nice money for a Reliable Man filly.”
“She (Inspirational Girl) was a good yearling that made nice money for a Reliable Man filly.” - James Chapman
Inspirational Girl shares the same grandam - Done That (NZ) (Centaine) – as the Peters-bred dual Listed winner Neverland (Big Brown {USA}).
And Group 2 winners Midnight Blue (So You Think {NZ}) and Demonetization (All Too Hard) – both half-brothers to Neverland – were bred and raced by Peters.
“Bob Peters obviously knew the family, so he was chasing that,” Chapman added. “It’s a family he had a lot of experience with.
“She (Inspirational Girl) has been a very good young horse from day one and has a Group 1 next to her name.”
Bob Peters | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Inspirational Girl has been an incredibly consistent performer, winning 10 of her 19 starts and placing on four occasions, for earnings in excess of $1.5 million.
The mare won her Group 1 as a 5-year-old, handing Peters a third consecutive victory in the race, following Galaxy Star (Redoute’s Choice) and Regal Power (Pierro) in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and maiden elite-level success for Jamieson Park, which Chapman purchased in 2009.
Inspirational Girl was transferred to Danny O’Brien following her runner-up finish behind stablemate Truly Great (Dundeel {NZ}) in the 2020 G1 Kingston Town S. she won the G2 Blamey S. this March and her two runs this time in have been full of merit.
Chapman believes Inspirational Girl is right in the mix to add a second Group 1 on Saturday.
“I would think she is a top chance judging by her last run. She hit the line really well in the Turnbull Stakes,” Chapman remarked.
Rich payday the result if Mozart composes a winning tune
While the Jamieson Park crew will feel a great sense of pride if Inspirational Girl gets the job done in the Caulfield Cup, their will be twice the reason to celebrate if Mr Mozart takes out the Silver Eagle, for not only did they breed him, they share in the ownership, too.
Mr Mozart is by the very good racemare Euro Angel (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle {Ire}). She was bred by Windsor Park Stud, who offered her at the 2014 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier Yearling Sale. There, she was knocked down to Hawkes Racing for NZ$200,000, before David Russo, Phil Duggan, Russell Collins, Andrew McDonald, Ron Milne and Chapman bought shares in her. That sextet have developed a great friendship and are the owners of Mr Mozart.
Mr Mozart | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Euro Angel’s three wins were highlighted by her G3 Ladies’ Day Vase success in 2016, but she also twice in Group 2 company, and on one of those occasions, she split Group 1 heroines In Her Time (Time Thief) and Daysee Doom (Domesday).
Euro Angel is out of Polish Princess (GB) (Polish Precedent {USA}), who won four races, including one at Listed level, and was placed at the top level.
Polish Princess has two other stakes winners – Leebaz (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Polish Knight (NZ) (Encosta De Lago). The latter also ran second in the G1 ATC Derby in 2012.
Euro Angel (NZ) when racing | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“Sam Munro, my stud manager, he worked at Windsor Park Stud and he knew the family,” Chapman said.
“When Euro Angel was put through the sale, we were lucky enough to get hold of the Hawkes’ and get a share in filly when they bought her.
“We ended up in a syndicate with a bunch of Aussies; they’re all good people and we’ve become very close friends.
“She won a Group 3 in Melbourne and we decided to retain her and breed her.”
“We ended up in a syndicate (in Euro Angel) with a bunch of Aussies; they’re all good people and we’ve become very close friends.” - James Chapman
Mr Mozart is Euro Angel’s first foal. Her second is a filly by Snitzel, who sadly went amiss. She now has a Pierro colt on the ground and foaled another Snitzel colt just a few months ago.
“The full sister bowed a tendon. She’s just been covered by So You Think,” Chapman commented.
“The third foal is a pretty outstanding Pierro colt and he’s at Arrowfield Stud and she’s just foaled another outstanding Snitzel brother to Mr Mozart.
Snitzel | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
“And, Euro Angel was covered by Maurice this season, so hopefully she’s in foal.
“The whole team is pretty keen on racing this whole family.”
Mr Mozart has raced 13 times, winning five starts, including this year’s G2 Phar Lap S.; he also has two placings for prizemoney totally $578,150.
A super stud prospect
While he doesn’t have a Group 1 to his credit as yet, Chapman admitted that’s the ultimate goal with Mr Mozart.
And if he is to win at the highest level, Mr Mozart will become a Group 1-winning son of Snitzel from a stakes-winning mare, making him hot property.
“Some good judges tell me this is one of the best female families in Europe, so it’s pretty exciting. It is a very serious family,” said Chapman, who was a part-owner of multiple Group 1 winner Xtravagant (NZ).
Xtravagant (NZ) | Standing at Newhaven Park
“We’ve already had some interest from breeding operations.
“He runs in the Silver Eagle, then the Golden Eagle a fortnight later; he’s already qualified for that race.
“We’re dreaming and enjoying it. It’s not too often you get a horse like this, and he’s an entire, so when we get these big-money races out of the way we’ll be looking to get him to a Group 1 somewhere. There’s a few people involved that haven’t won a Group 1 before, so that would be great.
“We’re dreaming and enjoying it. It’s not too often you get a horse like this (Mr Mozart), and he’s an entire, so when we get these big-money races out of the way we’ll be looking to get him to a Group 1 somewhere.” - James Chapman
Asked which Group 1 might suit Mr Mozart, Chapman was matter of fact, saying: “That’s very much in the hands of the Hawkes’. We leave the planning to them.”
