Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Racing really is a sport that brings all walks of life together. Between 2016/17 John Dann, who is the managing director of Toowoomba Truck Spares, raced and trained a Time Thief mare named Jennifer Juniper with fellow-owner John Geaney. She won one of her 12 starts - a Doomben maiden - and did most of her racing at Ipswich and Toowoomba.
Jennifer Juniper was retired to the breeding barn when she fractured a sesamoid.
Her first foal was a colt by Rothesay and her owners retained him. Now a gelding named Quothquan, he is trained by Dann and has only had one start, finishing third on debut in a 3-year-old maiden at Toowoomba in March.
The mare’s second foal was a colt by the Eureka Stud resident Encryption. He was consigned by Kenmore Lodge at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where he made $160,000. The buyer - one of the biggest racing operations in the world - Godolphin.
Encryption | Standing at Eureka Stud
“It was good that Godolphin bought him (Fleetwood), we knew he was going to a good home,” Dann told TDN AusNZ.
“They were obviously keen to support Encryption, who they bred and raced.
“Kellie Cook (of Kenmore Lodge) actually said, ‘This is probably the type of horse that Darley would buy, given he’s by Encryption’.
“He had a lot of people on him and some big-hitters.
“He was in the same sale as (Saturday’s G2 Spirit Of Boom Classic winner) Cifrado. Because he (Cifrado) was a half to a stakes winner (Miami Fleiss) he made $320,000 and our bloke only made $160,000.
“He was always a nice horse, a really lovely horse with a good attitude.”
The colt was named Fleetwood and he debuted at Randwick in January, finishing unplaced behind Don Corleone (Extreme Choice) - a subsequent dual Group 1 placegetter.
Fleetwood was immediately spelled, before running second in a Randwick trial on May 1. He resumed from his break in Race 1 at Warwick Farm on Wednesday and, much to the delight of Dann, was a winner.
“It’s really good, a big thrill,” Dann commented.
“I only breed four or five horses a year, it’s only a hobby. We mainly breed to race, but sell the odd one or two.
Fleetwood after winning at Warwick Farm | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“That’s the first winner out of that mare and he looks to have good ability, he’s won a city race at his second start.”
Godolphin stable representative, Darren Beadman, was impressed with Fleetwood’s return.
“That win had a lot of merit,” he told Sky Racing.
“He trialled very well this time in. That was only over 737 metres, so with the ground being a little bit testing (on Wednesday) and the race being over 1100 metres…
“He’s a bit of a chip off the block, he looks so much like his dad, Encryption.
“He’s (Fleetwood) a bit of a chip off the block, he looks so much like his dad, Encryption.” - Darren Beadman
“The sales team went out on a limb and bought him to support Encryption.
“He’s a lovely individual, very professional, and he had to muscle his way there on the home corner when the inside horse, the second horse (No More Lies), came out underneath him. To his credit, he really dug deep, held his ground and was strong late; it was probably a little soft on the line, he had his ears pricked, so he looked like he really enjoyed the gallop.”
Beadman said there is much to look forward to with the James Cummings-trained colt.
“He’s going to be in for a nice campaign and he might put his hand up over the spring carnival,” he remarked.
A family full of promise
A half-sister to the Group 3 victress Whateverwhenever (Choisir), Jennifer Jupiter is also related to the dual Group 2 scorer Monopolize (Rubiton), the Group 2 winner Marnies Magic (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}) and the Group 3 victor Rock You (NZ) (Oregon {USA}).
Jennifer Jupiter has a yearling filly by Spirit Of Boom and a weanling sister to Fleetwood on the ground.
Spirit Of Boom | Standing at Eureka Stud
“She’s (Fleetwood’s sister) a chestnut. She’s a bit of a late foal, but she’s very leggy. She’ll be a bit taller than Fleetwood,” Dann said.
“She’s a really nice filly.
“She’s (Fleetwood’s sister) a chestnut. She’s a bit of a late foal, but she’s very leggy. She’ll be a bit taller than Fleetwood.” - John Dann
“It must work really well that Lonhro-Redoute’s Choice cross.
“We’ll see how we go, but she will probably go to Magics in January.
“The Spirit Of Boom filly is getting educated at Kenmore Lodge at the moment. She’s got a bit of attitude, but they’ll sort her out.”
A big week for Encryption
Fleetwood is his sire’s second winner in five days and third this season.
The colt joins the Sarah Acornely-trained Floral Code and Rex Lipp’s promising colt Cifrado, who has only missed a place in one of his five starts, and amassed $270,525 in earnings.
Encryption - a blueblood son of the Group 1 winners Lonhro and Guelph (Exceed And Excel) - has had 15 runners from his first crop and his three winners have combined for five wins. He also has 13 placings to his credit.
Lonhro | Image courtesy of Darley
Encryption will stand in 2023 at a fee of $13,2000 (inc GST).
