The timing could not have been better for promising stallion U S Navy Flag (USA) to sire a double, including a stakes race on Saturday.

Rick Williams, general manager of The Oaks Stud in Cambridge, New Zealand, shared, “The Oaks Stud has purchased U S Navy Flag outright from Coolmore Stud. The deal was finalised on Friday, so we own him now. The timing has been perfect for us, and I hope it is a coup for the New Zealand industry.”

The red-letter Saturday started for U S Navy Flag at Avondale when the Peter and Dawn Williams-trained Geldof (NZ) scored on debut, backing up his strong trial form.

Geldof was a NZ$44,000 yearling purchased by Mrs VG Healey from the draft of Little Avondale Stud at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale and, from his debut, appears to have plenty of upside for his connections.

Chantilly Lace breaks through

Approximately 450 kilometres away in Wanganui in the race named after the ‘Kiwi’ warhorse Castletown (NZ) (One Pound Sterling {GB}), the Listed Castletown S., the Chrissy Bambry-trained Chantilly Lace (NZ) achieved a notable milestone for U S Navy Flag when she raced away by 10l to become the sire’s first Southern Hemisphere stakes winner.

Bambry, who is in her fifth season of training and having taken over from her father, was thrilled to see the filly co-owned by her parents race away and win with such authority, “She’s (Chantilly Lace) is a pretty cool little filly. It was exhilarating to see her win that impressively. I asked Lily (Sutherland) to go early as I knew we had race fitness, but when Chantilly Lace raced away from them, it was pretty unreal, really.”

The Listed Castletown S. also became a landmark milestone for the New Zealand-based apprentice Lily Sutherland who partnered with Chantilly Lace to score their maiden stake victories.

“We had Kelsey Hannan on Chantilly Lace last start, and Lily and Kelsey have ridden her before. Lily has put a lot of work in at the jump-outs and trials on the filly,” said Bambry.

“The biggest thing for me is putting on a jockey that knows the horse and has faith in the horse. Lily knew how good Chantilly Lace was and went into the Castletown with huge confidence in the filly, and I think alone puts you a length ahead.”

Bambry, who has spent her whole life around horses, having worked many yearling preparations in New Zealand, Australia and England and being a daughter of a trainer, has a vast array of experience and explained to TDN AusNZ how the filly came to be part of her stable.

“When Dad stepped back from training, I stepped in and evolved the business a little bit. I brought on more client horses, and we’ve been lucky enough to get some really lovely horses from clients, but it is very special to train a horse for ourselves and the family.

“We breed some mares ourselves, and I felt we needed to evolve our breeding band of mares a little bit, so when the Valachi Downs’ dispersal came up, I discussed buying a filly to be a future broodmare prospect with Mum and Dad.

“There were too many horses in the dispersal to look at for me as I was too busy to get up there. I was training a horse for Paul Moroney at the time, and he had been to see them. Paul gave me a shortlist of a dozen fillies to go and look at, so my partner and I shot across one day and looked at the twelve fillies, and we shorted it down to three.”

The filly that would top the shortlist and become Chantilly Lace for Bambry was a brown filly by the first-season, sire U S Navy Flag, and the third foal from the More Than Ready (USA) mare, On The Move.

“Chantilly Lace was on top of that list that we wanted. We were fortunate, we probably spent a bit more than we anticipated, but it is looking like a good buy now.”

Bambry is an unabashed fan of U S Navy Flag and describes Chantilly Lace as typical of what the stallion is siring.

“We had bred to U S Navy Flag with our mares, and I really liked him as a stallion. Chantilly Lace is out of a nice mare. She was a very athletic filly with great movement and attitude, those factors stood out for me.

“Chantilly Lace is typical of the sire, they aren’t big horses, but they are very athletic and have great brains. All the U S Navy Flags I’ve had, including a nice colt we sold to Suman Hedge at Karaka, are beautiful movers; they want to please and do things right, and Chantilly Lace is exactly the same.”

Bambry has always held a good opinion of the bonny little filly and hasn’t been afraid to race her, Saturday was the eighth start for the 2-year-old, and it’s fair to say she’s danced every dance and fronted up each time.

Running third in the Listed Futurity S. at Auckland last start and a meritorious fifth in the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. was a popular and well-deserved victory for Chantilly Lace and the team.

“Mark and Lorraine Forbes performed all my educating and pre-training, and Mark had indicated pretty early that he felt Chantilly Lace was pretty smart. When the filly returned to me and her first jump-out, I could see we definitely had some ability there. I hoped it would keep improving and translate to the racetrack.”

The filly has been put away, with Bambry keen to place her filly through the grades come the spring.

“Chantilly Lace, as we speak, is in a big grassy paddock, and she’ll return for the spring races. I think she has such an electric turn of foot on a good track, so I am really looking forward to seeing her over some ground on a good track as she relaxes beautifully.

“There are plenty of races in New Zealand for her. As a potential broodmare for us, we aim to achieve as much black-type as we can, whether in New Zealand or Australia as an older mare. We’ll just see and keep her going through the grades,” Bambry told TDN AusNZ.

“Oh, I will send some mares to U S Navy Flag. I think the best is still yet to come.”

Williams excited for spring

It is music to Williams’ ears and sentiments he is becoming accustomed to hearing about the progeny of the son of War Front (USA).

“It was U S Navy Flag’s first stakes winner, but he’s been a little bit unlucky not to have cracked it before now in Australasia.”

The results on the track back up that statement when you look at the performances of his progeny to hit the track.

From U S Navy Flag’s Northern Hemisphere crops, he has produced Ocean Vision (Ire), a four-time winner, including the Listed Prix de la Vallée d'Auge at Deauville and the Listed Prix de Pontarme at Longchamp. Ocean Vision was also placed in the G2 Criterium de Maisons-Laffitte at Chantilly, and Love Reigns (Ire) won two Listed races before running fourth in the G2 Queen Mary S. at Royal Ascot.

U S Navy Flag’s first Southern Hemisphere crop yielded 98 foals, 21 of which have hit the track resulting in six winners of seven races, four stakes performers and one stakes winner.

Amongst the first crop include To Catch A Thief, from the Snitzel mare Stolen Gem. To Catch A Thief has been placed twice incredibly at Group 1 level in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce S. and the G1 Sistema S. In addition, the gelding has been placed in the G2 Eclipse S. and the Listed Champagne S.

Interestingly, the winner and Listed-placed Penvose Lad is also from a Snitzel mare named Paramalove.

Then we have Aprilia (NZ), another winner for her sire, who has also been placed in the G1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce S.

“He has some lovely horses profiling up to be beautiful spring 3-year-olds, and that’s what you want,” Williams said.

Blueblood

“U S Navy Flag has had six individual 2-year-old winners, and he’s going to be crowned Champion First Season Sire in New Zealand and is going to finish second on the 2-Year-Old Sires against all the stallions standing in New Zealand, so that is a pretty good effort.”

A pretty good effort indeed, only Per Incanto (USA) (seven winners) in the 2014/15 season has sired more first-crop winners in New Zealand than U S Navy Flag in recent memory.

And it has been well-advertised that Per Incanto’s progeny are high-held, putting U S Navy Flag in some very esteemed company.

It should not be surprising to see U S Navy Flag performing in his new role as he carries an aristocratic pedigree. For NZ$15,000 (plus GST), not many stallions can claim to having a pedigree such as this, carrying the blood of two of the most influential stallions in the modern era; U S Navy Flag is a blueblood by every definition.

U S Navy Flag is a son of the Claiborne Farm-based champion War Front, a son of the incredible Danzig (USA).

War Front has sired over 100 stakes winners, and despite being an American dirt horse, he has proven to be one of those rare stallions whose progeny are equally effective on turf and dirt.

U S Navy Flag also packs plenty of punch through his maternal side. His dam Misty For Me (Ire), a daughter of incomparable Galileo (Ire), was crowned the Champion 2-Year-Old Filly in France and Ireland in 2010 and the Champion 3-Year-Old Filly in Ireland for 2011.

Misty For Me claimed the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Longchamp, the G1 Moyglare Stud S. and the G1 Pretty Polly S. She was also placed in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf and the G1 Matron S.

Her achievements on the racetrack are exceptional, and she’s taken the same path as a broodmare. U S Navy Flag is a full sister to Roly Poly (USA), an outstanding campaigner for Ballydoyle, winning the G1 Prix Rothschild, the G1 Sun Chariot S., and the G1 Falmouth S. She was also placed a further three times at the elite level.

U S Navy Flag’s race exploits, like his sister and dam, were exceptional. As a 2-year-old colt, he won the G1 Dewhurst S. and the G1 Middle Park S. at Newmarket and the G2 Round Tower S. at the Curragh, making him the European Champion 2-Year-Old in 2017.

U S Navy Flag was the first colt in 35 years to claim that succession of races. Returning as a 3-year-old, U S Navy Flag showed his class to finish second in the G1 Irish 2000 Guineas before returning to the sprint trips and beating the older horses in the G1 July Cup at Newmarket.

“His pedigree is unbelievable. U S Navy Flag was a funny horse, Coolmore raced him a lot, and he just got better and better, and you see that with Chantilly Lace, who won on Saturday, she’s taken some racing for a baby but has kept improving.”

All eyes towards spring

Williams is pleased with the performance and feedback from the first crop of U S Navy Flag.

“Most of my social friends are horse trainers, so I get pretty accurate feedback on what they think of a horse, whether good or bad.

“He seems to be throwing horses similar to himself. They cope with racing and keep improving. U S Navy Flag is not a big horse, but he’s one of the best-moving horses you’ll ever see.”

Williams, before standing the stallion, has always held his progeny in high regard, “I just love them; from the time Valachi Downs had U S Navy Flag, I looked at about 46 weanlings, and they have great hindquarters, good hocks, gaskins and just nice heads and eyes. They walk so well, and it gives you confidence he’ll be a high percentage horse.

“From around the world, they tell me the War Fronts prefer a good track, and we haven’t had many of those in New Zealand, and I know Chrissy (Bambry) said she can’t wait to Chantilly Lace on a good track.”

With such a great start to his career, Williams is looking forward to the upcoming spring, where he tips we will see a lot more of the progeny salute the judge.

“We couldn't be happier right now. I’m more excited about the spring because many trainers I’ve spoken to have had trial winners by the stallion that haven’t raced yet, and they’ve put them away for the spring. He’s got plenty of unraced stock with high opinions on them to come through,” Williams told TDN AusNZ.

“Whether he’ll be a top-notch stallion, time will tell, but the way he’s going, he’s not a bad stallion. Let’s hope the success continues, and it’s a good investment for us and the New Zealand breeding industry.”

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Since the inception of Kick Up in November 2022, the reception has been enormous from racing participants, stakeholders and enthusiasts welcoming the initiative with open arms.

It is exhausting for racing fans to hear the constant inaccurate and untruths spread about the treatment and welfare of thoroughbreds on social media platforms and protesters who park themselves out the front of the major Australian race tracks on big race days, recycling the same exaggerated narrative based on zero factual or scientific evidence.

The loud anti-racing movement up until now has managed to slide by with no challenge or opposition in their quest to see the sport's demise and those that engage in it.

Until now…

Watch: Kick Up's launch video

The idea to offer an alternative perspective to everyday Australians and counter false narratives wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision. Several years in the making, after many hours of extensive research and development of marketing materials before the launch, Kick Up is well-positioned to change the biased narrative set by anti-racing detractors.

The organisation is the brainchild of a group of passionate racing professionals. At the helm directing the movement are Vicky Leonard, Nathan Skrivanic and Tanita Mitchell.

Mitchell recognises the power and influence social media has on the younger generations. She particularly uses her experience and position as marketing and media manager at Godolphin, specialising in media, PR and language used to engage with non-participants.

“Our industry has its own language, and if you weren’t born in the industry or actively work in it, these terms could be hard to connect with. Terms like ‘breaking’ mean to educate, in racing terminology, but to non-racing people, ‘breaking’ is using acts of force to separate or cause to separate into pieces.

“I’m passionate about language and media because it is hugely influential, and the media are talking to many stakeholders within our industry.

Kick Up Workshop

The Kick Up Workshop will be held on June 9 at Royal Randwick Racecourse, Owners’ Pavilion and Godolphin Managing Director Vin Cox will MC the event.

Mitchell shared the workshop's purpose and what is to be expected, “The workshop will be broken into two parts. Firstly, it will be about information sharing - what we have learned so far, where we need to get to, and strategies that can help take us there.

“Ahead of the spring carnival, it is paramount we establish what we need, what will be helpful, and what deliverables will help stakeholders.

“The main question is; what practical role can Kick Up play to help stakeholders, participants and the wider community push the right messaging?”

After the introduction and presentations, guests will break into the Pillar workshop groups, for a more practical exercise.

Gallery: A selection of the topics addressed by Kick Up for Racing

The first Pillar consists of Research and Standards to be conducted by Oz Wedmore; Media, PR and Language, hosted by Mitchell, followed by Content Marketing, to be hosted by Nathan Skrivanic, then Social Media and Digital Communities which Maoliosa Nugent will host.

“Following our observations and journey, the second phrase will be practical. We have broken it into four pillar groups. The pillar groups are the key areas we have identified that will drive Kick Up’s strategic approach, where workshop participants can practically contribute and assist. The workshop is about getting everyone to work together to achieve more. If we all contribute one per cent to help improve the perception of horse racing, the improvement could be huge, given how many people are racing employees nationally and internationally!

“Our job is to provide the other side, not to be the opposition, but to arm ourselves with accurate facts, and then everybody and anybody can decide their view instead of being fed one narrative.”

When asked how the Kick Up journey to date has gone, Mitchell expressed, “It’s only been six months since Kick Up’s official launch and the impact it's had is already showing. We receive messages weekly from people saying they used the Kick Up resource to send to owners, another was able to use it to help secure a sponsor - it’s clear it's helping and it’s wonderful for our industry to have this resource available. The next step for us is to ensure it's sustainable both financially and resource-wise to allow us to do more, we’ll speak to that on Friday in the workshop.”

This will be the first practical workshop for Kick Up. Still, Mitchell shared that it will not be the last, with the not-for-profit organisation looking to host a seminar on the dawn of all the major Australian carnivals to arm participants with the latest research and factual information and to develop long-term strategic plans executed through the power of community.

Anyone interested in attending next Friday's workshop in the Owners’ Room at Randwick should get in touch with Maggie Johnston at mjohnston@kickup.com.au

Cover image courtesy of Sportpix

G1 Queensland Oaks weekend revived memories of the High Chaparral (Ire) filly Youngstar, who won the Classic feature in the autumn of 2018.

Up to that point, Youngstar had given Chris Waller a decent trot through three straight victories, including the G2 The Roses, and she wrapped up her streak by going down in the Queensland Derby to Dark Dream (All American) and Heavenly Thought (So You Think {NZ}).

Youngstar didn’t win again after her Oaks victory through a career that spanned 26 starts. But the tale of the filly from the Danehill (USA) mare Starspangled (Ire) was only just beginning, as it often is for these well-bred, well-performed females.

At the 2020 Inglis Chairman’s Sale, Youngstar was presented by Middlebrook Valley Lodge in a catalogue that burst with the likes of Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}) and In Her Time (Time Thief). We all know how things worked out for Samaready, and Youngstar was one of the four 'millionaires' in that sale, bought by Northern Farm’s Katsumi Yoshida for $1.4 million.

She was exported to Japan in December that year as the bloodline continued to blossom.

Youngstar’s half-sister, the Adelaide (Ire) filly Funstar, bettered her sibling by racing through victories in the G1 Flight S. and Group 2 pair of the Phar Lap S. and Tea Rose S. In the latter, she led home Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel) and Libertini (I Am Invincible).

Funstar was second in the G1 Epsom H. as a 4-year-old, proving a little sharper than her half-sister when trained on, and within a month of her retirement, she too was for sale, this time bringing the house down at Inglis Digital.

Funstar was sold on the online platform for $2.7 million in July 2021, once again to Katsumi Yoshida. It was the most paid for any horse anywhere in the world through any online auction at the time, and Yoshida was not to be outdone that night on the bloodline.

“I am so thrilled that we were able to purchase a beautiful mare,” he said in the twilight of the sale. “We have her half-sister, and also mares related to the grandam, User Friendly. We are looking forward to seeing their progeny winning in Japan.”

Olly Koolman, who had co-owned Funstar with an Inglis syndicate (after buying her as an Easter yearling for just $80,000 from Bowness Stud), couldn’t believe his good fortune at the time. And it was a second strike of lightning because he had also been involved in Youngstar’s $1.4 million price-tag the year before.

“It’s a warm and fuzzy feeling for us,” he said. “We know they’re in good hands (in Japan) and we’re attached to them. You deal with them every day and you don’t want to see them go, but it’s got to be done.”

Koolman had paid $200,000 for Youngstar at the 2016 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale and, as it transpired, there was more to this family than just Youngstar and Funstar.

Their dam, Starspangled, had also foaled Baggy Green (Galileo {Ire}), who was later the dam of the outstanding Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).

With all this in mind, it was little wonder that Yoshida was so keen to get more of the family into Northern Farm, and the first fruits of his investment will appear in July when Youngstar’s first foal, a yearling colt by Kizuna (Jpn), is offered as Hip 1 at the Japan Racing Horse Association (JRHA) Select Sale. In the Foal Session, Funstar’s first foal, a colt also by Kizuna, will be offered as Hip 441.

The Australian broodmare in Japan

The JRHA Select Sale is Japan’s elite weanling and yearling sale. On July 10, 231 yearlings will be offered as a complete catalogue, and the Foal Session will commence on July 11, with 242 youngsters catalogued.

This sale each year is a photographer’s paradise, and not just for the calibre of bloodstock that it attracts. The foals are on-complex with their dams, parading in tree-lined surrounds in high summer. It’s a destination sale for almost that reason.

Youngstar’s first foal is Hip 1, offered by Northern Farm without reserve. According to Sydney-based Japanese bloodstock agent Satomi Oka of Satomi Oka Bloodstock (FBAA), who does some work with Northern Farm, the first and last lot (the latter a colt by Rey De Oro {Jpn}) are offered unreserved.

“It’s only at the Select Sale that they don’t put a reserve price on the first lot and the very last lot,” Oka said, speaking to TDN AusNZ. “And it’s only in the last couple of years that the yearling market in Japan has picked up so much that it’s now as competitive as the foal market. Traditionally, the foal prices were more expensive, but now, if you look at the results, they’re pretty similar.”

This is an interesting facet of the Japanese bloodstock market. It’s fair to say that foals being more sought-after than yearlings at a commercial level defies much of the rest of the bloodstock world.

“Last year, the yearlings became more expensive than the foals, and that was probably one of the first times that had happened at the Select Sale,” Oka said.

The 2022 JRHA Select Sale posted new high markers in all sectors of the Japanese market. The aggregate was a record, up 14 per cent on 2021, and the average was also up. The figures from 2021 had also been records, and all this amid an industry adjusting to life without Deep Impact (Jpn) and King Kamehameha (Jpn), both of whom had died in 2019.

Youngstar’s foal is one of 15 by Kizuna in the yearling catalogue, that sire a son of Deep Impact standing at Shadai Stallion Station, which he entered in 2016 after a career that fetched wins in the G1 Tokyo Yushun, G2 Kyoto Shimbun Hai and, at Longchamp, the G2 Prix Niel.

Kizuna was Champion First Season Sire in Japan in 2019. In 2022, he was fourth on the Japanese sire table behind Deep Impact, Lord Kanaloa (Jpn) and Heart’s Cry (Jpn), a position he holds in the current season in Japan. He was therefore a logical, commercial choice for the richly bred Youngstar and Funstar.

The mares' presence in the catalogue this July isn’t new fare for Australia.

Last year, the brilliant Australian Group 1 winner Mosheen (Fastnet Rock) topped the yearling session when her Maurice (Jpn) colt sold for ¥450 million (AU$4.9 million). The following day, in the foals’ session, her Epiphaneia (Jpn) colt sold for ¥300 million (AU$3.3 million).

In the past, the likes of the Australian dual Group 1 winner Shamrocker (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) have spread their bloodlines successfully through Japanese racing, while the latest star to shine in that respect is Yankee Rose (All American), who has proved herself a darling with her dual Group 1-winning daughter Liberty Island (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}).

The Yankee Rose fairytale is far from over. Just last week at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Isotope (Deep Field) was sold by Black Soil Bloodstock for $2.3 million to Yulong. Isotope, a triple Listed winner, is very closely related to Liberty Island, her dam a half-sister to Yankee Rose.

“I think it’s fantastic that there is this relationship between Australia and Japan,” Oka said. “I think both can benefit from each other’s existence. And being in different hemispheres, you can decide if things aren’t working in Japan, they may work in Australia, or vice versa. And also, Australian stayers or middle-distance horses may not be as commercial as they are in Japan, so it tends to work out.”

Oka highlights the differences between the way the two industries work. She said breeding in Japan leans towards the Classic distances, so those are the bloodlines that are most valued there. In Australia, the sprinter is king.

“On saying that, Japan is bringing in those American speed horses now, and even from Europe, to breed for speed,” she said. “Australia will definitely benefit from that too because we love a speed horse down here, and Northern Farm and Shadai, in particular, have invested heavily in mares with those pedigrees.

“When it comes to these Australian mares that are doing so well in Japan, I would also say that a lot of smaller breeders in Japan are starting to look into the Australian market too. They’re paying more attention to what is available here.”

This symbiosis has been propagated by the success of Japanese shuttlers in Australia since the 1990s, namely Maurice in the Hunter Valley and Satono Aladdin (Jpn) in New Zealand right now. Before them, there was the success of the Sunday Silence (USA) line.

Family reunion

Oka is heading to Japan for the Select Sale in July. In Australia, her bread and butter is assisting clients to purchase horses from Japan in both private and public auctions. However, she also does a lot of background work for the Yoshida family’s high-profile purchases in Australia, like Funstar.

She knows that Youngstar’s colt will be a drawcard of the upcoming catalogue, as will be the two half-sisters (one a yearling and one a foal) to the globetrotting champion Gentildonna (Jpn) (Deep Impact {Jpn}). It's part of the theatre of this sale that two offspring from a mare, and the mare herself, can and regularly do appear in the same sale.

So why is Northern Farm selling the Youngstar and Funstar colts in the first place?

“Northern Farm’s fundamental business model is to breed to sell,” Oka said. “Yes, they do retain horses to race, and often it’s through horses that couldn’t be sold due to injury, and those horses are often raced in the owners’ name or shared with friends.

“But most of the horses they breed are sold at this auction, or through the syndicates they manage.”

Youngstar has visited Kitasan Black (Jpn) at Shadai Stallion Station since her colt by Kizuna. This July at the Select Sale, which will take place at Northern Horse Park in Tomakomai City, it will be a family reunion, of sorts.