Stable Tours: Griffiths de Kock like the Ole Kirks and Hanseatics

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

With their training partnership's results improving each year, Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock are into a good groove and there are exciting times ahead as they look back at a highly successful season that saw them represented by 74 winners including four stakes winners.

Last year's Melbourne Cup week was a particularly good time for the stable, leading the way in terms of strike rate which was, Robbie said “fantastic as it is such a competitive week!”

“Hopefully we can do it again this year.”

The 2023/24 season also saw the stable send out one of Victoria's best juveniles with Tobeornottobe (Pierata) at debut collared only late by the subsequent G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}) before a close up fourth behind that same filly in the G2 Blue Diamond Fillies Prelude and a dominant all the way win in the G3 Thoroughbred Breeders S. at Flemington in late March.

On that occasion she proved 1.5l too good for Ameena (Tassort) who has proven the value of that form with her recent G2 Silver Shadow S. victory.

Tobeornottobe, who was purchased by her trainers with Peter Ford for $200,000 at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, has some nice options over the spring and is set to resume in the Listed Cap D'Antibes S. at Flemington on September 14.

Raced by a group of stable clients led by Yabby Dam Farms, Tobeornottobe is a well named daughter of the Listed W.J Adams S. winner Shakespearean Lass (Written Tycoon).

She had her first jump-out for the campaign at Cranbourne in mid-August, finishing at the rear behind the subsequent G3 McNeil S. winner Growing Empire (Zoustar) but not asked for much on rain affected going which she is not at her best on.

She headed to her second jump-out at the same track on Tuesday and Robbie was very pleased by her second to the unbeaten colt First Settler (Written Tycoon).

Thousand Guineas a nice aim for a Pierata

“She went well, and we are looking forward to having her back at the races,” Robbie said, noting that she does not need to be rushed with “the Melbourne spring carnival now extending later into the year.”

With the G1 Thousand Guineas now held in November, Tobeornottobe can be taken along slowly, and Robbie is confident that she can show all the more as a 3-year-old than she did at two when she was a bit of a surprise packet.

“Being by Pierata who was at his best at three and later we were not really expecting her to pop up as early as she did, but her mum was a fast Written Tycoon mare and that is probably where that early speed came from.”

“You would think though that a Pierata is going to be well suited over the mile,” he added.

So taken by Tobeornottobe were Griffiths and de Kock that they were happy to re-invest in the family, at this year's Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale laying down $180,000 for her half-sister by Widden Stud's young stallion Russian Camelot (Ire). Also raced by Yabby Dam Farms with breeder Widden Stud also remaining in the ownership, she has been named Andjuliet and the early signs are good.

“She is a lovely filly who has done a bit of fast work,” Griffiths said. “And she actually went to the paddock today.”

Russian Camelot quite sharp

Whilst expecting that the progeny of Russian Camelot (Ire) are going to improve with age, Robbie noted that, “he was quite sharp,” doing a good job quickly striking winning form despite the disadvantage of his Northern Hemisphere foaling date.

Andjuliet is one of a number of the stable's youngest by stallions yet to be represented by runners and Robbie is excited by what is emerging.

“We have a nice Doubtland filly, a couple of Farnans and a Prague filly who are all doing everything right,” he said.

“We have a mixed bag of horses by young stallions which puts us in an exciting position.”

And amongst those are the progeny of two horses Robbie has a particular liking for; Vinery Stud's dual Group 1-winning Written Tycoon horse Ole Kirk and Rosemont Stud's Group 3-winning Street Boss (USA) horse Hanseatic.

It is little wonder that Robbie is a fan of those two horses who both hail from the family of his favourite stallion, the late Magnus who provided winner after winner for the stable including Robbie's homebred dual Group 3 winner Halvorsen, the Listed-winning mare Prettyhappyaboutit and the durable King Magnus.

A great breed

“They are such a great breed, so durable, we just love them and all the runners we have bred by Magnus have had good ability.”

At the age of nine, King Magnus is still performing well for the team; still competitive in good company whilst not having had the best of luck at recent outings.

“He has been a superstar for us,” Griffiths said of the G3 Kevin Heffernan S. and Listed Cranbourne Cup winner who has amassed over $1.1 million in stakes. “And he is still running nice races.”

“We will look at a few country Cups for him over the spring, races like the Seymour and Sale Cups look good for him.”

Rey Magnerio (Magnus) is another of the breed doing good things for the stable, the three-quarter brother to the G3 Naturalism S. winner Magnapal (Magnus) winning half of his 12 starts to date with successes at Flemington and Caulfield and a stakes-placing in the Listed Bel Esprit S. in March.

The 5-year-old, who is due to resume at Caulfield on September 21 has been coming along well, Robbie noting that “he takes a while to get fit.”

He has jumped out nicely on two occasions at Cranbourne as he nears his resumption; fourth behind the in-form Recommendation (Shalaa {Ire}) a couple of weeks ago and on Tuesday second to the stakes-winning mare Lempicka (Rich Enuff).

Ole Kirk - a breed with brains

Robbie has seen similar qualities in the Ole Kirk breed as he has noted in the progeny of Magnus, noting that “they just want to get on with things and get their job done.”

“They have great brains,” he added, also happy with the early progress of the stable's Hanseatic horses.

“They also have great attitudes and they are good movers who look like they are going to get up and go early.”

Not that Robbie and Mat will be in a hurry to get their youngsters to the track, preferring to let their juveniles find their feet in their initial campaigns.

“We don't want to put too much pressure on them yet, we see this side of the calendar year as being all about education for them.”

“We bring them in and out,” Griffiths said, happy to focus on 3-year-old and beyond racing, though of course, also very happy when one shows enough to be competitive at two, such as Tobeornottobe who had her first jump-out last November and her first start in late January.

“You never know when one is going to come out and surprise you,” he said.

A good campaign ahead for Verdad

Verdad (Justify {USA}), a member of his hot young sire's first Australian crop, is a horse who has always shown good ability for the Griffiths de Kock yard and Robbie was happy with the 4-year-olds winning a Cranbourne trial last week.

“I think he is going to have a very good campaign,” he said of the gelding who last time in was competitive with the state's best 3-year-olds, also running nice races in strong company last spring.

A $150,000 Inglis Ready2Race purchase, bred locally by Merricks Station, out of the Group 3-placed, multiple city winner Whistle Baby (Magnus), Verdad is one of the favourites as he resumes over 1200 metres at Moonee Valley on Saturday with Jye McNeil aboard.

Last year's G2 Sandown Guineas winner Serasana (Snitzel) has not had a jump-out yet though Robbie has been happy with her progress; “she is coming along well, and we will be looking at the back end of the carnival for her.”

A $400,000 Inglis Easter yearling bred by Kia Ora Stud, Serasana, who was very good in stakes company at two and three, is one of the five winners produced by the G2 VRC Sires Produce S. winner Twilight Royale (Testa Rossa).

The very fast Listed Century S. winner Najem Suhail (Starspangledbanner) won't be seen this spring, being saved for an autumn campaign whilst unfortunately the G1 VRC Derby and G1 South Australian Derby placegetter Aberfeldie Boy (So You Think {NZ}) pulled up sore from his latest run and has gone to the paddock.

Robbie still has high hopes for that $220,000 Magic Millions graduate from the prolific Denise's Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}) family, noting that “whilst you hate it when they are not right sometimes long term it is a blessing for a staying type of horse to have this time off.”

Talented mare US-bound

Another horse who unfortunately won't be seen again this spring is the talented stayer Let'sbefrankbaby (Frankel {GB}), the $400,000 Inglis Easter purchase who won last year's G3 South Australian Fillies Classic.

Running a nice race to finish on the heels of the placegetters when resuming at Caulfield late last month, the mare from a high-class European family is part-owned by the highly successful American-based owner Gary Barber who is keen to see her continue her racing career in the United States.

“It is sad to see her go,” Griffiths said of the mare who flies out of Melbourne on Saturday.

Though the stable does have another nice Frankel (GB) in the shape of Nation's Call (Ire) who, during his debut Australian campaign, raced four times; recording smart victories at Pakenham and Sandown and finishing runner-up at his other two starts.

Recently gelded, the son of the dual Group 3 winner Making Light (Ire) (Tamayuz {GB}) raced over the winter months and, having needed “a little rest" is set to resume in mid-October with the stable looking forward to having him ready for a second-up crack at Melbourne Cup week.

Also being aimed at the later spring with Flemington and subsequent Caulfield meetings in mind, the lightly raced and promising 4-year-old Liberami (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}) is another horse impressing her trainers.

The $120,000 Inglis Premier purchase made her way through the grades nicely over winter and her Flemington win overcoming trouble in running in late July was a particular eye-catcher.

Spring is not only a busy time of year in regards to racing for Robbie who is also a successful breeder, laughing when asked how many mares he is breeding with; “too many!” the answer.

“We've had a lot of success with fast mares who didn't get to show their potential,” he said, singling out Vaingt Trois (Noalcoholic {Fr}) and her daughter Flourishing (Not A Single Doubt) as good examples; the former producing the Listed winner Beltrois (Bel Esprit) and the latter one of the stable favourites in Halvorsen.