The flashy colt by Profondo, and out of Bad Habits (NZ) (Power {GB}), has caught the eye of both Windsor Park Stud and Carlaw Park’s Nick Fairweather. He could prove to be another outstanding result from a mare purchased for just NZ$35,000 - a decision influenced by connections to her dam, formed during Fairweather’s time working for Sir Patrick Hogan at the iconic Cambridge Stud.
A pedigree with Cambridge Stud foundations
Bad Habits (NZ) (Power {GB}) is an unraced mare by one of Cambridge Stud’s former shuttle stallions, Power (GB), who now stands in Queensland. She has a seriously deep pedigree, being a full sister to Lady Maroal (NZ) (Power {GB}), a four-time winner including at Listed level, and a half-sister to multiple Group winner Oracy (NZ), as well as dual Listed winner The Lady (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}), and Ruthless Lady (NZ) (Keeper), a winner at two and Listed-placed at three.
Ruthless Lady herself has produced four winners, including the outstanding Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), winner of the G1 Robert Sangster Stakes and G3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes. She was sold as a broodmare prospect for $2 million to Katsumi Yoshida at the 2024 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
Ruthless Dame (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Other standout performers in the pedigree include Bad Habits’ grandam Lady Dehere (NZ) (Dehere {USA}), a Group 2-winning juvenile, and the Group 1 winners Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock) and her daughter Warm Heart (IRE) (Galileo {IRE}).
Fairweather of Carlaw Park, who originally purchased Bad Habits for just NZ$35,000 at the yearling sales, shared the story behind the decision, “I worked at Cambridge Stud when I was younger and had a lot to do with Lady Dehere, the dam of Bad Habits,” Fairweather said.
“When Sir Patrick sold Cambridge Stud, we (Carlaw Park) were lucky enough to get chosen by Sir Patrick to sell a couple of his yearlings. “She (Bad Habits) was in either our first or second draft we did for Sir Patrick, and I said to Nicole (Nicole Brown, Nick's partner and co-owner of Carlaw Park), we should maybe buy this filly, we were just starting off really, and I thought she could be a nice purchase.
“What ended up happening was the unusual case of buying a yearling from our own draft for NZ$35,000. So she was offered by Carlaw Park and purchased by Fairweather Bloodstock.
Nick Fairweather | Image courtesy of Carlaw Park
“She had a bit of an attitude, but she was very typical of the family. I knew that it was a really good filly family, so I thought there would end up being plenty of fillies breeding from it.”
After showing promise at the trials, Bad Habits suffered an injury at home, prompting the decision to retire her to stud.
“She showed enough at the trials, but then she ended up injuring herself at home so we decided to retire her and breed from her. We brought in John and Jan Cassin of La Crique fame, and they now own 50% of the mare with us.”
A nice, well-rounded colt
When a stud master rings with news of a foaling, it’s always slightly unnerving for mare owners - is the mare okay? Is the foal healthy? What’s the foal like? So, when the call brings good news, it’s a relief - and when it brings great news about how nice the foal is, even better.
“Rod (Rodney Schick) gave me a ring over the weekend and said he was well above average, a nice well-rounded colt. Nice and flashy, and with a fair bit of white on him.
Gallery: Profondo x Bad Habits (NZ) colt, images courtesy of Gina Schick - Windsor Park Stud
“The mare has had two lovely Profondos now, a filly and a colt. He has a bit of white on him and a lot of the family have that bit of white, so that’s quite nice. It makes you feel better when they have some similarities with the good ones in the family.”
Bad Habits’ breeding record
For a value purchase, Bad Habits has already produced one very handy result for the team, and there is no doubt the potential for a lot more in the years to come.
“Her first foal was a Tivaci colt and he was probably a bit of a typical first foal and a bit immature, we race him now and he is with Mark Forbes and isn’t far away from resuming," Fairweather said.
“Her second foal was a Satono Aladdin filly, and we sold her as a weanling for $145,000 at the Great Southern Sale. This was a good result, but a bit unusual as we are usually the ones buying weanlings. She ended up being sold for $300,000 at this year’s Magic Millions and is in work with Michael Freedman now.
“Then last year she had the first Profondo born, and she is a cracking filly, and she will go to one of the major yearling sales next year, then this year she left the first Profondo again for the season, and he looks a really nice colt.”
Shamexpress up next for Bad Habits
It can often be a tricky decision when choosing the right stallion for a mare’s mating. This season, Fairweather and his partners have settled on a match they believe ticks all the boxes commercially - whether the result is a colt or a filly.
“We are going to Shamexpress this spring. It’s no secret that he has some issues with fertility, but she is a young mare who is fertile and has got in foal first time in the last three years. It’s also going to be nice and early in the season also.
Shamexpress (NZ) | Standing at Windsor Park Stud
“Also with her, if it is a colt or a filly, it doesn’t really matter. It is a very good filly family, but also a Shamexpress colt would be very attractive to the Hong Kong market, with Ka Ying Rising being such an outstanding horse. and the sire doing a good job.
“So we would be very happy either way and I think it’s a really nice mating.”
