Cover image supplied
South Australian property Rathmore Lodge launched in 2019 with Ross Hatton at the helm, and last year, he purchased Listed Natasha Stakes winning mare Jedaffair (Trade Fair {GB}) via Inglis Digital where she was sold by Seymour Equine for only $600. Jedaffair won five races in West Australia and over $270,000, so the purchase price was certainly a bargain for her level of racing ability. But there was a good reason for the price – her poor breeding record.
Capitalist x Jedaffair colt | Born at Rathmore Lodge
Brilliant race mare with cheap sales records
Jedaffair was a cheap weanling herself costing Wesley Martin only $1750 from Lynward Park Stud’s Magic Millions Perth Mixed Sale as a weanling. But she defied that to become a stakes winner, and was on-sold at the end of her racing career at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $60,000 and sent to Nicconi.
“She was ridiculously cheap (on Inglis Digital) because she had a poor breeding record. Her first foal was still unraced then and her next foal had died, then she’d slipped. She actually passed in and I offered the owner a small sum,” Hatton said.
Jedaffair | Image courtesy of Inglis
After producing now 4-year-old mare Niccy’s Affair (Nicconi), who was sold by Scenic Lodge at the Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale for $20,000 to Roy Rogers, she had a still-born Royal Meeting (Ire) colt, wasn’t served the following year, then slipped to Kermadec (NZ).
“She’s lovely style of mare, with plenty of leg under her.”
An upgrade with Capitalist
Hatton has invested in Jedaffair, putting faith in her race record to upgrade her by using proven Group 1 sire Capitalist.
“I sent her to Capitalist, who is a great value stallion. He’s a cracking stallion who gets a lot of winners and another stakes winner yesterday. Fernrigg looked after her, she got in foal quickly on an early service and she’s had a bloody good colt.”
“There’s very little to fault about him. He’s got size and strength and a good set of hocks on him. He’s a very good colt.”
Since purchasing Jedaffair, her first foal Niccy’s Affair has come out and won. Trained by Albany trainer Roy Rogers, she won at her second start as a 3-year-old. “The Nicconi won paying about $126 at it’s second start. She’d drawn the outside barrier on debut and ran last, then came out next time in with blinkers on, jumped and led the whole way and won.”
Rathmore’s preference for weanling sales
The colt will be offered as a weanling next winter at either Magic Millions or Inglis. “We will send him to the weanling sales next year. Everything we do is geared towards the weanling sales,” said Hatton.
“I love selling as weanlings as there’s always a plan b. We’ve done well selling horses as weanlings, and were the top vendors by average in Sydney in three of the last four years. We sold a Too Darn Hot last year for $250,000 and a Dubious for $200,000 the year before.”
And as for Jedaffair? “She’s booked to Southport Tycoon. It’s the same cross as Capitalist, with both being by Written Tycoon. I really like him as a first season stallion.”
Southport Tycoon | Standing at Widden Stud
Jedaffair is one of 19 stakes winner for her sire Trade Fair (GB) who is a Group 3 winning son of Zafonic (USA) out of a Danehill (USA) mare, while Jedaffair's dam King’s Lynn (King’s Best {USA}) is an unraced daughter of Group 1 winner Miss Josh (USA) (Nasty And Bold {USA}). Miss Josh won 14 races, an incredibly tough mare.
Written Tycoon’s sire sons are headlined by Capitalist and Champion First Season Sire Ole Kirk, as well as proven sons Written By, Rich Enuff, Winning Rupert, and Dirty Work. He has new sons such as Southport Tycoon, Private Life, and First Settler all retiring to stud recently.
