Banner is a headline act

Starspangledbanner, with Danny Nikolic up, parades before last Saturday’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (Pic: Newmarc)

Issue 30, October 16

When I was racing manager for Lee Freedman in the early to mid-1990s, one of my favourite horses in the stable was the filly Big Sky Montana (br m 1990, Lord Seymour (IRE)–Tennessee Belle, by Bold Lad (IRE)), who was owned by a syndicate of mostly first-time owners put together by Vern Raynor.

Raynor also syndicated Freedman’s triple Group 1 winner Poetic King.

Big Sky Montana was a natural talent, winning three of her first four starts before finishing second behind Asawir in the Listed William Crocket Stakes (1000m) at Moonee Valley in 1993.

It was unfortunate that Big Sky Montana didn’t win a Stakes race, as she certainly had the ability. As an autumn 3YO, she bled when fourth behind Balm In Gilead in the Group 3 The Vanity (1400m) at Flemington. She returned after her ban to beat the brilliant Brawny Spirit in a Flemington 1000m dash in December 1994.

Lorraine Morrissey managed the syndicate of six owners and she retained an interest in Big Sky Montana when the mare retired to stud. Morrissey and her partners race all the progeny and Rick Hore-Lacy (also a partner) is their trainer.

At stud, Big Sky Montana is the dam of the triple Stakes winner Dantana (by Danzero).

I was reminded of Big Sky Montana when her promising filly Big Spirit (b f 2006, by Invincible Spirit) won in the mud at Cranbourne on Thursday. Big Spirit is a filly with a future.

Starspangledbanner’s magnificent Group 1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) last week firmly places him high on the prospective sires’ list with a value between $10 million and $15 million, depending on whom you talk to.

If Starspangledbanner (ch c 2006, Choisir–Gold Anthem, by Made Of Gold (USA)) can return in the autumn and win again at Group 1 level, his future is assured, but where?

The better his performance, the less likely Victoria is to retain him, even with Tony Santic’s Makybe, who bred the horse, retaining 25 per cent interest.

Santic is a businessman, and while he would certainly want to stand Starspangedbanner at Makybe, Gnarwarre, near Geelong, pure economics will come into play if one of the big studs in the Hunter Valley decides the son of Choisir is good enough for its roster.

As it stands, Starspangledbanner is a perfect fit for Victoria, whose breeding industry is desperate for more commercial, mid-range stallions for its breeders.

The fact that Starspangledbanner is another Group 1 winning Danehill-line stallion prospect is in Victoria’s favour, due to the abundance of Danehill and Danzig line stallions already on the rosters of most of the leading Hunter Valley studs.

In Victoria, the wealth of daughters of sires such as Encosta De Lago (by Fairy King) – before his move to Coolmore – Umatilla (by Miswaki), Bel Esprit (by Royal Academy), Rubiton (by Century) and Statue Of Liberty (by Storm Cat) and influential old-timers like Rancho Ruler (by Rancher) and Rustic Amber (by Thatching), means that a

Danehill-line stallion has a suitable broodmare base to support him.

Starspangledbanner is the first Group 1 winner by Coolmore’s Choisir (ch h 1999, Danehill Dancer (IRE)–Great Selection, by Lunchtime (GB)), who like his sire is proving a prolific sire of good, quality winners both here and in Europe.

Starspangledbanner is a similar colour to the flashy chestnut Choisir, but physically he is less of a muscular brute than his “Schwarzenegger-like” sire. He is more athletic and slightly more refined, but like his dad, he is all speed from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail.

Syndicators Brad Spicer and Troy Corstens paid $120,000 for Starspangledbanner, from the Makybe draft, at the 2008 Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale.

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WORDS BY DANNY POWER

Theatrical’s Aussie legacy The announcement that North American sire Theatrical was to be retired from stud duty, aged 27, was a reminder of his influence to Australia.

Theatrical (b h 1982, Nureyev (USA)–Tree Of Knowledge (IRE), by Sassafras (FR)) is the sire of the 2002 Group 1 Melbourne Cup winner Media Puzzle.

However, the stallion’s influence “down under” stretches further back that that.

In 1996, his son Portland Player (b h 1993, ex-Spirit Of Kingston, by Bletchingly), trained by Lee Freedman for David Hains’ Kingston Park Stud Syndicate, won the Group 1 Victoria Derby (2500m) at Flemington.

Portland Player, like the 1990 Melbourne Cup winner Kingston Rule (ch h 1986, Secretariat (USA)–Rose Of Kingston, by Claude (ITY)), was part of the experiment by Hains to send his prized broodmare band, including the outstanding mare Kingston Rose and her two Group 1 winning daughters Rose Of Kingston and Spirit Of Kingston, to his Kentucky farm to be mated to the best Kentucky stallions (to both northern and southern hemisphere time) and the resultant progeny returned to race in Australia.

Whereas Kingston Rule was born in Kentucky, Portland Player was foaled in New Zealand in September 1993 when Spirit Of Kingston was on her way back to Kingston Park on the Mornington Peninsula.

Theatrical is generally regarded as the best staying influence of all Nureyev’s sire-sons – that stoutness came

through his dam sire Sassafrass (by Sheshoon), who won the 1970 Group 1 Prix de l’arc de Triomphe (2400m) and the 1970 Group 1 French Derby (2400m).

Theatrical, who will serve out his days in retirement at Hill ‘n Dale Stud, Kentucky, sired 22 Group 1 winners from 19 crops and his stock were best over a distance on turf.

Al Maher adds to the depth The depth of Australia’s stallions is growing to the point where broodmare owners are spoilt by the options at unprecedented levels.

Emirates Park’s royally-bred Group 1 winner Al Maher is quietly making a name for himself after an even but unspectacular start to his stallion career.

His oldest crop are 3YOs, and he sits third on the second-season sires’ list behind Fastnet Rock and Elvstroem after nudging ahead of Dane Shadow in the last few days.

Two new Al Maher winners on Thursday – Konatri (Cranbourne) and Favours Trader (Ipswich) – take his season tally to 10 winners, including the Group 2 Edward

Manifold Stakes winner Majestic Music (b f 2006, ex-Regal Flute, by Royal Academy (USA)).

Last season Majestic Music and Speedy Natalie provided Al Maher’s first crop with two Stakes winners, but he was always expected to shine as his progeny aged.

Al Maher (b h 2001, Danehill (USA)–Show Dancing (NZ), by Don’t Say Halo (USA)) won his three Group races at three, including the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m, Flemington) in 2005.

Al Maher is a close relation to Redoute’s Choice – both are by Danehill from daughters of Dancing Show (USA) (by Nijinsky 11 (CAN)).

Al Maher stands at Emirates Park, Murrurundi, NSW, for a fee of $24,200 (inc. GST).

Timing right for Arrowfield on Redoute’s Arrowfield Stud’s announcement that its premier stallion Redoute’s Choice was having some early- season fertility issues was done in the best interests of breeders and the timing was right.

Redoute’s Choice is showing inconsistency in his pattern of

getting mares in foal, so much so that if he continues at his early season rate, he will probably get only 80 of his 160 mares in foal. That can change as the season progresses and as the stallion starts to strike at his usual 80 plus percentage.

I have heard from some broodmare owners, not necessarily directly affected by the situation, that Arrowfield took too long to make its announcement.

That’s a very tough call on Arrowfield, who must be mindful that it doesn’t want to cause unnecessary anxiety to breeders with bookings to the stallion, especially those booked to be served later in the season, and at the same time be sure the stud is giving breeders the correct information to make a decision on whether to continue with their plans to go to the stallion.

Redoute’s Choice started serving on September 1, and he will have covered an average of four mares a day, with the first pregnancy test not done until 15 days after the cover. It would have been early in October before Arrowfield would have had enough information to consider there was a trend in Redoute’s Choice’s strike rate.

Apparently, there are days the horse gets all his mares in foal, and none on other days.

The Arrowfield announcement said it was not uncommon for stallions, including Redoute’s Choice, to hit a flat spot in any breeding season, but in Redoute’s Choice’s case it happened to be at the start of the season, which caused most of the concern. Tests on the horse have failed to reveal the reason for the problem, but at $180,000 (plus GST) a cover, you can rest assured that John Messara and his team will be working around the clock to find and correct the problem.

DANNY POWER

Portland Player, a son of Theatrical and winner of the 1996 Group 1 Victoria Derby.