by Brett Coffey on September 1, 2010
Ima High Rolla enjoying her last few days without a foal!
Well the 1st of September has rolled around again. Happy Birthday to all those Australian standardbreds out there who read the Patrician Park website.
Foaling season will start again shortly. We have a number of mares due in September and a number of those are maidens.
This time of year is one of excitement but also trepidation. For a breeder there are very few better moments than seeing new foals born and then grow up. It is just magical. On the flipside of that there is nothing worse for a breeder than losing foals and mares.
Unfortunately both of these scenarios can occur at this time of year.
Last season we had a very good foaling season with only one foal dying (still very sad) and of course one very premature foal. We were so lucky last year.
The season before was an absolute disaster where we lost five foals including two Art Major’s, two Western Terror’s and a Grinfromeartoear.
So we touch wood, keep our fingers crossed and pray that this year will be a good one and that we can have a trouble free foaling season and witness some beautiful babies grow up.
by Brett Coffey on July 18, 2010
Touch Of Tango as a yearling.
You hear a lot about a footy team’s premiership window. Some people believe in it other’s don’t, however history shows us that teams don’t stay at the premiership level long.
The same is generally true for horses. Sure there are horses like Blacks A Fake, Pure Steel, Village Kid, Our Sir Vancelot, etc that have stayed at the very top level for a number of years, but the greater majority of horses have very few chances to win a major race.
I started thinking about this after watching Touch Of Tango run an extremely game second in the Group One Sires Stakes Final for 2yo Colts and Geldings at Gloucester Park on the 6th of July.
This was Touch Of Tango’s second Group One placing after already finishing second in the $115,000 Sales Classic Final in April.
On both occasions he started from barrier eight, which is a big disadvantage.
Bob Melsopp has developed this colt all along and had a plan mapped out at the start of the season which culminated in the Sires Stakes Final. He didn’t want to go to the well one too many times as a 2yo which can be the undoing of many a good horse.
I admire Bob’s belief in this gelding and his plan to not over race him and put him out at the top of his game.
However has Touch Of Tango missed his chance at winning that Group One race? He wasn’t really a winning chance in the Sales Classic Final. While he won his heat impressively, drawing barrier eight while the other two heat winners in Blissful Boy and Bettors Ace drew well in barrier one and ten made it near impossible for him to win.
While in the Sires Stakes Final, Touch Of Tango started favourite. He was expected to win and only bad racing luck stopped him from claiming victory.
Some horses are natural 2yo’s and don’t progress as much as other’s from two to three. Also in WA we always have a number of very high priced 3yo’s imported from New Zealand to compete in our $200,000 Derby.
These things make it hard to win a big race as a 3yo in WA.
Having said all of that, here we have a horse who has been developed and trained by a very good trainer, not been over raced and been put out to spell sound and at the top of his game. These factors are very much in Touch Of Tango’s favour.
Is Touch Of Tango’s Premiership Window closed or is it still open? Time will tell.
