Sizzling colt out of Dedication - Tony Gollan to train $8,500 for 10% $4,250 for 5%

It is amazing that after just two weeks of the new season we have some very familiar names at the top of the Australian Trainer’s Premiership and the General Sires List. Darren Weir heads the Australian Trainers Premiership and Snitzel heads the Australian General Sire’s List.

Snitzel has had a remarkable 73 runners in the first two weeks of the season with 13 winners. He leads from Street Cry who is certain to get a lift this week with Winx running in Sydney. I am Invincible is in 3rd place with Star Witness which I highlighted last week has moved into 5th spot.

A sire we supported from his first crop was Smart Missile who is now a 3rd Season Sire and is placed in 13th spot well clear of his cohort. While it is very early days in the 2017/18 Season the results being compiled by our leading sires are not that different from the previous season. The sire tables make for interesting reading each morning.

It doesn’t take time for the good horses to start to make their mark at this time of the year and Menari’s win was easily the best by a three year old in recent weeks. He may well head to ‘The Everest’ which is interesting. The final make up of ‘The Everest’ field is far from complete and the lead in to the race will be intriguing.

FLEMINGTON COMMITTEE ROOM LUNCH 20 JANUARY 2018

The details for the day are almost complete. It is looking good. To make the weekend one to remember we will be having a BBQ Lunch at Fulmen Park on the Mornington Peninsular which is the main spelling farm we use in Victoria.

NOW IS THE TIME

If you are considering joining one of the Melbourne Racing Clubs now is the time. I saw a report last week that the Melbourne Racing Club may be about to cap membership.

The VRC’s new member’s stand will be complete by the start of the 2018 Spring Carnival. It will be a major attraction for any racing person visiting not only Victoria but Australia. Membership of the VRC is currently open but I’m certain once people start to get a sniff of just how good the facilities will be in the new stand the club will get a rush on membership.

The VRC are doing their bit to attract the younger generation to the races with a really good function on 16 September. The younger race enthusiasts like my two daughters look to a day at the races as a social event and the work being done by the bigger clubs in both Melbourne and Sydney is to be highly commended.

Ash McGregor from the ATC is always on the look out to improve the experience for everyone attending a day at one of the Sydney Club’s four racecourses. I still think the model of having just the one club with multiple venues at its disposal is the best one but it would be difficult to see how the three Melbourne Clubs could combine. The one downside to being a member of a racing club in Melbourne is the cost if you decide or need to be a member of the three clubs, it is expensive.

AT THE TRACK

The dry winter that has been occurring across southern Australia over the past few weeks certainly must be of some concern to the racecourse managers. We really don’t want our horses racing on rock hard tracks as we head towards the Spring Carnival but with just two weeks remaining in winter this may well be the case.

We will have fewer runners over the next six weeks which is normal for us at this time of the year. Montana Pines steps out at Doomben tomorrow with Husson’s Kiss set to run Sunday at Devonport. We have Flying Jess jumping out at Caulfield on Tuesday ahead of her return to the track at Caulfield on 2 September in the Crockram Stakes. Lord Elliott and Makeadane also will barrier trial on Tuesday at Randwick.

Reneged heads back to Sydney after having a quiet week with a snotty nose.

YEARLINGS – NOW TWO YEAR OLDS!!!

And then there was one!!! I am almost certain the only shares I have remaining are in the Sizzling colt out of Dedication. If there are any others available I will advise next week in the dispatch. The interest we have had in our yearlings this year has been unprecedented with the overall spend on our yearlings up over 300% on five years ago.

Sizzling /Dedication colt – Tony Gollan 10% shares $8,500 5% shares $4,250

This is a cracking colt and he certainly attracted my attention at the sales where he was one of only two colts I had vetted. He is well grown and a very athletic horse. He has a wonderful attitude and is nice walking horse. He handled the breaking in process without any issues.

I love his pedigree and more than that I was instantly attracted to him when I inspected him. If you don’t like a horse when you first inspect it you should never buy it.

In my opinion this colt was as good an individual as I inspected in the sale and a colt I really wanted to secure. I only usually purchase two colts a year with this being the second.

The colts and geldings we currently have in our system to have raced and won include Husson Eagle, Invincible Al, Reneged, Annaman, Lomazzo, Banachek, Great Southern and Makeadane.

We have three geldings that have raced but are yet to win including the highly promising three year old Chalmers as well as Montana Pines and Quirion.

I really liked what I saw in a number of the progeny of Sizzling at this year’s sales. To me it is a no brainer that he will be a success at stud. He was a terrific racehorse and precocious two year old from the most dominant sire line in Australia for the past 20 years out of a ‘black type’ mare by one of the greatest sprinters of the modern generation in General Nediym. General Nediym has done a remarkable job through his daughters at stud with him currently sitting in 5th spot on the Australian broodmare list. This isn’t surprising. The ‘General’ had good depth to his pedigree on his dam’s side with his daughters residing at the very best studs in Australia. Sizzling’s pedigree page is very strong with a host of very good horses down the page. In fact it couldn’t be any stronger with both the 2nd and 3rd dams being superior producers.

I love the General Nediym (1st dam), Alzao stakes winner (2nd Dam) and Without Fear stakes producer (3rd dam) down the page. Estate Label, the 3rd dam was a very high class producer also throwing the outstanding two year old filly Loving Cup.

I must say I had a bit to do with both sides of this pedigree with Sizzling’s sire Snitzel being out of Snippet’s Lass. Both General Nediym and Snippet’s Lass were trained by Bill Mitchell when I was his Racing Manager. They were both high class racehorses with Snippet’s Lass being one of the toughest mares I have had anything to do with.

Dedication

Dedication is a young well related mare by a sire that has had a great impact in Australia through his daughters at stud and provides a perfect outcross to the many Danehill line sires we have standing in Australia. A close look at this female line displays plenty to be enthusiastic about.

Firstly, Singspiel has crossed beautifully with the sons of Danehill with the high class Australian Group 1 winners Helmet and Epaulette being amongst the thirty two Group winners his daughters have thrown.

Secondly, there are several examples of Danehill working in this pedigree headed by Alverta, the Group 1 winning daughter of Flying Spur, Group 3 winner Aerobics and stakes performers Violet Lane and Star Mystic.

On the strength of my opinion of this colt and the Sizzling filly I purchased at the Gold Coast Magic Millions I have recommended to our owners that we send three of the mares I manage to Sizzling. I rate him a huge chance at being a success at stud.

I am getting very positive feedback on the progeny of Sizzling. He has to be a good chance at stud. He is by Snitzel out of a General Nediym mare. Speed on speed. Hijack Hussy winning at Flemington trained by Tony Gollan Melbourne Cup Day Kate and Gabby are having a great time in Europe