Behind every Group One win, there is a story to be told.

This is especially so of the win by the Waikato Stud-bred and raced Savabeel mare Costume, who under the expert guidance of trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson and the ringcraft of 32 time Gr.1 winning jockey  Michael Coleman, powered home to claim the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

 

To be exact, this Gr.1 story's roots date back to 1975 when Garry Chittick first entered the breeding caper.

 

"We had just taken over Thornton Park in Masterton and had just acquired the stallion Super Gray and the four mares Wenona Girl, Colana Star, Miss Coventry and Georgina Belle," he explained.

 

"My knowledge of stallions was limited, so I head-hunted Michael's Dad Peter Coleman. He was a very good horseperson and had been working as a studmaster at John Clapham's farm.

 

"I was very lucky to have Peter, as I had a lot of debt and I wouldn't have survived my first year without him," said Chittick.

 

Peter importantly brought three sons with him to Thornton Park, with Saturday's successful hoop Michael forging a strong friendship with Mark Chittick, despite a few hairy moments.

 

"We would have been about 5 or 6 and we'd ride this pony called Tiny (pictured below). He used to take off on us all the time," recalled Michael.

 

 

Tiny's less than desirable imprint is echoed by Mark.

 

"Oh yeah, he used to take off on us and try to wipe us out on the branches of the trees,"

 

"I don't know if it's genetics or the food that has gotten the better of me since that pic of Michael and me on Tiny was taken," quipped Mark.

 

To this day, Michael is reminded of the friendship when he looks at his pinkie finger.

 

"There is a small scar there from where I was chasing Mark thorough the homestead and he accidently slammed the door on my hand. The door could only be opened from the inside, so Mark had to run around to the back of the house in order to get back inside and even then he had to try to find a way to open the door with my fingers still in it," explained Michael.

 

Remarkably, the win on Costume in Saturday's feature was the first Gr.1 winner that Michael has ridden for Waikato Stud.

 

"Michael's ridden 32 Gr.1 winners which is huge, but I have to say we're rapt that he has now ridden a Gr.1 winner for us. He's a top jockey and a good mate as well," said Mark.

 

"He actually rode a horse for us a few weeks back. He knows Garry well and knows of his 'high expectations' with jockeys, so when the horse didn't win, he got off and warned Garry 'you better not squawk at me Garry because I am the only jockey left who will ride for you!"

 

Yet, of Costume's special win, there is even more to the story.

 

Formerly known as the International Stakes, Saturday's Gr.1 race marked its first running under the heading the Herbie Dyke Stakes.

 

A great Waikato Racing stalwart, Herbie Dyke passed away in 2012 and was a good friend of the Chitticks.

 

"I knew Herbie since 1989 when we were both members of the Racing Conference - now known as the NZ Racing Board," Garry explained.

 

"For the first 3 months he took it upon himself to break me in. He was a big man in stature. I'm not quite as big, so it is fair to say it was a decent clash for a while there.

 

"It only lasted 3 months though and after this we had a mutual respect for each other. This was just the way he operated.

 

"When I became Chairman of the Racing Board, he was a terrific supporter and I was always very grateful to have his support. He was a very good judge of character - then again I would say that - so it developed into a great working relationship.

 

Herbie's support also transferred into the Sales arena.

 

"He bought three horses off us one year for $740,000. He followed this by buying Icepin (Pins) who had passed in. He tossed me for the $10k in difference - which I'm still not sure would have benefitted me either way. Anyway he got the horse and Icepin would go on to run second in the Karaka Million, before winning the Gr.3 2YO Classic at Taranaki and the Gr.2 Avondale Guineas and being sold to Hong Kong for a million dollars" said Garry.

 

Beyond terrific support, Herbie came to be a great mate as well.

 

"He had a house around the corner from us at Kinloch, so we saw a lot of each other when we'd fish over the summer. He always had the bigger boat - then again everything he had was bigger, including his cars," said Garry.

 

"Herbie was a just a very good mate, so it was really something to win the inaugural edition of the Herbie Dyke Weight For Age Stakes on Saturday."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday proved to be quite the red letter day for Waikato Stud, with Te Rapa's racecard unearthing the three WS-Bred winners Sports Illustrated, Hera and Costume.

 

Carrying the WS silks to the line, the 3YO Fast 'N' Famous filly Sports Illustrated got the ball rolling in the second, romping home from last in the hands of Mark Du Plessis to score the 1400m event by 1.5 lengths. The Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman-trained daughter of Pin Up has now won twice from four starts and could potentially be aimed at the Gr.1 Breeders' Stakes at Te Aroha.

 

The Gr.2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic three races later enabled an exciting rematch between the black-type O'Reilly fillies Hera and Spellbinder.

 

 

 

 

Turning the table on their last start result in the Restriced Listed Karaka Mile, Hera assumed pacemaking duties through out and when asked by pilot Vinnie Colgan for the extra effort in the straight, found another gear to stave off the ominous challenge of Spellbinderby a neck.

 

Named after the Greek goddess of Love and Marriage, Hera is out of the Centaine mare Corsica and is raced by her trainer Roger James' long-time stable clients Ron and Fran Dixon.

 

To date, she has won $194,310 in earnings via five wins, with black-type distinction coming in the Listed Great Northern Stakes at two and in the Gr.2 Eight Carat Stakes (1600m) and the Gr.2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic this season at three.

 

Of course, the jewel in the day's crown was the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes win by the Waikato's Savabeel mare Costume.

 

Costume became the 28^th individual Gr.1 winner bred by Waikato Stud, when she made light of a substantial weight rise and step up to 2000 metres, denying nearest rival Shuka by a nose at the line.

 

"I said to Garry (Chittick) I thought we could win the Thorndon and then run at Te Rapa - I've got so much confidence in her," said co-trainer Debbie Rogerson. "She's a very, very good horse and to get a Group One is great. She's by Savabeel, who we trained, so it's all pretty emotional."

 

The successful 4YO mare's jockey Michael Coleman reiterated such praise.

 

"Shuka drew level at the 100 and she really dug deep," he said. "She's a tough mare who has come a long way in a short time - she's just kept on improving all the way through. This won't be her last Group One."

 

Out of the O'Reilly mare Disguised, Costume's win provided the Rogersons with two reasons to celebrate.

 

During the recent sales series at Karaka they purchased her half-sister by Pins for $60,000.

 

Interertingly, if you look at Costume, who was passed in at $25,000 with a $30,000 reserve, Hera who sold for $28,000 and Spellbinder, who was purchased by David Ellis for $60,000, it just goes to show you what terrific value you can find at Karaka.