Following Chautauqua failing to jump from the barriers, to the satisfaction of Racing NSW Stewards in a barrier trial, at the Rosehill race meeting on Saturday, 25 August 2018, Racing Stewards have advised the connections of Chautauqua, that their preliminary decision is that acting under the provisions of AR 50, the nominations of the gelding should be refused for all barrier trials and race meetings.

In order to provide the connections with due process, the Stewards have invited the connections to make any appropriate submissions, as to why the Stewards preliminary decision should not be confirmed,

Managing owner of Chautauqua, Mr. Rupert Legh, has informed Stewards that the majority of shareholders in Chautauqua intend to make submissions in response to the Stewards preliminary decision.  

The increase in prize money for the major spring races is creating worldwide interest.

With the increase in prize money for the Melbourne Cup to $7 million, the Caulfield Cup $5 million, and the Cox Plate to $5 million, Melbourne will be the Mecca of racing.

The prize money and the availibility of air freight for livestock, the world has become a much smaller place.

Entries close for the major races on August 30th, there is certain to be an increase in numbers from last year, when 140 were entered for the Major Cup.

Our prize money is extremely good compared to the United Kingdom, the betting exchanges receive the lions share, while racing picks up the crumbs.

When sprinting sires can return millions of dollars in progeny earnings to their respective owners, in one single season, who would want to become involved with a staying racehorse.

Sole ownership in a racehorse is almost a rarity now, costs have become prohibitive, syndication has been the salvation of racing.

Instead, the owner of one horse can join a syndicate and have a share in half a dozen horses or more, which many have done instead of putting all their eggs in the one basket.

Syndication is the only practical answer to racehorse ownership, otherwise racing could not survive with the continued increase in costs of training and the other charges pertaining to the ownership of a racehorse.

Sole ownership in a racehorse is becoming very rare and too costly for one person, syndication is the alternative, costs can be shared and the pleasures are the same when the horse wins.

Syndication is now a big business and is getting bigger, people with the view of entering into ownership want a quick return, they are more likely to get it with the sprinting horse than the stayer that could take much longer.

The sprinting bred horse is the way to go, there are more options with at least eighty 80 per cent of our racing at 1600 metres or less, opportunities greatly favour the sprinter in preference to the staying bred horse.

The yearling sales held in each state are the best barometer, the yearling by the sprinting sires are in great demand and readily top the market.

Our sprinters can more than hold their own with the best in the UK, as shown when Choisir, Miss Andretti, Takeover Target, Starspangledbanner, Black Caviar, and more recently, Merchant Navy, were far superior to their British counter parts.

Even our Australian bred stallions are now shuttling into both hemispheres, with overseas breeders recognising the value of our sires.         

Breeders went through a period of fashion when they would not entertain a local sire, believing they were over raced by their owners, and were worn out, and a generation away from imported blood.      

Heroic dispelled that theory when he topped the national sire’s list seven times in succession, however, we were back again in the doldrums as most of his sons had failed at stud, with the exception of Ajax, he sired some brilliant fillies, his colts didn’t measure up so well, except Magnificent, he won both Derbies, the AJC and VRC, breeders showed little interest in a sire if it didn’t have Imp. behind his name, Widden often would stand a local sire, not many others would.  

How times have changed, we have the best sprinters in the world, with the 2017 – 18 racing season closing last week, with Snitzel topping the list with progeny earnings of $29,243,613, followed by I Am Invincible on $15,908,940, and Fastnet Rock $15,550,518.

Of the top 10 sires only 2 sires were imports, High Chaparral $ 14,735,494, and Street Cry $12,849,160, have since died.

The top 10 sires showed a combined total of $120,330,238, the only Victorian based sire was Written Tycoon on $9,959,677; he has had a busy season.

First season sire Zoustar made a one act affair of his division with 10 winners of $3,191,694, and Spirit of Boom, 18 winners of $1,907,000.

There is no room now for those slow English stayers, our racing has moved into a new exciting era, encouraging people to race horses and receive a return.

Stockwell, the oldest thoroughbred stud farm in Victoria, is back in business with Artie Schiller returning to the fold.

Originally the farm was known as Chelandry Stud, owned by Ken Williams, he stood Chantry, Black Pampas, the sire of Lord Gavin, and for a time, Wateringbury, before he moved to West Australia, where Aquanita was sired.

When Ken Cox, a leading industrialist and a committeeman of Victoria Racing Club, took control of the property, it was renamed Stockwell.

Over a period of 40 years 19 stallions, at various times, have stood at Stockwell, some have been disappointing, but we don’t talk about those, when we focus on Showdown.

Showdown figured in the three top sires list 3 times, siring 151 winners, and was top sire and all round champion, in season 1975-76, with 54 wins.    

Mike Becker, and his son Brodie, are leasing Stockwell, and Artie Schiller returns to his former home with an impressive record as a racehorse, having had 22 starts, winning 10 races, including the prestigious US Breeders Cup Mile, he was only out of a place 4 times, collecting US $2.088.853 in stake earnings.

However, while his race record is impressive, it does not exceed his stud record, with 476 winners of over $44 million, 4 Group winners, 35 stakes winners, and 30 stakes placegetters.

Artie Schiller is by El Prado, a stakes winning son of Sadler’s Wells, while his dam, Hidden Light by Majestic, was a remarkable mare on and off the race track, she won the Santa Anita Oaks Group1, the Hollywood Oaks Group1, and the Del Mar Oaks Group 2.

Hidden Light, the dam of Artie Schiller, was a remarkable mare; besides winning three Oaks, she produced 14 foals, 13 raced 10 won races.

In his absence from Stockwell, he has sired potentially the outstanding stud prospect in Flying Artie, he was an exceptional three year old and lightly raced, his future looks secured.

Artie Schiller stands at a realistic fee for what is a proven sire; he won among the most prestigious races in the United States, the Breeders Cup

He stands at an attractive fee $13,000 plus GST

Artie Schiller

Strategic, who spent much of his stud life between Darley, Nagambie, and Darley, in the Hunter Valley, where he died earlier last week; he was rising 26 years of age.

Naturally the majority of his life was spent at stud; he retired as a 4 year old and was covering mares up until 2014.

Strategic was a pretty handy sprinter by Zeditave, he inherited much of the speed of his sire, he was an early two year old that came to hand quickly.

Shin soreness didn’t bother him, as it does with some youngsters, he won four races as a two year old, three were at Group level, including the Silver Slipper Stakes.

He had to wait a little longer for that elusive Group 1 that bobbed up in the Australia Day Stakes at Moonee Valley.

His pedigree is more than interesting; it is intriguing, as his dam, Sudden Impulse, is by Luskin Star, from Sweet Embrace, each had won the Golden Slipper Stakes.  

Hence the pedigree has a double cross of Star Kingdom

Strategic in his paddock