23 May 2010

Congratulations to owner breeders Gary and Lesley Middlebrook on their fine
double yesterday, when 3 yr old Whitechapel, by Oasis Dream out of Barathiki (Brain compatibility rating a high 162), won over 7 furlongs at Haydock, while Sedgwick, by Nashwan out of Imperial Bailiwick (rating 161), won his 6th race 10 minutes later over 1½ miles at York.

Congratulations to Ray Green and family on their fine win in the Scottish Grand National with Merigo.
In November 2002 we were asked to analyse the pedigrees of five potential purchases. Rating way ahead of all the others was the pedigree of Merigo, and we sent the following recommendation:-

“3. MERIGO by PISTOLET BLEU out of MULETA 158
On my analysis this appears to be the pedigree with the greatest potential and I very much like it. Linebreedings to Klairon and Darius underpin the pedigree, and there is a particularly strong genetic affinity between the pedigree of Arbar and that of Spleen, the dam of Blazer.”

15 March 2010

In the space of 40 mins three horses purchased on our advice as yearlings, won stakes races. Sacred Choice , rating 109 ) owned by Brain client Glenn Fraser won the Listed Aspiration Quality at Randwick, Sydney. Be Positive (105) owned by Laurel Oak clients won the Group 3 Victoria Plate at Flemington, Melbourne, and De Lightning Ridge (117) owned by David O’Keeffe, won the Group 2 Challenge Stakes at Randwick, breaking a 35-year old track record.

9 January 2010

Military Rose romped home by 4 lengths in the BMW Magic Millions 2 year old Classic, one of the richest year old races in the world.

She will now challenge Solar Charged, also owned by a Brain client, for favouritism in the prestigious Golden Slipper 2 year old Stakes.

1 January 2010

Lords Ransom bred by the late John Bennetto (by Jeune ex Palace Alice) won the Gr 2 Perth Cup today and Steve Tregea’s Baqaba (see below) won the prestigious Listed Goldmarket Handicap today.

Some of the highlights were:

• Headway, winner of the Group One Coolmore Stakes at Flemington on VRC Derby Day, was already a Golden Slipper runner-up as a 2yo and now has gone on to enjoy Group One glory. She was bred to a recommended mating by Stuart Ramsey’s TURANGGA FARM.
• Typhoon Tracy, the star mare in Australia, added another Group One and a Group Two to her already imposing record, which now stands at seven wins from ten starts. She is the product of a highly-compatible mating which was first analysed when her Stakes-winning brother, Red Element, was a yearling.
• Wanted, almost a Group One winner when runner-up behind All Silent in the Patinack Stakes, was analysed as a yearling and identified as a compatible mating.
• Burdekin Blues, one of Australia’s fastest horses, now a winner of ten races and multiple Stakes races, added wins at Flemington and Eagle Farm in Listed and Group Three company respectively to his record. His pedigree was analysed after he had only won a maiden when we were looking at a full-brother in the yearling sales and he was identified as a highly-compatible mating. We didn’t end up buying the full-brother and Burdekin Blues has since gone on to be a star sprinter. (The full-brother, now a 3yo, has not raced yet.).
• Solar Charged has emerged as a nominal Golden Slipper favourite after an outstanding debut victory. Brain has a strong involvement in the evolution of Solar Charged, owned and bred by longstanding successful Brain client, PETER HORWITZ. Peter has shown us over the years that the tolerance level in the ratings of 180 to 200, and on occasions even up to 210, is acceptable if everything else is in place, and that’s the situation with Solar Charged, who rates 187. Solar Charged’s sire is Charge Forward and was bred by Phillip Esplin. His pedigree was identified as a compatible mating when analysed as a yearling by Peter. When John O’Shea bought Charge Forward Peter Horwitz bought into the horse and raced him successfully, being Golden Slipper runner-up and, in time, a Group One-winner. Peter also raced Solar Charged’s grandam, Aretha, which he bred. Prior to that (and any Brain involvement) Peter had raced Golden Slipper-winner, Sir Dapper, the sire of Aretha. Aretha was mated to a compatible mating with Danehill and produced Soul Singer and, in turn, Soul Singer has now produced Solar Charged.
• If Solar Charged is arguably the best 2yo seen so far then Ambers Waltz, trained by John O’Shea, may be the second-best. We loved her as a yearling and had had her analysed, and she was identified as the product of a compatible mating. However she was out of our league price-wise, but it’s always good to see that our judgement was on the mark as she was very impressive winning her debut!
• Military Rose – over the years the HEINRICHS on the Gold Coast have been great supporters of Brain, and we are always delighted to see them win races, which more often than not happens on a weekly basis. The majority of these horses are the products of compatible matings. They now have a very promising 2yo, which was identified as highly-compatible when analysed as a yearling, in the form of Military Rose. She has now won two from two, including the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes and is on target for the Magic Millions 2yo Stakes in early January.
• Swiss Rose – the Heinrichs have another talented young filly that, again, is the product of a highly-compatible mating in the form of Swiss Rose. At her most recent start she won a strong Listed 3yo race at Doomben.
• Scouting Wide rates in the 190s but has a definite Brain involvement. The winner of the Listed Christmas Cup last weekend, he is another successful horse raced by Peter Horwitz. When Scouting Wide’s dam, Gardd, was analysed as a broodmare the mating with Zabeel was rated as part of that analysis. Rating in the 190s qualified it for the list of client-bred compatibly-mated yearlings circulated to our buyer clients before the yearling sales and, in this case, Peter Horwitz proceeded to buy the colt and is now enjoying the success of that purchase.
• Baqaba is a talented Brisbane sprinter that has now won four of his seven starts. He was bred by STEVE TREGEA of Windemere Stud and is the product of a compatible mating. Steve retained the horse as a yearling and is now involved in a total concept manner as breeder, owner and trainer.