Golden Family Delivering for Waikato Stud

O’Reilly mare Gram may only be 10 years old, but she is already proving to be a powerhouse producer for Waikato Stud.

From her first three foals she has left Gr.1 Australian Derby (2400m) hero Major Beel, Australian placegetter Rose Gold, and Solid Gold, who carried owner-breeder Waikato Stud’s familiar silks to victory in last Saturday’s Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie.

Solid Gold (inside) winning the Gr.3 Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie last Saturday. Photo: Kenton Wright (Race Images)

The daughter of Savabeel has shown plenty of ability to date for trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood, and after overcoming a few early issues, she broke through for her maiden win at Ellerslie earlier this month and was subsequently backed into favoritism for last weekend’s three-year-old feature.

She duly delivered and Waikato Stud principal Mark Chittick was rapt to attain black-type with Solid Gold so early in her career.

“They (James and Wellwood) have always held her in high regard, so it is nice seeing that come to fruition,” Chittick said.

“She had a bit of a setback earlier on where we had to take a chip out of her fetlock, so it is nice to have got a Group win to her name while she is still a three-year-old.”

Solid Gold may now press on to the Queensland Winter Carnival where the Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) is on the cards, but regardless of whether the trip comes to fruition or not, Chittick is excited about the future with his filly.

“With the confidence that they (trainers) have given us, it is only the start, hopefully now we will be able to continue on for a year or two,” he said.

Solid Gold’s dam Gram also showed plenty of ability on the track as a younger horse, however, injury curtailed her racing career.

A daughter of Group Two-winning mare Gold Rocks, Gram is a half-sister to Gr.2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) winners Gold Fever (2017) and Gold Rush (2016), and Chittick was keen to continue the siblings’ sequence in the race.

Gram showed similar ability to her half-sisters and was entrusted to the care of trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards with the juvenile feature in mind, but fate had other ideas.

“I have always wanted to win the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes, so we did all the nice early stuff with her and she went to Te Akau when Jamie and Stephen were there,” Chittick said.

“Unfortunately one weekend when she was out in the paddock she overreached and damaged her tendon and we did all sorts to try and get her back to racing but that wasn’t to be, so we sent her to Savabeel and took that colt (Major Beel) to the Gold Coast Sale where Gai Waterhouse bought him and he won the AJC Derby, and this filly follows on from him.”

While Gram failed to make it to the racetrack, her family has continued their love affair with the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes, with Gold Fever’s daughter La Dorada winning last year’s edition prior to her victory in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

With two Group winners from her first three foals, Gram has already left her mark as a broodmare, and Chittick is hoping her golden run can continue, with her two-year-old full-sister to Solid Gold and Major Beel showing early promise for trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who purchased her at last year’s Magic Millions’ Gold Coast Yearling Sale for A$325,000.

Gram is currently in-foal to Waikato Stud’s former resident stallion Super Seth, who was recently sold to global thoroughbred giant Coolmore. – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk