Hooked on winning

23 March 2015

WS graduate Blue Swede continued his march through the grades in Singapore last night. The O’Reilly four-year-old was successful for the fifth time in 11 appearances when he won over 1600 metres.

Originally sold by the farm as a yearling in 2012 at Karaka for $100,000, he was later purchased by Shane Baertshiger for $150,000 at the Ready to Run Sale. Such has been Blue Swede’s progress that his trainer bought the full-brother for $100,000 during the 2014 Premier session.

They are out of the unraced Zabeel mare Hooked Ona Feeling, who is a daughter of the dual Australian Group Two winner Ugachaka. The pedigree also features the former Singapore Horse of the Year Bocelli.

The Corner with Garry Chittick

No Corner last week; this week the Annual Thoroughbred Racing Awards night certainly deserves acknowledgment. It is the second of two nights of measurement of Thoroughbred achievements for the year, with the first focussing on our Breeders’ awards.

9 September 2026

Savabeel’s Group 1 daughter Belle Cheval retired

Belle Cheval, by champion sire Savabeel, enjoyed a stellar career: placing in the NZ 1000 Guineas, winning the Almanzor Trophy and Uncle Remus Stakes, finishing second in The Kiwi, then claiming Group 1 glory in Australia’s Vinery Stud Stakes before retiring to broodmare duties.