Stud Plays Role in Turf History

Champion jockey James McDonald rode his way into New Zealand history today aboard a WS graduate at Te Teko. The teenage star became the first to post 200 winners in a season when he guided the two-year-old Showing Off to a debut victory.

“It’s relief more than anything and a long time coming with a lot of work along the way,” McDonald said. “There’s been a lot of work gone on behind the scenes to get me to where I am today.” He had surpassed Lisa Cropp’s previous best mark of 197 set in 2005 at Pukekohe earlier this month.

One of McDonald’s highlights during an outstanding season came at the recent Brisbane winter carnival and was also provided by a WS product in Scarlett Lady. They combined to win the Gr 1 Queensland Oaks and were unbeaten together in six starts this year.

Scarlett Lady is a daughter of resident stallion Savabeel who is also the sire of the grey juvenile Showing Off. A bargain $3500 weanling purchase at Karaka, she had previously been a trial winner for her Matamata trainer and part-owner Danica Guy. “I’ve known for a while that she was quite smart and she also very tough but with a great nature,” she said.

Showing Off is out of the O’Reilly mare Maggie O’Reilly who is a daughter of the Group-performed Habaine (Centaine). This represents WS’s wonderful Gr family of Glamour Puss (Goodwood Handicap, Salinger Stakes) and Vision And Power (Doncaster Handicap, George Ryder Stakes).