High-priced filly retired

Press, 17 May 1989, Page 39

High-priced filly retired

By

JEFF SCOTT

New Zealand’s most expensive standardbred yearling, Roydon Reign (Smooth Fella—Roydon Dream), has been retired to stud, unraced, two years after changing hands for $340,000 at the 1987 National Yearling Sale in Christchurch.

“She was diagnosed as having an atrial premature heartbeat a few weeks ago,” said Garth Williams of Wellington, the principal shareholder in Devon Bloodstock Ltd, who own Roydon Reign and also the top-class mare, Gina Rosa. "An ECG (electro-cardi-ograph) recording was sent to Massey University who confirmed diagnosis of the premature heartbeat. This could have possibly interferred with her racing performance and it was on the strength of the vet report, then confirmed by Massey University, that she be retired,” he said. Roydon Reign’s heart defect will not affect her life expectancy, according to Mr Williams. A rising four-year-old, Roydon Reign was sold at the sales by her breeder, Roydon Lodge Stud, to the bid of John O’Dea, representing South Taranaki Bloodstock and Curtins Farm. The sister to Roydon Glen (1:57), and half-sis-ter to Roydon Scott (1:58.9) and Roydon Wren (1:57.7), was later purchased outright by Devon Bloodstock, who acquired her for her breeding potential. She was broken in by Dane Alexander at Ohaupo and trained initially by Charlie Hunter at Cambridge, but was pre-

pared over the last few months at Weedons by Jack Smolenski. Roydon Reign will be bred with a top stallion in the spring, but no decision has been made on a likely consort at this stage. Of the three six-figure purchases at the 1987 National Sale, only Tuapeka Royale (Lordship—Sakuntala filly), which went for $lBO,OOO to the bid of J. R. Lodge Standarbreds of Dunedin has made it to the races. Trained at Dunedin by Ross Payne, Tuapeka Royale qualified over 2400 m in 3:13 in January and has raced three times, her best effort to date being a fifth. The other $lBO,OOO filly at the 1987 National Sale, Tuapeka Kay (Smooth Fella—Tuapeka Star), purchased by Yonkers Breeding and Racing Parnership, broke down last year and is in foal to premier sire Vance Hanover. Tuapeka Kay, the first foal of Tuapeka Star (1:59), is a sister to Marsa Star, which set a New Zealand record for a juvenile filly over 2000 m (mobile) at Addington on Anzac Day and has since been a Cigna Sires’ Stakes Heat winner there. New Zealand’s first two $lOO,OOO standardbred yearlings sold at auction

are still unraced. They are McCoy (Smooth Fella —Black Watch colt), which was sold to Sydney’s Jack Honan for $120,000 at the 1986 Great Northern Sale but has since had a succession of problems and Summer Rage (Alba Counsel —Lady Delwyn filly), which realised $lOO,OOO at the 1987 Australasian Classic Sale. Those others to reach $lOO,OOO or more at auction in New Zealand (excluding this year) also have yet to do anything out of the ordinary, namely Rope Of Sand ($135,000), Crafty Seduction ($110,000), Garry’s Ambition ($140,000), Steady Niatross ($100,000), Aspiration $150,000), Kimberley Queen ($147,500), Final Assault ($135,000) and Smooth Laughter ($295,000), although the last two named have been two-year-old winners. Another high-priced youngster, Annihilator (Nihilator —Constance Hanover), syndicated for $240,000 last year, died in his box overnight at Philip Iggo’s Serenada Stud last week. The rising three-year-old colt was originally purchased by Mr Iggo ultimately as a stud proposition, before syndicating him. An autopsy is being carried out on the colt, which was insured.