THOROUGHBRED

The natural approach

A farm management plan with the major emphasis on a true blue natural approach continues to reap rewards for Janine Dunlop's Phoenix Park.

The equine residents of the Cambridge farm thrive on the program with international star Able One among those to have displayed its benefits on the world racing stage.

"We strive to keep it as natural as possible with natural fertilisers and supplements and homeopathic remedies, and of course the best vet care when needed," Dunlop said."It's a safe environment for the horses to develop and it puts a lovely shine on their coats and trouble free knees and joints."

The dual Hong Kong Champions' Mile-Gr.1 winner Able One headlines Phoenix graduates, while Lim's Prestige (Singapore Derby), Rockdale (TJ Smith Trophy) and Marju Snip (Australasian Oaks) are other Gr.1 success stories. "Able One's a hard act to top," Dunlop said. New Zealand Cup Gr.3 winner My Scotsgrey and St Fevre, who has been placed at the highest level, have added to Phoenix Parks strike rate in more recent times.She's a Meanie, Class Success and Lady Dehere are other high profile race mares who are now at stud. She's a Meanie is best known as the dam of The Shores-Gr.2 winner Love Conquers All, Class Success has produced the Run to the Roses-Gr.3 winner Squamosa, while Lady Dehere is the mother of the dual South African Gr.2 winner Oracy and the stakes winner The Lady. Dunlop caters for weanlings through to yearlings and ready to run sale preparations, with ideal agistment facilities to complement the operation.

"Singapore Gr.1 winner Better Than Ever, Hoofit, who recently won a Gr.3 in the United Stakes, and Blackie, who won the Phar Lap Stakes-Gr.2 are three higher profile horses to agist with us," Dunlop said. Better Than Evers's champion Singapore trainer Laurie Laxon, and prominent bloodstock agent and regular Karaka buyer Phil Cataldo are among those who regularly send their yearling purchases to Phoenix after the sales.

The farm enjoyed another Ready to Run Sale in the lead-up to Karaka 2102 and finished as third top vendor on average with eight lots sold for $NZ1,006,00, with an average price of $NZ125,750. Dunlop also sold the second top priced colt of the auction when the son of Exceed and Excel and Red For Lou was purchased by NZ Bloodstock, as agent, for $NZ360,000.

The focus is firmly on the 2012 series for Dunlop and her team with a Premier line up of 16 headed for the auction ring. "The Fastnet Rock colt out of The Jewel is a headline horse," she said. Little wonder,with his sire red-hot and his mother a dual Gr.1 winner from one of the best families in the New Zealand Stud Book. This will be her first offspring to go through Karaka.The consignment will also feature a son and daughter by O'Reilly from the same family, with the colt's dam the Travis Stake's Gr.2 winner Star Affair, who has already produced Summer Cup-Gr.3 winner Solid Billing and the high class South African performer Galileo's Galaxy. Brother to the youngster made #NZ600,000 and $NZ300,000 in 2010 and 2011 respectively from Phoenix drafts.

The O'Reilly filly is out of The Glitter, who is the champion broodmare sire Centaine. O'Reilly is also represented by colts out of the dual stakes winner Tonic, who is a half siter to the Ballarat Cup-LR winner Sentire, and from Lady Chanele, the dam of Ombre Rose, who is a stakes performed mare and a half sister to Moonee Valley Cup-Gr.2 winner The Sportsman. The O'Reilly filly is a daughter of Brampton Legs. By Zabeel, she is a sister to the Caulfield Cup-Gr.1 and The Metropolitan-Gr.1 winner Railings, from the family of the top class Australian sprinter Virage de Fortune.

Savabeel has colts out of Matamata Breeders' Stakes-Gr.2 winner Naturo, whose first foal Orutan is a winner and stakes placed, and the Singspiel mare Ennerdale, who is a grandaughter of the Kentucky Oaks winner White Star line. No Excuse Needed is a sire of the colt from the multiple black type winner Ombre Rose, while a filly by Street Sense is out of the Fuji Kiseki mare Authoress, who is a multiple winner and Group placed.

The final NZ crop of High Chaparral is features with a filly from All By Myself, who represents the outstanding Mrs Moss family and a colt out of a half sister to the Canterbury Gold Cup-Gr.3 winner The Meista. "The Lonhro's a lovely horse as well and he's out of the Encosta de Lago mare Night Chaser, who was Gr.1 placed," Dunlop said

Two colts and a filly by the exciting young sire Darci Brahma complete the travelling party. One of his son's is from the Galileo mare Showileo, who is a half sister to last season's champion stayer Showcause and the other is out of the Pins mare Snipza Gold, who won seven and was Group placed. Darci Brahma's daughter is from Pteridophyte, from an international family that features the Gr.1 winner Shamshir.