‘A LITTLE bulldog who just wants to run and run and run’ is how veteran Atherton Tableland trainer Roy Chillemi describes his former North Queensland sprinter Tyzone.
So far the ‘bulldog’ has run 27 times for 14 wins and five placings to take his prizemoney earnings close to $500,000 – his latest win being a 1200m open handicap at the metropolitan-ranked Gold Coast meeting last Saturday, January 12, for Gold Coast trainer Toby Edmonds.
Tyzone began his racing career in North Queensland after being sold for $60,000 through Kenmore Lodge, Dulacca at the 2015 Magic Millions 2YOs in Training sale at the Gold Coast after earlier being withdrawn from the Inglis Premier Yearling sale in Melbourne.
The buyer was a North Queensland syndicate headed by prominent Cairns owner Tom Hedley so the 2YO was sent to Hedley’s regular trainer Roy Chillemi. The combination ‘clicked’ immediately with 2YO gelding starting six times in Townsville for four wins and two placings – his most important win being the $100,000 Villa Resort-Casino Classic in July 2016.
Although racing predominantly in North Queensland with a further six wins at Townsville, Cairns and Gordonvale, Tyzone faced the prospect of increasing weights. Weight will stop a train – let alone a horse or bulldog. Consequently, connections decided to send Tyzone south to Toby Edmonds in March last year. Since then the horse has started a further eight times with four wins at the Gold Coast and Doomben and two black type placings in the Listed Eye Liner Stakes at Ipswich and the Listed Ramornie Handicap at Grafton.
Tyzone conceived at Sun Stud
A 5YO gelding by Queensland-bred Written Tycoon from the winning Hussonet (USA) mare Rezonet, Tyzone was conceived when Written Tycoon stood the 2012 season at Sun Stud (now Telemon Stud) near Beaudesert serving 138 mares at a $15,400 service fee.
Other prominent horses from that 2013 foal crop include Group 1 winners Capitalist and Luna Rossa. Subsequently, just six seasons later, he served 141 mares in the just completed 2018 season at a service fee of $110,000 – seven times his 2012 fee which in turn is almost double his initial fee of $8250 in 2007.
Although sold through a MM sale, Tyzone was not paid-up for the lucrative Magic Millions races. Asked why, Hedley explained “I buy so many horses it becomes an expensive exercise. Because I’m based in North Queensland, it’s more important that – where possible – they’re QTIS registered.” Tyzone proves his point as his $482,175 earnings includes QTIS bonuses of $50,700 earned in North Queensland.
While Tyzone won’t be seen on Magic Millions raceday, Written Tycoon will have a starter in the MM 2YO Classic with his gelded son Hightail winning a 2YO handicap at Randwick Kensington. In a further boost for Queensland breeding, High Tail’s dam La Paris was bred at Glenlogan Park. A daughter of Glenlogan’s stalwart sire Falvelon, La Paris is an unraced half-sister to Listed winner Ringa Ringa Rosie and is from the same family as dual Group 1 winning 3YO filly Dashing Eagle.
Veteran sires dominate 2YO Classic pedigrees
VETERAN sires More Than Ready (USA) and Redoute’s Choice dominate the pedigrees of the 16 starters and five emergencies for this year’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic to be run at the Gold Coast this Saturday, January 12.
Four of the final field of 16 (The Odyssey, Betaima, Better Reflection and Girls Are Ready) are by More Than Ready’s Group 2 winning first season son Better Than Ready bases at Lyndhurst Stud, Warwick. Sebrakate is by his Group 1 Golden Slipper winning son Sebring while Gala Miss (first emergency) is a daughter of More Than Ready.
More Than Ready mares are also prominent. Godolphin’s first foray into the Magic Millions 2YO Classic comes courtesy of 2YO filly Exhilarates who qualified with a dominant win in the 2YO handicap at the Gold Coast on Saturday, January 12. She is by Snitzel from More Than Ready’s Group 1 Blue Diamond winner Samaready while Oh Five Glory and Courseshewill are by More Than Ready’s MM 2YO Classic winner Unencumbered.
If Exhilarates wins the MM 2YO Classic she will have fared better than her sire Snitzel, who finished equal third behind Bradbury’s Luck in 2005 and his close relation and Arrowfield barn-mate Not A Single Doubt who was runner-up to Dance Hero in 2004. Snitzel is from the Snippets mare Snippets’ Lass while Not a Single Doubt is from Snippets half-sister Singles Bar. A triple Group 1 winner, Snippets remains Magic Millions ‘permanent pin-up boy’ as the inaugural winner of the 2YO Classic held in 1987.
Not A Single Doubt is represented by Listed ATC Breeders’ Plate winner Dubious while Redoute’s Choice sired Golden Slipper winner Stratum will be represented by Czarson who has two wins from two starts in Sydney. Redoute’s Choice also appears as the maternal grandsire of recent Listed Phelan Ready Stakes winner The Odyssey.
More prize money for major Gold Coast races
RACING Queensland (RQ) has announced two of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious races will receive significant prize money boosts from 2019.
The Group 2 TAB Hollindale Stakes and Aquis QTIS 2YO Jewel will have stakes increased to $500,000 thanks to significant cash injections from Aquis Farm and TAB while the Aquis QTIS 3YO Jewel will also receive a significant boost to $200,000.
The Hollindale Stakes (May 4) – a traditional lead-in to the Group 1 Doomben Cup – will jump from $358,000 to $500,000 in a move aimed at attracting some Australia’s top weight-for-age performers to the Gold Coast. The Hollindale has been won by quality performers such as Might And Power (1998), Shogun Lodge (2000-01), Scenic Shot (2008) and Streama (2014).
Describing the Hollindale as a proven form-line for horses targeting the Doomben Cup, RQ CEO Brendan Parnell said the prizemoney increase aims to make it an even more attractive lead-up. “Ultimately, the aim is to work alongside the Gold Coast Turf Club to ensure the Hollindale receives the highest rating possible with a view to achieving Group 1 status in future years,” he said.
The increase for Aquis QTIS Jewel Race day (March 16) will see QTIS-eligible horses competing for $1.5 million in stakes and, for the first time, QTIS double stakes for eligible winners of supporting races.
Mr Parnell said the increases for Jewel Day would provide even more incentive for buyers at the 2019 Gold Coast March Yearling Sale, featuring lots by Queensland boom sires Spirit Of Boom and Better Than Ready. “It is hoped these significant increases will provide numerous benefits for Queensland breeders and owners, while continuing to generate more interest in the sale, which saw record results in 2018,” Mr Parnell said.
Aquis Farm deputy CEO Shane McGrath said the QTIS 2YO Jewel aligned beautifully with the stud’s breeding strategies while Gold Coast Turf Club CEO Steve Lines expressed delight in holding the QTIS Jewel race, the Gold Coast Stakes and time-honoured Goldmarket on the same race day. “Aquis investing as naming rights partner continues to forge this wonderful partnership with the GCTC and progresses our ongoing Thoroughbred racing masterplan.”
Thoroughbred Breeders Queensland president Basil Nolan said: “It’s marvellous that the QTIS Jewel continues to attract such great support from Aquis, the Gold Coast Turf Club and Racing Queensland. The QTIS Jewel race day is particularly important as it is aligned to the Magic Millions March QTIS sale – a sale which is a key factor to the success of the Queensland breeding industry.”