Trelawney had another solid season during the 2017/18 racing term. Horses born, sold or owned by Trelawney collected eight stakes wins, highlighted by two additional Group One victories being added to the tally.
Mick Price has marked Grunt (O’Reilly x Ruqqaya) as an exciting prospect for the new season off the back of a superb three-year-old campaign. Grunt won each of his four starts, including the A$1 million Gr.1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington.
Price has reported the $220,000 New Zealand Bloodstock purchase has developed further since being spelled.
“Grunt was a lightish Kiwi sort of autumn three-year-old,” Price said. “He had a lovely break after the Australian Guineas and he's a magnificent four-year-old now.
“He'll be in those weight-for-age 1400m races. He'll kick off in one of those and then have a weight-for-age programme into the Cox Plate or Caulfield Cup."
Trelawney’s stand out juvenile of the season was the Te Akau trained Sword of Osman (Savabeel x Bunyah). Purchased by David Ellis for $165,000 out of Trelawney’s 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Premier draft, the Joan Egan-bred Sword of Osman won on debut at Awapuni and went on to win the Gr.3 Reid & Harrison Limited Slipper (1200m). He then backed up a fortnight later to win the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. These achievements have earned him a nomination for the NZTR 2yo of the year.
“He has spelled well and has come back in good order. He will be ready to trial in the first week of August,” trainer Jamie Richards said.
“The Te Akau model is to kick off most of our horses at the Te Teko trials and he will trial a couple of times. We will then pick out a suitable race to kick off, with the 2,000 Guineas being his main aim.”
A move north proved to be the making of two Trelawney owned gallopers. Richie McHorse (Redoute’s Choice x Boundless) and Vinevale (Flying Spur x Eden Valley) were both transferred to Chris Gibbs’ Ruakaka operation and went on to record several successes.
Richie McHorse collected three wins and three runner-up finishes from nine starts, including a victory in the Listed Hawkes Bay Cup (2200m). He has returned into work and will target some of the Summer Cups.
Vinevale won each of her three starts and will line up in the Gr.2 Lisa Chittick Foxbridge Plate (1200m) on August 18 before a decision is made on her future.
Another stand out performer of the season was The Bostonian (Jimmy Choux x Keepa Cheval) who was born and raised on the farm for breeder-owner David Archer.
The three-year-old gelding won four of his seven starts and relished a trip to Queensland where he picked up stakes wins in the Listed Daybreak Lover Stakes (1200m) and Gr.3 Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m).
Another consistent performer was Chilly Cha Cha (Mastercraftsman x Queen Cha Cha) who was sold as a weanling through Trelawney’s 2015 New Zealand Bloodstock draft for $160,000.
The Kris Lees-trained three-year-old won four of her nine starts and was placed on another two occasions.
Indecision (Per Incanto x Yeah Nah), who runs in the Trelawney silks, turned the corner as a four-year-old and won three starts during the season including an all-important stakes win in the Listed NZB Finance Sprint (1200m) making her a valuable future addition to the broodmare band. She will target some of the major sprints in the 2018/19 season.
Master of Arts (Mastercraftsman x Petit Verdot) added another Group win to his tally when taking out the Gr.3 Manion Cup (2400m) at Rosehill. The A$11,000 Trelawney Easter graduate also ran second in the Gr.3 Lord Reims Stakes (2600m) at Morphettville.
Francaletta (High Chaparral x Snow Peak) looks a valuable broodmare after securing black type for her page and will have further chance to add to her record before being covered by Savabeel in the spring. Sold on behalf of Raffles Dancers for A$65,000 at the 2014 Inglis Easter Sale, Francaletta kicked off her season with a win before claiming the Gr.3 Taranaki Breeders' Stakes (1400m) two starts later. She was also placed twice at Group Two level, including a third in the Guy Walker Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
With spring approaching there are several Trelawney graduates the farm are excited to see step out in the new season.
Grunt, who looked impressive galloping between races on Saturday, and The Bostonian should go on to make the most of the opportunities in front of them.
The lightly tried Star of the Seas (Ocean Park x Stella Livia) looks to be one that is improving with maturity. Chris Waller prepared the three quarter-brother to Group One placed Spieth (Thorn Park) to win his last start by an impressive three lengths, and he has not run out of the money in his three career starts.
Seas No Limit (Ocean Park x Boundless) and Ocean's Fourteen (Ocean Park x Ruud Van Slaats) are two further lightly tried horses that will have huge upside with development.
Trelawney has a number of well-bred young fillies to try this season by Ocean Park, Savabeel, Snitzel, Redoute’s Choice, More Than Ready and I Am Invincible, and it is hoped they will carry Trelawney's colours with success.