Photo credit: Race Images South
The decision to withdraw a nomination for their royally bred Redoute’s Choice filly from the 2018 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale paid off in spades for Cambridge couple Brent and Cherry Taylor on Saturday when she took out the Gr.1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
Subsequently named Loire, the now three-year-old, who is a half-sister to Group One winner A Touch Of Ruby, also provided close friend Kate Plaw with her biggest moment in racing after the Taylor’s invited her to take a share in the filly as her first step into the world of racehorse ownership.
Bred by the Taylor’s at their Trelawney Stud near Cambridge, Loire had looked likely to take her place in the auction ring at Karaka until a minor hoof injury saw the pair act on their intuition and withdraw her from sales contention.
“We had actually been umming and aahing about whether to put her in the sale all along,” Brent Taylor said.
“We kept thinking why you would offer up such a well-bred Redoute’s Choice filly and then go and try and buy one from someone else.
“She then got a small niggle with one of her hooves which confirmed what we had been thinking so we decided to keep her and race her ourselves.”
With that decision taken the Taylor’s made the offer to Plaw to become involved in the filly, one which she jumped at.
“Kate is a dear dear friend of mine and we had been looking for just the right horse for her and we thought this filly would be the one,” Cherry Taylor said.
“She was thrilled and it became quite a joke with us as I told her husband Mitch that it was only for Kate and he would have to be on the sidelines holding our handbags when we accepted all the trophies we were going to win.
“Kate couldn’t be with us on Saturday as she is at home recovering from a surgery but the first thing she told me was once Loire had crossed the line in front, she made sure she handed her handbag straight to Mitch.”
Photo credit: Race Images South
With the strength that Loire showed in the finish on Saturday it would be no surprise if the Taylor and Plaw families were lifting further trophies in the future as the filly steps up to bigger assignments.
“I led her back into the birdcage and she wouldn’t have blown out a match she was that fit,” Cherry Taylor said.
“Tony (Pike) had said all along that she would be at her best when she stepped out over a bit more distance.
“She’s out of a half-sister to Queensland Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) winner Vouvray so we’re hoping she might be able to get up to that sort of distance in her three-year-old season.
“We would dearly love to win a race like the Australian Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m) with her in the autumn as we went within an inch of victory with Boundless in 2008 after she had won the New Zealand Oaks (Gr.1, 2400m), so it would be nice to return and go one better this time.”
Success in Saturday’s Group One blue riband contest represented a continuation of the level of excellence that Trelawney Stud has become renowned for since the day the Stud commenced operation back in 1930.
Founded by Seton Otway the Stud has produced horses of the calibre of Tulloch, Hi Jinx, Galilee and Silver Knight. The Taylor family purchased the Stud in 1993 and continued the legacy established over the first sixty years having produced 27 individual Group One winners including the likes of Hill Of Grace, Amalfi, Wahid, Taatletail, Ocean Park along with Grunt, Suavito and (The) Bostonian.
In recent years the Taylor’s have streamlined their operation to the point they breed only from members of their 35-strong broodmare band along with one or two mares from long-term clients.
The National Yearling Sale in 2020 will represent a milestone for the farm where they will present a 15-horse draft solely made up of progeny from their own mares, including a half-brother by Tivaci to Loire.
“We’ve changed things up a bit over the past few years and we now work pretty much exclusively with our own mares,” Brent Taylor said.
“We have 26 mares on the farm and another nine in Australia from which we breed to sell or race under our own banner.
“We are delighted with how things have developed and what we have achieved with our mares.
“As an example, that broodmare band has produced three of the younger stallions currently operating in the Australasian markets in Ocean Park, Grunt and Spieth which is something we take great pride in.
“Results like we had on Saturday is what the game is all about and we’re hoping that what we are doing will continue to produce them.” – NZ Racing Desk