MOSSFUN’S remarkable victory in the $3.5million Golden Slipper at Rosehill Gardens on April 5 was the first time that the sire Mossman had tasted glory in this the world’s richest race for juveniles, but not the first for the association of Trevor Lobb, one of the foremost leaders in Australian racing and breeding, and Hall of Fame trainer John Hawkes.
On this occasion they came together through Trevor’s position as chief executive and racing manager for the Emirates Park Stud, a complex headquartered at Murrurundi, Hunter Valley owned by His Excellency Nasser Lootah of Dubai which races Mossfun out of the John Hawkes stables. John Hawkes in the past couple of years in partnership with his sons Michael and Wayne has emerged from Rosehill stables again as a major training force.
For nearly twenty years, John Hawkes was the private trainer for the Ingham’s racing conglomerate, one based at Warwick Farm and for which Trevor Lobb was racing manager.They won the Slipper in1997 with Guineas (by Crown Jester) and finished second in 1995 with Octagonal (Zabeel) and third in1996 with Flavour (Rubiton).
Chosen at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for Emirates by Lobb and Hawkes and purchased out of the Fairview Park Stud, Grose Wold, Hawkesbury Valley consignment for an Easter modest price of $85,000, Mossfun has raced five times for four wins, including the Silver Slipper and Golden Slipper, a Group 2 second and $2,480,500.
She was raised on Fairview Park, a west side Hawkesbury River nurtured property in the hands of pioneering Nutman family since horse and cart days, for her breeders, Hawkesbury veterinarian Dr Ian Duckworth (Agnes Banks Equine Clinic) and Heather McKinnon, Darren Pullman and Linda Duckworth.
Mossfun is a bay August 21 born filly got by Mossman at the Vinery Stud, Scone, Hunter Valley as the first foal of Eye For Fun, an unraced mare who has the distinction of being the only one by the outstanding Redoute’s Choice sire Snitzel so far to have a runner. She has followed with a yearling colt by Magic Albert, but missed in 2012 and 2013 to Sebring.
Bred by Wayne Alchin, Mrs P Alchin, Dr Duckworth, Linda Duckworth and Audrey Nutman (Fairview Park), Eye For Fun is from What Fun, a Sydney 1200m winner by Golden Slipper winner Canny Lad and from More Happiness (USA).
The latter mare is an unraced sister-in-blood by Nijinsky to Nothing to Do (USA), dam of the Emirates Park bred Brave Warrior (by the Bletchingly sire Cossack Warrior), a winner of three Group 2s and the Magic Millions 2YO Classic, runner up in the Queensland Derby, George Ryder, Spring Champion Stakes, and George Moore Stakes and a Doncaster third.
Tragically, Brave Warrior died after only two seasons at the McAlpine’s Eureka Stud in Queensland for he showed with 66 winners (seven SWs) from 84 starters that he could been an outstanding sire. As it is he left multiple Group1 winner and placegetter and five times champion Queensland sire Show a Heart, one who stands at Glenlogan Park in the Innisplain Valley, a short drive away from where Mossfun’s sire Mossman was bred and initially stood.
Then known as Noble Park (now Eliza Park) and conducted by his breeders, Peter and Wendy Moran, Mossman was one of the many good winners by a sire they owned, Success Express. One of the Success Express runners, Polar Success, won the 2003 Golden Slipper.
A first class performer from1400m to 2500m, Mossman included in Group1 efforts a win in the Castlemaine (2yo) at Eagle Farm, seconds in the Sires’ Produce (Randwick) and Australian Guineas (Flemington), thirds in the Champagne Stakes (Randwick) and George Ryder (Rosehill Gardens) and fourths in the Victoria Derby, Caulfield Guineas and Sires’ Produce (Eagle Farm).
Mossman has had very few Slipper contenders, but one who put in a bold showing was the Noble Park produced Pure Energy, the runner up in 2006 to Miss Finland.
His success with Mossfun on Saturday has pushed Mossman’s Australian progeny earnings for 2013-14 over $6.7million. Another major contributor is Buffering. Taking in his Australian overseas runners, his Bloodhound statistics for the year to early April are 8 winners (10 SWs) of 132 races and $8.2million.
Reproduced from the newsletter of:
Brian Russell Bloodstock Media Service
67 Brecht Street, Muswellbrook, NSW 2333 Australia
Phone (02) 6543 3051, Fax (02) 6541 1022, Email brbrian@tpg.com.au APRIL 11, 2014
