It's
rare in bloodstock circles these days that Waikato Stud's Garry and Mark
Chittick get overshadowed, especially by one of their own.
But when it comes to Tuesday's A$6 million Gr.1 Melbourne Cup, it will be
Garry's daughter and Mark's sister Celia who is cheering loudest as 24 stayers
vie for supremacy in one of the world's greatest races.
Celia Crawshaw bred six-year-old Savabeel gelding Brambles, the 2012 Gr.1
Queensland Derby winner who confirmed himself as one of the key contenders for
the Melbourne Cup with a last-start fourth in the $A3 million Gr.1 Caulfield
Cup.
Celia was brought up immersed in breeding and racing but Brambles, who tackles
Saturday's $A1 million Gr.1 Mackinnon Stakes, was the first Group winner she
has bred and could now provide her with an unforgettable thrill.
Savabeel, who stands at the Chitticks' Waikato Stud, is also the sire of fellow
Waikato-bred cup contender Lucia Valentina.
Bred by Blandford Lodge's Graham and Helen-Gaye Bax, Lucia Valentina is raced
by Wellington's Lib Petagna and managed by Masterton bloodstock agent Bruce
Perry. She began her career with Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh but is now
with Newcastle trainer Kris Lees.
While there will be no New Zealand-trained Melbourne Cup runner for the third
straight year, there is still plenty of other Kiwi interest in the race.
The O'Leary family races Gr.1 Auckland Cup winner Who Shot Thebarman, who
transferred from Palmerston North trainer Mark Oulaghan to ex-pat Kiwi and now
leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller. By White Robe Lodge stallion Yamanin
Vital, Who Shot Thebarman was bred by White Robe's Brian and Lorraine Anderton.
Sir Patrick Hogan will again have Melbourne Cup interest through Zabeel gelding
Precedence, who he bred with the Dowager Duchess of Bedford. That pair race
Precedence with Berri Schroder and Dato Tan Chin Nam, who has won Melbourne
Cups before with Think Big (1974-75) and Saintly (1996).
Matamata trainer Michael Moroney, who produced Brew to win the 2000 Melbourne
Cup, has qualified Araldo from his Melbourne stable.By former Windsor
Park Stud sire High Chaparral, Araldo is co-owned by Kiwi businessman Gerard
Peterson, who has had 23 previous Melbourne Cup runners, at least one in the
race for the past 15 years, among them Brew.
Former Central Districts stayer Mr O'Ceirin is another assured of a start. The
Postponed gelding began his career with Foxton trainer Sandie Cookson before
breeder-owner Wayne Keenan sold him to Australian interests.
However, at 28 and 38 on the order of entry Prince Of Penzance and Thunderbird
One will need events to go their way to seal a start in the Cup.
Rich Hill Stud's John Thompson and Alan Galbraith co-bred Pentire gelding
Prince Of Penzance, while former Levin trainer Francis Finnegan trains the Mike
Tololi-bred Storm Creek gelding Thunderbird One for Kiwi owners Frank Gilchrist
and Chris Cowell. Thunderbird One is entered for Saturday's $A300,000 Lexus
Stakes (2500m) at Flemington in a last-ditch attempt to secure a Cup start. - NZ
Racing Desk