Headwater’s name stayed in the frame over Easter after his filly Little Miss Kubi had started April with a Stakes breakthrough in Adelaide last Saturday.
Little Miss Kubi’s victory in the Manihi Classic (LR, 1100m) at Morphettville was the highlight of 15 individual Headwater winners in the last month. That black-type was followed by his first 2yo winner of the season in Australia and Hugh Bowman’s unbeaten run on We Are Hero in Hong Kong.
Headwater’s reliability and stability gives the roster a strong spine at Vinery Stud. Among a myriad of stallions that retired to Australian studs in 2016, he’s Top 5 on the general sires’ table this season (64 winners – $3.47 million)
Seven years has cut a swathe through all those newcomers. Coolmore champion Pride Of Dubai is the only active freshman from 2016 with a better record than Headwater in 2022-23.
North Of Eli opened Headwater’s 2yo account in a Grafton juvenile over 1115m on Monday. Trained by Matt Dunn for a Topline Thoroughbreds syndicate, he won second-up this prep with a one-length victory over stablemate Golden Decade (Sooboog).
The chestnut was given a tough task on debut and was never a factor in the $150,000 Max Lees Classic (900m) at Newcastle in November. “He came back from a break and went down fighting by a long-neck last month,” Topline manager Tony Carroll said. “He was much fitter for that run and was in good order today.
“He got all the favours from an inside gate under a good ride by Ben Looker and showed a strong turn of foot to win impressively.”
North Of Eli (2g Headwater – Kenzie by Sebring) was an $80,000 graduate from Goodwood Farm’s draft at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. His dam is related to Sirileo Miss (Pride Of Dubai), a Group 3 winner of the VRC Matron Stakes and Group 2 MVRC Sunline Stakes in March.
Hugh Bowman has developed a very profitable relationship with Hong Kong speed-machine We Are Hero. He’s won four in a row on the son of Headwater since November and all four have been down the straight course at Sha Tin.
We Are Hero (5g Headwater – Kinsella by Shamardal) cruised through a gap for an devastating victory in the Hong Kong Lions Cup (1000m) on Easter Sunday. “That was very impressive despite having top-weight of 61kg,” trainer Manfred Man said. “Hugh reckons he’s found a niche over five furlongs and they dominated today.”
Bred and sold by Kulani Park for $125,000 at the 2019 Adelaide Magic Millions, he had won a Mornington maiden for local trainer Jason Warren before transferring off-shore where he has accumulated the equivalent of AUD740,000 for the Ying Kee Club Syndicate.
His dam is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Ike’s Dream (STC Queen of the Turf Stakes) and the Headwater – Shamardal cross has a 75% winning strike-rate.
Headwater (Exceed And Excel) has five yearlings entered for the HTBA Yearling Sale at Riverside Stables on Sunday, April 23. The first is a filly from Dedication (Lot 4) from Goodwood Farm who sold North Of Eli at Riverside last year.
Vinery (as agent) has a filly out of French-bred mare Rosey de Geneve (Tapit) parading as Lot 157. Her Chantilly-winning dam is a half-sister to German Group 3 winner Real Value (Rip Van Winkle) from the family of Shamardal’s Champion racehorse and sire Lope de Vega (Ire).