Coolmore Stud farmed out two stallions to New Zealand in 2005 and they combined to sire the feature double at Newcastle on Thursday.
High Chaparral mare Vaquera (NZ) won the G3 Tibbie Stakes and One Cool Cat gelding Winning Glory (NZ) landed the G3 Newcastle Gold Cup.
The two stallions met with mixed fortunes in New Zealand. High Chaparral was an immediate success at Windsor Park and, as is their wont, Coolmore recalled him to stand at its Hunter Valley headquarters in NSW.
Conversely, One Cool Cat didn’t fire a shot for Cambridge Stud and paid the price with a one-way ticket to South Korea.
Vaquera (4m High Chaparral – The Mighty Lions by Grosvenor) was racing first-up in the Tibbie Stakes since a Group 1 placing in the Queensland Oaks in June. “She’s a mare going places and I have nominated for all the major spring races,” trainer Gai Waterhouse said after the narrow victory. “As a yearling, she was a lovely filly with plenty of size and length and really stood out at Karaka.”
High Chaparral has sired the Australian G1 winners Shoot Out, So You Think, Descarado, Monaco Consul and It’s A Dundeel.
Vaquera is from G1 Avondale Cup winner The Mighty Lions and made $280,000 from Windsor Park at the 2011 Karaka Premier Sale. She races for the same connections that owned High Chaparral’s 2010 Caulfield Cup winner Descarado (NZ).
Winning Glory (6g One Cool Cat – Alpine Beauty by Khozaam) had his work cut out with the pressure being applied a long way out in the Cup, nevertheless, he fought off all challengers to lead home a NZ Bloodstock quinella from Lucripetous (Pentire).
“It was a tough win,” trainer David Payne said. “He’s been in work for a long time but we might target another race in a couple of weeks.”
The Newcastle Cup improved his record to 8 wins in 37 starts for over $500,000 in prizemoney. He hails from the famous ‘Heights’ family and was a $100,000 buy from Hallmark Stud at the 2009 NZB Karaka Sale
Winning Glory is just the third Australian stakes winner for One Cool Cat and Payne has prepared all three following Praecido (LR Parramatta Cup) and Winter King (LR Starlight Stakes).