Cornflower Blue Booms Home

As expected, dominant favourite Cornflower Blue (3 f Savabeel - Tiffany Yellow, by O'Reilly) proved a class above her rivals in the $10,000 Maiden 1200 metres on 9 September at Matamata.

Having recorded a very good debut second on the course in February to stable-mate and subsequent Waikato Stud Slipper (Gr. 2, 1200m) and Northland Breeders' Stakes (Gr. 3, 1200m) winner Need I Say More (No Nay Never), Cornflower Blue had won both trials since and was the centre of huge support to return $1.60 on the win tote. 

In training for owner/breeder Waikato Stud, Cornflower Blue was confidently ridden by Danielle Johnson and after negating a wide draw (11) to work up second at the 800 metres she had matters sewn up early in the home straight to eventually win by over six lengths. 

Able to handle the Slow8 conditions in a race sponsored by Transport Mechanical Waharoa, Cornflower Blue ran the 1200 metres in 1:13.8

Stable-mate Duby (Ocean Park), ridden by Craig Grylls, who finished just off the leading division when debuting in the Maiden 1100 metres on 12 August at Taupo, chased valiantly to claim second.

But it was all about the winner Cornflower Blue, a classy looking filly by Waikato Stud resident sire and six-time Champion Savabeel, who holds a nomination for the 1000 Guineas (Gr. 1, 1600m) on 14 November at Riccarton.

“It was a pretty exciting win from a filly that we've had a lot of time for,” said trainer Jamie Richards, who trained both stakes' winners (Need I Say More & Avantage) on Saturday at Te Rapa.

“She'd run a strong second to a promising horse, Need I Say More, and although I was concerned about the ground she was able to put herself up on speed and then put a space in them late in the race to win quite impressively. 

“She had a small stress fracture in her canon bone and needed a good, long break after her debut run in February and thankfully the Waikato Stud team, Dr. Chris Phillips, Kerrie Cox and Sam McLeish, along with our vet Ronan Costello, gave her plenty of time to get over that and it's all in front of her now. 

“It's nice to have another really good filly in the stable for Mark & Pippa Chittick, and Garry & Mary Chittick, so we are looking forward to the future with her.” 

Cornflower Blue is from the terrific family of 2015 New Zealand Broodmare of the Year and breeding phenomenon, Parfore (Gold Brose). Her progeny of 10 individual winners have won an unbelievable total of 84 races (35 at stakes level), including Group 1 winners Super Easy (Darci Brahma), Terravista (Captain Rio), Tiger Tees (Dubawi), Group 2 winner Ball of Muscle (Dubawi) and stakes winner Our Lukas (Generous). 

Thrilled with the outcome and in search of another 1000 Guineas' winner to sit alongside Daffodil (No Excuse Needed) and runner-up Starcent (Centaine), Waikato Stud boss Mark Chittick took time out from the breeding shed to provide some background to the filly.

“We're happy to have retained her and it was an impressive win,” he said. “She was one of our top yearling fillies but she broke a wither leading up to the yearling sales and had to be withdrawn. And, of course, after running second to Need I Say More she fractured a bone in her leg.

“I've got to say, the expert veterinary care of Ronan (Costello) at Te Akau, and our vet Chris (Phillips), who diagnosed what was an unusual sort of fracture, and all the love and attention she got from the staff going through her rehab has given us the opportunity to get her back to the track.

“There has been a massive amount of incredible people that have been involved. After her fresh-up run, we thought she had the potential to win the (Matamata) Breeder's Stakes but it all went wrong pretty quickly.

“She spelled for about four months and then spent six weeks on the walker, so it was basically six months on the sidelines. But the way she won it looks like she's put all that behind her.  

“She was my pick of the yearling fillies that year, before the mishap, and the year before it was Probabeel. You've got to share the fun around, obviously, but it's good that we now have her to race ourselves and breed from.

“The mare came up after she'd won races in Perth, and I've always loved that family, obviously, it's incredible, and although she's by Savabeel out of an O'Reilly mare, it's actually a mare that I bought after her racing career. Tiffany Yellow is in foal to Savabeel again and we are just waiting on her to foal.

“Hopefully she keeps making progress and it would certainly be nice to win another 1000 Guineas, put it that way.”

Cornflower Blue was strapped by Sam Bergerson.

Photo credit - www.raceimages.co.nz

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