BEHOLDER daughter of HENNY HUGHES has proven herself bittersweet for Robbie and Jody. From the time she won the 2 year old World Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies race, there have been “nibbles” for Henny Hughes. So much so that he was reverse shuttled to prestigious Walmac Farm in Kentucky for their 2013 season, and then returned to Rangeview for our 2013 season.

This season, Beholder was just run down in the Kentucky Oaks, but she then won against open class mares in the Group 1 Torrey Pines Stakes and more impressive than that, she easily won the prestigious open mares race The Zenyatta Stakes.

Henny wasn’t on the market, but Robbie and Jody started to get enquiries about him again. Then 3 year old colt Keiai Leone won the G3 Hanshin Sirius Stakes in Japan, and that gave HENNY HUGHES 11 runners, 9 winners and two stakes winners in Japan — and they KNEW who they WANTED!

Representatives of The Yushun Stallion Station, one of the major studs in Hokkaido, flew down to Bullsbrook, saw the horse they wanted, made a straight up offer that basically Robbie and Jody couldn’t refuse, and Henny Hughes travels at the end of this season to a new home.

Bittersweet? – you betya, ‘cos we haven’t had him long enough to appreciate the best credentialed international stallion to stand here. He himself was a World Champion, he has produced a World Champion filly, he was leading sire of 2 year old Stakes winners in USA last year and has winners and stakes winners in 8 countries around the world.

Henny Hughes will serve out this season through to the end of first week in December. You still have a bit of time!

Denise T

SO SECRET is having a great start to this new season of racing with his second crop already trialling.

On Monday at Larkhill 2 year old SO SECRET filly WARRINGAH BLUES stepped out for trainer Vaughn Sigley and won her first trial, showing she has some really good potential. She is now the first trial winner from SO SECRET’s second crop which is very encouraging for him as a sire.

But, that’s not all—SO SECRET has already had two 2 year old trial placegetters in this second crop, being the filly SO CUTE out of good race mare Tycoon Cut for trainer George Dupre, and colt FLYING ROAR from Raring To Roar stepping out for highly successful trainer Jim Taylor.

In addition to these ” new babies” on the scene, SO SECRET 3 year old filly LA MOCHE won her trial in good time, and with a margin of 2.75 lengths, which will have really pleased south west trainer Chrissie Stelmach.

This is another good sign that the SO SECRET’s will get up and go, and follows on from very promising results with his first crop.

There is still time for broodmare owners to give SO SECRET good consideration for this current season, remembering if served now you will still have a September early October foal next year– right when the grass is just phenomenal and the mares and foals do so so well.

If you’re not sure, come and see him. He is a powerful and magnificent horse who in the flesh, could never disappoint.

Photos taken as yearlings

Denise T

A reminder to all, that class international sire HENNY HUGHES still has a limited number of bookings available.

He too is a magnificently powerful looking stallion and it would be smart to look at him for this year and get yourself a beautiful spring foal next year.

BEHOLDER by Henny Hughes and still only 3 years has won her fourth Group 1 race. This time the most prestigious race The Zenyatta Stakes, named after one of arguably the most famous mares in USA and the world.

The race was previously named Lady’s Secret Stakes and Lady’s Secret Breeders Cup Handicap, but was re-named to The Zenyatta Stakes in 2012 after the 2010 American Horse of The Year – Zenyatta. Zenyatta actually won the race in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

But back to BEHOLDER, some might think she is just the best of a nice bunch of 3 year old fillies, but this race proved she is so much more than that.

The Zenyatta Stakes is open to fillies and mares 3 years and up and over 8.5 furlongs at Santa Anita Park. This was a huge challenge to take on older mares and understandably BEHOLDER was the only 3 year old in the field.

BEHOLDER led from barrier rise and turning for home broke their hearts putting 3 lengths on the field in the blink of an eye.

The race caller summed it up with:

“Just a scintillating performance………. Gary Stevens barely moved on her — could not have been more impressive”

BEHOLDER now goes to Breeders Cup day –again, as she has earned a fees-paid berth to this year’s Breeders’ Cup Distaff for her Zenyatta Stakes win.

Trainer Richard Mandella issued a challenge to the filly’s rivals in the lead-up to the November championships. “Beholder is a filly that loves a fight,” he said. “She does everything so easily.”

Denise T

Race replay

Beholder number 3 in the orange and purple colours

Henny Hughes has unveiled a potential new USA sensation in a 3 year old colt called MEAN SEASON -out of Mean Imogene. (This colt carries the Mr Prospector and the Raise A Native affinities in his dam that we have identified as being hugely successful for Henny Hughes as a sire.)

MEAN SEASON was having his first race start over 1600m and when the barriers opened, he just ran and ran . The colt was 15+ lengths in front at some stages in the race at Laurel Park, and won just so impressively easing down.

The race caller was just stunned when at the 1200m mark in the race MEAN SEASON went through in the time of 1.09.9. That would win you a 1200m race anywhere, so we’re not sure why 1600m was MEAN SEASON’s first up assignment. Could it be that they are also heading him for some of those millions on Breeders Cup Day?

It may not be, due to the horse having to travel across the continent to the west coast, but the horse could not do more than he did, and we will be reading a lot about MEAN SEASON in the future.

The aussie contingent of HENNY HUGHES did not miss out last week either, with the Alan Denham trained Henny’s Lass winning and the Kelly Shweida trained So Delicious also winning.

Japan had their Henny Hughes rising star with colt Keiai Leone winning the G3 Hanshin Sirius Stakes. He won by a neck, also out of his age group, defeating six year-old stallions Nice Meet You and Grand City.

Keiai Leone (3c Henny Hughes–Most Remarkable by Marquetry) had previously opened his black-type account in the Sonodo Hyogo Junior Grand Prix Group 3 at Sonoda last November. He was conceived in Kentucky and sold “in utero” with his dam for $300,000 at the 2009 Keeneland November Sale.

With such a versatile international reputation for producing high quality winners, we are so lucky that HENNY HUGHES is standing here in WA and all should look to taking advantage of such a credentialed stallion.

Denise T
Race replay

Chestnut colt in yellow with red colours number 5

It seems like forever that we have been waiting to see our own WA born HENNY HUGHES foals.

What with the actual opportunity to purchase the horse,… and the excitement of his arrival in WA, …and then the excitement of USA Champion filly BEHOLDER winning the $1million Grey Goose at the Breeders Cup, …and then the USA offers to have him back in America with Walmac Farms winning that deal and…then actually visiting your own stallion in Kentucky as Robbie and Jody did at Oaks time,…and then getting him back to WA safe and sound, … it has taken a long time in events and happenings, but at last we have some photos for you!

These are just a few and we think they look just fantastic, but we will put lots more in our Photo Gallery so keep on checking.

Denise T

Remember to hold your curser over the photos to see who’s who

The racing life of horses is very transient so we really should take the time to appreciate their achievements as they occur. This is especially so for high class horses such as the HENNY HUGHES filly BEHOLDER.

BEHOLDER was the Eclipse USA Champion 2 year old filly of the year in 2012, and is heading for the same stardom at 3 years.

A gutsy second in the most prestigious Longines Kentucky Oaks (which Robbie and Jody were in Kentucky to see), which had followed her earlier 3 year old wins.

Now on September 1st at Santa Anita, BEHOLDER cruised to win the $100,000 Torrey Pines Stakes. She led from start to finish over the mile for trainer Richard Mandella. This race however, jockey Gary Stevens replaced Garrett Gomez who had to decline rides that day with personal problems.

BEHOLDER’s win was so easy the race caller said at the finish that BEHOLDER “never took a deep breath, ears pricked, could not have been easier”.

Gary Stevens said “She was a complete professional today… Today I was just a passenger. And this was basically a workout for her.”

Trainer Richard Mandella said. “This is horse racing; sometimes it can look too easy and everything goes wrong. But she’s a beautiful animal. I didn’t really have any moment of worry. She was very much in control and she does everything so easy.”

Mandella said BEHOLDER would be pointed to the Zenyatta Stakes (Gr. I) Sept. 28 at Santa Anita Park.

Looking ahead to a potential date in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (Gr. I) Nov. 1, Stevens added, “I don’t think distance will be any concern. I don’t think a mile and an eighth will bother her at all. I don’t think a mile and a quarter will bother her. She’s just all class.”

There we have it, a beautiful HENNY HUGHES filly to take your breath away.

Denise T

Winners are grinners is such an old cliché, but, it is so so very true, and victories in the horse industry are at their sweetest when you breed and nurture your own, through to their fist win.

Robbie and Jody bred SECRET DIVA owning both the stallion SO SECRET and the mare Outward Display. She showed great promise at two, winning her second trial and then put up excellent but unlucky runs being twice placed at Ascot.

So Thursday’s victory over 1100m in the 3 year old maiden was as exciting as winning any Listed race for Robbie and Jody, and also trainer Chrissie Stelmach. (Remember, we told you in April just how clever Chrissie has been with the SO SECRET’s!)

SECRET DIVA was the widest runner around the bend and Lucas Camilleri rode her tough to run the straight hard and win by a short half head.

For a young sire like SO SECRET to have in his first crop, 4 trial winners plus placegetters, and his first winner so early in the season is a pretty good reminder to everyone reference his potential, and with the stud season about to get into full swing.

His sire DANETIME has an impressive international record as well as his remarkable achievements in a short stud career in WA before tragically dying, and his dam MOST SECRET is one of the most impressive female families in WA.

Broodmare owners would be wise to really give SO SECRET good consideration for this coming season, and if you’re not sure, come and see him. He is a powerful and magnificent horse who in the flesh, could never disappoint.

Denise T

PS There was nearly another Rangeview double at Northam yesterday with QUICK DRAW (4m Casino Prince-Cool Deal) just getting beaten by a nose. How mean is that?

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