Featured Image: ‘Vain’ by Michael Jeffery with Pat Hyland up. Courtesy of the Australian Turf Club

Random Comparison of 2YO Sires Premiership 2014/2015 – 2023/2024* to date 13/04/2024

Name                        Runners/Winners/Races Won/Stakes Winners/Stakes Races

Sire Premiership Table 2YO 2014/2015

4 Snitzel 51 21 22 3 3 6 I Am Invincible 42 20 26 1 1

Sire Premiership Table 2YO 2015/2016

1 Written Tycoon 24 10 21 3 6

Sire Premiership Table 2YO 2017/2018

1 Snitzel 56 13 17 4 6 2 I Am Invincible 61 25 30 4 4 3 Zoustar 34 10 18 3 5 4 Written Tycoon 31 10 15 1 3

Sire Premiership Table 2YO 2018/2019

1 I Am Invincible 67 27 36 8 10 2 Snitzel 65 23 29 3 3

Sire Premiership Table 2YO 2019/2020 (as at 13/04/2020)

1 Snitzel 33 16 20 3 6 2 Not a Single Doubt 29 5 12 2 5 3 I Am Invincible 41 14 19 4 4

Sire Premiership Table 2YO 2023/2024 (as at 13/04/2024)

1.        Written Tycoon                21       5 (1)   6 (2)   23.8%           $4,046,240

3.        Snitzel                                  21       6 (3)   8 (3)   28.6%           $1,738,000

15.      I Am Invincible                 22       4 (1)   5 (2)   18.2%           $804,740

The table appears to highlight the ‘relative demise’ of some of our recent champion stallions with advancing age. This is both to be expected and anticipated. However, the ‘decline’ (in numbers) appears to show a rather rapid deterioration when compared to previous epochs.

See: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/todman-and-sellwood-set-the-standard-for-other-champions/

See: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/slipper-champions-well-ahead-of-current-crop/

See: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/two-year-old-pool-the-shallow-end/

• Written Tycoon Foaled 2002           Rising 22 (in 2024)
• Snitzel Foaled 2002           Rising 22 (in 2024)
• I Am Invincible Foaled 2004           Rising 20 (in 2024)

Max Presnell has volunteered the opinion that our recent and current crop(s) of 2-year-olds do not compare favourably with recent iterations. Both ‘Written Tycoon’ and ‘Snitzel’ have produced Golden Slipper Winners. I Am Invincible is yet to do so despite producing prolific numbers of ‘juveniles’ in his stud career. In each case the presiding ‘plenipotentiary’ of each aged stallion as measured by statistical results has dropped away. That is, they are ‘generating’ fewer individuals of races won.

Although the number of foals (‘offspring’) by each has been exponentially greater than previous generations (x4 – x6) this increase is not expressed in the current championship tables?  Have attitudes to 2yo racing changed? Have the administrators of racing implemented subtle modifications? Do we produce and market yearlings as we used to; or are other factors at work possibly attuned to the reduction in the number of ‘commercially used’ thoroughbred stallions and the logarithmic explosion in number of mares covered by each?

Tara Madgwick has produced some ‘alarming statistics’ (See: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/two-year-old-pool-the-shallow-end/ ) which beg the question(s) of selecting and purchasing  young thoroughbreds.

All this raises many questions; some without answers. They range between ‘esoteric to exoteric’, ‘scientific to anecdotal’ and ‘practical to virtual’.

1. Is the narrowing of the ‘genotype’ justified?
2. Are we pushing popular (‘commercial’) stallions beyond what is reasonable?
3. Is the product we are generating (‘foals’) natural or artificial?
4. Are feeding regimes appropriate for optimal development of both the unborn foetus and growing foals?
5. (Some feeding regimes are predicated on maximal rather than optimal growth & development).
6. Are we pushing the early evolution of the conceptus too much?
7. Are the marketing strategies of the principal sales companies most appropriate for sales, commerce and the viability of the breed/’whole herd’?
8. Does marketing mean manipulation?
9. Does ‘genuine’ rate a mention?
10. The antonym of ‘genuine’ is meretricious. It’s sobering consideration.
11. Are the early race programs of the principal clubs best suited for competing young thoroughbreds?
12. Is all this a consequence of ‘going too often to the well?
13. ‘Timeform’ Phil Bull’s (remember him?) ultimate accolade was a horse was GENUINE. Does this still apply?

In a season when he will break Snitzel’s record the champion sire I Am Invincible has >90% of his winnings in dollar terms in races <1200m – 1600m. At these distances he is the leading sire. There are a few winners (c. 5% $-earnings) at race distances 1600m – 2000m where he stands 7^th in this category. At race distances 2000m+ I Am Invincible does not appear in the top 100 sires. This means he does not produce stock capable of competing in the traditional ‘Group Classic Races’ which are run at these metric distances.

Pontifical Mugwumpery

I wish I’d thought of that!

I’ve already done something on the ‘Sewer of Social Media’ and ‘Word Puzzles’.

See: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/the-sewer-of-social-media/

After Paul Hennessy and his unique and colourful vernacular, I thought I’d go to the other end of the etymological spectrum. This is it!

Copious Stream of Pontifical Mugwumpery (I wish I’d thought of that!)

Laudator Temporis Acti

Featured Image: John Reith “Wuthering Height”, a despotic and self-righteous Scot!

A peculiar anthologic maze, and amusing literary chaos, a farrago of quotations, a mere olla podrida of quaintness, a pot pourri of pleasant delites , a florilegium of elegant extracts, a tangled fardel of old world flowers of thought, a fagot of old fancies, quips,  facetiae, loosely tied”. (Holbrook Jackson, Anatomy of Bibliomania) by a laudator temporis acti,” a “praiser of the past” (Horace, Ars Poetica 173).

See: Laudator Temporis Acti: Copious Stream of Pontifical Mugwumpery

Winston Churchill, speech to the House of Commons (February 22, 1933):

“These well-meaning gentlemen of the British Broadcasting Corporation have absolutely no qualifications and no claim to represent British public opinion. They have no right to say that they voice the opinions of English or British people whatever. If anyone can do that it is His Majesty’s Government; and there may be two opinions about that. It would be far better to have sharply contrasted views in succession, in alternation, than to have this copious stream of pontifical, anonymous mugwumpery with which we have been dosed so long”.

Winston Churchill was ‘firing bullets’ at the head of the BBC John Reith. Sir John Reith, Lord Reith of Stonehaven (1889-1971) was General Manager/ Managing Director, British Broadcasting Company 1922-1927 and then the first Director-General of the newly incorporated British Broadcasting Corporation.

On Page 205 “The Climate of Treason,” by Andrew Boyle, he (WC) referred to Reith as “Wuthering Height”, a despotic and self-righteous Scot!

Reith is identified with the BBC’s public service aims to educate, inform, and entertain. A Scottish engineer, he became General Manager of British Broadcasting Company in 1922. He resisted the US commercial radio model and campaigned for the BBC’s Royal Charter. He hated the idea of television but allowed its development. He resigned in 1938 to become the Chairman of Imperial Airways.

During World War II he was MP for Southampton, Minister of Information and Minister of Works. Later he led various commercial and public organisations but felt unappreciated and under-employed. He publicly criticised competition in broadcasting and falling standards until he died.

Redoubtable Thoroughbred Sextet @ Coogee c. 1970

Featured Image. ‘Sextet’ @ Miller’s OCEANIC HOTEL (Coogee) in the ‘Back o’ the Moon Room’ c. Easter 1970. Supplied by Paul Hennessy

The ‘Back O’ the Moon Room’ was promoted as ‘for the best in Cabaret-Style Entertainment’. This redoubtable sextet of colourful racing personalities appears to be making the most of their opportunities, probably connected with the Wm Inglis & Sons Thoroughbred Easter Yearling Sale in 1970. The appellation ‘sextet’ refers to the number of people present rather than any prurient insinuation. All were, had been, or were destined for disparate careers in the ‘magnetic’ thoroughbred industry. All of them signed the numbered cover brochure provided by Aviation Photography Pty Ltd, International Terminal, Kingsford-Smith Airport, Sydney NSW. Reprints of the photograph were obtainable for $1:00 per copy.

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Paul Hennessy: “An Adventurous Life”

‘Whatever you can do or dream you can do, begin it; boldness has genius, power and magic in it’. (Goethe).

Featured Image: Paul Hennessy at Kingmaker Park, Scone with ‘Higante’. The latter was by ‘Pride of Karioi’ out of ‘Farsala’ by ‘Aurealis’. Trained by Paul ‘Higante’ had 3 wins and 3 placings from 22 starts for AUD $13,760 prizemoney. (I freely admit to nepotism! I bred the dam ‘Farsala’). ‘Higante’ was 17 hands 2″ in height.

This panegyric is about my very good friend Paul Hennessy. As far as I’m aware Paul has never been officially recognised for his dedicated lifetime of service to the thoroughbred industry? What an omission. An eminent racing journalist and respected author has justifiably stated “the TB industry does not always look after its loyal servants”. How right she is! Read on.

Paul is a true-born natural optimist. He might even rival Albert Facey of ‘A Fortunate Life’ fame. I first met Paul when he was working as a teenager at Clarrie Messiter’s ‘Sylvania Lodge Stud’ in the Bylong Valley in 1967. I’d already made the acquaintance of his ‘famous’ elder brother Noel Hennessy at ‘Baramul Stud’ in the Widden Valley; the same year Star Kingdom died. Baramul’s owner, Sydney Solicitor Mr A O Ellison’ was very kind to Paul in supporting him through his early school education in Cessnock. The product of a large and close family Paul’s many relations included local jockey Carl Deamer plus John and Jason Deamer. Thoroughbreds were quite literally ‘in-the-blood’. Following his regular sojourns at ‘Baramul’ during school holidays (helping with ‘Star Kingdom’ and ‘Todman’) Mr Ellison was able to arrange a 6 month ‘strapper sabbatical’ for Paul at AJC No. 1 Trainer Neville Begg’s Randwick Stables. This was fabulous fundamental early education supervised by a true gentleman and an ornament to the game.

See: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/star-kingdom/

See: https://sconevetdynasty.com.au/noel-hennessy-and-star-kingdom/

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See featured image for text.