Inghams Make A Canny Buy
The Sun Herald
Sunday March 3, 1991
The Jack and Bob Ingham-managed Woodlands Stud Syndicate has purchased outstanding three-year-old Canny Lad to stand at stud when his career is finished, and the colt ran in their cerise colours yesterday when well beaten at Caulfield.
The price has not been disclosed but when syndicated he would certainly be valued at several millions, and why not?
The outstanding colt is by champion sire Bletchingly from Jesmond Lass, making him a full brother to the former outstanding race mare Canny Lass.
He has the pedigree to go with his own fabulous race record, and the Ingham brothers intend to give him every chance to enhance that record before his retirement.
Depending upon his race performances, Canny Lad will continue to race through this autumn.
Jack Ingham said yesterday that Canny Lad will be used to fill the gaps left by the deaths of Star Watch and a potential stallion in their well-bred three-year-old Signal.
Interestingly, the Inghams have made a habit of buying outstanding two-year-old colts like Marauding and Star Watch as stallion prospects on the eve of their Golden Slipper wins.
However, it wasn't a case of the two-year-old colts this season not being of sufficient quality to consider.
"We did buy Christmas Tree as a three-year-old, so we don't only buy the youngsters. Canny Lad's a Star Kingdom line horse and you can't get better than that," Jack Ingham said.
"He's an outstanding speed horse and trained on this season. There was nothing better that we could see."
THERE was no brotherly love lost in Golden Slipper comments yesterday from Ernie Smith, Tom's brother and father of Bold Promise's trainer, Sterling.
"Those fillies Shadea and Regina Madre haven't got a million-to-one chance in the Slipper," Ernie said after the Sweet Embrace Stakes finish.
"Bold Promise was fat when she finished second to Regina Madre in a trial and she's much fitter now.
"In fact she's never worked better than she did this morning and her last 200m in 11 seconds was absolutely outstanding."
SHADEA'S Canterbury win and automatic entree to the Golden Slipper was in stark contrast to the luck she has encountered in most of her career.
The filly had suffered bad barrier draws and trouble in running for much of her five starts before yesterday's Sweet Embrace Stakes.
To top it all off, her rider Malcolm Fitzgerald thought the filly had broken a leg in a recent barrier trial at Hawkesbury.
"There was some trouble in the stall next door to her and then in the one on the other side and she had her head down and under the gates when they jumped," said trainer Barry Lockwood.
"When she jumped, Malcolm just cantered her out then because he thought she had broken a leg. As a result she was a mile behind them."
At one stage of the trial, Shadea was 100m behind the second-last horse but once Fitzgerald had decided the filly was okay, Shadea stormed to the line to be beaten only a couple of lengths in a remarkable effort.
The filly's name actually comes from the black American woman singer Sade(pronounced "Shar-day").
"I hope nobody thinks it's racist, but I thought she was such a nice black filly that I named her after Sade, but it keeps coming out in the media pronouned "Shar-dee-ha'," Lockwood said.
CLOUDLET'S bout of colic could provide a bonus for the Illawarra Turf Club's staging of the Brambles Classic this autumn.
The filly is already in the Golden Slipper but trainer Dave Sweeny needs to give Cloudlet a start somewhere to fit her for the race.
Part-owner Les Young confirmed yesterday that there is little wrong with the filly in regard to the Slipper and she is expected to put the mild bout of colic behind her quickly.
If Cloudlet runs at Rosehill next week, she has the prospect of a showdown with Bold Promise and Vionnet.
She might find the Brambles slightly easier.
The March 12 event provides one of the last-chance openings for late Slipper contenders to make the field, and the provision of the $75,000 late entry fee for the Slipper has been one of its major attractions.
Connections of Regina Madre were initially keen to run in the Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill on March 16 but Sir Tristan Antico admitted that the$75,000 "carrot" at Kembla could help to make the decision where that filly attempts to qualify.
The Kiwi colt Charming Talker was scratched from Canterbury with a slight shin soreness but will run at Kembla.
His owner, multi-millionaire former developer Arthur Williams, is expected to return from a trip to Hong Kong and be present at the Brambles meeting.
Kembla officials are also hoping to get Diddy Do It to the meeting now that he is still to qualify for the Slipper.
TRAINER Bart Cummings acquired another Sydney Cup prospect on Friday when Plume D'Orveille walked into the yard.
The lease expired on Friday and the new manager transferred the former New Zealander to the Cups King.
JOCKEY Mal Johnston will miss the Canberra Black Opal meeting today to be part of a pilot for a new sports program on Channel 7.
The program could be the start of a regular television spot for Miracle Mal.
Nevertheless, he will be fronting up at Wellington for the Boot meeting tomorrow.
© 1991 The Sun Herald