News

Helsinge the money making mum

22nd Feb 2013

Daily Telegraph - Ray Thomas - Friday, 22 February 2013

She has only had three foals to race and collectively they have won 33 races from 38 starts including 15 Group 1 events.

Among her progeny are two "world champions" - Black Caviar is the best sprinter on the planet and All Too Hard the highest-rated three-year-old miler.

Their dam is Helsinge, one of the most valuable broodmares in world racing. It seems everything she produces can gallop.

Helsinge is such hot property now, whenever a yearling by her enters a sale ring, it is virtually guaranteed to be the sale-topper.

The William Inglis Sydney Easter Sales is the most important yearling auction in the southern hemisphere and Helsinge has produced the top-priced lot the past two years.

All Too Hard, Helsinge's third foal, topped the 2011 Easter Sales at $1.025 million while her Redoute's Choice filly now named Belle Couture was purchased for a sale-high $2.6 million last year (pictured).

Helsinge's latest offering, a yearling colt by Redoute's Choice, is expected to smash all records at the Inglis Easter Sales in April.

Inglis director and respected equine expert Jonathon D'Arcy described Helsinge's yearling colt as an outstanding type.

"The colt is all quality, he has a great head and eye, great shape, and he is developing into a well above-average individual," Inglis said.

"He obviously has the best pedigree in the catalogue. He is by a sire of sires and there are not many stallions that go on and become breed-shaping stallions and Redoute's Choice is certainly one of those horses."

D'Arcy concedes Helsinge's colt is likely to top the Easter Sales - and possibly set a new record for the most expensive yearling sold in the southern hemisphere.

"The highest price for a yearling in Australasia is $3 million at this point of time but I think this horse will be giving that price a nudge," D'Arcy said.

"The way Helsinge's family is performing and the way her colt is developing, everyone will be very excited to see him when he comes into the sale ring."

Helsinge, an 11-year-old broodmare in the prime of her life, is owned by Rick Jamieson at Gilgai Farm and is a money-making machine as well as a producer of champion racehorses.

It is still early days in her broodmare career but Helsinge's reputation and record already is earning her comparisons with Australasia's greatest broodmares like Dark Jewel, Denise's Joy and in the modern era, Eight Carat (dam of Group 1 winners Octagonal, Mouawad, Kaapstad, Diamond Lover) and Circles of Gold (dam of Elvstroem and Haradasun).

"All things being equal, Helsinge could produce another six to eight foals at least," D'Arcy said. "If they average out at a $1 million a yearling, it is a lot of money. "She is a very valuable commodity."

Helsinge's first foal, Black Caviar, was sold by Jamieson for $210,000 as a yearling. Black Caviar has won all of her 23 races including 13 at Group 1 level and earned more than $7 million prizemoney - with more to come.

Black Caviar last night became only second racehorse still in training to be inducted into the Hall of Fame after Sunline in 2002.

There is a link between the two great mares as Black Caviar's dam Helsinge is by Desert Sun, the sire of Sunline.

Helsinge's third foal to race, All Too Hard is a long odds-on favourite to add another Group 1 title to the family's resume in the $500,000 Futurity Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield tomorrow.

Hall of Fame trainer John Hawkes, who prepares All Too Hard in partnership with his sons Wayne and Michael, said Helsinge is doing an "unbelievable job".

Hawkes did not bid on Black Caviar when she went through the sale ring but he has trained Helsinge's next two to race, Moshe and All Too Hard. Moshe won three of his five starts before being retired while All Too Hard has already won five of his 10 starts, including two Group 1 races and more than $1.7 million prizemoney.

"Most broodmares, if they throw one stakes winner, chances are they will throw another one," Hawkes said.

"Moshe was a Saturday-class horse, that was about his limit, but he was a nice horse. All Too Hard is an elite racehorse.

"For Helsinge to throw Black Caviar and then All Too Hard from her first three foals to race just shows what an unbelievable job she is doing."

Hawkes bought All Too Hard as a yearling for $1.025 million at the Inglis Easter Sales because the colt "ticked so many boxes".

"You need to look at their conformation and pedigree - it all goes together," Hawkes said. "This bloke was always a lovely colt and he is developing into a magnificent horse now."

Helsinge's juvenile filly Belle Couture, a full sister to Black Caviar, is about to return to training with Danny O'Brien.

Belle Couture has not been rushed to the racetrack and it is likely O'Brien and her owners will be rewarded for their patience.

"She is coming back into work soon and they are very comfortable with the way she is coming along," D'Arcy said.

"Helsinge's sons and daughters so far have not been brilliant early-comers but once they get to the races they perform straight away."