News

UnpretentioUs delivers for patient owners

15th Oct 2013

ANZ Bloodstock News - Aushorse - Tuesday, 15 October 2013

In the twenty times that the Group Two Schillaci Stakes has been run as a part of the Caulfield Cup carnival, it has been won by some of racing’s true stars.

Named in honour of Lee Freedman’s superstar grey sprinter of the early 1990s, it has fallen the way of Australian-bred horses nineteen times in that period, including the past fifteen years.

The likes of Golden Slipper winner Bint Marscay, the freakishly versatile Mahogany, outstanding sprinting mares Spinning Hill, Miss Andretti and Gold Edition all have their names on the trophy.

World champion Black Caviar is also there – twice, along with the ever popular Buffering.

This year’s winner, Unpretentious (Stratum), is unlikely to be remembered in the same way as those just named, but it is doubtful that there has been a more deserving winner of the feature sprint.

Considered the best horse trained by Cranbourne based Nikki Burke, Unpretentious has traversed a rocky road to his feature race breakthrough.

Unpretentious is bred and raced by Melbourne based sports and media identity Michael Christian and Shane Stiles.

“I owned and raced Unpretentious’ dam, Alisa Free, with trainer Peter Morgan”, Christian said.

“She was by Favorite Trick out of a mare named Blond Rocket, so we named her after Winter Olympian Alisa Camplin. She had a great pedigree, being a half sister to Group One winner Rockabubble, and showed plenty of potential. Unfortunately, Alisa Free had joint troubles and was retired early”.

After producing a filly to Snitzel, Alisa Free was served by Stratum. This mating produced Unpretentious.

“He was a lovely horse from the outset and I remember going to the Inglis premier Sales in 2010 with a fair amount of confidence that year”, Christian said.

“I had a Stratum colt out of Runaway Jesse that went through the sale earlier, eventually being purchased by Roy Higgins and Wylie Dalziel Racing for $70,000. I always thought that the Alisa Free colt was a better type so I was pretty excited about getting a great result”.

Unfortunately for Christian, things didn’t pan out as he had hoped.

“He was offered for us by Three Bridges Thoroughbreds and we set the reserve for him at $60,000. The money dried up at $58,000 so we decided to keep him.

“Nikki Burke was the under bidder on the Runaway Jesse colt so she came by to have a look, liked him a great deal, and eventually it was decided that we would stay involved and syndicate the rest out to friends and also clients of Nikki’s stable”.

Named Unpretentious, the son of Stratum showed great potential from the outset.

“Nikki has always rated him highly but he was a bit of a handful. We didn’t hesitate in gelding him”, remembers Christian.

Connections decided to be patient with him.

“He trialled as a three year old and went enormous, so we targeted an 1100m 0-68 rated race at Sale for his debut. He won that defeating Sharnee Rose quite convincingly and she has gone on to be a reliable stakes performer”.

The debut win also caught the eye of many international bloodstock agents, with big offers coming for Unpretentious. This included a $400,000 offer from Hong Kong clients.

“An offer of $1million was made for him. As an owner group, it was a difficult decision for us to make as everyone was in him to have fun with a good horse. But, in the end, a million dollars is a million dollars, so we agreed to sell”.

The joy of a huge paycheque didn’t last as Unpretentious failed a vet test to race in Hong Kong.

“It was frustrating as Unpretentious had a couple of minor issues and the vets wouldn’t pass him”, added Christian.

“After a decent spell, he returned in magnificent condition for his four year old season. He won by six lengths at his first run back over 1100m and we knew then that he was ready to do something special.

“Nikki wanted to keep his races spaced so we targeted a 1200m race at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day”.

Unpretentious produced a phenomenal performance, storming home from a seemingly hopeless position to win the MSS Security Sprint.

‘Many good judges said that his win on Cup day was one of the best performances of the spring carnival. He was back with the tailenders with 400m to run yet was able to power past all of his rivals and win easily”, reflects Christian.

Given one more start for the spring, Unpretentious finished third to the outstanding mare Mid Summer Music in the Listed Kevin Heffernan Stakes at Sandown after being blocked for a run at crucial stages.

“Nikki was very keen to set him for the Lightning Stakes and Newmarket Handicap in the autumn. But like so many times before, luck deserted him”, said Christian.

Two weeks before the Lightning Stakes, it was discovered that Unpretentious had an entrapped epiglottis and his campaign was stopped.

Christian believes that all of the issues that Unpretentious has suffered may eventually be the making of him.

“We have been forced to be very patient with him. Craig Williams, who has done so much work with Unpretentious and ridden him in most starts, said that he was better than ever after his trial win at Cranbourne on September 23.

“The original plan was to target the Flemington sprints, like the Gilgai Stakes and Yellowglen on Derby Day, but he has come back so well that we altered the program.

“The Schillaci Stakes was always going to be a test as 1000m is short of his best. He had a great deal against him. It really does set him up well for the Patinack Farm Classic at the end of the Flemington carnival.

“All credit has to go to Nikki Burke, she does a wonderful job. Craig Williams is also crucial to the success that we have had with him and Damien Oliver rode a superb race to win on Saturday”.

Christian sold out of Alisa Free but managed to secure her half sister by Bel Esprit, named Heigl.

“She was a nice filly that we were able to win with. I sent her to Stratum so will be offering up a three quarter brother in blood to Unpretentious at next year’s Inglis Premier Sale, which is very exciting”.

Alisa Free was covered by Stratum again last spring.

As a sportsman, Christian tasted success at the highest level as a member of the 1990 Collingwood AFL premiership team. Now a broadcaster with RSN Racing and Sport, his passion for racing is well known.

“I’ve had some luck so far having bred Hallowell Belle (Starcraft) and I have raced some good horses, including Oasis Bloom who was runner up in the Herbert power Stakes also on Saturday.

“But to win a Group Two race with Unpretentious after having raced his mother, bred him, the drama of not selling him and then having such little luck in the early days of his career is just amazing”.

For Christian and his fellow owners, the journey so far has been full of many ups and downs. But based on his win on Saturday, they are well and truly on an upward spiral.

“It’s just so great having him back and in form. I hope he can measure up in the Patinack Farm Classic as that would be pretty special. But the one race I’d love him to contest is the Newmarket Handicap”.