12 Feb 2018
Yearling sales pomp and ceremony over, it's back to business at Cambridge Stud.
It's been a week when Cambridge Stud stallions have shone - and that hasn't gone unnoticed by breeders.
Stud manager Marcus Corban returned from the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale in Sydney with 10 bookings to Tavistock, the Montjeu stallion having enjoyed a lucrative Karaka yearling sale and represented in superb style in Singapore by emerging sprint star Tannhauser over the weekend.
"The Karaka sales were a real step up for Tavistock. He went to a new level," Sir Patrick said.
"His colts and fillies all sold well - and that was off a $15,000 service fee. We're already seeing the bookings flow in and it's probably a good reminder to breeders that are thinking about making their mating decisions around June and July that with a stallion like him, they might be too late. It's not difficult to see why he's so popular either."
Sir Patrick closed Tavistock's book in May last year, with all but 10 services remaining in mid-April.
He has also called on breeders to make an early mating decision if they were considering Redoute's Choice stallion Burgundy.
"We're witnessing something pretty special at the moment with what's going on with Dijon Bleu," Sir Patrick said.
"She's doing a terrific job at all distances and on all track conditions. She's just so versatile and that's what we are seeing with a lot of the Burgundys - that and the fact that she's pretty good."
Dijon Bleu has now had eight starts for the season and Saturday's Gr.2 Cambridge Sud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) win at Te Rapa was her fifth win, all at stakes level, to go with second placings in the Gr.1 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Gr.3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m).
The Sir Tristram Fillies Classic saw Tavistock filly Milseain finish third and she now looks one of the main threats to Dijon Bleu heading to next month's Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham.
Dijon Bleu's win sparked a memorable day for Cambridge Stud with Zabeel mare Lizzie L'Amour adding to her champion sire's great legacy with success in the Gr.1 Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m), beating Keeper mare Wildflower, while the Gr.1 BDO Group Sprint (1400m) was won by Start Wondering, a son of the Sir Patrick and Justine, Lady Hogan-bred stallion Eighth Wonder.
Cape Blanco mare O'Angel was also successful, while emerging Power two-year-old Beam Of Light looked a stakes performer in waiting with a bold second in the juvenile event.
Power continues produce a steady flow of winners with the Kevin Gray-trained Divine Power getting a deserved three-year-old sprint win at Tauherenikau, while Zabeel mare Lovelight looked every inch an Auckland Cup contender with her win at Te Rapa the same day.
And the winners in Australia keep coming too.
Tavistock filly Tavisocks was an impressive winner at Ararat for trainer Luke Oliver, while Golden Coin was a Tavistock winner in Hong Kong.
"The sales might be over but Cambridge Stud marches on," Sir Patrick said.
"It was an enormous sale and it did make me feel like I wouldn't have minded having another draft next year but we'll take what we've got. It's nice to see that's nothing has changed after the sales - Cambridge Stud stallions are still producing winners all over the place."