Back in January 1971 Gold Vink broke her maiden in Brisbane at her 17thstart and retired some 18 months later with a record of two wins from 26 starts with earnings of $4,410. Hardly the record to inspire belief that she was destined to become a broodmare whose influence would spread throughout the world.
She is the dam of the dual Group 1 winner Bit Of A Skite and sand the Group II winner Shagolvin.
But it was two of her less successful runners on the track where Gold Vink left her mark.
Her daughter Polar Maid (Khairpour) finished closer to last than first in her three starts on the NSW country tracks of Coonamble, Narromine and Trangie.
Yet she became the ancestress of Group 1 Golden Slipper winner Polar Success, Group II winner Bring Me The Maid, Group III winner Bachman, multiple stakes-winner Ain’t Seen Nothin’ and Singapore Horse Of The Year Stepitup.
Polar Maid’s half-sister Olympic Aim (Zamazaan) was marginally better on the racetrack, winning four races in Western Australia, two at Pinjarra and two at Toodyay.
She left seven live foals, two of them stakes-winners including the top-class Circles Of Gold (Marscay), the winner of the 1995 Group I AJC Australian Oaks.
The success of Circles Of Gold at stud has been well documented. She is the dam of the world traveller’s Haradasun and Elvstroem, while her Group I placed daughter Hveger is the dam of 5-time Group I winner Highland Reel and multiple Group IIwinnerIdaho.
Highland Reel travels to Del Mar this weekend to defend his title in the Breeders' Cup Turf.
A year after foaling Circles Of Gold, Olympic Aim produced the Vain filly National Song.
After finishing seventh of 11 at Gawler, National Song was whisked off to stud.
She had a long career, producing 15 foals the best of which was the stakes-placed Made Of Gold mare Gold Anthem.
The third
The first foal of Gold Anthem was Gold Chant (El Moxie) a stakes-placed winner of five races.
Keeping the run of stakes-winner going, Gold Chant produced the Group I Thousand Guineas winner Amicus (Fastnet Rock) and the stakes-placed Ill Cavallo (Choisir) as well as a Snitzel colt that was knocked down to Shadwell Stud for $800,000 at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Consigned by Milburn Creek as agent for Makybe, the chestnut colt has been named Jawwaal (pictured as a yearling) and makes his career debut in Saturday’s $250,000 Inglis Banner (RL) at Moonee Valley.
The son of Snitzel has not been seen in public but has the polish of the team at Lindsay Park and has drawn well in barrier four for Regan Bayliss.
