Vale, Towkay - Little Avondale Pay Tribute to a Remarkable Sire

Media Release - Wednesday November 1

Father time finally caught up with the seemingly ageless Towkay, who was retired from stallion duties at Little Avondale in 2017, and the decision was made earlier in the week to humanely euthanise the son of Last Tycoon.

Advertisement

Vale, Towkay - loved by all and sadly missed.
 
Full of personality and character, Towkay endeared himself to all the staff after arriving at the Masterton operation in 1999.
 
For LA studmaster Sam Williams, who got on with Towkay “like a house on fire”, the decision was personally very tough, despite the inevitability.
 
“He is the reason the farm is what it is today, we owe him a huge debt of gratitude. Not only was he a most successful sire, but he was so endearing to everyone whose path he crossed,” Williams said.
 
Towkay sired 28 black type performers including three individual Group 1 winners highlighted by the multiple elite level winner Viadana. Perhaps his best performer, although he never won an officially recognised Group 1, was the outstanding miler Armada. Bred by Tom Jamieson, Armada won some of the most prestigious mile races in Hong Kong in an era when the former British colony was blessed with some great milers, although arguably his best performance came when running second to the Champion Japanese mare Vodka in the Group 1 Yasuda Kinen, with the winner running 1.32 for the 1600m.
 
His progeny adapted perfectly to the training regime and climate in Hong Kong. He had a mortgage in the top five on the Hong Kong sires premiership for years, and one year he had three runners in the Hong Kong Derby.
 
Towkay did it the hard way, his biggest crop was 59 foals, and in the days well shy of today’s astronomical prizemoney levels, his progeny earnings totalled over $34million.

Golden Eagle contender Legato is from a daughter of Towkay - image Grant Courtney

Today his legacy continues through his daughters highlighted by this weekends Golden Eagle runner Legato out of the Towkay mare Geordie Girl.
 
Towkay was 29 years of age or 116 in human terms, something which Williams is proud of and that he attributes to the wonderful care and attention the horse received from LA’s longtime Head Stallion Groom, Helen Phinney.
 
No doubt there will be a trainer or two in Hong Kong this week who will raise a glass to Towkay. LA will certainly drink to that

Advertisment
More Reading...
She's Unusual Keeps Good Times Rolling
Continued success with resident stallion Unusual Suspect and their racing team has kept Nigel and Adaire Auret busier than they may have envisaged, but without any complaints.
Autumn Glow Epsom Challenge - Just How Big Is This Task?
With the unbeaten Autumn Glow set to run as the first odds-on favourite this century in the Epsom Handicap on Saturday we thought we’d run some data to see how big this mountain is that she’s attempting to climb, and turns out, it’s pretty big.
Sires With Winners - Monday September 29
Here is the full list of 22 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 30
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Resolute Racing Purchase Top Lot Goffs Orby Day 1
The Goffs Orby Yearling Sale kicked off overnight and the top lot on Day 1 was a colt by Blue Point purchased by John Stewart’s Resolute Bloodstock for €675,000, while Wootton Bassett produced the top selling filly, whose half-brother Trinity College is now in Australia.
Equimillion This Long Weekend – Draws and Start Lists
Racing NSW have their annual Equimillion event coming up this long weekend at Sydney International Equestrian Centre at Horsley Park and for people interested in off the trackers it’s a showcase for the sport, so let’s take a look at who’s who in the zoo.
Karaka Million Dreaming for Out of the Blue
Te Akau Racing marketing manager Julia-Rose Hayes has had plenty of success syndicating horses selected by her father, David Ellis, and that has continued with her latest syndicate.
2025 G1 The Metropolitan Field and Barrier Draw
Chris Waller and Ciaron Maher are set to have half of the Group I Metropolitan field between them with the Waller trained Birdman an easing favourite after drawing a wide gate for Saturday’s race.
Golden Rose Brings Second Season Shake Up
We are two months into a new racing season and the second season sires table was given a good shake up over the weekend with the $1million Group I Golden Rose and $300,000 Group II Stutt Stakes both producing a quinella for sires in this cohort.
Kiwi Stayer Chasing Melbourne Cup Golden Ticket
Wolfgang, who races as Mister Wolfgang in Australia, will get his first opportunity to earn a golden ticket into the Gr.1 Melbourne Cup (3200m) when he heads to Flemington on Saturday.