Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday October 18

The Group III James Squire Angst Stakes plays a minor role amidst a sea of multi-million dollar races at Randwick on Everest Day, but it presents a chance for Hinged to break a drought stretching back over two and a half years.

Hinged won five and was runner-up twice in seven starts for Michael Nolan at two. When Brae Sokolski and Ozzie Kheir made an offer that owner/breeder Kim McCasker could not refuse, the daughter of Worthy Cause was on her way south to the stables of Chris Waller.

Hinged has been winless since the 2022 Surround Stakes

Her lone win in thirty starts for the champion trainer came in the 2022 Group I Surround Stakes on a heavy 10 at Randwick, defeating  Startantes and Espiona.

There have been innumerable near misses, including seconds in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes, Group 1 Flight Stakes, Group II Chelmsford Stakes, Group II Guy Walter Stakes, Group II Apollo Stakes, and thirds in the Group 1 Epsom Hcp, Group 1 George Main Stakes, and Group 1 Coolmore Classic.

Advertisement

While the wall may not be plastered with winning photographs, the $2,000,000 the 6-year-old mare has banked may offer some consolation.

Hinged provides hope for all small breeders. She comes from the first crop of Choisir's son Worthy Cause, the winner of five and placed in eight of his 25 starts for trainer John Zielke.

His career highlights came in the Group III GCTC Gunsynd Classic and Listed VRC Paris Lane Stakes, and he was a bit player at the start of the most remarkable winning run of all, when third behind Winx in the Sunshine Coast Guineas.

A great-grandson of the blue hen Pride Of Tahnee, Worthy Cause stood his first season at $5,500.

Among the first mares he covered was Tints, a hard-knocking daughter of Tycoon Ruler.

When consigned by Clear Mountain Fairview to the 2012 Magic Millions QTIS Yearling Sale, Kim McCasker purchased Tints for a modest $10,000. Tints started 47 times for Ben Currie, winning twelve and placing in ten, earning  $247,150.

In two stakes appearances, Tints finished last of 14 in the Listed Brisbane Hcp, a race she contested twice, having finished midfield the year before.

Hints is a daughter of the unraced Danzero mare Zero Colour, a half-sister to the III MRC Moonga Stakes runner-up Pink Fit (Flying Spur) and Listed WATC Placid Ark Stakes runner-up Stars Aligned (Not a Single Doubt), out of the Slew o' Gold mare, My Pink.

Hinged nosed out by Buckaroo in Chelmsford Stakes

My Pink's stakes-winning dam Pink Valley (Never Bend) is a half-sister to the 1975 Group 1 Poule d'Essai des Poulains hero Green Dancer (Nijinsky), the French champion sire of 1991. Green Dancer's sister, Val Danseur, was a multiple-stakes winner.

Their dam, Green Valley II, is a daughter of Sly Pola (Spy Song), who won the 1959 Prix de l'Abbaye de Longchamp. She is a half-sister to Polamia (Mahmoud), who won the 1957 Prix de Bois.

Polamia produced five stakes winners headed by the 1964 French champion 2-year-old male and influential sire Grey Dawn II (Herbager), and the 1966 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French One Thousand Guineas) winner Right Away (Right Royal V).

Brae Sokolski now owns Tints, and her last two suitors have more commercial appeal.

She has a yearling colt by Snitzel and visited Maurice (JPN) last November.  

Worthy Cause stands this season at Clear Mountain Fairview for $8,800. 

Advertisment
More Reading...
Invincible Colt Wins on Debut
The Michael Freedman stable have been patient with good looking I Am Invincible colt Transgress and with the first good track at a provincial meeting for quite some time at Wyong on Sunday they decided to unleash Transgress and were well rewarded.
Melbourne Racing Club Announces Official Trial Schedule for 2025–26
The Melbourne Racing Club (MRC) is thrilled to announce a comprehensive schedule of 15 Official Trials across the 2025–26 season, providing an essential service to trainers, owners and jockeys while addressing the industry’s increasing need for metropolitan grass access.
Pedigree Watch – 3YO - Changing of the Guard?
Last Saturday, spring kicked into overdrive and we saw three Group races for 3YO colts and geldings that included the winners of last season’s GI MRC Blue Diamond, G1ATC Sires Produce and the Golden Slipper runner-up, but none of them could land a blow.
One to Watch – Wyong
Trial watchers have been impressed in recent weeks with the efforts of the Bjorn Baker trained King’s Legacy colt Whatalegacy and he duly made a winning debut at Wyong on Sunday.
Exciting Castelvecchio 3YO Quantum Legend Headed to HK
Tony Pike’s powers of persuasion have come up short against the money on offer in Hong Kong.
Vale, Robert Priscott
Former Group One-winning trainer Robert Priscott has passed away.
Sires With Winners - Sunday August 31
Here is the full list of 63 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Via Sistina Crowned Australian Horse of the Year
Via Sistina (IRE) has been honoured at a great many awards events in the past couple of months and the Yulong owned daughter of champion sire Fastnet Rock took the big one in Brisbane on Sunday.
Adding to the Legend of a Great Blue Hen
There were a lot of fascinating winners over the last few days, some for their stakes potential and some for their pedigree and this mare combines both- can she add to the legend of a great blue hen?
Hinged gets her Reward in G2 Matriarch Stakes
After winning the Group 1 Surround Stakes at her fifth start for Chris Waller, Hinged took 28 starts and 141 weeks to add a second in Saturday's Group II  Tab Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.