Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday May 31

Racing or breeding thoroughbreds can be a great test of character but occasionally there are those rare jewels that prove heartbreakingly frustrating on the track that excels at stud.

For Paul Favretto and Paul Rowe that gem is Top Cuban.

A $92.500 weanling and a $220,000 Magic Millions Yearling, Top Cuban began her career on the track on a promising note.

Advertisement

Trained by Graeme Rogerson the daughter of Anabba was second at Canterbury on debut before breaking her maiden at her second start at Kembla Grange.

It encouraged connections to take a shot at the Listed Keith Mackay Quality at Randwick but she trailed home last of the eight runners and after that her career was largely a non-event.


After finishing last at Kembla and seventh in a class 1 at the Gold Coast, Top Cuban career closed with a record of 1 win and 3 places from 13 starts with earnings of $26,750.

Then the magic happened. In her relatively short stud career to date, Top Cuban has been nothing short of a goldmine.

The first four foals out of Top Cuban have averaged over $962,000 in the sale ring.

Her first date was with Starcraft and she left a colt that made $290,000 at the Magic Millions to the bid of Blue Sky Thoroughbreds.

That colt was named Havana who won the Group III Fred Best Classic at Doomben in 2014 and was third to Criterion in the Group II Todman Stakes when trained by Paul Messara.

Sent back to Starcraft, Top Cuban produced Jing Jing Win, a $360,000 Easter yearling purchase for the Hong Kong Jockey Club who won a couple of races for David Hall.

After missing for two seasons, Top Cuban foaled a Redoute’s Choice colt named Eltizaam who was knocked down to Shadwell Stud For $1.5 million at the 2016 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

He has yet to win in eight starts although he is not without ability having run three placings including a last start second at Pakenham. (Good timing  Eltizaam broke his maiden today at Pakenham) . His full brother is due to go under the hammer at the National Yearling Sale 

There is no disputing Top Cuban can leave a good-looking foal and her 2016 colt, by reigning champion Snitzel, elicited a bid of $1.7 million by George Moore Bloodstock at the 2017 Easter Yearling Sale.

Sent to Team Hawkes, that colt named Diplomatico (pictured as a yearling) will carry the colours of John Moore at his career debut in Saturday’s 2yo Handicap over 1200 metres at Rosehill Gardens.

There is plenty of depth to her pedigree. The daughter of Anabba is out of the Seattle Slew mare Super Seleccion (CAN) who is a three-quarter sister to Slew City Slew.

Winner of the Grade 1 Gulfstream Park Handicap and the Grade 1 Oaklawn Handicap, Slew City Slew proved himself to be one of the top sons of the champion Seattle Slew at stud.

He left one of the most popular horses to grace the turf in the US in the early part of this century, Lava Man.

Between 2005 and 2007, Lava Man who won three consecutive runnings of the Hollywood Gold Cup, consecutive runnings of the Santa Anita Handicap plus the Pacific Classic Stakes and the Charles Whittingham Memorial Handicap, all Grade Ones.

Slew City Slew’s dam and Top Cuban’s third dam is the durable Weber City Miss (Berkley Prince) whose 17 wins included the Grade I Beldame Stakes.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Sires With Winners - Wednesday September 3
Here is the full list of 41 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Consecutive Wins As Cantiamo Defeats The Boys
With 60kgs on her back against the boys, it’s clearly evident there are bigger and better things ahead for the Kris Lees trained Cantiamo as the 3yo daughter of Too Darn Hot went back-to-back, winning the Precise Air Handicap (1200m) at Warwick Farm.
Waller Stable Hold the Key to Melbourne Cup
Champion Sydney trainer Chris Waller has 27 of the 120 entries for this year’s $10million Melbourne Cup, which equates to more than 20 per cent of the total, so it’s probably worth having a closer look at them.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday September 2
Here is the full list of 30 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Winning Debut for Blueblood Cox Plate Dreamer
At the start of August we ran a story about the 3YO’s that were entered for this year Cox Plate and aside from the usual suspects there were some ‘Cox Plate’ dreamers and one of them was unraced Lonhro colt Attica, who made a winning debut at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
Almanzor Mare Salutes for Cambridge Stud
Daring Dame broke through for an elusive win when taking out the Kensington Tavern 1200 at Ruakaka on Wednesday.
So You Think filly Scores for TAB Racing
The TAB Racing Club’s silks were to the fore at Ruakaka on Wednesday, with three-year-old filly Transcend carrying them to victory in The Homestead Sports Bar & Bistro 1200.
Vivid Sun Shines Bright At Sandown
Recording her second win in as many starts, 3yo The Autumn Sun filly Vivid Sun looked something special as she resumed from a spell at Sandown to trounce her rivals by more than two lengths on Wednesday, signalling a step up to black type races during the Spring.
Engine of War Wins for MyRacehorse at Sandown
VRC Derby aspirant Engine Of War made a winning Australian debut from the quarters of Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr when saluting at Sandown on Wednesday over 1500m.
G3 Tibbie Next for Tuileries
Lightly raced So You Think mare Tuileries has long promised to measure up to stakes class and will be given that opportunity next start after returning to top form to win at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.