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10.
From Humble
Origins To Group One Glory
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08/12/2002 |
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Even
the most hardened punter would have been willing the courageous front-running,
25/1 chance, Blevvo over the line in the $300,000 Fruit ‘n’ Veg Stakes
(1800m.) at Ascot on Saturday. After leading every step of the way, repelling a
mid race attack for the lead by Main Stage, Blevvo dug deep in an agonising last
50 metres to defeat Finito (Palace Reign) and Corporate Bruce (Corporate Raider)
to claim victory in one of only three Group 1 races available in Western
Australia.
It was the sixth consecutive win for the David Harrison-trained 6yo gelding who
has now won 10 of his 35 starts with 5 seconds and 4 thirds for earnings of over
$418,000.
Purchased for $60,000 by Western Australian based agent John Chalmers at the
1999 ABCOS Bonus Yearling Sale in Adelaide, Blevvo is the ninth and final foal
of the extraordinary racemare Caremel. While her name will mean little to most,
Caremel must have been something of a legend on the Port Augusta racetrack in
the middle 1980’s. It was at Port Augusta on the 25th April 1983 that Caremel
began her racing career by winning a 1200m two-year old race, pocketing a grand
total of $450. When she retired from racing with a lacklustre fifth of ten at
the same track three years later Caremel had a record of 14 wins, 6 seconds and
8 thirds from 34 starts for earnings of $15,705. When thoughts turn to racetrack
specialists Caremel would be hard to beat. Every one of her 14 wins was achieved
at Port Augusta where she started 25 times. On three rare excursions to the big
smoke Caremel twice ran third at Morphetville and finished fifth of 14 runners
at Cheltenham.
Hardly the epitome of commercial thoroughbred bloodlines, Caremel was one of
just three foals produced in the third crop of the unraced stallion Highest a
son of the 1957 Epsom Derby winner Crepello. While he was poorly supported at
stud producing just 21 live foals in a six-year career, Highest was actually
bred in the purple. His dam Highest Hopes, by St Leger winner Hethersett, won 8
races from 15 starts including the Prix Eugene Adam, Prix Vermeille, Fred
Darling Stakes, Ascot 1000 Guineas Trial and was runner-up in the French Oaks.
Highest Hopes was a half-sister to five stakes winners including the Nunthorpe
Stakes winner and successful sire Gratitude (Golden Cloud) and Queen Mary
Stakes, Molecomb Stakes and Lowther Stakes winner Pharsalia (Panorama).
Without exception all of the nine foals produced by Caremel have inherited their
dam’s exceptional constitution. Her first foal Lenarac (Top Post) won four and
placed in 14 of his 48 starts. Second foal True Spirit (Mustin Lake) won seven
and placed in six of her 38 starts including victory in the Group 3 Swettenham
Stud Stakes, for earnings of $159,070. Third foal Emerald set (Mustin Lake) won
seven and placed in nine of her 36 starts. Fourth foal True Blue Spirit (Mustin
Lake) won four and placed in 10 of her 39 starts. Caremal’s fifth foal, the
“iron mare” Arakazar (Zamakina), won 11 and placed in 21 of her 68 starts
for earnings of over $209,000. A multiple metropolitan winner on Adelaide tracks
over five seasons of racing, Arakazar was stakes placed in the SAJC ETSA Power
Trophy, SAJC City of Adelaide H. (LR) and SAJC KPMG S. (LR).
The sixth foal out of Caremel, Spirit Of Hope (Mustin Lake) won nine and placed
in 11 of his 65 starts, which yielded earnings of $192,200. His wins included
the Listed SAJC JRA Trophy and was runner-up in the SAJC Adelaide Guineas (G3).
With a proven track record Caremel had earned a date with a more commercial
stallion however there are no certainties in the breeding game. Her seventh foal
by the prolific Rory’s Jester was purchased sold for $72,500 at the 1996 ABCOS
Bonus Yearling sale but, racing as Spiritualism, the colt returned just $26,105
of his purchase price with 2 wins and 8 places from 32 starts.
Caremel’s eighth foal Pooky Bear (Real Cash) won four and placed in 12 of his
50 starts in a career that finished over the jumps in Victoria.
While Caremel may not have sported the most fashionable pedigree, buyers at
yearling sales love to see a dam that has a record of foals that get to the
track and win. So it was not surprising that the astute John Chalmers had to go
to $60,000 to purchase Caremel’s final foal, a colt from the first crop of
Scenic’s top-class son Blevic.
Blevic seems to be one of those horses that finds it difficult to attract public
attention. His sire Scenic has also spent most of his stallion career battling
to receive the recognition he justly deserves. Blevic himself was a gifted
racehorse that won the Group 1 VRC Sires Produce Stakes at two and the Group 1
VRC Derby at three. Yet most publicity surrounding the Derby centred more around
the ride of the Hong Kong-based Jackie Tse on the runner-up Danewin.
The late Colin Hayes bred the beautifully conformed Blevic from the winning
Biscay mare Blooms who is out of the imported Mill Reef mare Queens Garden.
Scenic is a son of the incomparable Sadler’s Wells who seems to have developed
an affinity with mares from the Mill Reef sireline.
Hayes sold a half share in the Blevic to his good friend Robert Sangster and it
was in Sangster’s colours that Blevic won eight and placed in 12 of his 26
starts for earnings of over $1.3 million.
Retired to Kambula Stud, S.A. in 1996, Blevic is proving an exceptionally
consistent sire of metropolitan class winners. Despite serving only moderate
sized books of mares of questionable quality, Blevic has sired the 53 winners
from 103 starters that have earned over $2.6 million. He has three stakes
winners Bellediction, Red Labelle and Blevvo and two stakes placed winners,
Exalted lad and Shanghai Hero. Blevic can now boast a Group 1 winner from his
first crop.
Blevic is proving a fine advertisement for his four-time Group 1 winning
three-quarter brother Universal Prince, which retires to Inverness Stud, NSW
next year.
For ultra-consistent Blevvo, he may now have earned a well earned spelled. He is
proving a wonderful legacy for Caremel, the Princess of Port Augusta, who died
shortly after foaling the Group 1 hero.
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