Fringes hoping to make Queensland statement
In a Gr.1 Queensland Oaks (2200m) field with a long tail on paper, Michael Hickmott sees no reason Gr.3 SA Fillies’ Classic (2500m) winner Fringes (NZ) (Niagara) can’t run a big race at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The Kiwi import took a couple of runs to find her feet in Australia but has won her past two starts up in trip with the addition of blinkers, the most recent at Group Three level despite being held up for much of the straight.
“I think she’s a filly that has continued to improve,” Hickmott said.
“We were reluctant to go at her too quickly when she first came to South Australia and realistically her first two runs were building races.
“We put the blinkers on her in her next two starts and stepped her up in trip, and she couldn’t have done anymore in either of those races.
“She’s a three-year-old once. She’s happy, she’s healthy and there’s no reason not to press ahead.”
Fringes will sport Dynamic Syndications’ red and white colours for the first time on Saturday, with the prominent ownership group purchasing a 50 percent stake in the daughter of Niagara from owner-breeder Trish Dunell after her Group Three success.
Hickmott feels his filly would be shorter than her current $41 quote if the Eagle Farm surface was softer, but in a field with no shortage of triple-figure chances, he is still slightly bullish on Fringes’ chances.
Sydney hoop Tim Clark will take the reins.
“I think the market’s just taken a bit of a set against her getting back onto a dry track… there’s a long tail, so she’s probably in the middle of the market a bit,” he said.
“I’ve never had Tim on one of my horses, but he has a great relationship with Dynamic Syndications, who subsequent to her win the other day, purchased half of her.
“Michael Hickmott doesn’t need to be telling Tim Clark how to ride one.”
Bred and raced by renowned New Zealand racing photographer Trish Dunell, who will be on-track on Saturday, Fringes began her career in the Levin stable of Ilone Kelly and won on debut at Otaki on Boxing Day. She was unplaced in her two subsequent New Zealand starts, including a ninth in the Gr.2 Lowland Stakes (2100m).
Dunell moved Fringes into the South Australian stable of Michael Hickmott at the beginning of March, and her first two Australian starts produced a ninth over 1400m and a 12th in the Listed Clare Lindop Stakes (1600m) before winning at Balaklava prior to her SA Classic success.
Fringes is by Niagara, who stands for a $2,500 service fee at Hau Ora Farm in Hawke’s Bay and is the sire of nine Group or Listed winners.
The dam of Fringes is the Golan mare Miss Jaydeejay (NZ), who is a full-sister to the Gr.1 Victoria Derby (2500m) winner Kibbutz (NZ).
Dunell paid $24,000 to buy Miss Jaydeejay from the 2014 NZB Winter Mixed Bloodstock Sale at Karaka, where she was offered by the Westend Partnership. - NZ Racing Desk
Half to Lion’s Roar Headlines Supplementary Catalogue
Three quality weanlings will further boost NZB’s 2026 National Weanling Sale, with the bonus lots set to be offered immediately following the 140 lots originally catalogued for sale at Karaka on Thursday 25 June.
Headlining the three supplementary entries is Lot 141, a son of first season sire Paddington from Minnaleo (Black Minnaloushe). Making this colt a half-brother to Group One ATC Randwick Guineas winner and A$2.3 million earner Lion’s Roar (NZ) (Contributer).
A colt by exciting young sire Sword of State from Stella’s Honour (NZ) (O’Reilly) will be offered as Lot 142, and a son of Ace High out of black-type producer Light Express (Fastnet Rock) will be up for sale as Lot 143.
All three supplementary lots are on account of Morrinsville-based vendor Seaton Park, with the farm now offering a total of nine across the session.
“Cash-flow counts in this industry and sometimes with the right stallions you can profit well in this Sale. We’ve managed to achieve some good results in the past thanks to our clients supporting us with nice weanlings,” commented Seaton Park’s Scott Eagleton.
“We have found that by tailoring a draft to the predominantly pinhooking market with the right sires and types, you can sell well and not have the additional costs of carrying the horse along.
Seaton Park are no strangers to the National Weanling Sale, with the 2025 Sale-topper coming from their draft, a colt by Per Incanto our of London Express who fetched $190,000 when purchased by Australian-based bloodstock agent James Mitchell, on behalf of Newgate Farm’s Jim Carey.
“Having this half to Lion’s Roar [Lot 141] is client-driven, great clients of ours saw the results we achieved last year and have entrusted us with this well-bred colt by first season sire Paddington and we think he’ll be a real draw card,” added Eagleton.
View the 143-lot catalogue here. The catalogue can also be viewed on the Equineline app for iPads/tablets, or the Thoroughworks mobile app.
Selling is set to take place at the Karaka Sales Centre from 11am (NZT) on Thursday 25 June.
All weanlings offered are eligible to be nominated for NZB’s lucrative Karaka Millions Series featuring the TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) and the TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m).
Weanlings entered in the Sale will be available for inspections at the on-farm parades, which continue tomorrow (Friday 5 June), and on-site at Karaka Sales Centre, with NZB agents available to inspect on behalf of buyers. View the on-farm parade schedule here.
Buyers wishing to attend can book their stays at the DoubleTree by Hilton Karaka hotel onsite here or by emailing travel@nzb.co.nz for assistance.
For more information, contact Bloodstock Sales Manager Kane Jones on +64 27 274 4985 or email kane.jones@nzb.co.nz, Sales Representative Patrick Cunningham on +64 21 512 466 or Patrick.Cunningham@nzb.co.nz or Andrew Buick at +64 27 555 0640 or email Andrew.Buick@nzb.co.nz. - New Zealand Bloodstock
Where are they now? Ethereal still thriving at 28
It was during this first week of June back in 2001 when a three-year-old filly by the American stallion Rhythm from the Group 2-winning Sir Tristram mare Romanee Conti announced herself as a topline stayer with a narrow victory in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks (2400m) at Eagle Farm.
That filly was Ethereal (NZ) – a homebred for Sir Peter Vela and his now Late brother Philip.
Twenty-five years later, Ethereal is still alive and well.
Now 28, Ethereal has returned home to where she was born and raised – at Pencarrow Stud, which is situated in the lush countryside of the Waikato region of New Zealand.
“She’s in good health and looks extremely good for her age,” Leon Casey, stud manager at Pencarrow Stud, told Racing.com.
“She lives a very good life; she’s rugged and fed and just relaxing in happy retirement.
“She’s got a mate with her who is about the same vintage and they’ve been together in that paddock for quite a few years now. She also has a lot of her family around her.
“It’s quite remarkable, she hasn’t had any major health challenges throughout her life. Her health really couldn’t be better than it is, considering her age.”
Trained by Sheila Laxon, Ethereal debuted in a 1200-metre Taupo maiden in August 2000.
She shed her maiden tag at the fifth time of asking, saluting over 1300 metres at Pukekohe in February 2001. That was the first of three wins on the bounce ahead of a winter campaign in Brisbane.
Ethereal had her first start in Australia in the Listed The Roses (2020m) at Doomben in late May 2001 and scored by one length under Scott Seamer as a $13 chance.
Despite her triumph across the road in in the key lead-up to the Queensland Oaks, the bay filly started at $9 in the Group 1 Classic, with Gai Waterhouse’s Tempest Morn sent out a $6 favourite.
Again with Seamer in the saddle, Ethereal settled a long way back. She was 10th at the 400m, and victory seemed incredibly unlikely when Ethereal still had six ahead of her with just 100 metres remaining. But the Kiwi filly displayed a great will to win and a wicked turn of foot to finish over the top of her rivals, touching off Tempest Morn right on the line.
“And look at this, Ethereal from the tail of the field, by golly. Ethereal has come from nowhere,” racecaller Alan Thomas said at the time.
As Casey explained, Ethereal’s Group 1 success was quite remarkable under the circumstances.
“She actually pulled a plate in the run and she came from an impossible position,” Casey said.
“The commentator only picked her up in the last couple of strides. She was so far back but came home so quickly.
“It was outstanding, really.
“To win The Roses… we were delighted with that as we had a Group-winning, well-bred filly who was going to be a great broodmare, but to go on and win an Oaks, it took it to a different stratosphere. It really was a breakthrough victory for her.”
A MARVELLOUS MARE
Following her top-flight win, Ethereal returned home for a well-earned break.
She resumed as a four-year-old mare in New Zealand, contesting a couple of races over unsuitably short trips (1400m and 1600m).
Ethereal came to Melbourne for a spring campaign which commenced in a hot G1 Yalumba Stakes which featured Northerly, Shogun Lodge, Hill Of Grace and Native Jazz. A $17 chance, she finished third, less than two lengths behind the winner, Northerly. That run had her primed for a tilt at the G1 Caulfield Cup over 2400 metres. Punters liked her chances and sent her out as an $8 equal favourite with Inaflury. Again ridden cold by Seamer, Ethereal cleared out to fight out the finish with Sky Heights and Celestial Show, and it was the Kiwi mare that outstayed her rivals.
That performance saw her go to the post in the G1 Melbourne Cup as a $10 hope. With 200 metres to go, Ethereal had just one horse run down, that being the international, Give The Slip. Seamer asked his mare for the supreme effort and the superstar responded, going on to win Australia’s greatest race by close to a length.
“She was a life-changing horse, really,” said Casey, who foaled both Ethereal and Romanee Conti.
“Yeah, she was one out of the box and a real horse of a lifetime.
“She raced over a mile-and-a-half or beyond four times in her career, all at Group 1 level, and won all of them.
“Sir Peter Vela has always had a real soft spot for her.”
MAKING HER MARK AS A MUM
After adding the 2002 G1 The BMW to her glittering CV, Ethereal was retired in the autumn of 2023. She bowed out with eight wins and four placings from 21 starts and earnings of $4.7 million.
As a broodmare, six of Ethereal’s seven foals to race were successful, including the Listed victress Seraphim and Group performers Uberalles, Duquesa and Imperium.
“She had quite a few foals, she had very well,” Casey commented.
“Her last filly was born in 2014. That was a filly by O’Reilly named Empyrean and she herself has left the stakes winner Pericles.
“We raced a filly this year called Tomodachi, who is Ethereal’s great granddaughter, and she is a Group 3 winner and three-time Group 1 placegetter.” - Trent Masenhelder, Racing.com
Paul Vettise
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