How quickly fortunes can change in the bloodstock world have again been emphasised by the success of One Bold Cat in the relocated Gr.1 Arrowfield Stud Plate (1600m) at Matamata on Wednesday.
The Robbie Patterson-trained six-year-old is a son of The Bold One, who until recently stood alongside the late Zed at Mark and Jane Corcoran’s Grangewilliam Stud.
Understandably, spirits were low at the Waitotara farm following the passing of the Zabeel stallion, most notably the sire of the champion mare and multiple top-flight winner Verry Elleegant.
“Things can change very quickly and it was a great result for us and all concerned with One Bold Cat,” Mark Corcoran said.
“He’s a very good horse, he settled well and everything played out perfectly.”
By Fastnet Rock out of two-time Group One winner The Jewel, The Bold One originally failed to meet his $490,000 reserve at Karaka and subsequently won four races and was stakes placed from Allan Sharrock’s stable.
He was raced by breeders The Dennis brothers and an ownership group that involved One Bold Cat’s co-breeder and part-owner Eddie Bourke, who has remained heavily involved in the stallion.
“When the deal was done to stand him, we went 50/50 with The Bold One Partnership in the horse,” Corcoran said.
“He’s a bit like Zed in a lot of ways, he’s a very well-bred horse who just didn’t have the race performance to get him the numbers and the support that he probably deserved for a horse with his pedigree.
“It’s the fantastic Dennis brothers’ family, it’s just such a good female line and hard to see him not leaving decent horses.
“Eddie has said he’s the most under-rated stallion in New Zealand and I’d fully agree with him, his strike rate is fantastic.”
The Bold One has sired 29 winners from 58 representatives, with the Gr.3 Wellington Cup (3200m) winner Mary Louise, the Listed Hawkesbury Rowley Mile (1600m) winner Bold Mac and the Gr.3 Premier’s Cup (2400m) The Fearless One also among his progeny.
Corcoran is hoping the stallion’s Group One success will result in more mares through the farm gate.
“Last year, he served in the late forties and to be honest this year he hasn’t got the best of numbers, so hopefully we can get some more bookings, the horse deserves it,” he said.
“Zed’s passing has probably been a bit of a blessing for The Bold One with a number of mares transferring to him.
“I think those people will now be pretty happy with their decision. He’s a lovely horse, very straight forward with a great temperament, you wouldn’t get an easier stallion to deal with.”
Corcoran said The Bold One’s former trainer Sharrock had also played a big part in Grangewilliam taking on the stallion.
“He convinced me, he said he was a better racehorse than his record showed and Allan said he would guarantee 50 to the horse in his first season and his clients would send mares.
“True to his word, they did and we got bang on that number and that’s been his busiest year. He’s doing it the tough way just like Zed did.”
Corcoran also paid tribute to Patterson and Bourke, who have been integral to the racing success of The Bold One’s stock.
“They do take a bit of time and Robbie has been such a good trainer of them, he’s so patient and deserves a huge amount of credit,” he said.
“It’s been a match made in heaven with Robbie and Eddie.”
One Bold Cat’s Arrowfield victory has now resulted in him jumping to the top of the Gr.1 Livamol Classic (2040m) market as an outright $3.50 favourite.
“Robbie has been pretty positive about the horse the whole way through and he was telling us five or six weeks ago to back him in the last leg,” Corcoran said.