Summerhill Stud: ‘Change The World’

In his annual address to shareholders last week, Discovery’s Adrian Gore told his assembly that the company “aspires to be a force for social good, and that it has a desire to make a meaningful impact on society. We’re here to change the world, not just tag along”.

In the world of racehorses, stallion masters are renowned for their optimistic praise-singing of the virtues of the horses under their command, but the reality is, you can’t fool the market for too long. The grapevine in this business is notoriously short, and in an age of nano-second technology, the word gets out almost before you think it.

As though they knew they owed him something, on the anniversary of his famous triumph in the King’s Bishop Stakes (Gr.1) at historic Saratoga, Visionaire’s first crop of juveniles have come alive. He has had just ten runners from his first season in America, which was cut short by the need to catch the plane to South Africa; of these, eight have already made the money. It’s not the “money-makers” that matter though, it’s the manner in which they’re making the money that counts. We all know that in this game earning a cheque is the bread-and-butter, but it’s the big performances that make the headlines.

A month ago, when She Is Tango waltzed in by five lengths, it seemed like an overture. It was. The opera took its form last weekend on the same day as the King’s Bishop, when first Trident Hero demolished his field by five and a quarter lengths, and within an hour, as if to say “you aint seen nothing yet”, his paternal half-sister Bacopa Breeze did literally that, “breezing” in by a growing 11 lengths. And then, in a matter of days, the aptly-named I Need A Miracle, has blasted his way to the winner’s circle, while the maiden Outlook delivered a Black type performance with a commendable second in the Santa Rosa Cavonnier Stakes (Listed). To cap it all, She Is Tango has followed up again.

In the competitive world of racing, we’re all looking for an edge before the word gets out. Most times, the signals are weak or they come too late to be of value. Visionaire’s first foals told us last season that there could be something big in the making: now they’re telling us there is something big in the making. So, as our recently-released Stallion brochure reminds us, we can spend the rest of our lives sipping sugar water, or like Adrian Gore, we can change the world. The score is on the board: it’s only a matter of a phonecall.

Visionare’s results from Arion as of 09/11/2013:

Outlook (11c, Lost Code, Northern Jove). Placed at 2 in 2013, 2d Santa Rosa Cavonnier Juvenile S., L, 4th Pleasanton Everett Nevin S., L.

She is Tango (11f, River Special, Mining). 2 wins at 2 in 2013.

Bacopa Breeze (11f, Stephen Got Even, Seeking the Gold). Winner at 2 in 2013.

I Need a Miracle (11c, Desert Secret, Victoria Park). Winner at 2 in 2013.

Trident Hero (11c, Quiet American, Obligato). Winner at 2 in 2013.

My Pal Shawn (11c, Petionville, Hero’s Honor). Placed at 2 in 2013.

True Visionaire (11c, Nepal, True Colors). Placed at 2 in 2013.

Colonel Harlan (11c, Joshua Dancer, Jacinto). Placed at 2 in 2013.