SIRES OF THE TWO BEST SPRINTERS

Brian Russell, founder of Australian Bloodhorse Review (now Bluebloods) and one of the most widely read industry journalists, penned the following for his popular newsletter last week:

Lee Fleming, owner of one Victoria’s biggest and most fashionable studs – Eliza Park at Kerrie – has good reasons to be very happy with the return to glory of Hay List, the hulk from the west, at Randwick on Saturday (23 April) in recording a dominant, devastating win in the $400,000 Group One All Aged Stakes over 1400m, along with the performances in recent weeks of the awesome Black Caviar.
The victory of the 5YO, Hay List, his 14th win in 19 starts, suggested that he would he at this time respected as one of the great sprinters if it was not for an unbeaten rival in the world champion rated Black Caviar.
Hay List has met Black Caviar three times, flopping on the first occasion and more recently being very much the bridesmaid when runnerup to her in two Group Ones – the Lightning at Flemington and T.J. Smith at Randwick.
Fleming is not the breeder or owner of either horse, but in his wisdom he has installed both their sires at Eliza Park. Bred in Victoria by Rick Jamieson, Black Caviar is by Bel Esprit, the champion Australian sprinter who has been at Eliza Park since he retired from racing, but Hay List’s sire, the shuttling American bred Storm Cat product Statue of Liberty, only went in to use at the stud in 2009.
Used over 156 mares that year and followed with 130 last season, Statue of Liberty now shuttles between Eliza Park and Japan.
After winning his first eight starts and being unplaced at his ninth outing in the west, Hay List was transferred to John McNair at Gosford, NSW.
Hay List is the only winner from the handy Perth sprinter Sing Hallelujah, a daughter of the Western Australian shuttled American Breeders’ Cup Juvenile winner Is It True and Pucesca, a non-winning Marscay mare inbred 3×3 to Star Kingdom.
Hay List was a leg of an unusual double for Statue of Liberty on Saturday. Besides having Hay List take the top sprint of the day, an Irish bred 5YO, Stanstill, won Australia’s longest flat race, the Yalumba Handicap over 3600m at the Oakbank carnival.
The Yalumba win was the first time that Stanstill, a runner out of the Michael Kent stables at Cranbourne for 10 owners, including former top cricketer Simon O’Donnell, had been placed in five Australian starts, but he had been a useful staying handicapper in England, for four wins including two at 2800m.
Stanstill is the only winner beyond 2400m for the 11-year-old Statue of Liberty among his 179 winners worldwide (successful in 15 countries, 11 stakes winners, 12 stakes placed) of 396 races. He has done best with his Australian bred progeny, headed by Hay List, Mic Mac, Dan Baroness and Tempest Tost.
The success of Statue of Liberty continues that of the marvellous Lassie Dear family. He is a half-brother to Lemon Drop Kid (an American champion, prominent sire) and his dam Charming Lassie is a three-quarter sister to A.P. Indy (American Horse of the Year, champion sire), a half-sister to four stakes winners, including imported Spectacular Spy (sire of the granddam of Takeover Target), and to the dam of another importation in Bite the Bullet. Duke of Marmalade, the Ireland bred Danehill who was the European champion in 2008, is another relation.