Junortoun horseman Garry Graham hit the jackpot when he and friend Eddie Jenkins outlaid $6,000 for the Batman mare Classic Kate at Dalgety’s Victorian Black Label Yearling Sale back in 1983.
She won six races including the Victoria Sires Stakes 3YO semi-final at Moonee Valley, but it has been as a broodmare that Classic Kate has excelled and the last-to-first win of Golden Tribe at Melton on Saturday night was the 484th of one of her descendants. There are no less than 73 individual winners tracing back to Classic Kate.
It was Golden Tribe’s seventh success from 17 lifetime starts and his third from his last four and he looks a genuine candidate for the $150,000 Woodlands Stud Victoria Derby at Melton on October 18.
The best known of Classic Kate’s clan have been Sports Dancer, the winner of a string of Victorian country cups, the Australian 2YO of the Year Royal Verdict, the Vicbred champion Hexham Heartbeat and Golden Tribe’s half-sister Miss Idaho, who captured the Victoria Youthful Stakes and SA Southern Cross.
Judging by his back-to-back triumphs at Ballarat and Melton recently Golden Tribe, a three-year-old sired by the WA Pacing Cup and Kilmore Cup winner Soho Tribeca, seems certain to join that list.
Graham bought Classic Kate from the champion Goulburn Valley breeder-studmaster Kevin Newbound, who successfully bred from her family for over 40 years.
“Classic Kate did a magical job at stud. She produced 12 foals and most of them have either won or have produced,” Graham said.
Golden Valour, the dam of Golden Tribe, was unraced.
“She showed good ability but had a leg injury, so I didn’t pursue a racing career with her,” Garry said.
“We weaned Golden Tribe off her and she missed to Poster Boy and we sold her.”
Golden Tribe, the fourth and last foal of Golden Valour, was knocked down for a modest $10,000 at the Nutrien Equine Melbourne Yearling Sale in 2023.
“We bred Royal Verdict and Hexham Heartbeat but none of the breed has ever made big money at the sales,” Graham stated.
Graham, his wife Melva and daughter Kirstin are currently breeding from two members of the Classic Kate family in Three Secrets and Whata Filly, a half-sister to the handy racemare Heavens Gift.
“Heavens Gift will go to stud when she finishes racing,” he said.
Another top matron owned by the Graham’s was the Garry Rowan mare Alsarita, who became the dam of six winners headed up by the Galaxy Grand Slam and Central Victorian Pacing Championship victor Alenora.
“I bought Alsarita off Jack Bagley who lived opposite Kevin Newbound at Chiltern. That’s how I got to know Kevin,” Garry said.
“What we’ve achieved out of the game all stems back to Classic Kate and Alsarita. They’re the only two broodmares that I ever bought at the yearling sales and they’ve both done a marvellous job.”
- Ziegfeld, a winner at Melton last Friday, was bred and is part-owned by Goulburn Valley identity John Hallam. The eight-year-old is out of the Vicbred champion Wyperveld
- Braeview Creation, owned by the Ferraro family of Romsey, left winners in both hemispheres last weekend in The Iron Duke (Gloucester Park) and Braeview Bondi (Saratoga Raceway, New York)
- Tivoli, an impressive three-year-old winner at Shepparton, was bred and is raced and trained by veteran Avenel horseman Colin Duncan and his wife Loretta
