BOB AND MAREE FRAPPELL’S Clear Mountain Fairview, a stud located in one most fertile districts in Queensland’s Darling Downs region, Greenmount, appears on the threshold of becoming one of the main strongholds of sires of quality performers in the State.
They are already one of Queensland’s most respected breeding operations, but a big expansion program three years ago has very good prospects of starting to pay good dividends in the 2008-09 racing year, one in which the first crop of the stud’s sire Tycoon Ruler, a talented son of Last Tycoon, the source of the good sires Just Awesome and Iglesia, make their debut in juveniles races.
A winner of five races at sprint distances in Melbourne, including two at 1000m at two and two Listed events at four, and at three second to Delago Brom in the Group1 Caulfield Guineas, beating Thorn Park, Titanic Jack and Natural Blitz, and also at Moonee Valley in the Group 2 Alister Clark Stakes and Group C.S. Hayes Stakes (to champion sprinter Yell).
From the tough, stakes winning Rancho Ruler mare Sweet Delight, Tycoon Ruler has had the benefit of the Frappell upgrading program to the extent that he looked after 86 mares in 2005 and 80 in 2006. The quality of these books has seen many of his first crop set to enjoy good opportunity in prominent stables.
He has been followed to Clear Mountain Fairview by a stallion who appears an even better sire prospect. Earner through his career of five Group 1 cheques, he is Outback Prince, a son of a world champion three-year-old miler from the Danzig male line, Desert Prince, and Terrestial, a winner by the Bletchingly Golden Slipper winner Star Watch.
The class of Outback Prince, a half-brother to AJC Spring Champion Stakes and Randwick Guineas winner Hotel Grand, is so respected he looked after 89 mares last season, his first, despite equine influenza restricting mare movements.
Among the mares tested in foal are daughters such fashionable sires as Danzero, Lion Hunter, Snippets, Marscay, Secret Savings (USA), Success Express (USA), Zeditave, Canny Lad, Redoute’s Choice, Brave Warrior, Last Tycoon (IRE), St Covet, Youthful Legs (USA), Quest for Fame (GB)m, Orpen (USA), Snaadee (USA), Bellotto (USA), Loup Sauvage (USA), Commands, Sequalo, Danehill Dancer (IRE), Anabaa (USA), Star Way (GB), Arena, Spinning World (USA), Fairy King, Desert King (IRE), Nassipour (USA), Rustic Amber (IRE), Celestial Dancer (IRE) and Iglesia.
A lengthy, stately looking 16.1 hands bay, Outback Prince ran well at Group1 level in each of three years of competition. In the Anthony Cummings stables, he proved one of the better juveniles of 2003-04, narrowly missing five successive wins, the sequence in order being a head second at Canterbury, a spectacular 5.8 lengths win at Rosehill Gardens, a win at Randwick, half head second Randwick and then a win in the Group1 T.J. Smith Stakes over 1600m at Eagle Farm.
He went on to challenge very competently the best of his generation at three, a year in which highlights were a win at Randwick in the Group 2 Hobartville Stakes, a half length second at the same track in the Group1 Champion Stakes won by Savabeel and at Rosehill Gardens thirds in the Group1 Rosehill Guineas – a short neck off second – and Group 2 Gloaming Stakes – to Al Maher and Savabeel – and a fourth in the Group1 The BMW – behind Makybe Diva, Grand Armee and Vouvray.
A review of his win in the Hobartville, a race in which the minor placegetters were Eremein and Dance Hero, said that Outback Prince returned to his sparkling best.
Another good Group1 performance by Outback Prince was a head and a short head third behind Mr Celebrity and Shania Dane at Randwick at four in the AJC George Main Stakes.
He looked the winner 200m out and they had to run the second fastest time for the race in 20 years to beat him.
Two weeks prior to the George Main he finished third in the Group 2 Theo Marks at Rosehill Gardens and, in addition, he showed fleetness of foot through the year in winning four trials on Sydney tracks, one of them by 5.5 lengths at Randwick.
Because of the effect of EI on breeders last season, the Frappell’s are offering three of the four sires they have available at the Clear Mountain Fairview Stud at reduced fees.
OUTBACK PRINCE is on $11,000 (down from $13,750), TYCOON RULER $3,850 (was $4,400) and the Kingmambo juvenile Group1 winner ZAHA (USA) $4,400 (was $6,600).
Also available is Kenfair (fee $2,750), a Silver Slipper Stakes winner and Golden Slipper fourth got by Kenmare from Market Fair, a sister to Golden Slipper winner and champion sire Marscay.
He has supplied 164 winners up to Group 1 level and had his latest metropolitan success when Bitabiff recorded his seventh win in scoring in a Class 6 at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
Clear Mountain Fairview sires can be accessed on (07) 4697 1198, mobile 0411 398 737, fax (07) 4697 1258, email admin@www.clearmountainstud.com.au.