Written by Paul Vettise
Regelle (NZ) (Exploding Prospect {USA}) won four minor races, but as a broodmare she has been an absolute gem for Shelley Hale. The Cambridge horsewoman has enjoyed outstanding success with her offspring and at Hastings on Saturday has two chances to further add to the mare’s roll of honour.
Hale is the co-breeder, part-owner and trainer of the brothers Close Up (NZ) (Shinko King {IRE}) and Seventh Up (NZ), who will take aim at the G1 Windsor Park Plate. They are two of eight winners produced by the now deceased Regelle.
Affinity with Shinko King
With what could be termed a modest pedigree, she has performed way beyond expectations and has proved to have had a particular affinity with Shinko King, who succumbed to laminitis in 2012. He was a half-brother by Fairy King (USA) to the G1 English Derby winner Dr Devious (IRE) (Ahonoora {GB}).
The first visit to the stallion resulted in Son Of A King (NZ), who won twice, and then came Thumbs Up (NZ), who was a three-time winner for Hale before his sale to Hong Kong. Trained there by Caspar Fownes, the gelding subsequently won the G1 Hong Kong Classic Mile.
Further visits by Regelle to Shinko King produced the multiple winner and Group performer Sum Up (NZ) and Two Up (NZ), who won three times and Next Up (NZ), so far the winner of one race from a handful of opportunities.
Shinko King
Group 1 winner
In between times, the now 9-year-old Close Up hasn’t let the side down and last season he won the G1 Tarzino Trophy and finished runner-up in the Windsor Park Plate. A set-back prevented him from defending his crown on the opening day of the Hastings carnival.
“A bruised heel kept him out of the Tarzino and, at that time, I thought it would be hard to get to the Windsor Park but we got him right and he’s flying,” Hale said.
Seventh Up, who won the G2 Easter S., last term, did get to the Tarzino, but he had no luck on the day and was unplaced. “He got squeezed up at the jump and then had traffic problems when he was looking to run home strongly,” Hale said. “He’s taken a lot of improvement out of that and he’s cherry ripe.”
“He’s taken a lot of improvement out of that and he’s cherry ripe.” – Shelley Hale
Seventh Up
The now deceased Regelle’s un-named ninth foal in 2015 by Tavistock (NZ) (Montjeu {IRE}) could be her most significant as it was the first filly she had delivered. “It was an anxious wait and she finally did the right thing,” Hale said.
“She’s a bit small and we’ve been waiting with her, but in the last couple of months she has really begun to furnish. We’d love to give her a chance to race, but it doesn’t really matter if she doesn’t, we can breed from her.”
Regelle is out of Pipe Dreams (NZ) (Mr Illusion {NZ}) and the family of the prolific Mr Marceau (Marceau), who won 15 races and finished runner-up in the G1 Queensland Derby.
