Partnership hoping to boost their stakes success

4 min read

Written by Paul Vettise

Danny O’Brien has enjoyed a long and successful association with premier New Zealand farm Waikato Stud with the promise of further success this weekend at Flemington with the progressive filly My Pendant (NZ) (Pins).

The Flemington trainer is keen to get an accurate gauge on the 3-year-old, who has made an impressive move through the grades, when she steps up in class to make her black type debut in the G3 The TAB Vanity on Saturday.

My Pendant is the latest in a lengthy line of fillies and mares O’Brien has prepared for the Chittick family and the first of those set a high standard.

“I’ve had a terrific association with Waikato Stud, we go back a long way.” - Danny O’Brien.

After winning her first two races for the then Matamata-based Paul O’Sullivan, Glamour Puss (NZ) (Tale Of The Cat {USA}) was sent to O’Brien’s yard and was successful a further seven times.

She proved a high-class sprinter and in the 2004-2005 season won the G1 Goodwood H. at Morphettville and the following term claimed the G1 Salinger S. at Flemington and finished runner-up in the G1 TJ Smith S. at Randwick.

Glamour Puss with Danny O'Brien and Mark Chittick after winning the G1 Salinger S. at Flemington

“I’ve had a terrific association with Waikato Stud, we go back a long way,” O’Brien said.

“The first horse they sent over to me was Glamour Puss and she was a great mare for Garry, Mark and myself.

“The first horse they sent over to me was Glamour Puss and she was a great mare for Garry, Mark and myself.” – Danny O’Brien

“Breezy, Splashing Out, Shopaholic and Glam Slam have all been stakes-winning mares. There have been others and we’d be in double figures as far as that goes.”

Breezy (NZ) (Pins) won the G3 Schweppervescence Trophy, Splashing Out (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) the G3 Thoroughbred Club S., Shopaholic (NZ) (Pins) the G2 Angus Armanasco S. and the G3 Vanity while Glam Slam (NZ) (Pins) won the Listed Creswick S.

Current hope My Pendant ran second at her first two starts before reeling off wins at Sandown, Moonee Valley and at Flemington in late December.

“It’s a good opportunity to test her against some better fillies and see where she sits.” – Danny O’Brien.

“She’s had a small break at our beach property and she’s retained her residual fitness,” O’Brien said. “She had a quiet trial at Cranbourne last week and she’s in really good order.

“It’s a good opportunity to test her against some better fillies and see where she sits.

My Pendant

“Her last couple of wins at Moonee Valley and Flemington were both very impressive. The obvious next step is to step up into stakes grade.

“I think she can hold that form from the summer. I'm obviously hoping that form is good enough to be competing against the fillies who were the best fillies in the spring.

“The obvious next step is to step up into stakes grade.” – Danny O’Brien.

“We'll all know a bit more about her on Saturday, but it looks the right time to test her.”

My Pendant is a daughter of My Locket (NZ) (Any Suggestion) and she is a half-sister to the G1 Queensland Oaks winner Miss Keepsake (NZ) (Keeper) and the G2 Japan-New Zealand International Trophy winner Villifye (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}).

It is a family littered with Group 1 winners including the Australian Horse of the Year Lonhro (Octagonal {NZ}) and his brother Niello, Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice), Grosvenor (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and his sibling National Gallery, Tavago (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), Mahaya (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}).

“He ran second at Moonee Valley last Friday night and he’s a really nice horse.” – Danny O’Brien.

O’Brien purchased My Pendant’s half-brother by Ocean Park (NZ) out of Waikato Stud’s draft at Karaka last month for NZ$130,000 and he also has Tower Road (NZ) (Savabeel), another promising home-bred from the Matamata nursery in his stable.

Tower Road as a yearling

“He ran second at Moonee Valley last Friday night and he’s a really nice horse,” O’Brien said. “He’s been a slower maturing type.”

In the money in all three starts so far, Tower Road is out of Thy (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), who was a dual stakes winner when trained for Garry Chittick by Peter Moody.

Thy is a half-sister to the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner La Bella Diosa (NZ) (So You Think {NZ}) and the G3 Summer Cup winner Solid Billing (NZ) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}).