Hawthorne is the bloodstock and racing manager for Victorian-based Jonathan Munz, who breeds under his GSA Bloodstock banner and Doulmera is proving to be a jewel in his broodmare band.
Her first foal was the G3 Angst S. winner Emeralds (Sebring), who is currently in the Northern Hemisphere, and her second foal Four Moves Ahead (Snitzel) returned to top form at just the right time to triumph in Saturday’s G2 Darley Tea Rose S.
Four Moves Ahead wins the G2 Tea Rose S.
Ironically, both Emeralds and Four Moves Ahead were retained to race after the former failed to meet a $150,000 reserve when offered at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and the latter didn’t meet her $300,000 reserve at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
“It was a really good win by Four Moves Ahead and she certainly liked that bit of cut in the ground at Randwick more than most. She had been working well and Sarge (John Sargent, trainer) had been happy with her,” Hawthorne said.
“The track was softer than it was for her other two runs so it was a very good result.”
“The track was softer than it was for her (Four Moves Ahead) other two runs so it was a very good result.” – Dean Hawthorne.
Trained by John Sargent, Four Moves Ahead had stamped herself as a quality filly last season when she won the G2 Sweet Embrace S. and finished fourth in the G1 Golden Slipper S.
This campaign, she was third when she resumed in the G2 Silver Shadow S. and followed up with a fifth in the G2 Furious S. and appreciated the step from 1200 to 1400 metres in the Tea Rose.
Hawthorne sees no reason why she won’t be equally effective at 1600 metres in her next appearance in the G1 Flight S.
“She settled well and if you look at the Aga Khan’s French family she’s from, she should get a mile no trouble. Hopefully, she stays in one piece and we can get that Group 1, that’s what we all want,” he said.
To add quality international blood to the GSA band of mares, Hawthorne was dispatched to the Northern Hemisphere on a buying trip seven years ago with Doulmera a star acquisition.
“Jonathan flew me to France to buy some Galileo mares and also there were some fillies off the track that the Aga Khan was selling at Arqana and at Deauville,” he said.
“I went over to France after the Tattersalls Sale in England and Doulmera was one I picked out. She wasn’t your typical French mare and had a fair bit of substance to her and bone.
“She wasn’t your typical French mare and had a fair bit of substance to her and bone.” – Dean Hawthorne
“She was the sort of mare that should leave a good physical yearling so we bought her for €180,000 (AU$345,870) and her first foal was Emeralds, and she could run and the second was Four Moves Ahead.”
An Arqana Breeding Stock Sale purchase, Doulmera is a half-sister to the G1 Prix de l’Opera winner Dalkala (USA) (Giant’s Causeway {USA}) and the family of multiple Group 1 winners and sires Dalahkani (Ire) and Daylami (Ire).
Gallery: Some of Doulmera's progeny
“Doulmera was covered by Capitalist last week. She was empty and we sold a Pierro out of her earlier this year for $750,000,” Hawthorne said.
The Pierro colt was offered at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale by Bhima Thoroughbreds and was purchased by Ciaron Maher Racing and Astute Bloodstock.
Emeralds was a good first advertisement for Doulmera and she is now at the start of her breeding career and recently enjoyed a date with an international superstar.
“We flew Emeralds up to England and she was covered by Frankel last week to Southern Hemisphere time,” Hawthorne said.
“We will most likely be bringing her home. We would rather have the progeny growing back in Australia, that’s not cut in stone, but we think we’ll fly her back in February and let her foal down.
“Some people leave them up there for two covers and leave a foal up there to grow out in the off-season and then bring the yearling home, but we think we will get Emeralds home.”
Service to Microphone
As the breeder of Four Moves Ahead, Munz' GSA bloodstock has won a nomination to Darley second-season sire Microphone, a generous part of the Darley race Series sponsorship.
| Swift Witness | 8 | 1st G2 Silver Shadow S, 3rd G2 Tea Rose S |
| Four Moves Ahead | 8 | 1st G2 Tea Rose S, 3rd G2 Silver Shadow S |
| Jamaea | 7 | 1st G2 Furious S |
| Mallory | 4 | 2nd G2 Tea Rose S, 3rd G2 Furious S |
| Latino Blend | 3 | 2nd G2 Silver Shadow S |
| Robodira | 3 | 2nd G2 Furious S |
The filly has secured eight points in the overall Princess Series premiership, with seven points for the win adding to the one point for her third position in the G2 Silver Shadow S.
This places Four Moves Ahead first equal in the race to win her owners a breeding nomination to the Darley stallion of their choice.
