Peacock holding firm with the smart Berkeley Square

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

From his South Australia home, Peacock told TDN AusNZ how a simple thought led him to exploit several Northern Hemisphere stallions to great success, and how the latest smart prospect from a beautiful family nearly didn’t make it into his trainer’s hands at all.

Berkeley Square’s winning margin in Saturday’s BM70 H. at Flemington was 1.75l, but, whilst that is a hardly sensational distance, it is the detail surrounding his victory that gives the horse such promise.

Under Craig Williams, he took a more prominent position than in his first two outings to sit on the girths of the leader, Palaggio (Caravaggio {USA}). Williams built up a run with 400 metres to go and he never looked in trouble, winning comfortably, albeit without streaking away.

The nature of his performance befits his pedigree, and he looks open to any amount of improvement as he steps up in the trip. He is out of the Teofilo (Ire) mare Bahamas, a winner who had multiple black-type placings including a third in the G1 SAJC Oaks.

Although his sire, Territories (Ire), was seen to best effect over a mile in Europe, Berkeley Square may well exceed over even further given his strong Classic pedigree – especially if the exploits of his most famous sibling are anything to go by; Senor Toba, who is also by an excellent European miler in Toronado (Ire), is a winner of the G3 Frank Packer Plate (2000 metres) in Australia, plus the G3 HKJC Queen Mother Memorial Cup (2400 metres) in Hong Kong.

Then there is his size; In Saturday’s race he stood out as markedly bigger than his contemporaries. A fact which trainer Dan O’Sullivan said ties in with a still-maturing horse.

“He’s a big horse, physically it’s surprising he’s doing what he’s doing because he’s probably 17.1hh, just turned three and very much a little baby in himself,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s got a very relaxed attitude so he can get away with a lot of things too.”

Better luck with breeding

Bahamas, despite her high-profile placing, never achieved as much as she might have on the track owing to injury curtailing her career.

“She won one race, it was a maiden… but she broke down,” David Peacock recalled. “We tried to get her back, but she broke down a second time, so I had to make a decision; did I breed from her?”

With Toronado an unknown prospect in Australia at the time, Peacock deliberated over the decision. In the end, the answer was yes, and success followed immediately.

“That first mating produced a fellow called Senor Toba… So that was a lovely start wasn’t it?”

As is his nature, Peacock reflected on the decision as though serendipity played a large part. However, the logic behind this and future matings to Bahamas is evidence of an astute breeder at work.

Exploiting European bloodlines

“I have a very good friend called Alastair Pulford. He’s a lovely friend of mine… We’ve kept up a great relationship,” explained Peacock, in reference to Darley’s Head of Stallions.

“I thought a lot of the English and European stallions were incredibly well bred, very usefully trained to win Group races, but most importantly they’re owned by Arab men who seem to have put a great deal of money into racing, and I thought: ‘Maybe I can grab onto their coat tails.’”

And grab on he did. That association with Pulford and Darley has seen Bahamas visit Frosted (USA), Harry Angel (Ire) and Blue Point (Ire) respectively in the years since Berkeley Square was born.

Gallery: Darley stallions Bahamas has been mated to

“… and then she’s going to Too Darn Hot this season,” Peacock revealed. “The Harry Angel we’ve got is a pretty big chap too. He’s a very nice fellow who is getting ready for a sale at Mill Park Stud. Over the last 10 or so years we’ve had wonderful luck and success with Mill Park."

Mill Park given the credit

The luck Peacock referred to extends to more than just success with the matings, for he also credited them for Berkeley Square ever seeing the track at all.

“He was born and within weeks he picked up a bacterial infection. We had him treated by our top vet here, Dr Andrew Hunt. We couldn’t get him right, so we sent him down to Mill Park Stud with the Watson family.

“(Sian), Chris and Dr Hunt and all the staff down there looked after this horse meticulously well, but for almost 10 months he just couldn’t be cured. I twice got reports that he was doing very poorly. Twice I suggested… he doesn’t seem to be getting any better.

But the team at Mill Park encouraged Peacock to persist with the horse’s treatment and eventually, he turned a corner.

“I have to thank Chris Watson, Mill Park and everybody associated with them and Dr Hunt for this horse being alive,” Peacock said, adding: “We’re just very luck with this fellow, he’s obviously got a fighting spirit.”

Turning down offers

With the fighting spirit plain to see in his races, and as a horse with everything before him, it should come as no surprise that Peacock has been in receipt of a number of offers for Berkeley Square.

But, at 76 years old, Peacock’s entertaining nobody, resolute that he will enjoy whatever is in store for the latest product of a years-long passion of his.

“I’m 76, we’ve been lucky enough to have four really, really good horses in our lifetime, and I just think in my last remaining years let’s try one last time to have another good one.”

“The first really good one was a very small filly by Euclase called Be Discreet. She won seven of eight juvenile starts, including the (Listed) William Crocket (S.). She was co-equal Australasian Champion of her year.”

That filly was trained by Russell Cameron, whose subsequent move to Melbourne led to the formation of Peacock’s association with O’Sullivan.

“Then, as luck would have it… Dan O’Sullivan came from Melbourne to Adelaide, and I was introduced to him,” Peacock recalled.

Not long after they’d met, one of Peacock’s friends rang him and encouraged him to get involved with a horse in training.

“He said Dan O’Sullivan’s got a horse here and he thinks its Listed quality. In my cheeky, rude way I said: ‘What would Dan O’Sullivan know?"

That filly was So Gorgeous (Brief Truce {USA}), a dual Group 2 winner of both the Edward Manifold S. and the VAJC Tranquil Star S. – and the horse which cemented the association between breeder and trainer which is still going strong now.

More to look forward to

With Berkeley Square now with a set path to the G1 Caulfield Guineas via the Listed Exford Plate at Flemington next month, there may well be more success to follow in the family.

Inspired by a song from Australian pop quartet The Seekers, Peacock has named Berkeley Square’s 2-year-old half-sister Another You (Frosted {USA}).

“She’s a beauty. Dan’s going to train her as well, but she hurt herself a fraction… but we’re confident she’s a very lovely filly.”