Barry Farmer writes in his weekly BREEDING TO WIN column in Wednesday’s TABform:
Thomas Woodrow Wilson rose from a struggling Atlanta lawyer to head Princeton University, become the 28th president of the United States, win the Nobel Peace Prize and fittingly declare: “All things come to him who waits – provided he knows what he is waiting for.”
In around 45 years as a racehorse trainer Noel Pateman has learnt to be patient but certainly knows what he is waiting for and may finally have found it.
Full Steam Ahead’s win in the perthracing.com.au HANDICAP (1650m) at Belmont Park on Saturday was the third from five city runs for the progressive Dongara-trained four-year-old.
Bad draws at the other two starts, which saw him race wide, have stopped Full Steam Ahead from having a perfect metropolitan record.
Feature wins appear just around the corner.
This should not be surprising because though he cost just $3,500 as a yearling, Full Steam Ahead has a formidable pedigree.
His sire, Trade Fair, who stands at John Andrew’s Alwyn Park Stud, Serpentine, was bred by Prince Khalid Abdullah, of Saudi Arabia.
The extremely modest but extremely successful Prince Khalid, who operates Juddmonte Farms in England, Ireland and the US, is currently riding high with the unbeaten six-time Group 1 winner Frankel, the world’s highest-rated racehorse.
Trade Fair, by Zafonic, winner of the Group 1 English Two Thousand Guineas, Prix Morny, Dewhurst Stakes and Prix de la Salamandre in a seven start career, and from the unbeaten Danehill mare Danefair, won the Group 3 Minstrel Stakes in Ireland and the Group 3 Criterion Stakes and Listed Dubai Duty Free Cup and King Charles 11 Stakes in England, where he was also third in the Dewhurst Stakes. He was subsequently rated second top UK miler in 2003 and joint third on the International Classification.
Full Steam Ahead’s dam, Like A Steam Train, by Warring Nations, a son of the 1977 US Triple Crown winner Seattle Slew, is a half-sister to Oxidation (Listed Challenge Stakes), Metallurgy (11 wins and second in the Listed Beaufine Stakes) and Stormy Business (the dam of Beat The Storm, Group 3 Belmont Sprint and Listed Birthday Stakes, and Like An Eagle, Listed Hareeba Stakes).
Then Like A Steam Train’s dam, Chantelisa, was a half-sister to Business Beat and Matilda Waltz, the dam of Old Fashion.
Business Beat won the Listed N.J. Way Stakes, Lindsay Rosenthal Stakes, Colonel Reeves Stakes and Supremacy Stakes. Old Fashion won the Group 1 Railway Stakes, Group 3 Asian Beau Stakes, R.J. Peters Stakes and Hyperion Stakes and Listed Belgravia Stakes, Challenge Stakes, Fairetha Stakes and Bunbury Stakes.
The family, which evolved after the late Robert Holmes a Court imported the Welsh Pageant mare Picatina from England, also includes Special Harmony (Group 1 VRC Oaks, Thousand Guineas and Arrowfield Stud Stakes, Group 2 Edward Manifold Stakes, A.V. Kewney Stakes, Moonee Valley Oaks and Angus Armanasco Stakes, Group 3 Autumn Stakes and Listed Silver Jubilee Stakes); Redwoldt (Group 2 Karrakatta Plate and Listed Perth Stakes); King Canute (Group 2 Perth Cup); Pagonic (Group 3 Bunbury Cup and Listed Tattersall’s Cup, Anniversary Cup and Pinjarra Guineas); Marooned Lady (Group 3 WA Sires Produce Stakes); Little Surfer Girl (Listed Civic Stakes, Angst Stakes and Reginald Allen Handicap); Mapperholic (Listed Raconteur Stakes and Hannan’s Handicap); Double Heart (Listed J.F. Meynink Stakes) and Reprisal (Listed Hobart Guineas).
Full Steam ahead is inbred to Northern Dancer (5 x 5 x 5) just like Trade Fair (4 x 4) and Frankel (3 x 4).
Yes, all things do come to him who waits.
barryfarmer@live.com.au