August Gift: Chills turn to fire

The Art Major gelding I Got Chills became the latest member of the '$100,000 Club' when he led from end to end to win the Listed $30,600 August Gift Final at Menangle on Saturday night.

The four-year-old carved out quarters of 26.2, 27.9, 27.8 and 28.3 on the way to hoisting a fresh lifetime mark of 1:50.2 for the mile.

I Got Chills was bred by Ged Mooar, the general manager of Nevele R Stud, and his wife Kate and prominent Melbourne breeder-owner Harvey Kaplan.

"We bought his dam Agree With Me (by Bettor's Delight) off Paul and Mary Kenny from Woodlands Stud," Ged said.

Unraced, Agree With Me is a granddaughter of the Group 1 winner and dual NZ Broodmare of the Year Scuse Me, the dam of the sub 1:50 performers Have Faith In Me, Adore Me and Megabucks.

"She's from probably the best family in New Zealand, if not the Australasian stud book.

"She was in foal to Downbytheseaside at the time. The result was a filly which we sold as a weanling."

Named Bubble Me, she won as a three-year-old at Wyndham and is now being bred from by North Island breeders Kelly and Danny Blakemore.

I Got Chills is the second foal.

"He was knocked down to Dean Shannon at the Christchurch yearling sale for $160,000," Ged said.

Trained originally by Barry Purdon and Scott Phelan, I Got Chills emerged successful at Alexandra Park as a two-year-old and was placed in the $106,150 Young Guns.

Sold to leading Australian owner Mick Boots and Linda Graham, the wife of Brisbane trainer Darrel Graham, at the outset of his three-year-old campaign, the gelding won five races including four at Albion Park at that age.

He has won twice at Menangle this season.

Agree With Me's third foal, the three-year-old Nascimento (by Always B Miki), has not raced, while her two-year-old colt by Bulsara (by Art Major) is being trained by Rolleston couple Hayden and Amanda Cullen.

Take On Me, a yearling sibling to I Got Chills, was bought by Stonewall Stud for $87,500 at the Christchurch sale in February.

"We put her to Confederate but she slipped. We sold her empty to Alex Smith, the chairman of Club Menangle last year and she was subsequently sold at the Nutrien Equine Winter Woollies Online sale in June."

Mooar said Nevele R Stud is looking forward to another strong stud season.

"We had an uplift in breeding numbers last season in NZ and we're hoping the trend continues," he said.

"We've got Always B Miki back on our roster with Alabar. His book is already full in Australia and is building nicely in NZ. We are thrilled to have him back.

"Pebble Beach is the up-and-comer. He's started off very well with his first crop as two-year-olds in North America."

The 2022 USA and Canadian 3YO Colt of the Year, Pebble Beach has left the winners of more than $600,000 with 16 in 2:00 and 11 in 1:55 including the $80,000 Kentucky Championship winner Banana Beach (1:51.2), the Kentucky Sire Stakes winner Dame Frances (1:50.8) and Goodwalkspoiled (1:50).

"His fee is $5,000 plus GST. I think that's great value for a horse of his credentials," Mooar said.

The Captaintreacherous horse Captain Crunch has made rather a spectacular start to his 'down under' stud career, leaving nine Stakes winners including the Group 1 WA Derby winner Runkle Crunch.

"Captain Crunch sired three winners at Addington last Friday night. He's siring winners every week in both NZ and Australia," he said.

Completing the lineup of pacing stallions at Nevele R is the Australian 3YO Colt of the Year and four-time Group 1 winner Vincent.

"He's sired 22 stakes winners so far including Pure Grunt, who won a Group 1 in Queensland last Saturday," Mooar said.

Nevele R is also standing four highly credentialled trotting stallions including three via frozen semen.

"Father Patrick has been the leading sire of two-year-old trotters in NZ for the past three seasons and currently heads the two, three and four-year-old sire premierships," he said.

The former world champion and USA 2YO and 3YO Trotting Colt of the Year has sired 12 Group 1 winners and nine Age Group Champions in the southern hemisphere to date.

Tactical Approach, the 2023 USA Trotter of the Year and 3YO Trotting Colt of the Year, is lining up for his third season at stud, having been liberally patronised by breeders in the first two years.

The Andover Hall horse Creatine, the sire of 15 stakes winners from four 'down under' crops, and Marcoola, the fastest and richest son of the great Sundon, complete the Nevele R roster.