Cover image courtesy of Rich Hill Stud
Written by Paul Vettise
Chequerboard (Fastnet Rock) failed to meet expectations in the sale ring, but the flying start she has made to her racing career has given her high-profile connections every reason to subsequently count their blessings.
The Coolmore-owned and Lindsay Park-trained filly has won both of her starts and will attempt to keep her unbeaten record intact when she steps out in the Rod Johnson H. at Flemington on Saturday.
Chequerboard was initially offered at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale through the draft of Rich Hill Stud, but didn’t meet the NZ$300,000 price tag put on her.
She raced on the speed on debut at Pakenham and proved too strong for her rivals and, in similar racing fashion, repeated the dose on a heavy track at Sandown.
“She was sent over by a partnership involving Michael Kirwan and we’ve sold a few horses for them over the years,” Rich Hill’s John Thompson said.
“She was a very nice filly, but didn’t make her reserve so they chose to keep her and that’s looking a very good decision now.
“I always deal with Michael and he rang and asked if we would put her through the ring at Karaka. He was quite bullish about her as a type.
“It’s a family that we have had a lot to do with over the years and I believe that’s one of the reasons they sent her to us.
“It’s a family that we have had a lot to do with over the years and I believe that’s one of the reasons they sent her to us.” – John Thompson
“She came over in the spring and spent the summer here and while she didn’t sell, she’s doing a great job for the boys now.”
Chequerboard is a daughter of the unraced Zabeel (NZ) mare Chi (NZ), who is a half-sister to the G2 Warwick S. and G3 Mapperley Stud S. winner What Can I Say (NZ) (Khozaam {USA}).
Chequerboard as a yearling
“We bought her off the track with Scott Williams and she was a very commercial mare and was an extremely good broodmare to us,” Thompson said. “We sold three of her yearlings for over NZ$500,000 with one Pentire colt making NZ$600,000.”
What Can I Say produced 12 foals with 11 of them successful, including the three-time Group 2 winner Only Words (End Sweep {USA}), who produced the G2 Autumn S. winner Holy Snow (Fastnet Rock).
Another daughter Gibraltar Campion (NZ) (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), a NZ$500,000 Karaka purchase for Northern Farm’s Katsumi Yoshida, won twice at Listed level and is the dam of the stakes performer Gibraltar Girl (Manhattan Rain).
Another of What Can I Say’s daughters You Can’t Say That (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}) is the dam of the dual Group 3 winner Darci Be Good (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}).
