Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
“He ate up overnight so we will head to Melbourne and see what the next week brings,” Anthony Cummings said on Sunday morning.
The win was a rather special one for Cummings who bred El Castello's dam Word Games (Fastnet Rock) as well as her very talented half-brother Fiveandahalfstar; also training that dual Group 1 winner's dual Group 1-winning sire Hotel Grand.
It's a lot of family ties converging into big race success and it would be apt for El Castello to win the same Flemington feature taken out by his uncle 12 years ago.
And his Spring Champion win was also fitting one with Hotel Grand taking out that race in 2005. A race in which Castelvecchio ran second in 2019 and which his sire Dundeel (NZ) won in 2012.
Hotel Grand winning the G1 Spring Champion S. in 2005 | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Those family ties
Also winner of the G1 Randwick Guineas, Hotel Grand was, upon his retirement to stud, supported by Cummings with one of the mares he purchased for him being the Gosford maiden winner Cryptic Miss (Snippets) whose dam Cross Words (NZ) (Grosvenor {NZ}), a sister to the G1 Sydney Cup winner Cross Swords (NZ) he had trained at one stage; those family ties again!
With partners including Julie Ritchie’s Bangaloe Stud, six winners were bred out of Cryptic Miss with Fiveandahalfstar coming early; her second foal.
His success in the Victoria Derby came at start number 15; Fiveandahalfstar having taken a while to break his maiden with his previous start to that Classic success being a 2.75l victory over four others in a BM72 event at Rosehill.
Fiveandahalfstar, winner of the G1 Victoria Derby in 2012 | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Big odds (40-1) when claiming the Derby, Fiveandahalfstar made a big difference to his owners and breeders with his siblings then very commercial prospects.
“He kept the dream alive for everyone,” Cummings reminisced, noting that Cryptic Miss' subsequent progeny through the ring sold well; the unraced Enigmatic (High Chaparral {Ire}) fetching $150,000, the Hawkesbury maiden winner Ritzy (Medaglia d'Oro {USA}) $500,000 and the three-time winner The Natural (Fastnet Rock) $450,000.
As well as Word Games who was taken to the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where she was secured by DGR Thoroughbred Services (FBAA) for $380,000.
Anthony Cummings | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Originally trained by Anthony's son James, Word Games made her way to her breeder's stable. Racing 11 times, she won a Canterbury maiden on heavy going and was in the placings on three occasions.
Word games heads to New Zealand
It was via a deal broken by agent Jim Clarke that Word Games made her way to New Zealand with Cambridge Stud's Bloodstock Manager Cameron Ring happy to welcome a daughter of Fastnet Rock to the fold.
“The price was right and we liked her pedigree,” he said.
“Fastnet Rock is obviously an incredible sire and broodmare sire; he had a massive weekend and is going to be a major force for years to come.”
And it is still early days for the 11-year-old Word Games who has Cambridge excited with not only her Group 1 result, but also with the quality of foals she continues to produce.
El Castello as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Off a $33,000 service fee the $220,000 we got for El Castello was a great return on investment," he said, hopeful that there is plenty more to come.
“Her yearling is a stunner, she is one of the best Almanzor fillies we've had on type; she is big and scopey with plenty of strength and quality.”
“Her (Word Games) yearling is a stunner, she is one of the best Almanzor fillies we've had on type; she is big and scopey with plenty of strength and quality.” - Cameron Ring
“And now she a half-sister to a Group 1 winner,” he said, delighted to be showcasing the filly at next year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Word Games has another Almanzor (Fr) filly at foot, Ring noting that “she is pretty much the same sort of horse and I think if we get the right price for the yearling at Easter we will probably keep this one.”
Cameron Ring | Image courtesy of Cambridge Stud
Due to be scanned this week having been served by Cambridge Stud's exciting newcomer Chaldean (GB), Word Games produced El Castello as only her second foal; her first Regency Happy Star (Lonhro) a $200,000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale graduate who has been placed in Hong Kong.
Always a stand-out
Ring recalls El Castello impressing from the start, saying that “he was always a bit of a stand-out.”
“He was very forward, very strong, very correct; which is why we took him to the Magic Millions. We were not surprised to see him run well at two.”
“He always had a great temperament; a straight-forward horse and at the yearling sales he just got on with his job.”
“He (El Castello) always had a great temperament; a straight-forward horse and at the yearling sales he just got on with his job.” - Cameron Ring
“Obviously Anthony Cummings is very familiar with the family and we thought he'd be strong on him.”
It has been a good spring for Cambridge Stud, Ring excited about the quality of mares Chaldean is attracting; "he is a stunning horse and a real gentleman,” he said.
“He is getting probably the best book of mares a Cambridge stallion has had in their first year in the modern era.”
Cambridge are also having fun on the track, cheering on the G1 King Charles III S. and G1 Epsom H. winner Ceolwulf (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) who they bred and who was purchased by his trainer Joseph Pride for $170,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale.
On Cummings' radar
Word Games' Castelvecchio colt was always going to be on Cummings' radar and he immediately liked what he saw.
“He was just quality. He was built the right way and moved the right way with all the things I like to see and I was happy to take a punt on Castelvecchio; I bought two (the lightly raced Motoscafo the other) and they are both recent winners.”
Castelvecchio | Standing at Arrowfield Stud
Purchased for $220,000, El Castello quickly found owners including Julia Ritchie's Bangaloe Stud as well as a newcomer to the stable whose involvement came in a rather quirky way.
“One of our track riders is also an UBER driver and he was telling one of his customers one day how nice this horse he was working with,” Cummings said, “so he bought in!”
El Castello's owners did not have to wait long to enjoy the ride, Cummings very happy with his charge from early days.
El Castello | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“He was showing something pretty much from day one,” he said.
“He had the talent and it just had to all come together for him to become the racehorse he is today.”
Similar horses
Cummings sees traits shared by El Castello and Fiveandahalfstar; “the speed and strength, the ability to kick; they are not dissimilar horses.”
Often glancing at the portrait Cummings has on his all of Fiveandahalfstar (testament to the special place that horse holds in his history), Cummings noted that El Castello did come to hand quicker.
“He is a bit sharper, more effective at shorter trips than Fiveandahalfstar was.”
“And he has picked up things quicker than Fiveandahalfstar did, he took a while to find his feet.”
“He (El Castello) is a bit sharper, more effective at shorter trips than Fiveandahalfstar was. And he has picked up things quicker than Fiveandahalfstar did...” - Anthony Cummings
The two share good temperaments, Cummings saying that “as a colt you have to respect El Castello but at the end of the day he is a very good horse to deal with.”
And already a valuable colt. Whilst there have been no major approaches from studs as yet, Cummings said there had been “a few quiet chats.”
Cummings still has involvement in El Castello's family, sadly losing Cryptic Miss' Group 3-placed city-winning half-sister Wordplay (Fastnet Rock) recently though the dam of two stakes placegetters left behind a valuable Justify (USA) filly.
In the meantime he is happy to enjoy El Castello's racing career.
“He was great on Saturday and I'd say there is more to come.”
