March 11 – Some broodmares are lucky to produce three winners in a lifetime, but for Tim and Jackie Hughes, their 10 year-old mare Wooden Melody has achieved the feat in less than a week.
A half-sister by Woodman (USA) to Group One winner Emerald Dream and a grand-daughter of celebrated producer Cotehele House (GB), Wooden Melody started her winning run when three year-old Lonhro colt Egyptian Lova led throughout and bolted in by nearly five lengths at Ballarat last Thursday having his third race start for the David Hayes stable.
Consigned to the 2007 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale by Yarraman Park as agent, Egyptian Lova (pictured as a yearling) failed to make his reserve of $150,000 so was retained to race by Mr and Mrs Hughes.
The second winner for Wooden Melody came at Randwick last Saturday when the promising Tim Martin trained four year-old Rock Song powered home to win over 1600 metres, taking his record to four wins from eight starts with prizemoney of $114,880.
The Rock of Gibraltar (IRE) gelding was sold at the 2006 NZB Premier Yearling Sale, fetching $250,000 to the bid of Tim Martin when secured from the Curraghmore Stud draft with Mr and Mrs Hughes retaining an interest in a horse that could well measure up to stakes class.
Notching the hat-trick for Wooden Melody was her first foal, the five year-old Flying Spur gelding Flying Song, who posted the fifth win of his career when scoring at Townsville on Tuesday.
Sold for $100,000 when consigned by Yarraman Park as agent at the 2005 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Flying Song might not be going to add Black Type to the family, but he is a sound and capable racehorse that has given his current owners plenty of excitement in winning three of four starts since transferring north.
A permanent resident at Yarraman Park, Wooden Melody now has the great record of three foals to race all winners and her two year-old filly by Fastnet Rock will be worth keeping an eye on when she steps out for the David Hayes stable under the name of Rock and Roll.
The first filly from Wooden Melody, Rock and Roll has been retained and was not offered at a sale, her dam having missed and slipped in the two subsequent seasons although she is now back in foal to Encosta de Lago.
