Hindsight can be a bitter pill to swallow…….

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Soon after Star Kingdom arrived in Australia for stud duties, a newspaper reported the setback to racing he would be by furthering a breed of ‘speedy squibs’ and a neighbouring stud master famously announced he would not make bookings because ‘he did not want to breed ponies’.

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But when he passed away at the age of 21 in 1967, Star Kingdom had become ‘the greatest stallion influence of immediate impact in Australian turf history.’

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And if Sir Patrick Hogan had laid eyes on the poorly performed Sir Tristram prior to purchase, he might never have had a chance at stud. In his wonderful study, ‘Peerage of Racehorses,’ Richard Ulbrich quotes Sir Philip Payne-Gallwey on how Sir Tristram appeared to the eye, ‘…light, long in the body, a little behind at the hocks, bad to follow, a plain head, big eyes, very narrow, but nice legged in front.’ ‘Ulbrich added that Sir Philip failed to mention that ‘he was also a wind sucker with a twisted knee.’

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But history records that in the breeding barn, Sir Tristram was also destined to become one of the greatest sires the world has ever seen.

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In 2017, Larneuk Stud's Group 1 ATC Randwick Guineas winning stallion, Ilovethiscity, covered just 29 mares at a fee of $6,600 and with waning interest and opportunity, the decision was made to drop him from their roster.

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And right on cue, and in a major upset, his maiden daughter made a sensational run from the back of the field to claim his first black-type success with a win in the Group 1 Inglis Sires Produce with EL DORADO DREAMING, a daughter of the Zabeel mare, Solanas (NZ).

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So from ‘cast-off’ to Group 1 producing stallion, Ilovethiscity’s career has been given a reprieve, at least temporarily, and with it, the opportunity to resurrect his career from the ashes of defeat.

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So where to now, for the unwanted stallion?

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El Dorado Dreaming has shown the way and his new stud master, whoever he or she may be, must heed the direction…..

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By Magic Albert ex Kensington Rose by Kenfair, Ilovethiscity traces to Sweet Time by Summertime, a SON of PRECIPITATION by Hurry On ex DOUBLE LIFE.

DOUBLE LIFE is the KEY to Ilovethiscity’s Group 1 success on the racetrack AND his Group 1 success at stud. Let’s see how that works.

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Ilovethiscity wants the return of what DOUBLE LIFE has, ideally through a daughter of her son or daughter. He gets that return in the dam of El Dorado Dreaming who traces tf to White Lodge, a DAUGHTER of Casanova by Hyperion ex DOUBLE LIFE.

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He gets variations of this return in gelded son, Bris Vegas, a $83,000 earner, ex Spirit of Sienna by Invincible Spirit whose dam is 4fx4m Rockefella who traces tf to Sweet Rocket by Rock Flint. And with Chapel City, another gelded son and $232,850 earner, whose third dam is by Bletchingly who also traces to Sweet Rocket by Rock Flint.

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Rock Flint traces to AMBUSCADE, a daughter of CAMERINO out of CROSSFIRE, a daughter of Vedette. DOUBLE LIFE carries QUICK STEP, also a daughter of CAMERINO out of Bassoon, another daughter of Vedette.

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Star Kingdom is 4fx4f Sunstar who also traces to CROSSFIRE. And Sir Tristram is 5fx5f Lavendula who carries Vedette and his full sister.

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Ilovethiscity then, needs mares carrying old Kiwi female families and Australian bred mares carrying one or more lines of Bletchingly, Star Kingdom, Sir Tristram, Encosta De Lago, South Ocean, Pass The Glass, Balidar, Persian Gulf, Snitzel, Not A Single Doubt, Doubleton, Volksraad, Tierce, Casanova, more Precipitation, Tavistock, Zabeel, Prince Bio, Zamazaan, Tamerlane, Mellay, Invincible Spirit, Fastnet Rock, Sadlers Wells and Street Cry.

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So there you have it, the tale of two Ilovethiscity’s; one, the unwanted failure on a downward spiral, and the other, the elite stallion, capable of success at the highest level.

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And as he sits precariously at the crossroads of his stud career, I wonder, will he be lead down the path to oblivion, or onwards and upwards on the road to El Dorado? Time will tell.