The breeding game can be as cruel and frustrating as it can be exhilarating. Watching a new-born foal sway to its feet is a pleasure that is never mundane, but a life always hangs on a knife’s edge.

Nashita first showed signs that she was not far from foaling in typical manner – her anxious movement and plump, dripping udder being the characteristic signs that something is imminent.

Megan Kirsopp-Cole had been waiting for this moment all spring. Nashita (br m 2003, Spinning World (USA)-Graphite Lass, by Unbridled’s Song (USA)) was the last mare to foal, to a 2009 cover by Dane Shadow, at Kirsopp-Cole’s boutique broodmare farm, Lemrac Lodge, at Winchelsea South, at the back of the Otway Ranges.

Kirsopp-Cole moved Nashita into the foaling yard, but it wasn’t long before her excited expectation turned to concern. “I had a feeling something wasn’t right. I thought she was about two hours from foaling, but all of a sudden, Nashita’s milk dried up,” she said.

Kirsopp-Cole concerns grew as time ticked by. A check inside the mare noted that that foal hadn’t moved correctly into a position for foaling. “The foal is suppose to be born forwards with its head between its stretched out front legs, but this foal was still on its back with is legs facing backwards across its stomach.

The mare was in trouble and the vet was summoned. It soon became obvious that the foal wasn’t alive – and it wasn’t going to turn into a correct birthing position.

“The had to get the foal out without causing damage to the mare. It was a long and painstaking process and parts of the dead foal had to be removed to get it safely out. It was a terrible experience for all involved,” she said.

Nashita survived the experience, but only after a few anxious days. The foal was a beautiful black filly with a big white star. “She was everything I would have hoped for … what a shame she didn’t live.”

Kirsopp-Cole said there is no valid reason why the filly died. An autopsy was inconclusive. Just one of those things. “She was a big filly with powerful, wide shoulders, but that’s the only issue I can think of.”

The good news was that Kitchwin Hills, near Scone, where Dane Shadow stands, offered Kirsopp-Cole a free return in 2011 because Nashita was in no condition to travel to be covered by the stallion after her foaling issues.

The ups and downs of the thoroughbred breeding game can manifest itself in a small commercial operation like Lemrac Lodge. The loss of one foal can upset the whole breeding season, as was the case with Kirsopp-Cole. Only a month earlier she was delighting in the delivery of a stunning Charge Forward colt from Kirsopp-Cole’s prized mare Cadillac, a daughter of Anabaa and the VRC Oaks winner Taj Eclipse – one of five mares she and husband Steven own.

“It’s always a tense time. You want everything to go right but it’s rarely smooth sailing. A client’s mare had a colic attack and we almost lost her. We have had many sleepless nights. The kids will be looking forward to a home cooked meal when the season ends. At the moment packeted pasta is the fare of choice.”

Lemrac Lodge will foal down a dozen mares and ferry about 20 mares to stallions around Victoria. “We supported Victorian stallions this year as the options have improved considerably. It means that the mares foaled down at home and we save a lot in travel and agistment costs.”

The farm next year will have foals by Domesday, Hard Spun, Reset, Strategic, Foreplay, Econsul and Written Tycoon.

Kirsopp-Cole, a former track rider for Meggs Elkington, has decided to concentrate on the broodmare side of her fledgling agistment business, although her first mare, Lemrac Lady (by Luskin Star), after whom the farm is named, produced her the first foal back in 1996. “I’ve learned a lot since then, especially about raising foals for sales. I made a lot of mistakes in those early days,” she said.

Kirsopp-Cole was one of the breeders who supported Encosta De Lago in his first years at stud. “We only got only $6000 for one yearling. How things have changed.”

Since then Kirsopp-Cole’s mare Cadillac has produced yearlings that have sold for $140,000 (filly by Tale Of The Cat at Magic Millions Gold Coast), $110,000 (filly by Elvstroem, Magic Millions Gold Coast) and $80,000 (colt by Catbird, Inglis Melbourne Premier). Lemrac Lodge uses Sean and Cathy Dingwall’s Caithness Breeding, at Wallan, to prepare its yearlings.

It’s Lemrac Lodge’s lush drought-free position, mild climate and rolling hills that help grow well-muscled, well grown yearlings. Next month Nashita’s athletic Mossman colt will sell at the Adelaide Magic Millions and a good result will make up an ordinary finish to 2010.

“Cadillac’s first three foals, all fillies, are winners and we have very good reports about her Catbird 3YO, who had trialled really well in Hong Kong, but late in November got the news that he’d died from a twisted bowel. We had been waiting three years for him to race,” she said.

Another life lost, another setback in the quest to breed a champion. Another spring awaits.

Photo: Georgia Kirsopp-Cole, aged six, enjoys some “sleepy time” in the peaceful paddocks of Lemrac Lodge with a filly foal by Econsul.

The pedigree of Lights Of Heaven, a seven-length debut winner on Sunday at Cranbourne, is a wonderful blend of speed and stamina, but also traces to a famous, much-loved filly.

Lights Of Heaven, trained by Peter Moody, is by champion sire Zabeel from the very smart racemare I’m In Heaven, a daughter of the top-class New Zealand stallion Volksraad (GB) (by Green Desert (USA)) from Cent From Heaven, a daughter of the exceptional broodmare sire Centaine.

It is this “zippy” female line that gives Lights In Heaven the pace to skip over 1200m metres well clear of her rivals when most Zabeels are only getting warmed up at twice the trip.

But there is more depth to the pedigree when you research back a few generations. The sixth dam of the filly is the famous mare Chicquita (br m 1946, Blank (GB)-Starr Faithfull, by Equator (GB)).

Chicquita was a darling of the post-war period in Melbourne, winning in the 1949 spring all the major races for 3YO fillies – the VRC Oaks, Thousand Guineas, Wakeful Stakes and Edward Manifold Stakes. She returned as a spring 4YO mare to win the Craiglee Stakes and Feehan Stakes, and the following year she won another Craiglee Stakes, a Liston Stakes and an Alister Clark Stakes. She also finished second to Comic Court in the 1950 Melbourne Cup.

Chicquita was one mare who didn’t leave all her class on the racetrack. As a broodmare, she produced the sensational juvenile Eskimo Prince (by Todman), winner of the 1964 Golden Slipper, one of his seven Stakes wins before he was sold by owner Perc Galea to race in America. Chicquita also produced the quality stayer Comicquita (by her Melbourne Cup conqueror Comic Court), who finished second behind Even Stevens in the 1962 Melbourne Cup, and the handy galloper King Nero (by Empyrean (GB)), winner of the Herbert Power Handicap.

Chicquita left only three fillies, although it was the two daughters by Star Kingdom (IRE) who have left their mark and carried Chicquita’s legacy to beyond the famous signature stables, Chicquita Lodge – now occupied by trainer Mike Moroney – named after her along the back of the Flemington racetrack.

Sirikit (1960) is the granddam of the South Australian Derby winner Vacuum (by Agricola (GB)), while Starquita (1959) produced the New Zealand Derby winner Mansingh (by Wilkes) and the brilliant filly With Respect (by Rego). It is through Starquita’s daughter Ciquita (by Oncidium (GB)) that we get to Lights Of Heaven. Chicquita’s final foal, a filly by Dies (GB) named Dittani, left only two foals of little consequence – that line to Chicquita has long been extinct.

Lights Of Heaven comes from the Zabeel-Danzig cross that has produced Group 1 winners Maldivian, Zabrasive, Vengeance Of Rain, Fiumicino and Dizelle.

Volksraad has been an outstanding sire in New Zealand – a six-time champion sire of 45 Stakes winners – particularly of fillies. He is expected to be a good broodmare sire and he has 13 daughters who have produced Stakes winners, but surprisingly only Zarzuela (Group 2 Great Northern Guineas winner) is by his fellow headliner Zabeel.

PHOTO: I’m In Heaven’s yearling filly, by Darci Brahma, selling as lot 920, at the 2011 Karaka Select Yearling Sale early next month.

Last year Cranbourne trainer Enver Jusufovic decided he needed to buy some well-bred, athletic horses to improve his profile and his bank balance.

Jusufovic – “just call me EJ” for obvious reasons – went to the Melbourne Premier Yearling sale with the aim bringing home a horse or two, albeit on a budget short on numbers.

I have known Jusufovic for a few years; since friends of mine bought a colt out of the paddock on my recommendation and sent the youngster to him to train. The colt, Lemrac Lad (b c 2001, Orpen (IRE)-Lemrac Lady, by Luskin Star) went on to become a handy galloper, winning three races before injury sidelined him.

Jusufovic asked me to join him in his 2009 quest to rebuild his team – “value for money” was the catchcry. It’s always nice to attend a yearling sale with a purpose. We decided that the best value was to look for proven stallions where there was little hype – because where there is hype at a horse sale, there is certainly no value.

We worked hard, combing the grounds like cleaners after a Grand Final at the MCG, and finished up with a short list of about eight horses. Some were just too much money, others were rejected on veterinary advice.

It took until lot 501 before Jusufovic could raise his hand with success. He parted with only $15,000 for a Rock Of Gibraltar colt from Manistique (by Miswaki (USA)). The colt was offered by Tim Johnson’s Ealing Park, and although he was smallish and bit light, he was well balanced, a good walker and there was something about him that suggested there was a lot of improvement for the future. His sire was very much in limbo after mixed results in Australia, although worldwide the Stakes-winning success of his progeny made for better reading. Johnson confided that the colt wasn’t raised on his Euroa property and he arrived too late in the preparation to have the “full polish” for the sale that Johnson would have liked.

The youngster had a terrific international pedigree, as his dam’s half-sister, Lady Sluzan, was a multiple Group 1 winner in North America. View his pedigree.

The colt, as expected, slowly matured into a quality animal, and with a good deal of talent. Racing as a gelding named Senior Marakesh, he is a winner at Bairnsdale between impressive fourths at Moonee Valley and Sandown from only three starts in December/January. Jusufovic has sent him to the paddock with a lot to look forward to.

The second purchase was $17,500 for a colt by Fusaichi Pegasus from the Raise A Cup mare Quetta, lot 611, offered by Erinvale Thoroughbreds. The bay was an athletic animal and he walked with great purpose. We were confident that the colt wouldn’t bring a lot of money, as the Fusaichi Pegasus breed were “off the boil”, it was late in the sale and colt was to be sold unreserved.

The dam Quetta, was an old mare born in 1989, and she had left only four winners from nine foals, but she had left a smart, Stakes-placed filly in La Reata, and her dam, Taj El Baba, was a sister to the VRC Oaks winner Taj Eclipse.

Today at Terang, the Fusaichi Pegasus colt, now a gelding named (unfortunately) Horse Fly, landed a plunge ($7 into $2.70) to win his first race start. It was an impressive performance from a green, stylish horse who looks like he will benefit from more time and more distance than today’s 1200m. View his pedigree and Sire Cam video.

Jusufovic, who fills his stables with pre-trainers for Robbie Griffiths, is one of a long line of good, dedicated young trainers trying to make a living out of a difficult game. It’s not easy to find the right horses, harder to find the right owners. Diligent work and frugal buying at the sales means that he has a loyal band of owners that are now reaping the rewards.

Photo: Enver Jusufovic with one of his horses at his Cranbourne stables.

Stephen Maskiell has been one of Tasmania’s top jockeys for a couple of decades. He’s old enough, at aged 47, to have a son, Jason, as riding foe.

Maskiell has won seven Tasmanian jockey premierships and despite some successful forays across Bass Strait, has resisted the urge to try his hand on the mainland. He has left that chapter to Jason, who, despite some hiccoughs along the way, is a highly touted apprentice under the watchful guidance of trainer Robert Smerdon at Caulfield.

It’s a safe bet that riding a winner for Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has never been on Maskiell’s bucket list, but yesterday he produced a brilliant ride to win the Listed Hobart Guineas (2100m) in the Sheikh’s maroon and white colours aboard the Lee Freedman-trained Ludka (b f 3, Singspiel (IRE)-Laleta (IRE), by Danehill (USA)).

Maskiell showed all his skill and mastery of the Elwick track to bounce Ludka to the front and dictated the terms of the race. He said he took the initiative to lead on the filly – Ludka had come from off the pace to win at Mornington and Stony Creek at her previous two starts – because of his knowledge of riding visiting horses trained by Freedman.

“I thought this filly is going to be rock had fit so she just needs to be rated well and thankfully the plan paid off. It’s great to be able to again ride a big race winner for the Freedman stable and that this horse is owned by Sheikh Mohammed is a bonus,” Maskiell said.

The Sheikh’s Darley operation had its first starters in Tasmania on Sunday and came away with a double. Freedman also trained Chinchilla (ch f 2, Exceed And Excel-Chestnut Star, by Eternity Range (USA)) to win the Listed Elwick Stakes (1100m) earlier on the programme. Chinchilla, who broke her maiden at Seymour on January 6, was ridden by Craig Newitt.

The Stakes double was a nice fillip for Freedman after First Command’s game second, behind Mufhasa, in the Group 1 Telegraph Stakes (1200m) at Trentham (NZ) on Saturday. There also was a touch of irony in the Tassie success after Freedman announced recently that Darley will be cutting his yearly quota of horses in half from around 50 to 25.

Freedman has trained nine Stakes winners this season – a Group 2 win with Well Rounded and eight Listed wins, five of which have been for Darley.

Photo: Lee Freedman

What’s in a name? Often more than you think once you do some research.

Today’s first race winner at Ascot (WA), the debutante filly with the catchy name, Foo Foo The Snoo, had me “googling” before the racecaller Darren McAulley had finished his run through.

A quick analysis shows there is a lot more to the quirky name of this Starcraft filly than just a bunch of ooos. Google reports that Foo Foo The Snoo is an invention of American children’s book writer Dr. Seuss (nom de plume for author Theodore Geisel). “Foo-Foo the Snoo is merely an invention of Dr. Seuss to make a rhyme (so sorry to break it to you) the end of a phrase in Dr. Seuss’s children’s book, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut,” reports Google, citing Time magazine.

Well, this Foo Foo The Snoo is much more than a figment of Dr. Seuss’ imagination.

The filly comes from a great Australian family. Her dam Miss Astur is by Royal Academy (USA) from Clear Apollo (by King Apollo), who is a three-quarter sister to the Golden Slipper winner and exceptional sire Star Watch (by Bletchingly) – both are out of the outstanding broodmare Light Of Peace (by Light Wind (FR)).

Foo Foo The Snoo is trained at Casuarina by Lindsey Smith for part-owners Geisel Park Pty Ltd (managed by Eddie Rigg) – hence the Dr. Seuss link – and former bookmaker Kim Hunter. Rigg bred the filly and retained her after she was “sold” at last year’s Magic Millions Perth Yearling Sale for $48,000 (on the bid of Premium Bloodstock).

Rigg paid $180,000 for Miss Astur, in foal to Starcraft, at the 2008 Magic Millions Winter Broodmare sale. The mare was part of the Paul Makin (owner of Starcraft) dispersal of mares under the Arrowfield banner.

Photo: Starcraft at Arrowfield.

The measure of any stallion must be the ability to upgrade his mares to produce progeny superior to that she – and her wider pedigree going back many generations – has been able to leave.

We have seen stallions make their own way to the top off the back of books of relatively ordinary mares. The great Danzig, who retired unheralded after only three non-Stakes-race wins, is one prime example of a horse who dominated from the start of his stud career despite initially covering small, insignificant books of mares.

There is another emerging in Australia right now, a Danzig grandson who is not only improving the physical quality of the progeny of his mares, but also significantly upgrading their performance on the racetrack.

The global standard in thoroughbred ratings, Timeform, was the first to highlight Dane Shadow’s ability to upgrade his mares when it rated Dane Shadow top of the list of Australian stallions for leaving quality horses from mares of dubious background. His progeny’s median rating figure of 87 came off a book of mares that average a median figure of only 70 from their matings to other stallions – a massive 17-point upgrade (season 2009-10 figures).

Dane Shadow recently has sired two very promising two-year-old feature-race contenders – Five O’Clock and Holdontoyahorses – that again highlights the innate ability of the Kitchwin Hill-based stallion to “improve” a pedigree.

Five O’Clock (b g 2008, Dane Shadow-Curtail, by Catrail (USA)), a winner of two and placed twice from four starts for leading trainer Alan Bailey, stepped out as a main chance to win the $2 million Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) on the Gold Coast on Saturday; he did well to finish seventh, only 4.8 lengths from the brilliant winner Karuta Queen. Five O’Clock is poised to become his family’s first horse of top-class standard for three generations, despite his dam and granddam having many opportunities after producing foals by leading stallions in the past.

Bailey has stated that Five O’Clock was in the Magic Millions on raw ability and it will be over time that we see the best of this Dane Shadow gelding.

Last Saturday week at Caulfield, the filly Holdontoyahorses (b f 2008, Dane Shadow-Dorothy Dinosaur, by Canny Lad) emerged as a potential star for Mick Price. Her last-to-first win, just as she had raced at her debut at Seymour, sees the filly firmly set on a Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes campaign – and jockey Damien Oliver says she’s up to the class.

But it is when you review her pedigree that you get a feel for the impact of Dane Shadow on this equation. In Holdontoyahorses’ case you need to research back FOUR generations to her Group 3 winning fourth dam, Alkyana, before you find a racehorse of note.

This augurs well for Dane Shadow, a handsome son of champion sire Danehill from the champion racemare Slight Chance (by Centaine). No wonder everyone at Kitchwin Hills has a spring in his/her step. Manager Mick Malone said the farm has a lot to look forward to. “You can only wonder what the results will be when those horses from the large number of better quality mares he has served in the past two seasons make it to the racetrack in the next few years,” he said.

“He has covered a wonderful book of mares compared to his first four seasons when the quality and the numbers were down. There are little more than 100 foals from his first two crops, but once his horses have hit the track running, including the Group 1 winner Shellscrape, we have seen both the support and the quality of mares improve dramatically.

“It’s an exciting time for Kitchwin Hills, and for those breeders who have supported the horse. We should really start to see the benefits when his 2012 yearlings, from his first big and improved book of mares, go under the hammer. It just might propel Dane Shadow into the top echelon of Australia’s stallions.”

Dane Shadow’s 2010 two-year-olds come from his biggest crop so far (81 foals) and the results of the extra numbers early in the season are already proving fruitful, However, his 2011 yearlings come from a crop of only 46 registered foals, but they will sell significantly higher than the $7700 service he commanded in 2008. In 2009, he covered 166 mares at a fee of $16,500 and last spring saw 115 mares to his court at the same fee.

It is often said that the future is for those who plan for it. In the case of Dane Shadow, the future is there for his making.

Photo: Dane Shadow at Kitchwin Hills.

The Slattery Media Group provides media consultancy to Kitchwin Hills.

Lion Tamer, brilliant winner of the 2010 Group 1 Victoria Derby at Flemington, has suffered an injury that will put him out of the Group 1 AJC Derby (2400m, Randwick) in the autumn.

Co-trainer Murray Baker said he hoped to get Lion Tamer back into work in time for autumn races over a shorter distances, perhaps including the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m, Randwick).

“He won’t make it to the Derby, he won’t be ready. But, if we can get started on him soon, then there are other options for him, especially later in the Sydney carnival,” he said.

Baker, who shares the training with his son Bjorn, said that Lion Tamer spelled “brilliantly” after his sensational win at Flemington, but kicked out in his box on his first day back into work at the Bakers’ Cambridge stables.

“He put a hole in his leg just below the hock that you could put two fingers in to. Fortunately, he didn’t damage any tendons, but he has spent a month in the box, and we can only start working him when the cut heals completely. It is just about closed up, so next week is a possibility of getting him back trotting,” he said.

Baker added that he was shocked how much Lion Tamer has grown. “He is generally regarded as a horse on the small side; not any more.”

Baker believes Lion Tamer could develop into an ideal Cox Plate horse in the spring. “He showed he handles Moonee Valley with his terrific second (behind Rekindled Interest) in the AAMI Vase when he ran the same time as So You Think did in the Cox Plate. He (Lion Tamer) is a lot more than a wet tracker. I think this is a horse that will keep improving. I have been told that his run in the Derby was one of the highest rating Derby wins for many years.”

Baker is more pleased with the progress of his star filly We Can Say It Now, who will resume in the Group 1 Waikato Sprint (1400m) at Te Rapa on February 12 before she heads to Melbourne for the Group 1 Australian Guineas (1600m) at Flemington on March 5.

Baker said the filly’s owner and breeder Paul Makin had a burning ambition to revenge the defeat of her sire Starcraft in the Guineas in 2004, when the unbeaten Reset beat him in a thrilling finish. “It’s the race he wants of all to win, and she should be spot on for it as she has come back from her short break in great form.”

Baker said was unsure of the program for Caulfield Cup runner-up Harris Tweed, although he is considering bringing the gelding to Melbourne for the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m, Flemington) on March 12 before heading to Sydney for the Group 1 The BMW (2400m, Rosehill) and/or the Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m, Randwick). He also reports that his other top stayer, Mr. Tipsy, who hasn’t started since winning at Tauranga last March, was ready to race after a successful throat operation.

Mr Tipsy finished third behind Ista Kareem in the 2009 Sydney Cup after finishing second in the 2009 Group 1 Auckland Cup. “He is moving along well on the track, and hopefully we can get him to Sydney. He is still only six and lightly raced.”

Finally, the Bakers have entered there fast filly Twilight Savings for the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington on March 12. “She’s a weight-for-age winner against older horses with a terrific turn-of-foot. The Newmarket might be the right race for her, although a lot depends on Black Caviar.”

The breeding lines:

Lion Tamer (b c 3, Storming Home (GB)-Lioness (NZ), by Generous (IRE))

We Can Say It Now (ch f 3, Starcraft (NZ)-We Can’t Say That (NZ), by Generous (IRE))

Harris Tweed (b g 5, Montjeu (IRE)-Sally (NZ), by Prized (USA))

Mr Tipsy (b g 6, Montjeu (IRE)-Fairy Tipsy (NZ), by Casual Lies (USA))

Twilight Savings (b f 3, Secret Savings (USA)-Ghemashah, by Danewin)

Photo: Lion Tamer, with jockey Hugh Bowman in early celebration, careers away with the Group 1 Victoria Derby at Flemington.