Introducing Crosshill Bombay

Having taken last year out from blogging, I never gave a full introduction to the first crop from Smarty's and my new breeding venture - Crosshill Stables.

The piece of land that we keep our horses on has always been referred to as 'Crosshill', which is why we chose the name.  No matter where we end up, that will always be the place where we started.

So last year we started with Crosshill Ace (filly, Cams Card Shark-Vain In Spain-Artsplace), Crosshill Azalea (filly, Mypanmar-Saunders Beachgirl-Beach Towel), Crosshill Amethyst (filly, Mypanmar-Coalford Tracey-Coalford Laag) and Crosshill Aurora (colt, Hasty Hall-Tates Creek-Western Ideal).  We still have all four of them, and they are affectionately known as Ace, Jenny, Amy and Wilko.

This post though is to introduce the 2015 'crop'...of one!  We took three mares back to the stallion last year, but only two resulted in successful conceptions and only one carried to full term. The result is the bonniest little filly I've met for a long time.  Her name is Crosshill Bombay, but she is known as Nala to us.  She was born at 00:15 on Friday June 5th with minimal intervention from Smarty (I *just* missed the show thanks to him being on that specific check); by the time I'd arrived she was already sitting up on the ground.  We sat and waited for her to get to her feet, assisted her for the first time as she didn't seem to be in much of a rush, and hung around until she'd had her first drink.

Crosshill Bombay (aka Nala) enjoying one of her favourite activities

The reason she is called Nala is due to the nickname the Jockey has given to her sire, Mypanmar.  Having seen him a handful of times he had started calling him 'The Lion', and with this in mind, coupled with the fact that the chances were this would be the last Mypanmar we bred (at least until he's proven himself as a sire), I decided that if we had a colt, we would call him Simba, and if we had a filly, she would be Nala.  I had my fingers crossed for a Simba, and a chestnut one at that, but out popped a black filly.  As Smarty and I always say, 'better to have a live filly than a dead colt'.  And ain't that the truth!

Mother and daughter - Rita & Nala

 Her sire, Mypanmar, boasts a record of 1.48.3 and was the winner of nearly $1.5 million. By The Panderosa (1.49.4) out of Road To Pandalay (Matts Scooter), Mypanmar's career spanned over six years, which illustrates his durability and desire to keep winning.  From the Camden Stud website:

COMMENTS FROM TOP TRAINER VIRGIL MORGAN
"I've trained thousands of horses and he is one of my favourites of all time you have to respect him. He is so good looking, size, conformation and attitude he is flawless in all those areas. He could go on any size track. He was extremely good on a half mile track. He is a big horse but was real clean gaited I think that shows his versatility. I cant say enough about him"

• Track Record Monticello 1.51.2 - J. Campbell July 2007.
• He made Harness Racing History as the first Chestnut horse to win a sub 1.50 mile when he paced to win in 1.49.3 at Mohawk Racetrack
• He set a new Track and World Record for four year olds at Colonial Downs on a greater than one mile tracks 1.48.4
• He is the third richest son of the sensational sire "The Panderosa" behind "SHADOW PLAY" $1,549,881 and "PONDER" $1,522,93

 

Currently standing with Sue & John Thompson at Morton Grange Farm, Darlington, alongside Art Professor, Arts Conquest, Eagle Luck, Stonebridge Galaxy and Yankee Lariat, all imported and owned by Mick Welling, Camden Stud, York.  I think you'll agree, he is quite the looker.  I have always been a fan of stallions who are aware of their own presence, and he certainly is that.

Her dam, Vain In Spain, is a 1.54.2 Artsplace mare out of Open Plains (Western Hanover).  A purchase in Harrisburg for Smarty and I in 2013 when she was in foal to Cams Card Shark (the resulting foal being Crosshill Ace), Vain In Spain, aka Rita, has produced a winner of 9 lifetime starts and nearly $70,000 in the form of Alexas Hope, a 4yo full sister to Ace.  Alexas Hope continues to race in Canada (she is due to race again on Friday 10th July).  Rita's dam, Open Plains, is a full sister to the phenomenal Won The West, who boasts a lifetime record of 1.47 and earnings of just under $4 million.

 

 

 

 

Vain In Spain (aka Senorita = Rita) at Harrisburg Sale

Our hopes for Nala are the same as most breeders - that she firstly will make it to the race track; and secondly will be a good racehorse.  At the moment, despite her being only a few weeks old, our aim is to head for the juvenile races which are increasing in popularity and prestige as time goes on.

Therein ends the introduction.  If I continue to write over the course of the next few years then perhaps Nala may feature in future blog posts.  Here's to hoping, anyway!