A Special Girl Makes Her Debut

Wednesday, 07 August 2002 00:00

The Dan O’Sullivan trained Demographic made an impressive, although inexperienced debut at Victoria Park on Saturday winning the Nuclear Debate Handicap. With her ears pricked inquisitively on the line, Demographic completed the straight 1000 metre course 1 ¾ lengths clear of her nearest rival, the royally bred Defiant (Danehill from Ruffles) with a further ¾ of a length to the Anabaa filly Anacarde.

A three-year-old chestnut filly, Demographic is by Gold Brose from Special Sal, a daughter of sprinting sensation Special. Her straight course ability should come as no surprise when one considers her grand dam Special dominated the Flemington Straight Six in 1988 with wins in the Group One VRC Gadsen, Lightning and Newmarket Stakes. Gold Brose too shared this particular talent winning the VRC Linlithgow Stakes as a three-year-old.

Demographic is built very much in the mould of her father Gold Brose, a stallion I had the opportunity to view whilst on a Stud Tour of New Zealand hosted by the South Australian Thoroughbred Breeders.

At the time of our visit in September 2000 Gold Brose headlined the Westbury Stud stallion roster having produced the stakes winners Buzz Lightyear, Catamarca, Party Queen, Butterscotch, Joan’s Best, Coup Wood, Mine d’Or and Cryptavia since his entry to stud just five years prior.

Fitted with a special shoe to support a hind leg, Gold Brose appeared in extremely good health at the time of our visit and whilst Westbury did their best to manage the same injuries that plagued his racetrack career, Gold Brose died shortly after our visit.

Demographic, a member of Gold Brose’s penultimate crop, was purchased by the South Australian breeding outfit Brandon Farm at the 2001 New Zealand Premier Sale, presumably with her broodmare potential in mind. She was, in actuality, an astute purchase given the encouraging performances of her full sister, Chalonnaise at the time. Under the guidance of Tony McEvoy, Chalonnaise had won in Adelaide and been placed in the Group Three SAJC Smoke-Free Stakes and listed VRC Cadbury Roses Stakes.

Special Sal, the dam of Demographic, is by Alzao from the aforementioned Special by Habituate. Whilst Special’s accomplishments on the racetrack alone are enough to send the printer running for more ink, her lesser-performed daughter’s are set to surpass her broodmare record.

Lady Special, a full sister to Special Sal, is fast emerging as the star producer of the family. Her first foal, none other than Bomber Bill, is a dual Group One winner of over $900,000. Her second foal Camargue, a Group Three winner of the VATC Thoroughbred Club Stakes is now a broodmare herself and has a 2001 colt by Flying Spur.

In Demographic’s pedigree both Gold Brose and Special’s sire Habituate represent the Habitat sire line. She is therefore inbred to that horse 4m x 4m. Habitat is by Sir Gaylord a son of the Princequillo mare Somethingroyal and therefore a half-brother to the immortal Secretariat. Demographic carries another strain of Sir Gaylord via Sir Ivor, the sire of Alzao and interestingly, Gold Brose himself traces in direct female to Somethingroyal’s dam Imperatrice.

Demographic is also inbred 5m x 4m to Northern Dancer through Nijinsky (sire of Yeats, dam sire of Gold Brose) and Lyphard (the sire of Alzao).