Where’s The Tiger by Storm Cat ex Blissful (Mr Prospector)
Those of us with long memories may remember Mike de Kock’s campaign in Dubai, back in 2006.
Timeform sums it up for us. “South African trainer Mike de Kock again brought the strongest team of horses among the international trainers present in Dubai. They included Oracle West, the only horse to win three races at the Carnival and who completed a hattrick in the Gr3 Dubai City Of Gold before finishing down the field in the Sheema Classic, in which stablemate Falstaff, a handicap winner earlier in the Carnival, finished a good third.
His other smart stable companions included the mare Irridescence (winner of a Listed event before injuring herself in the paddock prior to her intended run in the Dubai Duty Free) and handicap winners Candidato Roy (sprinter), Tyson (who won twice in taking style), Evil Knievel, and Greys Inn (half a length second to Herman Brown’s Linngari in the Gr3 Al Rashidiya).”
The summary should also have included narrow Gr3 UAE Guineas runner-up Where’s That Tiger, who campaigned in the colours of Larry Nestadt & Bernard Kantor.
Where’s That Tiger started his racing career with champion trainer Aiden O’Brien, running three times as a 2yo, all over 1000m. He won on debut, followed by two forth places, on heavy and firm going, included a Listed race. Those races took place in the space of just one month (as early as April/May).
The colt wasn’t seen out again that year, and only reappeared as a newly turned 3yo in the UAE Guineas for Mike de Kock. He missed his first Gr3 win by a whisker behind Argentine-bred Gold For Sale. Both horses competed in the UAE Derby, won by Discreet Cat who subsequently turned out to be the third best 3yo in the USA behind Bernardini and Barbaro.
Following the Dubai campaign, Where’s That Tiger found his way to Australia, to be trained by Gay Waterhouse. He won a barrier trial in great style, but never made it to the racetrack proper again and was retired to stud.
Competition in the stallion ranks in Australia is fierce, but even so the lack of support must have been disappointing. Where’s That Tiger is by super-sire Storm Cat, his dam a full sister to Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus (by Mr P.), out of a full sister to Preakness winner Pine Bluff (by Danzig), and the next dam by Halo. All of which, incidentally, makes him a full brother in blood to Summerhill stallion Brave Tin Soldier, their dams being full sisters.
Where’s That Tiger got just 54 foals in his first three crops, the oldest of which are yearlings. Several of those were bred by the stallion’s owners, and have found their way to South Africa. Four of them have raced to date (the oldest are 3yo’s), among them twice winning miler Supertube (whose dam interestingly is a daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus) and 5-time winning sprint filly Tiger Quest. The latter was runner-up in the SA Fillies Nursery at 2, won the Listed Gardenia Handicap at 3, and is rated MR 105.
The Storm Cat male line is represented in South Africa by sons Black Minnaloushe, Brave Tin Soldier, Mogok, and Tiger Dance, while another, Tiger Ridge, died last year. Storm Cat has two grandsons at stud, Var and Await The Dawn.
Where’s That Tiger stands his first SA season at The Alchemy in 2014. He will be syndicated at a very attractive R40.000 per share, payable over 4 years, during which there are two services each year per share. For details contact [email protected] (phone 072 740 9061), or [email protected] (phone 072 204 8137) or www.allanbloodlines.com
