It is difficult to believe that almost two decades have passed since Christian Cullen ascended the pinnacle of NZ Harness Racing when he won the 1998 NZ Cup. The past decade has seen a number of multiple winners of the NZ Cup in Flashing Red and Monkey King twice and the third three time winner in Terror To Love.
Subsequent to his racing career, Christian Cullen has produced Mainland Banner as his sole NZ Cup winner to date. The only other previous Cup winners who then sired a winner have been Globe Derby line father and son combination Johnny Globe – Lordship twice, Spry, Globe Bay and Lordship – Lord Module, Inky Lord.. This year Christian Cullen holds a strong hand to further embellish his record with a prospective Cup winner in Christen Me (Christian Cullen/Splendid Dreams).
Inducted into the Addington Harness Hall of Fame in November 2013, Christian Cullen was a champion racehorse and equally successful in the breeding barn. A powerful and impressive looking stallion with a pedigree to match his confirmation, he has like his own sire In The Pocket been particularly successful in the Australasian breeding scene. Speed, stamina and a great gait all added to his success and appeal.
The In The Pocket son of Bo Scots Blue Chip mare Pleasant Franco, bred by Paul Bielby (dam also of Kate’s First : AK Cup, NZ/Queensland Oaks, Nevele R Fillies, NZSS – 2f, Pride of Lincoln family) boasted a racing record that included Group One features such as:
1997 NZ Sires Stakes – 3
1998 Auckland Cup
1998 NZ Cup/FFA double
1998 Miracle Mile
1998 Truer Memorial
and other significant victories including Welcome Stakes; NZYSS – 2; Rising Stars – 3; NZ C/S – 3; NZYSS – 3; Renwick FFA; Superstars – 4; Ashburton Flying Stakes Cambridge Classic; Waikato Flying Mile; ID Heat. He was NZ 4yo Pacer, Overall Pacer, Harness Horse and Australian Grand Circuit Horse of Year in 1999.
Raced on 31 occasions, his record showed : NZ – 26 : 19 – 2 -1 , $963,150; AUS – 5 : 3 – 0 – 1, $286,000, a total of 31 : 22 – 2 – 2, $1,249,150; p2, 1:58.6; p4, 1:54.1.
Throughout his career, he was owned by Ian and Doreen Dobson, after his first five starts in partnership with his trainer Brian O/Meara. Christian Cullen was driven during his career by Peter Jones (2 wins), Ricky May (5 wins) and the late Danny Campbell (15 wins). Ian Dobson has over the past twenty years been represented by a number of other headliners such as Mainland Banner (NZ Cup, NZ Oaks, Messenger, Breeders Stakes), Gotta Go Cullen (Auckland Cup, NSW Derby, Messenger), Panky’s Pacer, Cigar etc. He has been a major sponsor of harness racing at Addington Raceway, a major breeder (stallion and broodmare owner) and sales purchaser/vendor over this time period.
Christian Cullen’s siring record is impressive:
Five times champion NZ sire (stakes) : 2006, 2008 – 2011; runner up (2012 – 2013), top four (2014 – 2015)
Four times leading NZ sire (winners) : 2009 – 2012; runner up 2013, top six 2014 – 2015
Leading Australian sire (stakes) : 2011
Leading sire of Harness Jewels winners (10)
Close to 50 Group One winners ( over 120 stakes winners)
15 age group champions
More $100,000+ sales yearlings than any other sire
A very successful sire of particularly younger horses, he stood for a decade at Wai Eyre Farm before moving to Nevele R stud for the 2013/14 breeding season where he stood with his son Gotta Go Cullen. His semen is sought after in Australia as are his progeny whilst he stood one northern hemisphere season in USA – his youngsters born in America have already won races there. He has a number of sons standing at stud – Gotta Go Cullen, Gotta Go Cullect, Stunin Cullen, Charles Bronson, Ohoka Arizona, Justa Tiger, Raging Bull etc.
His principal top level performers include :
All Black Stride (Bathurst Gold Crown); All Tiger 1:49.1US; Alta Christiano (WA Derby); Chancellor Cullen (Fremantle Classic – 4); Christen Me 1:49.1, double millionaire (Chariots of Fire, Taylor Mile, Messenger, Jewels – Emerald 4, Hunter/Victoria/Auckland/Easter Cups; NZFFA, Miracle Mile); Franco Emirate (Messenger, Jewels – Emerald 4); Classic Cullen 1:50.4US; Gotta Go Cullen (millionaire; NZSS – 2, NZ C/S – 2, NSW Derby, Auckland Cup, Messenger); Franco Emirate (Messenger, Jewels – Emerald 4); Franco Nelson (NZSS – 3, Jewels – Emerald4); Hands Christian 1:52.5 (Easter Cup); Kiwi Ingenuity 1:52.1 (NZ Oaks, Queen of Hearts, NZ Breeders Stakes); Lauraella (NZ/GN Oaks, Nevele R Fillies); Libertybelle Midfrew (WA Oaks, Golden Nugget – 4); Likmesiah (NZSS – 2, NZ Derby); Locharburn (NZ Derby); Mainland Banner (NZ Oaks, NZ Cup, City of Auckland FFA, Messenger, NZ Breeders Stakes); Lizzie Maguire (GN Oaks); Make Mine Cullen 1:53.0 (Breeders Crown – 3f, Ladyship Mile, Breeders Crown – 4m, Kilmore Cup, Queen of the Pacific); Mighty Cullen 1:50.2US; Molly Darling 1:51.2US (Caduceus Classic – 2f, Nevele R Fillies); O Baby 1:54.8 (NZSS – 2f, Nevele R Fillies, Jewels – Diamond 3f, Queensland Oaks); Pay Me Christian 1:52.8 (NZSS – 3, NZ Derby, Newcastle Mile); Roman Gladiator (NSW Derby); Royal Cee Cee 1:49.3US; Stunin Cullen (millionaire; NZSS – 3, GN Derby, Ballarat Cup, Hunter Cup) etc.
His richest Australian bred pacer is Make Mine Cullen ($874,178). NZ bred Christen Me ($2,169,765) is his richest performer. Where speed is concerned, Christian Cullen’s fastest Australian bred pacer in Australia is Luda (1:52.5) while Christen Me (1:49.1) is his fastest performer to have raced in Australia. In NZ, Christen Me’s 1:51.5 at Ashburton (2013 Harness Jewels) is his quickest. In North America, All Tiger’s 1:49.1 (NZ bred), Catchmecullen 1:51.0US (Australian bred) and Good Day Mate 1:49.3US (bred in USA) are his fastest from respective countries.
Broodmare Sire of Chase The Dream (Cardigan Bay Stakes, NZ Sires Stakes – 2); Highview Tommy (Welcome Stakes, Ballarat Cup); Jilliby Jitterbug (APG – 2f); Lazarus (Jewels – Emerald 2); Majorly Foxy Styx (WA Mares Classic); Ohoka Punter (GN/Victoria Derbies); Pembrooks Delight (Jewels – Diamond 4); Shes A Runa (NSW Oaks)
Christian Cullen has to date sired over 825 winners of in excess of 2,400 races in NZ, over 165 individual winners in Australia and a handful of winners in North America as at October 2015 – the first NZ sire of over 1,000 winners in total of in excess of $75m worldwide. He is broodmare sire of 211 winners of in excess of 550 races in NZ (80 individual winners in Australia)
Peter Craig
6 October 2015
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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