At NRM Breeders annual function held on the eve of the NZ Cup, at Armstrong Prestige’s Showroom, it was announced that CORPORATE BANNER was this year’s recipient of the coveted Broodmare of Excellence Award.
CORPORATE BANNER was the 1996foal of leading sire Sokys Atom/Graceful Poplar from the NZ family of Dusky Morn (N20. The unraced Corporate Banner was bred
by then school teacher Dennis Moore after borrowing the mare Graceful Poplar from his father Dudley. Ownership passed from the Moore’s into their company’s ownership (Banner Bloodstock Ltd) in 2010. Corporate Banner never made it onto the racetrack, instead Moore bred her to leading racehorse (retired after 1999 Auckland Interdominions) and later champion sire Christian Cullen in her first turn at stud. The filly she produced was nine other than Mainland Banner.
From a variety of top line stallions, Corporate Banner was the dam of nine live foals for five to race and win (two open class horses, one a New Zealand Cup winner, the other placed in a New Zealand Cup).
The male progeny of Corporate BannerincludeMore Than Happy, three wins, p3, 2:03.0, $21,601; Christian Banner, four NZ wins, p3, 1:59.8, $33,497, eight WA wins. 1:57.1, $83,226, total earnings $116,723and Titan Banner,sixteen wins, consisting of one Group Two and four Group Threes, 1:56.1, $273,463, Tuapeka/Gore Grass/Addington Winter/Alexandra Park Summer/Franklin/Wyndham/Methven Cups, Maurice Holmes Vase, Hannon Memorial together with second placings in Northern Southland/New Brighton/Kaikoura Cupsand thirds in Jewels 4yo Emerald NZ/Invercargill/Methven Cups.He has proven to be a bit of a Cups “King” with seven Cup successes over the past couple of seasons for owners Dave McHugh, John Cheesman, Jeanette O’Connor, Pauline Gillan and Hartley Blakely. Titan Banner will start as one of the favourite’s in today’s 2017 NZ Trotting Cup at Addington.
Corporate Banner’s daughters include race winners and those that have bred on such as New Zealand Cup winner Mainland Banner, who wonher first seven three year old starts before placing second to Molly Darling in the Nevele R Fillies final followed by a further seven consecutive victories at four including the NZ Cup at her eleventh start. The first and only four year old mare to have won the NZ Cup among sixteen mares to have won in total eighteen NZ Cup’s (up to 2016). Only twice unplaced, 2006 NZ Cup and Victoria Cup which was her final start at Moonee Valley after which retired due to injury.
Mainland Banner’s seventeen wins from twenty two starts (1:55.1, $684,579) included five Group Ones – NZ Oaks, NZ Cup, NZ Breeders Stakes, Ta3ylor Mile, Messenger and four Group Two’s – City of Auckland FFA, Southland Oaks, Superstars/PremierMares Championships.
She is the dam of five foals, all winners with four of them by embryo transfer. They are Peruvian Bannerone NZ win, $3,730, 2:00.0, p5, 1:52.2US, $98,794; Stunin Banner, fourteen NZ wins, $82,316, 1:59.5, two AUS wins, 1:56.2, $45,818, total earnings $128,134; Return To Sender, eight NZ wins, $102,148, p3, 1:57.4, North American winner p7, 1:51.3US, $123,553; Rocker Band, ten NZ wins, Equine Stakes, Southern Belle Speed series, Jewels 4yo Diamond, seconds Queen of Hearts, Cambridge Futurity Stakes, thirds Premier Mares Championship, Northern Breeders Stakes, $205,359, 1:53.3, two AUS wins, 1:52.1, $98,560, VIC Ladyship Cup, second Queen of Pacific, total earnings $303,919 and Glenferrie Classic,four wins, $43,575, 1:55.9, Equine Stakes, Cromwell Cup, second Southern Country Cups final.
Other daughters of Corporate Banner include Caitlin Banner, two wins,$26,585,
2:00.2,1:58.3TT, dam of five foals, including Crusader Banner, placed in NZ at two ($1,572) and thirteen WA wins, AUS 1:54.4, $152,350, Howard Porter Memorial, Anzac Day Cup, total earnings $153,922; Carnival Banner, unraced dam of three live foals for two non-winners to date; Nikita Banner, qualified trotter, repurchased by Dennis Moore for breeding purposes.
Corporate Banner’s unraced dam Graceful Poplar(Lumber Dream/Bachelor Morn by Bachelor Hanover) was bred by late Dudley Moore who stood Lumber Dream at stud. She left twelve live foals, Corporate Banner being the tenth of them, for seven to race for four winners, the best of them being Blazerlite,2:02.4, $29,890, four wins and dam of three winners including Bound To Astound (1:52.4US, $186,748, five AUS and 27 NA wins) and Lite Striker (1:59.5, $26,270, five NZ wins, non-winner AUS). Other winner producing fillies included Smooth Pandora (two winners), Impressive Poplar (five winners including Red Poplar 1:54.3US; (She’s) High Maintenance, dam of three winners including Beau Dandy 1:52.4AUS, NSW Spring Championship, Sketchman, Sugarmama); Eloquent Poplar, dam of five Australian winners including Run Albert Run 1:58.2, $162,344, Leeton Breeders Plate, Melton Plate); Paradise Poplar (two winners).
Her grand dam,Bachelor Morn (Bachelor Hanover/Rosalie Morn), winner at Rangiora, 2:08.9, $765, left ten foals the first six by Knight Dream stallion Lumber Dream. Only winning progeny was Bachelors Dream, a moderately performed winner in North America (2:04.1US, $9,668). Due to her good pedigree Bachelor Morn bred on leaving winner producing broodmares in Graceful Poplar, Very Happy Poplar (dam of Life Force, Very Happy Bachelor, Our New Life; grand dam of Happy Asset, Ben Hur, Auckland Cup and Mighty Khan 1:51.3US; third dam of Im The Mightyquinn, 1:50.4, $4.5m, multiple Group race winner) and Shirleys Poplar (dam of Knightwatchman 1:53.1US).
The third dam of Corporate Banner was fine broodmare Rosalie Morn(First Lord by Dillon Hall from First Water/Una Morn by U Scott), unraced but produced sixteen foals with many leading male performers including Dreamy Boy, eight NZ wins, 2:09.8, $14,080, Hororata/Oamaru Cups, q2:05.1US, $15,066; Dreamy Guy, five NZ wins, 1:59.8, $23,930, eight QLD wins, 2:00.6AUS, $20,030, total earnings $43,960; Dreamy Morn, nine NZ wins, 2:08.8, $18,605, Queens Birthday/Waikouaiti Stakes, Hannon Memorial, 2:01.4US, $24,968; Avon Song, nine NZ wins, 2:05.9, $19,135, Roxburgh/Cheviot/CPTC Winter Cups, 2:01.3US, $66,946.
Bachelor Morn’s winner producing daughters included Dreamy Lass, two wins, dam of five winners; Dreamy Rosa, five wins, 2:06.8, $10,446, dam of Stratocaster;Miss Morven, unraced, dam of nineteen live foals, ten to race, eight winners including Dictatorship, twelve NZ wins, 2:03.9, $55,805, Te Awamutu/Cambridge Cups, 1:58.2US, $97,000;Classic Fella, seven NZ wins, 2:03.3, $35,660, 1:56.0US, $105,840;Tuck Shop, six wins, 2:00.3, $41,638, 1:56.1US, $71,604 and Blithe Spirit, unraced, dam of ten foals, two winners including Tight Fit, thirteen AUS wins, 1:59.2, $49,491, Tamworth Gold Nugget; Tipperary Star, unraced, dam of three winners including Polaris, four NZ wins, 2:00.8, $36,303/1:51.1US, $345,787 and Wish You Were Here, four wins, 1:59.5TT, $23,956, dam of six winners (two in Australia); Una Rose, unraced, dam of winner, Dag and Jandel, five wins, 2:01.6, $34,516, dam of two winners;Waitaki Morn, unraced dam of seven winners including Genuine Product , three wins, 1:59.8, $89,215, Nevele R Fillies (dam of four winners including Mark Craig, 6 NZ/15 AUS wins, 1:58.2AUS, $268,327, VICSS – 3c, WA James Brennan/Navy Cups; grand dam of Stirling Point, 1:52.4AUS, $150,965, Alex Park Winter/Thames Pacing Cups) and Lovester, three wins, 2:04.6, $11,433 (dam of four winners including Craig Mark, three NZ wins, 2:01.5/1:52.0US, $281,984).
The Broodmare of Excellence Award is a fitting recognition of Corporate Banner’s broodmare impact, having two of five winning foals to race successfully in the New Zealand Cup and associated top level races is no mean feat.
NB : All stats to 13 November 2017.
Peter Craig
14 November 2017
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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