By Duane Ranger
As a fourth generation stud breeder Grant Beckett knows good stock when he sees it and he also knows Royal Aspirations is a stunning 16 hands individual who can make his mark as a stallion.
The Beckett family have farmed sheep and stud rams on their Cheviot farm for more than 100 years – and standardbreds since 2002.
Beckett and his wife Di relocated the ‘Phoebe Stud‘ to Broadfield 18 months ago but have retained 150 acres of the family farm in North Canterbury.
Two weeks ago Royal Aspiration joined Imperial Count as Phoebe Stud’s second stud stallion.
“We are confident both stallions can do well. Both have wonderful temperaments. Royal Aspirations can do a good job as a colonial trotting stallion,”said Beckett.
“We are newbies at this but we think our stallions should attract plenty of interest at an affordable price, The hardest part for us is making contact with breeders, it is not easy to track down breeders contact details,” he added.
He said the now 12-year- old son of Angus Hall and – Miss Imperial (Imperial Count – 12 wins and $855,372) and had been standing at stud for several weeks now, while Royal Aspirations (Monarchy – Aspiring Gal), who is now eight, had already received a booking his first week at stud.
“Four of Imperial Count’s first crop of ten 2-year- olds qualified at two. That is very satisfying,” said Beckett.
The Fred Fletcher trained and Sam Smolenski driven Royal Aspirations beat Sheemon and Paramount Queen to win his only Group One race in the $80,000 Harness Jewels 2-year- old Ruby Final.
Then 10 months later the trio featured again when they placed in the New Zealand Trotting Derby at three.
Royal Aspirations set five New Zealand records and also won the Sires Stakes at three and two more Sales Series races at two and three.
He raced against a tough crop which included the best horse that Beckett had bred – Quite A Moment, and other good ones like Habibti, Sheemon, and Blitzthemcalder.
“We got offered Royal Aspirations by Fred and Faye Fletcher. They knew we were standing Imperial Count, who we got him through Jonathon McNeil before he relocated to Australia.
“Jonathon stood him the first time he was available here, he then served two small books in Aussie.
He returned to New Zealand late last year and is owned by Nevin Botica. Richard Aubrey is helping on collection days. He was a former studmaster at Roydon Lodge.
“Fred and Faye contacted us out of the blue one day and asked if we wanted to stand Royal Aspirations at stud.”
“They believed he would make a good stallion. That was good enough for me. Fred certainly knows a good horse when he sees one.”
“Being a son of Monarchy, and out of the Sundon broodmare Aspiring Gal, makes him a half brother to two-year- old Jewels winner Jinga Gal and a full brother to Breeders Crown winner Triumphant Monarch.
His grand dam being Aspiring Lass a sister to the mighty Arndon,” Beckett said.
Royal Aspirations ended his racing career on March 10 last year, the winner of 18 of his 55 starts. The bay also placed in nine others and banked $313,775.
Beckett said Phoebe Stud had been breeding standardbreds since 2002 and he had been stud stock-man since taking over the family farm in 1993.
“I have always followed the races but it wasn’t until 2002 that our first broodmare was purchased.
Her name was Ashley Sunset and we bought her out of the ‘Harness Weekly’.
“She traced back to the old breed my father and grand father had ‘played around with’, and although we have now gone on to produce a Group One champion and many other winners, the thrill of our first win as a breeder with her first foal was enough to get me hooked.
“The fact too that it was at our local Cheviot meeting meant for a great day and one we will never forget,” said Beckett.
He said some of their best performers were Quite A Moment, KD Muscles, KD Hall, Hot Chocolate Tart and Phoebe Revival.
“I have a simple theory that involves a budget, type, making sure the sire can leave fillies (and you would be happy if you get one), depth in the dams pedigree, depth of the sires maternal line,not being one of hundreds, not being frightened by new sires, and feeding well.
“We use our own stock skills gained from four generations and more than 100 years on this wonderful stock country at ‘Phoebe’ 10kms north west of Cheviot, North Canterbury,” Beckett said.
Imperial Count stud fee is $2,000 and Royal Aspirations $1,250.
“We also have a 20 per cent discount for two or more to either sire, or a combination of both,” Beckett said.
Approved By Dean Baring www.harnessbred.com
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