Kingmaker has breeding links with Whitelock family for over a century! 

By Peter Wharton

Kingmaker, who won three consecutive races at Menangle in April — highlighted by a career-best 1:49.9 effort —  and has worked his way back to an NR106 mark, has close breeding ties to the Whitelock family, of Palmerston North who bred the emerging Australian star, dating back over 100 years.

Kingmaker after winning at Menangle
(c) Club Menangle photo

The seven-year-old Mach Three gelding carries the blood of Nelson Derby — the greatest son of noted foundation Norice — who was raced by Braeden Whitelock’s great grandfather George Craw, and who won the Great Northern Derby in 1920 for him.

Nelson Derby later sired Haughty, the winner of two NZ Cups and the first mare outside America to break 2:00.

Nelson Derby appears twice on the distaff side of King Maker’s pedigree through Brahman (sire of his fifth dam Hindu Star) and Single Star (his seventh dam).

Paddy Brown, the dam of Kingmaker, won five races as a four-year-old and took a record of 1:57.7 and was an above average mare.

“She was a big, strong Christian Cullen mare who got better with age,” Braeden said. “Kingmaker looks like he’s in the same mould.”

Braeden Whitelock and Princess Tiffany

Bred by Braeden and his wife Caroline, Kingmaker is the third foal of Paddy Brown and ranks as a three-quarter brother to Suntan, who finished second in the 2021 NZ Sires Stakes Final and is now being bred from by Trevor Casey.

Sold as a yearling for $30,000 at the Australasian Classic Sale at Karaka in 2017, Kingmaker began his career with Leeston professional horseman Brad Mowbray, who won four races with him.

The gelding was sold to clients of Luke and Belinda McCarthy’s stable near Sydney at his end of his four-year-old campaign and has since totted up a further 13 successes – including 11 at Menangle – and boosted his stake tally to $148,818.

His dam, Paddy Brown, was a half-sister to seven 2:00 winners including Kayla Marie (1:54.7), a national two-year-old record holder and winner of the 2018 NZ Sires Stakes 2YO Championship, the exported Braeside Derby (1:54.2), the Gloucester Park winners Neighlor (1:56.1), Bettorbeastar (1:57.5) and Ohoka’s Artsplace (1:57.9) and the Menangle winner Major Arthur (1:56).

Another half-sister in Braeside Lady, an unraced Artsplace mare, left the four-time Group 1 winner and 2012 NZ 3YO Filly of the Year O Baby (1:54.8), winner of $378,626.

Their dam, Braeside Star (1:59.8), who won six races, was a Soky’s Atom mare from a fine racemare in Tuapeka Star (1:59), who recorded four Group races in Australia including the NSW Ladyship Mile and Edgar Tatlow Memorial and $136,347.

At the stud, Tuapeka Star became the dam of six winners headed up by the NZ Cup and Miracle Mile winner and millionaire Iraklis, an outstanding juvenile in Ermis, the NSW Carousel winner Blue And Royal and the Melton Plate winner Braeside Seel Star.

Tuapeka Star was also the second dam of the dual Derby winner Lavros Star, Falling Star (Timaru Winter Cup), Caesar’s Folly (QLD Seymour Nursery), the Australian Listed winners Written In The Stars and Whenacoa and the Great Northern Stakes victor Erotas.

Braeden Whitelock holding Princess Tiffany and her Captaintreacherous filly

Tuapeka Star was accorded the NZ Broodmare of the Year award in 1997, two years after her dam, Sakuntala, won the award.

The Whitelock’s are now breeding from two members of this fine family in Kayla Marie and O Baby.

“Kayla Marie has a two-year-old filly by Art Major in work with Mark and Nathan Purdon and a yearling filly by Always B Miki that’s been broken in. She’s now in foal to Captaintreacherous,” Braeden said.

O Baby, the dam of the winners Lightning Baby (1:56.4), Beachbabebeauty (1:57.6) and Mo’unga, has a two-year-old filly by Captaintreacherous in the Purdon barn and a yearling filly by Bettor’s Delight.

“The filly is named after our son Sam’s two children Iris and Penelope,” he said.

Sam Whitelock is a senior member of the All Blacks rugby team and on Saturday achieved his own milestone, his 350th first class match, only the sixth player to do so.