In 2008 Tasmania boasted the best crop of two-year-olds ever seen in the state, with the likes of the ill-fated Cody Maverick, Shez Ryleymak, Karalta Crown, Make A Memory and Our Zellweger being outstanding performers.
Cody Maverick only raced 13 times for nine wins in succession before his tragic death in the final of the Australian Breeders Crown at Bendigo, after winning his semi-final.
Shez Ryleymak, the state’s fastest juvenile filly, had a stellar career winning 23 races and 16 placings from her 50 starts ($270,000).
Karalta Crown, who won 12 and 18 placings from 35 life time starts, proved herself one of the best fillies in the land, when she finished third in the 2008 Australian Breeders Crown Final at Bendigo, the same day as the tragic accident to Cody Maverick.
The 2008 crop also included Make A Memory, who established a Tasmanian two year old mile record of 1:58.4 when he won the 2008 Youthful Stakes at Elwick, and the filly Our Zellweger (1:59.2) was also a two minute performer that season.
The 2015 season has now produced the best crop of two year olds since 2008 headed by the Paul Hill trained duo Hillview Jake and Chica Bella.
Hillview Jake won his fifth race for the season from seven starts when he easily won the $30,000 final of the Dandy Patch Stakes. Previously he set a new Tasmanian juvenile record of 1:57.8 in the final of the Elderslie Stud Sweepstakes Final, smashing the old mark of 1:58.4 held by Make A Memory.
The $30,000 final of the Evicus Stakes for fillies resulted in an easy win for Chica Bella. She has now won five of her nine starts.
The mile was covered in 1:58.7 just outside Shez Ryleymak’s filly record of 1:58.5.
The most striking thing about Hillview Jake and Chica Bella is that they are very closely related, being both by Cardmaster Hanover from half-sisters.
Cardmaster Hanover was brought to Tasmanian from NSW by Cressy studmaster Geoff Madden.
The stallion was neglected in NSW only siring 33 foals in five seasons. The neglect was surprising considering he left five foals in Canada for three winners, including Canada’s top juvenile filly APS Money Maker (1:49.2), a winner of over $700,000 in stakemoney. It was tragic for Geoff Madden when Cardmaster Hanover died during his third season in the state.
Hillview Jake and Chica Bella both have Evening Jay as their grand dam.
This daughter of Cognac Hanover only produced the two fillies, the winner Times Move On (by Times Stand Still) dam of Chica Bella and Evening Muck Up (by What A Muck Up) the dam of Hillview Jake.
Evening Jay was a granddaughter of Mile Hanover, a Garrison Hanover mare imported to Tasmanian by Hall of Fame member George Johnson. Mile Hanover won two races in Tasmania in December 1972 at Hobart and January 1973 at New Norfolk.
Chica Bella’s mile in 1:58.7 in the Evicus Stakes final was the thirty fourth mile in two minutes or better in Tasmania. The first was by Allan Grant 1:59.5 at Carrick in 1987.
Complied by Peter Cooley