Little Bridge Had Humble Beginnings

Friday, 22 June 2012: King's Stand Stakes winner Little Bridge has come a long way since his humble beginnings in New Zealand.

Little Bridge Photo by Racing and Sports

Little Bridge  is a son of Faltaat (Mr Prospector) and was bred by the Hawkins family at Wentwood Grange in Cambridge.

Des and Janet Hawkins were on track at Royal Ascot on Tuesday along with their sons Leigh and Dean while their brother Sean watched the race unfold back home at Cambridge.

“It's just awesome,” Sean Hawkins said.

“It is absolutely fantastic for our farm and for the New Zealand breeding industry.

“Little Bridge's grand-dam Enrichment was one of the first mares we bought when we started Wentwood Grange.

“We put her to Gold Brose and got a filly named Golden Rose. We sold to her Stephen McKee and later bought her back after she won a race.”

Sent to Faltaat, Golden Rose produced Little Bridge after her first foal by Storm Creek died.

Offered at the 2007 NZ Bloodstock Weanling Sale, Little Bridge fetched just $9000 when purchased by Hastings owner-trainer Margaret Hakema.

“Eddie Lowry inspected the horse on my behalf and suggested I buy him,” Hakema said.

“From the time I put a bridle on him, I knew we had a serious racehorse.

"I took him to Wanganui for a trial and he won by seven lengths. Then the phone started ringing.”

A private sale to Hong Kong ensued and Harkema has derived much pleasure in watching Little Bridge race so successfully for his current owner Ko Kam Piu.

“I bought a full sister to Little Bridge and she's in foal to Captain Rio," she said.

"I also own a half sister to him by Hawkeye and I intend to breed from her."

Faltaat is by champion sire of sires Mr Prospector from Breeder's Cup Juvenile winner Epitome.
He has now sired seven G1 winners comprising NZ Horse of the Year Tit For Taat, Taatletail, Sight Winner, Sedecrem and Miss Raggedy Ann.

Little Bridge is the only runner from the four living foals out of Golden Rose, a winner at 1200m at Wellington New Zealand who changed hands at a sale in 2008 for $1000.

Although New Zealand bred, Golden Rose has some Australian bloodlines as she is by the prematurely deceased Gold Brose, a dashing performer bred at Sledmere Stud at Scone from Enrichment (Straight Strike).

Enrichment's dam Concord, a daughter of Century, is out of Grable, a Showdown winner of only one race in Melbourne but the dam of 15 foals for 13 winners.

They include Lady Grable, the unraced third dam of the flying filly Karuta Queen.

King's Stand Stakes 2012 - Little Bridge