Racing: Gelding went from 'snotty' to $10m star

CHILLING: Breeder Pat Lowry feeds Ambitious Dragon an apple as son/trainer Guy watches. PHOTO/Duncan Brown

THE JOKE at the farming property of the Lowry family yesterday came at the expense of Tiger Woods, who apparently had earned less money than a gelding in the past five years.

Ambitious Dragon, who was retired in April this year, was oblivious to all the fuss around him as trainer Guy Lowry kept him in check on the front lawn of the farmstead at Okawa, Hastings.

Lowry's father, the breeder Pat Lowry, was among guests including Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule, invited to marvel at the physique of the 9-year-old gelding who arrived in Hawke's Bay on Monday from Hong Kong after a stellar career that earned his owners close to HK$60 million ($10 million).

But the horse, who serenely surveyed the hilly terrain surrounding his birthplace the morning after arrival, did not have the aura of a two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year.

"He was probably the slowest weanling in the paddock and he was always sick," the younger Lowry, 45, told mesmerised onlookers while the 76-year-old father fed the gelding an apple.

"He was a slow developer and always had a cold so we did have to look after him," said Guy of the horse, who had the stable nickname of Bart at the Bay yard where today 20 racehorses are housed.

Added Pat: "He hated being in the box at the Karaka sales so he knocked and smashed the door open so the girl [strapper] looking after him wouldn't let anyone near him."

Enough said of the character of the horse that Guy's wife, Brigid, will trek with during his well-deserved retirement after his Hong Kong interests felt home is where his heart will be.

The progeny of Pins (Waikato Stud) out of mare Golden Gamble (still in the Bay), who Pat described as "light in condition", did not sell at Karaka after he was put on $50,000 reserve.

On his return, Guy had Ambitious Dragon gelded and put him through pre-training before he was spelled.

He had a first half-sister who had performed creditably at Trentham so Bruce Perry approached them for a sale.

"We doubled the reserve on him [Ambitious Dragon]," a grinning Pat revealed, conceding he was perhaps too immature to go to Karaka.

The breeder felt they had in hindsight made the right decision to send him to a country where he realised his potential.

"I'm sure if Guy had kept him he would have had the same result here as they had there but the stakes there were high and he rewarded the owners," he said, saluting South African trainer Tony Millard for his astuteness.

"He isn't everybody's cup of tea but he did an excellent job with this horse."

No Excuse Needed and Fast and Famous had served Golden Gamble before Pins.

The mare still goes to Pins and the Lowrys have an unnamed yearly full sister, who will not be broken in for another six months, and they sold an unnamed full brother last year to a Singaporean buyer.

Guy has no intentions of selling the unnamed full sister and will try to work towards securing a black-type win.

He harbours no regrets in selling Ambitious Dragon and takes pride in supplying pedigree abroad.

Guy has sold another half brother, Triumphant Dragon, who has already won five races, including group ones, in Hong Kong.

So what was the secret to Ambitious Dragon's success?

A proud Pat said: "You had to have the will to win and on his day he was not going to be beaten."