Blue Gum Farm

The running of the Elvstroem 2YO Classic at Swan Hill in northern Victoria this month provides a timely reminder to us that perception and fact are often leagues apart.

It is now part of Australian racing folklore that Elvstroem won his only start as a juvenile at the famous June Swan Hill meeting back in 2003. Since retiring to stud in 2005, after a career that included five Group 1 wins from 1,400 to 2,500m, Elvstroem has been referred to as a ‘classic type who would struggle to get two year olds’.

The perception of his offspring has been that they would not begin to shine until they were Spring three-year-olds, so it is with great satisfaction that as we approach season end, we can report that Elvstroem occupies a forward place on the Leading First-Season Sires’ list by earnings and boasts an excellent winner-to-runner ratio.

Elvstroem has now been represented by four individual winners (all metropolitan winners) of six races from 1,000 to 1,350 metres. Carrara (pictured below) showed once again that Elvstroem can sire speed horses by winning over 1,000 metres at Seymour first up and then carried on that form, placing at Listed level behind the unbeaten Black Caviar over 1,200m at Caulfield second up. He then travelled by road to Brisbane, arriving on the Thursday before going out on the Saturday and scoring a strong win in the BTC Doomben Slipper (Listed) before running a game third in the QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2) one week later. This is exactly the same sort of toughness that Elvstroem himself possessed as a racehorse!

Carrara 2c (Elvstroem - Crystal Sprite)

A $200,000 Premier Sale yearling, Carrara was bred by Jim and June Anderson who have been great supporters of Elvstroem at stud. Congratulations to them for having the honour of breeding the stallion’s first Stakes winner. To see that first Stakes winner racing in the colours of Frank and Sally Tagg, trained by Tony Vasil and ridden by Nash Rawiller was poetic justice really as each have been so important in the Elvstroem story so far. Congratulations to each of them as well.

The unbeaten Sydney winner Viva Las, Melbourne winner Viking Legend (sold by Blue Gum Farm as a yearling) and Adelaide and Bendigo winner Dorsoduro (there is that toughness again) round out Elvstroem’s winners so far, and as this newsletter went to press, Elvstroem’s strike rate of 20 per cent is superior to that of other first-crop sons of Danehill in Fastnet Rock, Dane Shadow and Al Maher!

Elvstroem’s namesake, the Danish yachtsman Paul Elvstroem, was a four-time Olympian and three-time gold medallist commencing in 1948. The equine Elvstroem is now sailing towards Classic success with his first-crop and a stud career that has all the hallmarks of a superior sire. Elvstroem’s 2009 service fee of $27,500 has been well received by breeders and he is quickly assembling a quality book of mares. Make sure you are a part of the continuing success story that is Elvstroem.


		1st Stakes winner for Elvis
Elvstroem’s strike rate of 20 per cent is superior to that of other first-crop sons of Danehill in Fastnet Rock, Dane Shadow and Al Maher!		The running of the Elvstroem 2YO Classic at Swan Hill in northern Victoria this month provides a timely reminder to us that perception and fact are often leagues apart. It is now part of Australian racing folklore that Elvstroem won his only start as a juvenile at the famous June Swan Hill meeting back in 2003. Since retiring to stud in 2005, after a career that included five Group 1 wins from 1,400 to 2,500m, Elvstroem has been referred to as a ‘classic type who would struggle to get two year olds’. The perception of his offspring has been that they would not begin to shine until they were Spring three-year-olds, so it is with great satisfaction that as we approach season end, we can report that Elvstroem occupies a forward place on the Leading First-Season Sires’ list by earnings and boasts an excellent winner-to-runner ratio. Elvstroem has now been represented by four individual winners (all metropolitan winners) of six races from 1,000 to 1,350 metres. Carrara (pictured below) showed once again that Elvstroem can sire speed horses by winning over 1,000 metres at Seymour first up and then carried on that form, placing at Listed level behind the unbeaten Black Caviar over 1,200m at Caulfield second up. He then travelled by road to Brisbane, arriving on the Thursday before going out on the Saturday and scoring a strong win in the BTC Doomben Slipper (Listed) before running a game third in the QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2) one week later. This is exactly the same sort of toughness that Elvstroem himself possessed as a racehorse! Carrara 2c (Elvstroem - Crystal Sprite) A $200,000 Premier Sale yearling, Carrara was bred by Jim and June Anderson who have been great supporters of Elvstroem at stud. Congratulations to them for having the honour of breeding the stallion’s first Stakes winner. To see that first Stakes winner racing in the colours of Frank and Sally Tagg, trained by Tony Vasil and ridden by Nash Rawiller was poetic justice really as each have been so important in the Elvstroem story so far. Congratulations to each of them as well. The unbeaten Sydney winner Viva Las, Melbourne winner Viking Legend (sold by Blue Gum Farm as a yearling) and Adelaide and Bendigo winner Dorsoduro (there is that toughness again) round out Elvstroem’s winners so far, and as this newsletter went to press, Elvstroem’s strike rate of 20 per cent is superior to that of other first-crop sons of Danehill in Fastnet Rock, Dane Shadow and Al Maher! Elvstroem’s namesake, the Danish yachtsman Paul Elvstroem, was a four-time Olympian and three-time gold medallist commencing in 1948. The equine Elvstroem is now sailing towards Classic success with his first-crop and a stud career that has all the hallmarks of a superior sire. Elvstroem’s 2009 service fee of $27,500 has been well received by breeders and he is quickly assembling a quality book of mares. Make sure you are a part of the continuing success story that is Elvstroem.