By Daithi Harvey
The burgeoning reputation of Coolmore stallion Australia (GB) has been a feature of the European scene since the beginning of the flat season and it appears the stallion's growing influence has not been lost on some shrewd American bloodstock speculators either. When the Fozzy Stack trained Mohican Heights (Ire) became Australia's first 2-year-old winner in Ireland this year when making a successful debut at Leopardstown last week, he did so in the silks of American bloodstock agent Deuce Greathouse II who owns the colt along with Canadian Jules Sigler (race replay). Greathouse wasn't present for the win but that didn't stop him deriving great excitement from the occasion. “He is the first horse I bought to keep for myself and run in Ireland so yes it was very exciting and it's always fun when a maiden wins impressively first time out,” Greathouse said. That seven furlong 2-year-old maiden at Leopardstown last Friday looked a strong contest on paper with Ballydoyle represented by Galileo (Ire) and War Front half-siblings to the likes of MG1SWs Canford Cliffs (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) and Excelebration (Ire) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}) but nothing could get past Mohican Heights who lead from flag fall and fought off all challengers to make a perfect start to his career.
“Fozzy had been pointing towards that race for a while as he has always been an early type of horse which I guess is a bit of a surprise given his pedigree, which suggests he would want to go a mile and a quarter. When you have a horse with speed that can carry it for a bit of distance that gives you hope that he could develop into a smart horse,” Greathouse said.
Mohican Heights was bred by Kevin Molloy out of Mohican Princess (GB) (Shirley Heights {GB}) whose progeny have operated successfully up to two miles .These include the former Aidan O'Brien trained Eye Of The Storm (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) who, despite having only one eye, won the G3 Ballyroan S. at Leopardstown in 2014 and is still going strong at the age of nine, winning last Monday at Leicester. Molloy, who operates a chain of liquor stores in Dublin sells his stock through Paddy Kelly's Ballybin Stud and Mohican Heights, the mare's last reported foal sold for €100,000 through Ballybin at the Goffs Orby Sale last October.
Recalling the sequence of events that lead him to signing the buyer's docket Greathouse explained, “I was impressed that Australia's 2-year-olds had done as well as they had at that stage and I was at Arqana in August when a Godolphin filly [Beyond Reason (Ire)] won a group stake and I just had it in my head that if I found an Australia I liked I wanted to buy one, so I went to Goffs and it just worked out. I don't mind buying a horse out of an older mare if I like the individual. He was a good sized, nice looking athletic colt with good balance and nice walk. For a while it seemed like the market didn't really pick up on Australia and this horse was also very late in the sale and maybe a lot of people had already filled their orders but I was very happy to get him for what we paid.”
Explaining the horse's subsequent route to the Stack's Thomastown Castle Stables in Tipperary Greathouse continued, “Fozzy and I met at the sales a few years ago and we've just kind of been buddies to have a drink with since then. We tried to buy a racehorse at Tattersalls a few years ago but got outbid and he does a good job so I thought why not just leave the horse with him. It's certainly worked out well so far.”
The words 'Royal Ascot' tend to crop up soon after any horse wins a maiden impressively at this time of year and it comes as no surprise that connections are also thinking along those lines.
“The plan is to run him in the [Listed] Chesham S. at Royal Ascot, then we'll make a plan depending on how he fares there. I would like to think he would have strong chance based on his debut performance.”
The Royal Meeting evokes happy memories for Greathouse as the Kentucky native, whose family own and operate Glencrest Farm, was an integral part of the team that orchestrated a famous victory for the mighty mare Tepin (Bernstein) in the 2016 G1 Queen Anne S. Greathouse advised her owner Robert Masterson to part with $140,000 to secure her as a yearling at Fasig-Tipton in 2012 and after a glorious career that netted six top level wins including the GI Breeders' Cup Mile for trainer Mark Casse, she was then sold to MV Magnier for $8-million back at Fasig-Tipton in 2017. “I'll certainly be at Royal Ascot this year. I came over with Robert Masterson a few years ago and it was obviously a great experience. I didn't expect to get there so soon the first time and to have a reason to return so soon again is fantastic. So hopefully this horse stays happy and healthy and gets there in one piece.”
Plans for the future will obviously be dictated by how Mohican Heights handles a jump in class but if things progress how Greathouse hopes, there are no shortage of options, either side of the Atlantic. “If he continues to improve and if we still own him as a 3-year-old the new Turf Triple Crown would be a very tempting option next year but we will take it one step at a time. We'll hopefully get to enjoy Ascot first and then take it from there,” he added.
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