By GARY CLARK
ONE of the great racing names in the sport has retired, a great career has been finalised and now breeders have their chance to be part of the “WOW” bloodline.
In April Wow’s owner Karina Britton and trainers Ruth and Danielle Matic decided that age had overtaken the great sprinter’s brilliance and there was nothing for him to achieve on the track.
During his career Wow finished with 31 wins and 18 minor placings from 57 starts and earning $391,000 in prizemoney.
He would not only qualify for a major Group race or break a track record but he would repeat it again the following year or run close to his own records repeatably.
He made the Goulburn Cup twice, Gosford Cup twice, Paws Of Thunder twice and The Temlee twice. An amazing feat to make eight feature races in consecutive years withing 12 months.
Wow won the Goulburn Cup in 2020 defeating his brother Ad Astra after finishing second in his heat for his only defeat in eight Goulburn starts. He returned in 2021 to win it again when a Group 3 in a blaze of glory in 24.22 after running 24.24 in the heat.
He ran a record-breaking 24.18 in July, just three months before this win and also ran 29.19 a few weeks later.
Wow set the record of 24.88 in a heat of the Group 2 Gosford Cup in 2021 before winning the final. That mark still stands. He made the 2022 final, having no luck, but still finished a gallant third to Zipping Kyrios.
This year Wow made the final OF THE Group 1 Paws Of Thunder but was run down late when beaten a length by Jungle Juice.
Wow then headed to The Meadows to take on and beat the best in the Group 1 Temlee.
He returned The Meadows to finish a length second in a heat of the Australian Cup.
Returning to WP, Wow went out favourite in the Group 1 Golden Easter Egg and led, as normal, but was run down in the straight, beaten a length after running 29.45 in his heat.
He also broke the Nowra track record, running 29.28.
In 2022 Wow ran second in the Group 2 Bulli Gold Cup after running 25.99 in his heat.
In all Wow won seven of eight at Goulburn, 11 at Wentworth Park, eight at Bulli, three at Gosford and two at Nowra.
His bloodlines are impeccable, having one of the most successful lines in the history of the sport.
Wow (Fernando Bale-Miss All Class ) has the “Osti” line and his mother is by Where’s Pedro- She’s So Pretty, a bitch owned by Ted Doss who was responsible for the Osti line.
She’s So Pretty is by Go Wild Teddy-Osti’s Delight, which is by History Lesson-Stunning Osti.
The mother’s line continues back through Osti Lee and Osti Too.
Already Wow has created interest from breeders in South Australia, Queensland and Victoria. Adelaide race caller Ray Fewings and Victorian breeder George Farrugia have each purchased one of 39 straws that have been sold to this point.
At this stage 19 bitches have whelped and the oldest is She Zipper, bred by Natina Howard.
Other top breeders in NSW to utilise Wow are Lisa Worthy, Sonia Davis, Kerry Drynan, Tess Simmons, Jacqueline Davis and Dave Smith, who has used his Group 1 bitch Classy Ethics.
The mother of recent Thunderbolt winner Integrity Mate, Let’s Win Meisha, is one of the latest to be mated.
According to stud master, Ruth Matic, Wow has all the qualities to be one of the leading sires in the years ahead.
“He (Wow) had the speed, determination, attitude and the breeding to be a force at his new career,” she said.
“His bloodline on his mother’s side through the Osti line is so significant that it would be difficult not to see some top-line future chasers come from Wow.”
Wow stands for an introductory fee of $1800, which is very affordable to breeders and full details can be found in the advertisement in this edition of Chase.
