John and Margaret Thompson, the owners of the New Zealand Derby winner Rangipo (Stryker - Holloway), know how to make good from a bad situation.
The Thompson's sent their lightly raced, winning Zabeel mare Holloway to Melbourne at the end of her four-year-old season in 2011. Unfortunately her career was cut short, after being galloped on at Flemington and a broodmare career beckoned.
Sent to the Liston family's Three Bridges in central Victoria to recuperate, Holloway nearly died as a result of blood poisoning, but eventually recovered in time to be served by their new stallion Stryker.
"The mare was settled there, she didn't have to be moved, I consulted my guiding light in this industry my bloodstock agent Paul Willetts about the pedigree, and he liked it and so we had her served," said John Thompson.
"He was a nice foal I didn't see him until he was a couple of months old but he was a good size for a first foal. Paul liked him as well. We brought him home, all our young horses are developed and educated here in New Zealand, and circumstances led to him going to Tony Pike. He has a wonderful set up and does a tremendous job, his staff are fantastic."
Rangipo - named after the central North Island prison- is not the first group one performer the Thompsons have raced, but it is the first one they have bred.
"He is the first group one winner I have bred and only the second I have raced, l hope it continues it's a wonderful feeling.
"He never wins by much. He was way out of his comfort zone, even half way down the straight I didn't think he was going to do it.
"We will never run him over 2400 metres again, I think it was just his class that got him over that distance. He's in the paddock now and as long he stays sounds I think he will just race up to a mile and we will aim him at something like the Emirates Stakes," stated Thompson.
The Thompsons have been in the racing game for just over 20 years and have had a lot of success with horses they have bred and raced. Atapi won 11 races and was Group One placed four times, while Penitentiary was another good performer for them winning races including the listed Geelong Classic.
Holloway foaled a colt late by Pierro (Lonhro) this season so has been left empty, she also has a two-year-old filly by High Chaparral named Arohata after the women's prison in Wellington, who the Thompsons plan to race.
"Naming this family is fun and quite easy," mused Thompson, "there is no shortage of prisons around." – Michelle Saba
The Thompson's sent their lightly raced, winning Zabeel mare Holloway to Melbourne at the end of her four-year-old season in 2011. Unfortunately her career was cut short, after being galloped on at Flemington and a broodmare career beckoned.
Sent to the Liston family's Three Bridges in central Victoria to recuperate, Holloway nearly died as a result of blood poisoning, but eventually recovered in time to be served by their new stallion Stryker.
"The mare was settled there, she didn't have to be moved, I consulted my guiding light in this industry my bloodstock agent Paul Willetts about the pedigree, and he liked it and so we had her served," said John Thompson.
"He was a nice foal I didn't see him until he was a couple of months old but he was a good size for a first foal. Paul liked him as well. We brought him home, all our young horses are developed and educated here in New Zealand, and circumstances led to him going to Tony Pike. He has a wonderful set up and does a tremendous job, his staff are fantastic."
Rangipo - named after the central North Island prison- is not the first group one performer the Thompsons have raced, but it is the first one they have bred.
"He is the first group one winner I have bred and only the second I have raced, l hope it continues it's a wonderful feeling.
"He never wins by much. He was way out of his comfort zone, even half way down the straight I didn't think he was going to do it.
"We will never run him over 2400 metres again, I think it was just his class that got him over that distance. He's in the paddock now and as long he stays sounds I think he will just race up to a mile and we will aim him at something like the Emirates Stakes," stated Thompson.
The Thompsons have been in the racing game for just over 20 years and have had a lot of success with horses they have bred and raced. Atapi won 11 races and was Group One placed four times, while Penitentiary was another good performer for them winning races including the listed Geelong Classic.
Holloway foaled a colt late by Pierro (Lonhro) this season so has been left empty, she also has a two-year-old filly by High Chaparral named Arohata after the women's prison in Wellington, who the Thompsons plan to race.
"Naming this family is fun and quite easy," mused Thompson, "there is no shortage of prisons around." – Michelle Saba