Swettenham Stud

There is far more Victorian history, however, in Sky Walker’s maternal breeding. Bred in the State by Nangawooka Park and S. Biondo and sold by the Fulmen Park Stud to Hong Kong for $46,000 at the Adelaide yearling sale, he is from Flemington winner and SAJC Auraria Stakes second Court Dancer. She is by the Danzig sire Rokosz (stood Eldon Park, Tyabb, Vic) and from Regis Belle, a daughter of Victorian bred VRC Lightning Stakes winner The Judge.

A son of the imported Victorian stood champion sire Showdown, The Judge got good winners from use at the late Angus Armanasco’s Sandown Lodge stud at Narre Warren North. His daughter Regis Belle is from Banco Regis, a winner of eight sprint races, including a Highweight at Flemington, and third in the Oakleigh Plate.

Banco Regis was by the imported sire Court Justice and from Jogalong, a half-sister to a noted broodmare in Salma, a mare got in Victoria by Smokey Eyes, a good class English sprinter by Star Kingdom’s sire Stardust who became spectacular source of winners from use at the Krugers’ Lyndhurst stud at Warwick in Queensland, after he was sold off by T.J. Macknamara from his Highfields stud at Broadmeadow, Victoria when his first crop were 2-year-olds.

Salma became the dam of the Better Boy products Tolerance (10 wins, including the VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes, Ascot Vale Stakes, MRC Blue Diamond Stakes; second Caulfield Guineas), Pterylaw (13 wins, Doomben 10000; third VRC Craven ‘A’ Stakes – now the Salinger) and Prujoy (five wins, second Victoria Oaks).

Prujoy added distinction to the family as a broodmare with her eight winners including Prunella (won Queensland Oaks, VRC A.V.Kewney Stakes; third QTC Queensland Derby, Grand Prix Stakes and VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes) and Definate (nine wins included the QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes, AJC Breeders’ Plate; second AJC Derby, Champagne Stakes and STC Rosehill Guineas).

The win of Pterylaw in the 1966 Doomben10000 enabled his sire Better Boy to sneak past the NSW based Wilkes and claim the 1965-66 Australian champion sire title for the first time.The top sire four times and runner up in three years from his use at the Range View stud at Carrum Downs on the Mornington Peninsula, Better Boy was the English horse who won six races in Victoria, including the Hotham Handicap (the Saab), Seymour and Woodend Cups. His most memorable performance, however, was an all the way ‘win’ in the 1956 Caulfield Cup. Unfortunately, he left his jockey at the starting stalls.

When Skywalker won in Hong Kong on Saturday, beating12 rivals, including offspring of Tale of the Cat, Encosta de Lago, More Than Ready and Redoute’s Choice, he became the sixtieth individual first crop winner for Dash for Cash. Among six in that crop which have won or stakes placed have been Bank Robber (five wins include the Tramway Handicap-Gr.3 at Randwick, second AJC Epsom Handicap-Gr.1, Doomben BTC Cup-Gr.1) and Extension of Time (successful Melbourne, Adelaide, Launceston, second Caulfield Thousand Guineas-Gr.1).

Dash for Cash, 2009 fee $17,600, is one of eight sires standing at the Swettenham stud, sharing the complex with Bianconi (USA) (by Danzig), Court of Jewels (Danehill), Hold That Tiger (USA) (Storm Cat), Host (CHI) (Hussonet), Keep the Faith (Sunday Silence), Soldier’s Tale (Stravinsky) and newcomer Kaphero (Danzero).