Arden Lodge proprietor John Stiven puts Arden's Rockstar (a
Rocknroll Hanover-Arden's Darlin filly) through her paces
for trainers (from left) Brent Mangos and Michael House at
Arden Lodge in Tapanui on Tuesday. Photo by Matt Smith.
There may be some debate about where the name of
Tapanui's Arden Lodge came from, but John Stiven is unequivocal
in his excitement about a first foal for Arden's Darlin.
The Rocknroll Hanover filly is consigned for the first day of
the New Zealand Premier Yearling Sale in Christchurch next
Wednesday. Her dam, Arden's Darlin, is one of Stiven's
favourites, particularly as she provided great moments for
Stiven and his mother, Noreen, who died last year.
Arden's Darlin won the 2yr-old fillies sales series final in
2008 before finishing second behind her former farm-mate,
Arden Banner, in the 2yr-old fillies sires stakes final a
week later.
While the filly, named Arden's Rockstar, has some of her
mother's traits, Stiven is pleased to see the sire's side
come through in the bay filly.
''She's thrown to the stallion as well,'' Stiven said.
''She's definitely a lovely-built filly and the potential is
definitely there.
''We thought since it's her first one, we should be marketing
that one now, and we can keep a filly down the line, at some
stage.
Arden Lodge has been producing yearlings for sale since 1970,
when Stiven's father, Doug, expanded his passion for breeding
which began in the 1960s. The name Arden has two potential
sources.
''There's a wee bit of conjecture to that,'' Stiven
explained.
''It was to do with Arden House on [BBC TV programme] Dr
Finlay's Casebook.
''That was apparently a bit of a Coronation Street of
its time. The other [theory] is that there's the Arden Downs
[in Pennsylvania, United States].
Arden Lodge had some success in the first 30 years, including
breeding the 1986 West Australian Derby winner Arden Meadow,
but after Doug's death in 2001, John and Noreen decided to
ramp up their involvement.
''We thought that if we didn't step up with our stallion
selection, we wouldn't still be going, so that's what we've
done,'' he said.
''It's all followed on, and it's all grown, but as some of
the returns have grown for some of the yearlings, so have our
expenses with the type of stallions we're going to.''
All Hart gave the Stivens their second Derby winner when he
prevailed in the 2001 Great Northern Derby, while the likes
of Arden Rooney and Southwind Arden are performing well on
the track at the moment.
Arden Lodge has four yearlings at the sale, including a full
brother to Arden's Darlin, and two colts by the Macca
Lodge-based sire, Panspacificflight. A half-brother to 2009
New Zealand Cup runner-up Bettor's Strike had to be withdrawn
from the sale due to a rash.
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