CLASSIC BLUE JEANS DIES

The final curtain has been lowered on the prolific broodmare career of Classic Blue Jeans, who died from natural causes last weekend.

"She seemed sprightly enough a day or so before so seems to have gone like dad, quite suddenly, without suffering," said Lisa Fabri, daughter of the late Bromac Lodge founder, Bob McArdle.

Classic Blue Jeans, who was rising 24, had moved from Bromac Lodge to the property of Mrs Fabri's aunt, Carrie O'Rourke, who lives opposite to Steve Jones, one of Classic Blue Jeans breeders.

"Dad always cited Classic Blue Jeans as an example that unraced broodmares can do just as well as those that have been stars on the track," said Mrs Fabri.

Classic Blue Jeans, a daughter of Camluck and Oh Please (by Albatross), drew the attention of the late Mr McArdle with her American pedigree, and being a year younger half-sister to Falcon's Blue Jean (1:51.8, US; 28 wins & $441,188).

Falcon's Blue Jean, who initially won six in NZ, ran second to Stars And Stripes in both the Group One NZ Sires Stakes 3YO Final, and the Great Northern Derby, under the guidance of trainer, Mark Purdon.

Classic Blue Jean, also a half-sister to another $100,000 winner in The Majority (1:59.6, 15 wins), left 10 individual winners, including nine in 2:00.

The first foal from Classic Blue Jeans was Attorney General (1:48.4, US; 20 wins & $434,952), a Franklin Cup winner, who created history by being formerly NZ’S fastest-bred pacer.

She then left the quality winners, Cullen Bromac (1:55.1, 20 wins), Crown Counsel (TT, 1:58.1, one), Crown Bromac (1:54.1, 15 wins), Captain Bromac (1:57.8, 15 wins), Chay Bromac (1:59.2, three wins), Chiquita Bromac (1:58.7, five wins), Mink Stride (five wins), Cindy Bromac (1:56.6, four wins) and (Our) Charley Bromac (one win).

Chiquita Bromac (McArdle-Classic Blue Jeans) has left a smart first foal winner in Celerina (by Pet Rock), who notched her third win in the ,000 Kevin & Kay Semour 3YO Fillies Evolution Series Final at Menangle in late April in 1:57.5 (1609).

Another from Classic Blue Jeans, Classic Art (by Artiscape), didn't win in only two race starts, but time-trialed in 1:55.1 and died after leaving only one foal, Art Connoisseur (1:58.5, 14 wins & $83,660).

Crown Defender, the unraced Life Sign daughter of Classic Blue Jeans, has been another head-line broodmare.

She has left the Grand Circuit performer, Cruz Bromac (1:50.1, 20 wins & $544,415), and other smart winners, Carter Bromac (p3, 1:52.4, 11 wins & $64,005), Churchill Bromac (1:57.3, 13 wins) and Coltrane Bromac (1:57.5, eight wins).

Crown Defender is also the dam of the unraced Cozette Bromac (by McArdle), dam of race-placed Champagne Bromac and promising two-year-old Cassius Bromac, race-timed in 1:54.9 when third on debut in this season's Group Three NZ Kindergarten Stakes at Wyndham.

Another top producer from Classic Blue Jeans is Crown Counsel (by Western Hanover), who has left four individual winners of 67 races, including (Our) Cullens Crown (1:52, US; 46 wins & $491,044); Attorney Stride (1:57.5, 13 wins & $80,258); Falcon Crown (five wins & $44,876) and last season's debut Australian 2YO winner Desirable Stride (1:58.6, mile rate, 1650m).

Cha Cha Bromac, an unraced daughter of Art Major and Classic Blue Jeans, is now the dam of Rhianna Reigns (1:56.7, one win).

Classic Blue Jean, who had failed to get in foal since 2015, was retired from Bromac Lodge's broodmare band last year.