Cranora Park owner Janet Hadow is a part-time breeder with a full-on ambition to keep raising horses like her Hong Kong winner Victor Emperor.
Hadow is a nurse based 80km south-east of Melbourne and her day-job starts with a commute from Nyora to Monash Hospital in Clayton. “I was born in Elsternwick and grew up at Cranbourne so horses have been a lifelong passion. Mum and Dad were regular racegoers at the smaller meetings and us five kids tagged along.
“We all had ponies and my brother Gregory was apprenticed to George Hanlon at Mordialloc. Mum ran Cranbourne Park Stud and stood Atlantic Flag, Royal Sentinel, Red Alinga and Apple Sauce who sired a pretty good one named Tell William.
VICTOR EMPEROR
“When the housing estates encroached on our Cranbourne property, we moved further out to Nyora and combined the old and new names.”
Proven mare Frustration is the pride of Cranora Park. Starting out her career with Leon Macdonald in Adelaide, she was transferred to the Riverina before winning at Wagga.
“I bought her cheaply at Oaklands and she threw winners by Danbird and Black Hawk when they were standing at Eliza Park,” Hadow said. “Then she foaled Victor Emperor to Kaphero at Swettenham Stud.
“Victor Emperor was trained by Robert Smerdon before transferring to Hong Kong. He was a lovely yearling and has won at Happy Valley and Sha Tin this season.”
Known as The Name Game in Australia, he had finished midfield in a quiet Cranbourne juvenile trial for Price Bloodstock and within a couple of months had relocated to Dinnis Yip in Hong Kong.
Frustration (Charnwood Forest) returned to Swettenham and has a rising 2yo colt by Equiano with Cranbourne trainer Michael Trotter. She also had a colt by Turffontein before missing to Foreplay.
“I could have sold Frustration to (agent) Paul Guy for good money but got carried away and thought she was worth a lot more. It’s a pity she’s negative to Foreplay. It would have been the same cross as Group 1 Galaxy winner Proprietor.”
Hadow also owns Abaleen (Dubleo) who won at Sale, Pakenham and Mornington. She is going to stud for the first time this year and is from USA bred mare Maga Erminia (Cryptoclearance) who won up to 2200m in Italy.
“I pick the sires for the mares with guidance at times from Simon Vivian. I’ve known Simon since he was the auctioneer for Ian Rimington and Tony Williams at the Melbourne Showgrounds Sales.
“I’m just a hobby breeder and really appreciate how lucky I am to get a good one like Victor Emperor.”
FRUSTRATION
Cranora Park mare pictured with Michael Guthrie aboard at Traralgon