Solveig was a popular mare that was super genuine and gave her all every time

SOLVEIG was a brilliant New Zealand race mare that performed between April 1984 and February 1987. She was bred out of the sire Imposing (Todman) from the dam Solliloquy (Sobig) and was owned and trained by Richard Moore. Moore’s father told the Ra Ora Stud principal the tale of his son’s limited funds and Sir Woolf offered an old mare to get the young Moore’s breeding interest under way. Moore leased a mare called Princess Patine, the dam of Soliloquy - the Ray Verner trained mare who won 14 races, including the Gr.1 Lion Brown Sprint at Te Rapa. She was his foundation broodmare that enabled him to set up Soliliquoy Lodge as a successful breeding operation. Solveig experienced a fantastic New Zealand based career from an early age and proved extremely popular with Kiwi racing fans with her gun-ho racing style. Grant Cooksley, David Peake and Peter Johnson shared the role in the saddle throughout her entire career.

Solveig begun racing as a 2yo, winning a 1200m fillies event at Ellerslie in April 1984, but quickly bombed in a Group three fillies race at Avondale. After a let up and more time to strengthen, the lightly framed filly returned as a three-year-old in the spring with a win in a C3 3yo sprint at Avondale. After a couple of tidy fifth placings over 1400m, she stepped up to the mile to win a Class 3 at Ellerslie on Boxing day 1984. In the New year Solveig ran 2nd to Sobay in the Group three fillies feature over 1600m, beaten by only a nose. A 4th to Kingdom Bay at Trentham was then followed by a grand win in the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) over the Wellington Cup carnival with Cooksley aboard. Three weeks later the filly returned to win a Class 2 over Eastern Joy at Avondale and in late February she took out the Gr.2 2000m 3YOF event at Ellerslie, pushing Pass A Glance into 2nd once again. Two poor efforts followed in Group three events at Otaki before going out for a break.

Back fresh in the spring, Solveig beat High Regards at Pukekohe in a C1 over 1200m and followed that up with a victory over Final Affair at Counties Raceway. In November 1985, the now four-year-old, Solveig won a Group Two WFA event at Auckland over the mile. In March 1986, Solveig claimed her 2nd Group one, beating Pokare over 1600m. A week later the quality mare won her third G1 over 1600m at Ellerslie beating the high class Canterbury Belle and Pinson by two lengths. A further attempt at a Group one later in the month failed  however, Solveig then ran second to the brilliant Waverley Star in a Gr.2 WFA event over 2000m at Ellerslie. Resuming in October 1985, her fine fresh up record continued when taking out a C1 sprint over 1100m at Ellerslie, defeating Matthew Ryan, however he turned the tables at Avondale over 1200m after she had run 2nd to Royal Heights in an Auckland WFA 2000m event.

Solveig then took out the Gr.3 Avondale Cup (2200m) in early December before defeating Royal Heights again over 2000m on Boxing Day. She then faced the 3200m Auckland Cup on New Years Day won by the tearaway Kotare Chief and struggled to see out the distance. Two more runs were to come in 1986, a 5th in the Waikato Draught Sprint to Courier Bay and her final raceday appearance, a 2nd to the classy Tidal Light in the Gr.1 over 2000m at Ellerslie.

Princess Patine's sire, Pakistan II (GB), may well have provided the spark that ignited almost 50 years of unabated success, yet there was another stallion, the great Sobig, by Summertime (GB), who provided the fuel and who, coincidentally, lived less than a kilometre from Pakistan II in Longburn, a little spot south of Palmerston North. A total of 29 stakes winners descend from Princess Patine (ten group one winners) yet 22 of the 29 descend from Soliloquy, as do eight of the ten group one winners. Richard Moore’s next venture was the Gabador mare Gabardine, the grand dam of Soliloquy. It is a family which has, through the years, provided Group One winners the likes of Solveig, Culminate, Captivate, Gallic and Eileen Dubh. Jon Snow’s bloodlines are out of a two-time wining O’Reilly mare who is in turn out of a Zabeel mare. The third dam was the Champion filly, Solveig.


Race record - 38: 14-5-2
Earnings - $331,350

G1 New Zealand Oaks