He was a stunning 3yo colt that as a stallion turned into an Australasian super sire

Tavistock, a thoroughbred sired by Arc de Triomphe winner Montjeu out of the dam Upstage, (a daughter of English Derby victor Quest For Fame), exhibited exceptional speed via these bloodlines. A precociously talented galloper, he was rated good enough to tackle the Rosehill Guineas, a rarity for a NZ trained three-year-old. It’s also worth mentioning that Quest For Fame’s grandsire, Blushing Groom was a champion at two and is a descendant of Nasrullah. When buying the young entire for $3.2m for his Cambridge Stud in early 2010, Sir Patrick Hogan was quick to point out Tavistock's brilliance. He’s one of two Montjeu's to show an enormous turn of foot, the other being the Gr.1 winning Wall Street. Tavistock performed best on a hard, fast tracks with, and what New Zealand do better than Australia, is breed the classic, weight-for-age and middle distance horses.

Trained in NZ by Andrew Campbell, Tavistock won an 800m trial in December 2007 and another over 1000m the following February before stepping out in a race for juveniles over 1100m at Masterton, winning from Juice in 1:04.50. He was second next time out of 1200m in March before a sixth of 16 in the Gr.1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce behind Quello Veloce. Given his chance in Australia with Mick Price at three, he won a 1200m trial at Geelong in August 2008 and then stepped out against the best young sprinters in the Listed Vain Stakes, running second behind Super Boy over 1100m, before winning the Listed VRC Henry Bucks Plate (1400m) from Romneya and Exaltastic in September. He then ran fourth in the Gr.3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude behind Super Boy in September, and then failed behind Whobegotyou on a dead track in the Gr.1 Caulfield Guineas. Jason Waddell assumed the riding role in New Zealand, while Craig Newitt held the job in Australia.

Back in NZ at four, he opened with another trial win over 1000m at Otaki in late July 2009 before a first-up third over 1200m at Foxton on August 7. His biggest test came next time out in the Gr.1 Mudgway Stakes (1400m) in August, and the talented son of Montjeu defeated multiple Gr.1 winner and Horse of the Year King Mufhasa, running a slick 1:22.09. Unplaced runs in two Gr.1 events (1600m, 2040m) in September and October followed, and he was given another break before stepping out at Otaki in December 2009 to win a 1000m trial. He was back in the winner’s circle in January, 2010 winning the Hawkes Bay Best Travel Sprint 1200m (1:10.24), carrying 59.5kg and beating Stravinsky’s Affair. He was unplaced in the Gr.1 Telegraph Stakes behind Vonusti and then runner-up to fellow Montjeu son, Wall Street in the Gr.1 Thorndon Mile. He claimed a second Gr.1 next time out when he collected the Waikato Draught Sprint in a super fast 1:21.30 from Wealth Princess and King Mufhasa on a track rated dead, coming, as usual with a scorching late run from the rear of the field.

Sent back to Australia (where he raced as Lord Tavistock), he was fifth to Typhoon Tracy in the MRC Gr.1 Futurity in February. Andrew Campbell next stepped the entire out in the Gr.2 Blamey Stakes (1600m) at Flemington in March and he came from the back of the pack to mow down Vigor and Dao Dao, running 1:36.37 on a good track. He was retired after running last of seven behind Melito in the Gr.1 T.J. Smith (1200m) on a dead track on April 10, 2010. Tavistock's 18 starts had yielded six wins, three seconds and a third and his earnings topped over $550,000 and he was rated NZ’s Champion Sprinter of 2009/10.

Tavistock  is from the Quest for Fame mare Upstage and again Sir Patrick noted Quest for Fame fitted into the pedigree very well, as it was a sire line that oozes speed. Quest for Fame is by Rainbow Quest who, in turn, is by Blushing Groom. Sire Stravinsky is from a Blushing Groom mare and this is where he inherited his turn of foot. Sir Patrick was also quick to point out the presence of the world-class broodmare, Mrs Moss, as Tavistock’s third dam. Mrs Moss is a prolific ancestress. Her descendants have numbered more than 170 individual winners and collectively they’ve won more than 440 races. The death of Arc winner Montjeu (IRE) (Sadler’s Wells-Floripedes by Top Ville) at just 16 in late March 2012 was a major loss for his owners Coolmore, and for the wider thoroughbred breeding community.

Tavistock was the sire of 667 progeny to race. Sire of 460 winners (68.0%), earnings of over $71 million, 38 stakes winners, 43 stakes placegetters. As well as Group One winner Volkstok'n'barrell from his first crop, Tavistock is the sire of Victoria and Australian Derby winners Tarzino and Tavago. He was the sire of Gr.1 winners Werther, Toffee Tongue, Johnny Get Angry and brilliant Kiwi Sprinter, Entriviere. Sire of Singapore Horse of the Year, Infantry; Sire of Hong Kong Horse of the Year, Werther, with 4 Derby winners across Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. Sadly for Cambridge Stud, Tavistock passed away in December 2019 at the age of fourteen after suffering complications with laminitis in both front hooves.

RACE RECORD - 18: 6-3-1

EARNINGS - NZ$333,025, A$286,375

Waikato Draught Sprint, Gr.1

Hawkes Bay Mudgway Stakes Gr.1 

Blarney Stakes Gr.2