By Bren O'Brien
For Noogee Park's Jilly Henderson, last Saturday's opening Group 1 meeting of the season at Randwick is not a day she'll forget in a hurry.
Not only was surprise G1 Winx S. victor Samadoubt (Not A Single Doubt) bred and raised on Henderson's farm under the name of her former operation Middlebrook Station Thoroughbreds, but one of her key broodmares, Defrock (Canny Lad), received another boost to the pedigree page thanks to her promising son, Deprive (Denman).
Darby Racing's Scott Darby has been a long-term client of Henderson's, and the then Middlebrook Station operation played a key role in the development of the G1 Golden Slipper S, winner She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain).
Darby and Henderson have now combined to help produce another Group 1 winner after Samadoubt's all-the-way heroics in the Winx S. for trainer Bjorn Baker, capping a remarkable rise for the 6-year-old.
Samadoubt as a yearling
"We reared him and got him up to the point where he went through his sales prep at Riversdale Farm," Henderson, whose farm now trades under the Noogee Park banner, said.
"We are very proud of him, to have him bred and raised at our place and he carries our brand. For a small farm, we've done pretty well. With the likes of Time for Reign (Time For War), She Will Reign, Beat The Clock (Hinchinbrook) and Zelady’s Night Out, I Am Zelady & Comprende, we are starting to get a reputation for breeding some quality horses," she said.
Noogee Park has around 30 client owned mares while Henderson has a handful herself, including Defrock, who has proven a great purchase from Darley at the 2015 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.
"I was looking for some value mares to buy. We didn't have a lot to spend and we wanted to try and add a few more mares to our small band. We loved that mare. She was by Canny Lad out of Hosannah's family and I picked her up for $22,000 in foal to Helmet," Henderson said.
"We loved that mare. She was by Canny Lad out of Hosannah's family and I picked her up for $22,000 in foal to Helmet." - Jilly Henderson
On pedigree, she was from a terrific Woodlands Stud family, being a sister to G3 Up And Coming S. winner Blackball, from a family that included G2 Surround S. winner Hosannah (Octagonal {NZ}), the dam of Group 2 winner Altar (Commands).
While unplaced herself in six starts, it was apparent that Defrock produced very correct and classy foals.
Henderson sent Defrock to Foxwedge in her first season at Noogee Park and got an excellent result when that filly sold for $82,000 as a weanling at the 2017 Great Southern Sale, with Noogee Park having sold the earlier Helmet filly for $14,500 at the Scone Yearling Sale earlier that year.
Foxwedge's filly, sold as a weanling at the 2017 Great Southern Sale
But better things were in store for Defrock, who Henderson had sent to Widden Stud's Star Witness as part of a foal share arrangement with a client.
The resultant colt went to the 2019 Inglis Classic Sale and delivered a result which Henderson admits completely stunned her.
"We just got a feeling when some of the worlds best bloodstock judges and agents kept coming back," she said.
That feeling translated into a successful $400,000 bid from Yu Long Investments for the colt who is now known as Yulong Defence, and who has been sent to the Hawkes stable.
Yulong Defence as a yearling
"The result blew us away. He was a really nice colt and that's what we try and do. We try and take lovely correct horses to the Classic Sale that will stand out a bit, and he certainly did that," she said.
"The result blew us away. He was a really nice colt... We try and take lovely correct horses to the Classic Sale that will stand out a bit, and he certainly did that." - Jilly Henderson
At that point Deprive had yet to deliver the black-type boost to the pedigree page. He was promising, having won four of his first seven races, but until that point, the 4-year-old's biggest win was a Benchmark 78 race.
But he has since cashed in on that promise with three successive wins, including his last two in stakes company in the Listed June S. and on Saturday, in the G3 Show County S.
Trainer James Cummings is now looking at possibly aiming Deprive towards the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. at Caulfield next month.
Deprive, aiming towards the G1 Sir Rupert Clark S. at Caufield
His burgeoning resume is great news for the Foxwedge colt which Henderson will take to the yearling sales in 2020.
"He's a really lovely correct type of horse and he should sell well, especially with Deprive having done as well as he has," she said.
Defrock is now in foal to Hellbent and will visit Darley freshman Kementari this season.
