Glen Hill, which also has a division in Kentucky, is keen for a slice of the thriving Australian breeding and racing industries with mares at Yarraman Park Stud and resident sire I Am Invincible strongly figuring in its plans.
One of its broodmares booked to visit the champion stallion is Taste Of Heaven (Encosta De Lago), a half-sister to the great Redoute’s Choice, and she will also have a feature lot at this week’s Fasig-Tipton Selected Yearlings’ Showcase Sale.
Glen Hill will offer her daughter by two-time Horse of the Year and multiple Group 1 winner Curlin (USA).
Craig Bernick | Image courtesy of Keeneland
“We own the horse in partnership with Jaime Roth from LNJ Foxwood and they do business in Australia as well,” Glen Hill President and Chief Operating Officer, Craig Bernick, told TDN AusNZ. “She’s been very popular at the sale so far.
“The mare had a Violence filly this year, which is also very nice and we will retain and race her. We’ve sent the mare back to Australia and she will be covered by I Am Invincible this year."
“We’ve sent the mare back to Australia and she will be covered by I Am Invincible this year." – Craig Bernick
Taste Of Heaven was a $1.5 million purchase from the Teeley Dispersal at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale with James Harron signing the ticket on behalf of Glen Hill and John Sikura, of Hill ‘N’ Dale Farms in Kentucky.
Her first foal Olympic Medal (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}), who is unraced, was sold at the Keeneland November Breeding Sale for US$525,000 (AU$720,000) and her second by Curlin for US$625,000 (AU$859,000) and another Medaglia D’Oro (USA) colt made US$400,000 (AU$550,000).
Taste Of Heaven when sold as a broodmare
“The Curlin has since won in Canada and we’re hearing good things about her. She’s got the talent, but it’s taken a little while to figure her out,” Bernick said.
“Some of the Curlins are that way, he didn’t run until he was three and was Horse of the Year a three and four. A lot of his horses get better with age. It’s a great pedigree so we’d like something to happen from the first dam.”
Bernick also purchased Drifting Cube (Encosta De Lago), a sister to Rubick, for $1.1 million at the Magic Millions. Her first four foals have averaged US$727,500 (AU$998,000) with a top price of US$1,450,000 (AU$1.9 million) paid by MV Magnier for Captainofthebounty (USA) (War Front {USA}), who has been placed.
Drifting Cube when purchased as a broodmare
“We’ve done great selling out of both mares and the pedigrees are very international and go back to Best In Show, which is great in America, Europe and in Australia,” Bernick said.
“This Curlin filly we are selling is a very good type and we’re now happy to have Taste Of Heaven back in Australia. The pedigree is best understood down there with all the success of Encosta De Lago, Redoute’s Choice and Rubick.”
Ongoing investment
Taste Of Heaven will be part of an ongoing Glen Hill investment in Australia.
“We own three other mares ourselves that are at Yarraman and we hope to be in Australia long term. It’s a great market and so much excitement about the racing,” Bernick said.
“It’s nice to have the racing driving the business rather than the breeding, which I thought can happen a bit more in other parts of the world.
“Racing in Australia is very healthy and it's nice to be able to participate there, and we’re starting off really well with some good mares so we’re really excited.”
Notting Hill
Notting Hill (Pierro) is also from the Redoute’s Choice family and was a $1.4 million Magic Millions yearling graduate before she was sold for $950,000 at the broodmare sale. Bernick then bought her for US$700,000 (AU$960,000) at Keeneland.
“She had a War Front filly this year, which will race in America or Europe and she will also be going to I Am Invincible,” he said.
“We bred two mares to Into Mischief, who is a bit of a sensation here and had the Derby winner at the weekend, and they will drop to him in Australia.
“We bred two mares to Into Mischief, who is a bit of a sensation here and had the Derby winner at the weekend, and they will drop to him in Australia.” – Craig Bernick
“One is called Spirit Of Ecstacy and she has a good and fast turf pedigree, and one of the relations to her produced Roaring Lion.
“He was a great horse in Europe and I feel she is a good mare to get to Australia, and the other is called Sweet Strike. She has a lot of Group 1 horses in that pedigree.”
Both are Darley-bound with Spirit Of Ecstacy (USA) (Congrats {USA}) to be served by Blue Point (Ire) and Sweet Strike (USA) (Smart Strike {USA}) will visit Brazen Beau.
“We now have those four mares in Australia and we’re happy to get started. We’ve also got a filly in training that’s just turned two, she’s by Capitalist and is with Michael Freedman so hopefully we’ll have a bit of fun with her,” Bernick said.
“If she’s good enough we will breed from her too. We’re just getting going and it is an exciting place to be doing it.”
