Three Bridges on a quest to expand its band of elite level mares

Cover image courtesy of Three Bridges Thoroughbreds

The Liston family’s Three Bridges nursery, located at Eddington in Central Victoria, has all but locked in matings for nearly 80 mares in 2021, with a mouth-watering selection of proven stallions and younger sires in the mix.

“We keep striving to be better by sourcing those top-end mares. It’s difficult because they are in such high demand and very hard to come by, however we’re delighted with how the quality is continually growing,” General Manager Toby Liston said.

“We have a manageable number of 80 mares and the quality is always worth the effort. The aim is to produce more star racehorses in the process and thankfully, we have been able to breed great ones recently like Haut Brion Her.”

A dual Group 2 winner, Haut Brion Her (Zoustar) has a tentative booking in 2021 to Yarraman Park Stud superstar I Am Invincible, but it isn’t set in stone just yet.

“She is booked just in case she doesn’t come up this preparation. She finished fifth in The Everest last season so hopefully she can do some special things in the spring and win another Group race or a Group 1 and then we will breed from her next year,” Liston said.

“These are the sort of mares that can help to shape our future. Haut Brion Her is the first inbred mare to Redoute’s Choice to win a stakes race, which is pretty special. She’s got a great pedigree and we can’t wait to have her as a broodmare.”

Also among the elite mares on Three Bridges' books is Baba Ghanouj (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was a 2-year-old winner in England. She was purchased on behalf of a farm client by McKeever Bloodstock and Paul Willets for 150,000 gns (AU$288,225) at the Tattersalls December Mares’ Sale.

Baba Ghanouj is from a family boasting a plethora of international Group 1 winners including Schiaparelli (Ger) (Monsun {Ger}) and his full siblings Samum (Ger) and Salve Regina (Ger).

She has a filly foal at foot by Invincible Spirit (Ire) that will be retained to race in Australia when the mare comes Down Under after a future serve to Frankel (GB).

“It was a toss-up between Kingman and Frankel, the latter whom is arguably the best stallion in the world now that his father has passed away. That’s pretty exciting,” Liston said.

Progeny sought after

Solar Moon (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) was a $625,000 Inglis Chairman’s Sale buy in 2018 and she’s already repaid that purchase price. Her I Am Invincible colts each made $700,000 at the 2020 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and at the Gold Coast earlier this year with the Hong Kong Jockey Club securing the pair.

A half-sister to the dual Group 3 winner Dee Ex Bee (GB) (Farhh {GB}), Solar Moon is again in foal to I Am Invincible and will be visiting Darley’s Exceed And Excel in 2021.

“She’s a special mare and hopefully she can produce some really good racehorses,” Liston said. “We’ve got a great relationship with Darley and have breeding rights in Impending, Bivouac, Microphone and we’ll look to go in Anamoe in the future.

“It helps with the service fees in bringing the prices down. For us it works well and in Victoria we’ve gone into Dirty Work. He’s a good-looking horse by a Champion Sire (Written Tycoon) so he’s a real chance to succeed and Spendthrift is doing a great job.”

Full Sun (GB) (Cacique {Ire}), who is out of a half-sister to the Group 1 winner and sire Redwood (GB), will foal to Blue Point (Ire) and then be served by Spendthrift’s Dirty Work, who will also cover Summerfest (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).

Currently in foal to Omaha Beach (USA), Summerfest’s dam is a half-sister to the former Singapore Champion Better Than Ever (French Deputy {USA}).

“We obviously try and use the best stallions we can afford and our end goal is to breed the best racehorses we can. The commerciality aspect is important, but producing top racehorses is what we are trying to achieve and Omaha Beach was a very elite racehorse so we’re looking forward to that foal arriving,” Liston said.

Viviette (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) is an example of the farm’s drive to add to its top-end mares and she was a $150,000 Inglis Chairman’s Sale buy with Willetts again signing the ticket.

From the family of successful stallions Iffraaj (GB) and Cape Cross (Ire), Viviette’s first foal by Trapeze Artist made $330,000 to the bid of Bahen Bloodstock and Bromfield Park at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Weanling Sale.

The unraced mare is in foal to Deep Field and the nursery will be sending her to Darley newcomer Bivouac.

Bollinger Rose (More Than Ready {USA}), a daughter of the G1 Coolmore Classic winner Bollinger (Dehere {USA}), is due to foal to Blue Point and will either go back to him or to Toronado (Ire).

Options are still also open for Wawail (Lonhro), whose dam El Daana (Redoute’s Choice) won the G2 Edward Manifold S., has a positive to Deep Field and this year will likely be served by Ghaiyyath (Ire).

“Ghaiyyath was a world-class racehorse but I haven’t seen him yet so looking forward to checking him out,” Liston said.

“We had some mares booked to Pinatubo and now he’s not coming we’ve had to redirect those to Toronado, Bivouac and Microphone. There will always be changes throughout the season, some stallions might not be fertile or timing can be off so you have to be flexible.

“Our clients have sent 10 mares to Toronado for the last five years and it’s starting to pay off with some really nice horses.

“Ten more will be going this year, which is a positive because he’s siring good horses in Australia and now has a Group 1 winner (Masked Crusader).”

Booking for Capitalist

Into The Mist (Redoute’s Choice) is another well-performed mare whose five wins included the G2 Queen of the South S. She is due to foal to I Am Invincible before a service this year to Newgate’s boom young sire Capitalist.

Four-time winner Petrelle (Fastnet Rock) went to stud last year and is also in foal to I Am Invincible and heading to Capitalist.

Into The Mist’s half-sister Shrouded In Mist (Exceed And Excel) is also a resident on the farm, she’s currently empty and will be served by I Am Invincible.

The G1 Queensland Oaks winner Provocative (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), already the dam of stakes performer Grinzinger Lord (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}), had an attractive daughter of Exceed And Excel in 2020 and wasn’t served last season.

“I try to send my empty mares to the Hunter Valley so we can leave the foals here in Victoria. With Provocative being empty we’ll send her back to Exceed And Excel,” Liston said. “He’s getting older, but his stats are holding up and he’s doing a fantastic job.”

North Pacific, Earthlight (Ire), Hanseatic and Russian Camelot are among other first-season sires Three Bridges will be supporting and also Wootton Bassett (GB) in his first tour of Southern Hemisphere duty.

“I love Wootton Bassett and my intention will be to purchase mares in foal to him. Sometimes we target them in that way. We didn’t support Trapeze Artist in his first year but bought three mares in foal to him,” Liston said.

“It doesn’t mean you don’t like the stallion, you just try to get hold of those pregnancies another way.”

Table: Some of the Three Bridges coverings for the 2021 season