Part two: siblings of Group 1 stars set to shine at Easter

Cover image courtesy of Inglis

Waikato Stud boasts a long and happy history with the Inglis Easter Sale, the farm's Mark Chittick still grateful that three of the first crop of O'Reilly (NZ) made it to the sale - all selling well with two being Group winners.

“It really helped set his career up,” Chittick said, noting that “we have sold at around 20 of the last 25 Easter Sales - this is our first time in a few years after the COVID-19 shambles!”

Chittick also has fond memories of taking a nice Danasinga colt to the 2007 sale, one for which Jack Denham put in the winning bid of $160,000. Racing as Metal Bender (NZ) (Danasinga) he won four races at Group 1 level.

His dam Jacqwin (Bluebird) went onto visit O'Reilly, the result being Hopscotch (NZ) whose son is Lot 71 - a Super Seth half-brother to the G1 New Zealand Oaks winner Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel).

“He is an early November foal for whom time has been great,” Chittick said, “his muscles are really filling his frame now and I am very proud to be bringing him to Easter.”

“The mare produces big, strong types - Amarelinha was one and so is he.”

Not just a good horse, a very good horse!

Bhima Stud is another with a lot of interlinking history with Inglis, both through past ownership and current; the historic farm under the ownership of Mike and Kate Fleming in the last five years selling four yearlings who have gone onto Group 1 success.

And one of those is Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) who, as Mike Fleming said “is not just a good horse, but a very good horse!”

Already a triple Group 1 winner, the 3-year-old looks to have plenty more to offer on the back of his fast finishing third in the G1 George Ryder S. last weekend.

His half-brother by Snitzel is Lot 417 in the Bhima Easter draft, a colt Fleming hopes will be on the wish list for the big colt buyers.

“He is by the right stallion, a horse you can call a sire of sires, and he is very much in the Snitzel mold.”

“He moves well and has got a nice bit of presence about him. He has been straightforward throughout his preparation; he is an uncomplicated horse with a good mind - the same as Militarize.”

“His dam Amerindia (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) was purchased from Europe and it looks like she is going to be a very good mare,” Fleming said of the daughter of the G1 Prix de l'Opera winner Satwa Queen (Fr) (Muhtathir {GB}) who is also grandam of Yulong's G1 Phoenix S. winner Lucky Vega (Ire).

A stand-out from day one

Goodwood Farm's Kerrie Tibbey would like to have seen Coleman (Pierata) go one better in the G1 Golden Slipper S. but his gutsy effort was well noted, as has been the encouraging start made by his sire whose son, Lot 171, is a half-brother to a horse who did win a Slipper - the tough filly Fireburn (Rebel Dane).

It is her breeders, Laurel Oak, who bred, with Goodwood, the colt who Louis Mihalyka says was a stand-out “from the outset.”

“Each time we took people to see our weanlings everyone would say, without knowing who he was, 'wow who's that one?’”

“He was a month overdue so we were sweating on his arrival and very happy when he did come out - from that time he has been a very nice, good sized colt - a bit bigger and stronger than Fireburn was at the same stage.”

Mihalyka has his dam Mull Over (So You Think {NZ}) back in foal to Rebel Dane - “it may not be the most commercial option but we owed it to ourselves, and to Rebel Dane to go back,” he said, looking forward to the arrival of a full sibling to the now Japan based Fireburn who won not only the Slipper, but also the G1 ATC Sires Produce S. and two Group 2 contests.

Mull Over is also the dam of the last start G2 Phar Lap S. placegetter Kintyre (Hallowed Crown) who is amongst the favourites in Saturday's G2 Tulloch S.

Also being sold by Goodwood is Lot 469, a Shalaa (Ire) half-sister to the G1 Epsom H. winner Private Eye (Al Maher), one of Australia's classiest and most versatile gallopers.

Seven siblings to Group 1 winners for Arrowfield

Arrowfield Stud have their typically busy sale coming up - a draft of 60 yearlings, seven of whom are out of Group 1 producers.

The first of those is Lot 180, a Snitzel three-quarter brother to the G1 Robert Sangster S. winner Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt) out of Negotiate (Red Ransom {USA}) who has also produced four stakes placed winners as well as the dam of the fast dual Group 3 winner Enthaar (Written Tycoon).

And the promising stakes placed Tutta La Vita (The Autumn Sun) who takes her place in Saturday's G1 Vinery Stud S.

A member of the prolific Denise's Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}) family, this colt is one the stud's Paul Messara has been excited about from early days and that enthusiasm has been shared by others.

“He has been rated very highly by Inglis who think he is one of the top colts at the sale. He is a November foal and is one of those who has constantly improved during his preparation - and he will continue to do so.”

“He is a correct, compact colt with good movement.”

Day 2 for the Arrowfield Group 1 siblings kicks off with Lot 260, a Maurice (Jpn) colt who has had quite the upgrade to his page since the catalogue was printed - his half-brother Celestial Legend (Dundeel {NZ}) winning the G1 Randwick Guineas.

“Perfect timing for us,” Messara said, noting the similarities and differences between this colt and his half-brother.

“Like Celestial Legend he is an immature type but he is a slightly different style of horse; Maurice throws a bigger, rangier type than Dundeel does.”

“He has that look of a Japanese horse and he has had a nice, uncomplicated preparation."

Speaking of Dundeel, that six-time Group 1 winner has a half-sister in Arrowfield draft - Lot 315, a The Autumn Sun filly whose dam Staring (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) is a daughter of the NZ Champion 3YO Filly Staring (NZ) (Fiesta Star).

“She is in the same mode as the rest of her family, she is Dundeel style in terms of shape. She is a nice, neat filly with a deep girth and she has done very well during her preparation.”

Hailing from one of the very best of families - and one to which he is line-bred - is Lot 346, a chestnut son of Written Tycoon and the city winner The Broken Shore (Hussonet {USA}), half-sister to Redoute's Choice.

All five of her foals to race are winners including the triple Group 1 winner Shoals (Fastnet Rock) as well as the Listed winner Groundswell (Fastnet Rock).

“His is the best stallion page in the entire catalogue,” Messara said “and he is just the sort of horse you expect to see in regards to being by Written Tycoon out of a Hussonet mare.”

“He looks like a fast, sprinting type,” he said, pointing out that he has a rare pedigree in terms of future stud appeal - no Danehill (USA)!

People are noticing how well Snitzel is doing out of imported mares (though he is quite the upgrader full-stop!) and Lot 412 is his filly out of Alexandra Rose (SAF) (Caesour {USA}).

A Group winner in South Africa and America, she is dam of Oleksandra (Animal Kingdom {USA}) who kicked off her career locally filling placings at all four of her starts for the Bjorn Baker stable.

Her breeder and owner, Team Valor's Barry Irwin (who also bred and raced Animal Kingdom), decided to campaign her in America where she thrived - winning eight races including the G1 Jaipur S.

“I really like to see a horse improve through its yearling preparation and this filly has certainly done that,” said Messara.

“She has good strength and makes economic use of her action - she is a well above average filly with huge residual value.”

No doubt Asian buyers will be keeping a close eye on Lot 431, a The Autumn Sun half-brother to the Hong Kong Horse Of The Year Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) and fellow Group 1 winner Toffee Tongue (NZ) (Tavistock) - as well as to the G3 New Zealand Cup winner Gobstopper (NZ) (Tavistock).

“He is a really interesting horse in that he has gone through a great growth phase during his preparation. Being bred on the opposite cross to Frankel (GB) it is not surprising that The Autumn Sun is siring horses who are improving at three and this horse is that sort of type.”

With his 13 wins including four in Group 1 company, Hartnell (GB) (Authorized {Ire}) was a particularly popular galloper and his half-sister by Pierro is Lot 486.

“This is a very racy filly with lovely hindquarters. She stands over a good bit of ground and you know with a Pierro from this family she is just going to keep improving.”

“We like her attitude too, she has a strong, tough personality.”

Does everything right

The China Club's The Chase swings into Easter in style with one of the highlights of their classy draft being Lot 181, a Wootton Bassett (GB) half-brother to last spring's G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Ozzmosis (Zoustar) who was so unlucky when resuming in the recent G1 Galaxy.

A son of the Group 3 and Listed wining mare No More Tears (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}), he is, says the farm's Alexandra Kingston “a very nice colt who has done everything right.”

"He is a medium sized, well built colt who will need a little bit of time. He has a great temperament and attitude.”

The China Horse Club's Michael Smith is also happy with him - “they are never overly big from this branch of the family but they can run!”

“He is a lovely, quality horse and his sire is a purveyor of class, a stallion who is enjoying great results at the sales and on the track.”