Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Tough and consistent mare Prompt Response (Beneteau) has a daughter (Lot 227 by Zoustar) and a three-quarter sister up for grabs, the latter being Lot 226 by Snitzel. A member of the Newgate Farm draft, she is also a three-quarter sister to the G3 Maribyrnong Plate winner Prompt Return (Beneteau) and Newgate's Jim Carey is confident that she will attract plenty of attention.
“On pedigree and physique she will be high on every filly buyer's list,” he said.
“She is a beautiful filly, an athletic good mover with tons of strength and scope - just what you'd expect of a daughter of a blue hen mare!”
A very strong family
One of the early highlights on the second day is Lot 255 being sold by Trelawney Stud. A bay colt from the debut crop of Hello Youmzain (Fr), he is a half-brother to up-and-coming young stallion Grunt (NZ), winner of the G1 Australian Guineas and the G1 Makybe S. and sire of the recent G1 George Ryder S. winner Veight.
Also a half-brother to the G2 Matriarch S. winner Zayydani (NZ) (Savabeel) out of a half-sister to the G1 WS Cox Plate winner Ocean Park (NZ), he hails from one of New Zealand's finest families - that of the high achieving racehorse and stallion O'Reilly (NZ) and of the fellow big race winners Courtza (NZ) (Pompeii Court {USA}), Our Pompeii (NZ) (Pompeii Court), Critic (NZ) (Centaine) and Prince Kaapstad (NZ) (Kaapstad {NZ}).
Lot 255 - Hello Youmzain (Fr) x Ruqqaya (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
It was a family Trelawney's Brent Taylor was very happy to buy into, showing the foresight to become involved early days with this colt's grandam Sayyida (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) being one of the first fillies he purchased.
“We bought her from Sir Patrick Hogan, she had a lot of ability but was injured. She has become a great taproot mare for us.”
Taylor described this colt as being “a very attractive horse with beautiful length and strength. He is a very athletic type who we expect to sell well. He is a good representative of a very strong family.”
“... a very attractive horse with beautiful length and strength. He (Lot 255) is a very athletic type who we expect to sell well. He is a good representative of a very strong family.” - Brent Taylor
A Darn Hot colt
Milburn Creek's Scott Holcombe is also looking forward to the sale, pleased with the matter of fact manner in which his yearlings have handled their preparations including two who have Group 1 siblings.
The first of those is Lot 322, a Too Darn Hot (GB) colt bred by the highly successful Western Australian breeders Oakland Park Stud out of the terrific race and broodmare Stormy Nova (Metal Storm Fr}).
The winner of half of her 14 starts, two of those in Group 3 company, she has fared extremely well at stud with four of her seven winners being stakes winners including the G1 Cantala S. winner Superstorm (Sebring) - as well as the Group 3 winner Cosmic Storm (Street Sense {USA}) and the Listed winners Royal Command (Street Sense) and Mikimoto (Street Sense).
Lot 322 - Too Darn Hot (GB) x Stormy Nova (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
The final foal for his now retired dam, he is, Holcombe said, “built very much in the style of his sire who has made such an exciting start to his stud career in both hemisphere.
“We had Gai Waterhouse here recently and she said that he is very much like the good Too Darn Hots she has seen,” he said.
“He is a very nice horse with plenty of strength which is typical of the breed. And his breeders certainly know what they are doing!”
“He (Lot 322) is a very nice horse with plenty of strength which is typical of the breed. And his breeders certainly know what they are doing!” - Scott Holcombe
Also throwing to dad - "he is very much like his sire” - is Lot 351, an attractive dark brown colt by Maurice (Jpn) out of the G3 SA Sires Produce S. winner Time Awaits (Nicconi) whose daughter Magic Time (Hellbent) is a high class member of the Grahame Begg stable.
Holding nominations for the G1 TJ Smith S. and the G1 Queen Of The Turf S., she ran a great race in the G1 Newmarket H. first up and looks set to enhance upon her already impressive record of five wins from nine starts - including the G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. last spring.
Coolmore in the headlines
Coolmore obviously have their headliner this year, the Pierro - Winx (Street Cry {Ire}) attracting as much - well let's face it, more publicity - than any Easter yearling has ever attracted.
But their overall draft is strong and they are looking forward to showing off the first southern hemisphere bred yearlings by Wootton Bassett (GB) including Lot 451, a half-brother to the 2022 G1 1000 Guineas heroine Madame Pommery (No Nay Never {USA}).
Lot 451 - Wootton Bassett (GB) x Cancel (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Still racing well but with not much luck this campaign (due to take her place in Saturday's G2 Emancipation S.), that Chris Waller trained mare is not the only Group 1 winner on the page with this colt's two times winning dam Cancel (Exceed And Excel) being a full sister to the G1 Blue Diamond S. winner Earthquake (Exceed And Excel).
Coolmore's John Kennedy is full of praise for the colt who he says “has loads of quality.”
“He is a touch more precocious than Madame Pommery at the same age but he has the same class and balance.
“He (Lot 451) is a touch more precocious than Madame Pommery at the same age but he has the same class and balance.” - John Kennedy
“We are delighted to have him in our draft and we are really looking forward to getting out there and showing him off.”
Nice horse - beautiful horse
G1 Doomben 10,000 winner Mazu (Maurice {Jpn}) ran very nicely when finishing on the heels of the placegetters in the G2 Challenge S. and he has been nominated for the G1 TJ Smith S.
His Group 2 placed dam Chatelaine (Flying Spur) has produced another big race winner in the shape of the G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Headway (Charge Forward) which means that her son by King's Legacy - Lot 458 for Cannon Hayes Stud - is bound to prove popular.
Lot 458 - King's Legacy x Chatelaine (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“He is probably not a really early type but he is a very nice horse who I think in six months time is going to be a beautiful horse,” said the stud's Dave Morrissey.
“We provide owners with updates every Friday afternoon and each week we have been able to tell his breeders Parsons Creek that this colt has been improving; I think he is a great representative of his sire.”
I'd buy him myself!
So You Think (NZ) just knocks up getting quality winners and one of his best - the G1 Queen of The Turf S. winner Nimalee - has a full brother going through the ring as Lot 487 for Cressfield.
The talent of his triple Group 2 and Listed Hong Kong Derby winning grandam Elegant Fashion (Danewin) was the reason the stud's Bruce Neill purchased her unraced daughter Dezign (Zabeel( {NZ}) and what a great job she has been doing with her first four foals all winners - the other three all in metropolitan company including the Group 3 placed The Chairman (High Chaparral {Ire}).
Lot 487 - So You Think (NZ) x Dezign (colt) | Image courtsy of Inglis
Cressfield's Wayne Bedggood is a big fan of this colt, laughing that “if I had the money I'd buy him myself!”
“If I had the money I'd buy him (Lot 487) myself!” - Wayne Bedggood
“The mare always throws a good type and this colt has a nice mix of both his sire and dam. He is a similar horse to Nimalee at the same stage.”
Cressfield boast a great record in all facets of racing - they breed good horses, race good horses and retire good horses, their paddocks home to high class thoroughbreds including retirees such as the terrific mare Regimental Gal (General Nediym).
A special colt
There was excitement in Greg Griffin's voice when we asked him about the last of the Lime Country Thoroughbreds yearlings going through the Easter ring - Lot 492, a full brother to the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Media Sensation (I Am Invincible).
“He is just beautiful!” he enthused, “a pretty special colt.”
“He is a real Vinnie but with some of that High Chaparral (Ire) quality coming through as well.”
“A bit more compact" than his sister, the bay has impressed in his preparation for the sale with Griffin noting that "he loves his work.”
Lot 492 - I Am Invincible x Different To (NZ) (colt) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Drawing so late in the second day sometimes concerns vendors but Griffin remembers being a bit worried last year only to top the sale - with the $1.6 million Snitzel - Ultimate Fever (Gold Fever {USA}) colt - in the final hour.
That colt, named Imperial Force (Snitzel), ran second at his debut for the Chris Waller stable at Kensington on Wednesday. He was one of three seven figure yearlings - from a draft of ten - sold by Lime Country last year... “we love Easter!” Griffin said.
“We are very excited about this colt and think he will provide a well deserved result for his breeders, our good clients and friends, Peachester Lodge's Linda and Graham Huddy. They have always been great supporters of I Am Invincible, right from the start of his career.”
“We are very excited about this colt (Lot 492) and think he will provide a well deserved result for his breeders, our good clients and friends.” - Greg Griffin
A fortuitous buy
The 2022 G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Golden Mile (Astern) has not been having a great deal of luck of late but the G1 Doncaster H. nominee looks to have more to give and his half-sister by Street Boss (USA) is Lot 448, being sold by Emirates Park on behalf of Merricks Station.
A daughter of the dual Listed winning juvenile Calaverite (Lonhro) who Merricks purchased for $310,000 a couple of years ago, she also has amongst her relations last year's G1 ATC Derby winner Major Beel (NZ) (Savabeel).
Lot 448 - Street Boss (USA) x Calaverite (filly) | Image courtesy of Inglis
“It was a fortuitous buy for us,” Merricks’ Ben Cooper said, “as it was not long after that Golden won the Guineas. She was in foal to Street Boss at the time so we can't claim to have planned the mating but it is certainly one that has worked - she is a lovely, athletic filly; a great mover who really looks to be a two-year-old type.”
