Matings Mix: Milburn Creek support Shinzo, Native Trail, Militarize, Triple Time and Chaldean

Cover image courtesy of Milburn Creek

Successfully breeding horses since the 1970s, John and Trish Muir purchased an old dairy farm on the fertile banks of the Hawkesbury River in 1986 and since then have made a name for Milburn Creek as one of Australia's most successful boutique farms.

One which is currently home to 30 Milburn-owned mares and another 20 owned by clients. Making for an exciting and busy spring!

The plans for the Milburn matings take place well in advance with plenty of research put into pedigree and conformation.

“John studies the pedigrees of his mares as does Louis Mihalyka (Laurel Oak Bloodstock) and we work back from there,” Holcombe explained.

“I work on the types and we will not mate a mare unless the match fits the criteria outlined by John, Louis and myself; all three need to align.”

A mixture of the proven and the young

A mixture of proven and young stallions are utilized, Milburn always happy to support the up-and-comers with Holcombe noting that “we always use a lot of freshman horses. We breed to sell and that is what has worked for us though we never send a young mare to an unproven horse two years in a row.”

Shinzo, Native Trail (GB), Militarize (NZ), Triple Time (Ire) and Chaldean (GB) are the first season sires Milburn are supporting this spring, Holcombe a fan of each of those well-credentialled horses.

“Shinzo has just kept improving since he arrived at Coolmore and we have three mares going to him,” he said.

“Native Trail is a great mover and he looks just the type to suit Australian racing. John is keen on Militarize and he really likes Chaldean's profile so we have sent a mare across to Cambridge.”

Holcombe and Muir have liked what they have seen of youngsters on the farm by Farnan, St Mark's Basilica (Fr) and Pinatubo (Ire) and they are three stallions at that risky stage of their careers that they are happy to use.

“We will use those sort of stallions every year but keep them to a minimum. We've raised stock by all three of those stallions and on what we have seen we are happy to take the punt on them.”

Harry Angel (Ire), Hellbent and Starspangledbanner are amongst the proven stallions chosen as mates for Milburn mares with Holcombe noting that “we have had a lot of good types on the farm by them.”

The big boys

“The big boys” is how Holcombe describes I Am Invincible, Zoustar and Wootton Bassett (GB) and they also have mares booked into those horses as well as one in the UK in foal to Juddmonte's magnificent stallion Kingman (GB).

I Am Invincible is the choice for one of Milburn's best mares, the G3 SAJC Sires Produce S. and Listed Cinderella S. winner Time Awaits (Nicconi) whose daughter Magic Time (Hellbent) has done such a good job for Milburn Creek, winning six of her 13 starts including last year's G1 Sir Rupert Clarke S. and this year's G1 All Aged S.

Fortunately for Milburn, Magic Time was passed in at the 2021 Magic Millions though Time Awaits' subsequent foals have proven popular with her daughter Cosmonova (Zoustar) fetching $220,000 at the Inglis Premier and her son Henlein (Maurice {Jpn}) $300,000 at Easter.

Both are showing good promise, the 4-year-old Joseph Pride-trained Cosmonova winning four of her first seven starts including her last two at Canterbury and Rosehill over in July/August whilst the Anthony and Sam Freedman trained 3-year-old Henlein won nicely at his Bendigo debut in June before a fast finishing Flemington third before a break.

Milburn has her 2-year-old Maketime (Maurice) in the Tony and Calvin McEvoy stable and she foaled an I Am Invincible colt last month. “She has had a good colt by him and was covered by him this morning (Tuesday),” Holcombe said.

Secret Admirer to visit Shinzo

Another lovely member of the Milburn broodmare band is the G1 Epsom H. and G1 Flight S., winner Secret Admirer (Dubawi {Ire}) whose first foal Danawi (Exceed And Excel) won the G3 Ming Dynasty H.

Also dam of the G1 Champagne S. placegetter Townsend (Dundeel {NZ}), Secret Admirer has as her last foal through the ring the $280,000 Inglis Easter filly Our Solana (The Autumn Sun) who just recently had her first trial for the Stephen Marsh stable in New Zealand.

Her 2-year-old Autumn Secret (The Autumn Sun) has been retained by Milburn and is in the same Grahame Begg stable as Magic Time. She missed after producing that filly but this year has produced “a nice Dundeel filly” who will also be raced by the farm. Her mate for this year is Shinzo.

“John likes American pedigrees,” Holcombe said as he discussed another nice group of mares, such as Raymundos Secret (USA) (Treasure Beach {GB}), a Group 3 winner at Del Mar who was purchased for $310,000 at the 2021 Keeneland November Breeding Sale.

The dam of a “very nice” Blue Point (Ire) colt foaled this year, she visits Starspangledbanner whilst another Keeneland (January All Ages Sale) graduate in California Kook (USA) (Boisterous {USA}) has been covered by Harry Angel after foaling her first foal, a colt by Russian Revolution.

A beauty of a filly

That Group 1-placed mare's Listed-winning full sister Kookie Gal (USA) also calls Milburn home and after foaling “a beauty of a filly” by Harry Angel just this week, is due to visit Farnan.

One of Milburn's new mares is one purchased with Suman Hedge at Keeneland last November, $220,000 securing the Group 3-placed Beyond Mybudget (Can) (Munnings {USA}).

A daughter of the stakes winner Amiable Grace (Can) (Alphabet Soup {USA}), she visits Zousain whilst another $220,000 buy from the same sale goes to Toronado (Ire); the triple Listed winner Bipartisanship (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}).

Milburn Creek enjoys a good relationship with Suman Hedge who oversees the Iskander Bloodstock mares such as the G3 Heath S. winner Diamond Effort (Mossman) whose first foal by Written Tycoon sold for $350,000 at last year's Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.

“She foaled a nice Snitzel filly today (Tuesday) and will visit Zoustar.”

Currently in foal to that high-achieving stallion, due in October, is the G2 Light Fingers S. and G3 Gimcrack S. winner Every Rose (Choisir) whose first live foal, a Zoustar colt, will be prepared for sale next year. Hailing from the family of G1 CF Orr S. winner Racer's Edge, she has a spring date with I Am Invincible.

His popular son Home Affairs will also be visited by a Milburn-based, Iskander-owned mare, the G2 Sapphire S. and G3 Wenona Girl H. winner Fasika (So You Think {NZ}) whose first foal Tycoon Charlie (Written Tycoon) was purchased by Sheamus Mills for $600,000 at this year's Magic Millions.

A great Zoustar colt in the paddock

“She is in foal to Zoustar (due in October) and has a great Zoustar colt in the paddock,” Holcombe said of the mare Hedge secured for $920,000 online.

Another big purchase for Hedge and Iskander was the $1.2 million mare Futooh (Sebring), the Listed Fernhill H. winner who carries a valuable pregnancy (due this month) to Extreme Choice. The daughter of the Listed Keith Mackay H. winner Golden Millennium (Dubawi {Ire}) will visit Zoustar.

Another talented racemare owned by Iskander is the G3 Belle Of The Turf and Listed Weetwood H. winner Sexy Eyes (Written Tycoon) who missed last year but who has “a very nice filly to sell by Snitzel” and who visits Wootton Bassett this year.

Her daughter All Eyes On Her (Zoustar) has shown ability at the trials for the Chris Waller stable, raced by Katsumi Yoshida who laid down $1 million for her at Inglis Easter last year. Her latest through the ring, a Farnan filly, was bought by Suman Hedge for $500,000 at the Gold Coast in January.

Holcombe admitted to finding it hard to single out which mares to talk about, enthusiastic as he noted that “we are blessed to have more girls that should make such a list! But these girls do stand out.”

Table: Mating schedule for some of Milburn Creek's high profile mares