Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Lilac (Justify {USA}) made her Melbourne debut on Saturday in the Listed Jim Maloney S. at Caulfield, and the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained filly kicked a length clear with less than a furlong to go, but Chris Waller trained Delichy Boulevard (Snitzel) was closing rapidly from further back and the two hit the line together with Lilac winning by 0.15l.
The Thoroughbred Report spoke with Jason Abrahams of Champion Thoroughbreds, who co-purchased Lilac for NZ$300,000 at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, to find out what he loved about her. She was purchased in conjunction with Annabel Neasham Racing.
An outstanding pedigree and type to suit
“I thought she’d be too dear to start with. Physically she’s got a lovely deep girth, looks very much like a Danehill-line filly, she’s out of sister to Foxwedge, and looked more like a Fastnet Rock than anything,” said Abrahams.
An unbeaten Triple Crown winner, Justify (USA), who shuttled between Coolmore’s Australian and American farms siring 37 stakes winners with his oldest crops only four. With horses like City Of Troy (USA) in Europe, and now heading to the Breeders’ Cup, and Storm Boy and Learning To Fly in Australia, Justify has earned the right to be called a successful sire.
“I thought she’d (Lilac) be too dear to start with. Physically she’s got a lovely deep girth, looks very much like a Danehill-line filly, she’s out of sister to Foxwedge, and looked more like a Fastnet Rock than anything.” - Jason Abrahams
“Coolmore were selling her through Curraghmore, they suggested she’d make a lot of money, and I said I wasn’t in the market at that (price) point. Annabel (Neasham) liked her too so I talked to Rob (Archibald) and we worked out a price, then Coolmore stayed in for a quarter too. We were delighted that she came in at our budget.
“I just hadn’t seen a Justify that looked like her. The rest looked a bit American, more dirt orientated, but Lilac has that lovely angle and depth of girth and more like we are used to in terms of grass racing. She stood out from that perspective.”
Lilac as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Her dam, Paulownia (Fastnet Rock), is a full sister to Group 1 winner and sire Foxwedge and to Listed winner She’s a Fox.
Interesting group of owners
Lilac's ownership group brings together a wide array of global industry participants.
“A friend of mine, Jason Litt, is a bloodstock agent in America. He was at the sale and he has been exposed to a lot of Justifys in America. He has a big client, the Roth family who race under L N J Foxwoods banner, and they eventually took 20 per cent.
Jason Abrahams | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“A school friend, Byron Rogers, does a lot of analytics on yearling videos and he ran her yearling video through his software and it came out with excellent metrics, so he had his dad buy 10 per cent. Then we sold a few small shares through our client base, and Annabel sold her quarter (to her clients).
“It’s our first purchase with Annabel and it’s nice that it’s come to a stakes win.”
Physique and temperament
“She’s just a beautiful looking filly, wonderful head, that nice Danehilll dark bay, with a little blob of white on the head. Curraghmore sent me a video of her parading before the sales, and they’d said, ‘Can be flighty but coming along nicely’.
“Interestingly when she arrived in Australia, we sent her straight to the breaker, and we decided to drive out there and have a look at her. The morning that we got there she was in the wash bay getting ready for our visit. She took fright at a bird and fell over and had taken skin off everywhere.
Danehill (USA) | Image courtesy of Coolmore
“The breaker’s wife said, ‘Here’s your Justify filly, we’ve called her Learning To Die’ - since it was around the time Learning To Fly was going so well!
“We worried for a while that she’d show that in her temperament, but she’s fine, although still a bit quirky. Things that should worry about don't bother her, but other things, normal stuff she sees every day, will upset her. She has that edge that the good fillies often have.
“Annabel did a great job, has been really patient with her and always has good handlers ensuring she's calm. She just needs a bit more time now, as she’s only had four starts.”
“Annabel did a great job, has been really patient with her and always has good handlers ensuring she's calm. She just needs a bit more time now, as she’s only had four starts.” - Jason Abrahams
Lilac had two trials as a December 2-year-old, winning one of them, then returned in late February and early March for two more trials, again winning one of them. She debuted at Randwick-Kensington in a 2-year-old maiden over 1000 metres on March 13, running fourth.
“Her last prep she only had one start. It was her first start, and we were expecting big things but she didn’t finish off, so we tipped her out then.”
Mark Zahara and Annabel Neasham | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
She had another couple of trials in late July and early August, running third in both, before having her first run at three at Wyong in a 1200 metre maiden on August 18, which she won by 0.75l for jockey James McDonald.
Next, she went to Warwick Farm for a mid-week BM64 race over 1200 metres and was beaten 0.3l by Private Life (Written Tycoon) into second with the same filly who ran second on Saturday in the Jim Maloney, Delichy Boulevard (Snitzel), running third that day.
“She won well first-up and looked good second up. I probably erred on side of caution in sending her to a mid-week first. Annabel was pushing to go straight to Melbourne for a stakes race, then she ran second to a colt who looks promising (Private Life). I was trying to be conservative, but I probably cost her some black type.”
For her fourth start, Abraham listened to Neasham’s advice and Lilac went to Melbourne for the Listed Jim Maloney S. “This time I said, ‘Let’s do it’ and we took her down early to prepare her.”
What’s next for Lilac? “She’s lightened off from the trip. So, we’ll let her mature a bit and give her a nice 6-8 week break and bring her back for the autumn.”
Her best qualities as a racehorse
From a yearling who was given a nickname that indicated potential temperament issues, Lilac has matured quickly, showing her fighting qualities on the track.
“She wants to be a racehorse, she likes to please, jumps quick and puts herself in the race. She takes luck out of the equation, she’s not trying to get out of a pocket, and not reliant on the tempo of the race. I don’t have many on speed horses, but they are so good when you get them. Most race days you walk away with a hard luck story, then you get a filly like this, professional, jumps and leads, then will drop the bit and relax.
“She (Lilac) wants to be a racehorse, she likes to please, jumps quick and puts herself in the race. She takes luck out of the equation, she’s not trying to get out of a pocket, and not reliant on the tempo of the race.” - Jason Abrahams
“We’ve seen horses at this point take those giant steps at three. Look in Saturday’s Tea Rose, Snow In May (second) has only had three starts. Hopefully (Lilac) will progress more in the autumn and step up again.”
Abrahams’ opinion on Justify
Justify has been a sensation as a sire with his Northern Hemisphere foals; he has six Group 1 winners from his first two crops. His first crop, born in 2020, consisted of 181 foals and at the time of writing, 15 of them (8 per cent) have won black-type races including two Group 1 winners; G1 Belmont Oaks winner Aspen Grove (Ire) and G1 Belmont Woody Stephens S. winner Arabian Lion (USA).
“They’re an interesting breed those Justifys. On speed with a high-cruising tempo and maintain it. Tough high-speed horses, which makes sense he himself was a dirt horse who did the same.
Justify (USA) | Standing at Coolmore
“Most sires with 4-year-olds without a Group 1 winner would be commercially in the sin bin, but he’s still very popular in the Australian market. Our racing, we jump then slow up and control the tempo, but Justifys tend to need the speed on.”
His second American crop, born in 2021, has 173 foals with 14 of them (8 per cent) winning stakes races so far, with an impressive four Group 1 winners. City Of Troy is a clear standout with his six wins to date including four at Group 1 level, the G1 Dewhurst S. at two and the G1 Epsom Derby, G1 York International and G1 Eclipse S. at three. He’s headed towards the Breeders’ Cup meeting at the end of the year to conclude his 3-year-old season.
City Of Troy is joined by Opera Singer (USA) winner of the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac and G1 Nassau S., Just F Y I (USA) winner of the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and Hard To Justify (USA) winner of the G1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
City Of Troy (USA) | Image courtesy of Coolmore
Justify’s current crop of American 2-year-olds is only half-way through their season and already includes seven winners led by Listed Saratoga PG Johnson S. winner Totally Justified (USA).
In Australia, Justify’s first crop, born in 2020 consists of 93 foals with 4 of them (4.3 per cent) winning stakes races. G2 Reisling S. winner Learning To Fly leads this cohort, along with Air Assault, Star of Justice, and Legacies.
His second Australian crop, born in 2021 consists of 83 foals, of which 3 (3.6 per cent) have won stakes races, led by the exciting Storm Boy, as well as Lilac and Dawn Service.
Paulownia and the connection to Foxwedge
“Lilac's dam wasn’t in foal last year, so (Coolmore) shipped her to Kentucky to go back to Justify on the back on Annabel’s expectation for Lilac. They took a punt, and it should pay off now.”
Owned by Coolmore Stud for her racing career, Paulownia won on debut in New Zealand as a February 3-year-old, then ran second in the G2 Wellington Guineas at only her second start. After two more starts, including a dead-heat for second, she was retired to stud.
Lilac (red silks) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Her first foal, a Justify gelding, was sold by Coolmore Stud at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $320,000 to Domeland. Named New Forest, he has a win and five placings from eight starts last season at three.
Lilac is her second foal, and her third foal is a 2-year-old filly named Agarwood (Wootton Bassett {GB}) who was a $420,000 purchase by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott in conjunction with Kestrel Thoroughbreds. Paulownia has a yearling colt by Home Affairs, then missed to Home Affairs and was exported to the USA on April 17 this year.
Paulownia is the seventh foal of Forest Native (USA) (Forest Wildcat {USA}) who was a Listed placed winner of three races in America before coming to Australia as a broodmare propsect. She is the dam of Paulownia’s full siblings; Group 1 winner and sire Foxwedge and Listed Rosebud winner She’s A Fox, with an outstanding record of eight winners from as many to race.
Connections of Lilac | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Another full sister to Foxwedge, unraced mare She’s A Wildcat is the dam of Listed Fernhill S. winner Untamed (Pierro), while half-sister Banksia (Redoute’s Choice) won twice and is the dam of full siblings G2 Alister Clark S. winner Bank Maur (Maurice {Jpn}) and Listed Oxlade S. winner Namesake. Forest Native was retired from stud duties in 2021.
