Graduates of the Fasig-Tipton broodmare sales have been flying the flag for Northern Hemisphere-bred mares in Australia with major studs putting their hands up to secure the best of international bloodlines. Also worth a look at is how well graduates are doing before they head to stud.
G1 glory for Switzerland, son of proven Fasig-Tipton graduate
What a brilliant win it was recorded by Switzerland (Snitzel) in Saturday’s G1 Coolmore Stud S. and his dam is an exceptional Fasig-Tipton Kentucky November Mixed Sale graduate.
Catching the eye of Jon Freyer in 2019, his dam Ms Bad Behavior (USA) (Blame {USA}) was a US$600,000 (AU$914,900) purchase for Arrowfield and Cloros Bloodstock.
Purchased for just US$75,000 (AU$114,300) as a yearling, she won four of her 18 starts. Breaking her maiden status at Santa Anita at her third start, Ms Bad Behavior progressed to black-type racing, recording wins at Group 3 and Listed level whilst also being eight times stakes-placed and fourth in Group 1 company.
Switzerland, her first foal, was a standout yearling purchased for $1.5 million by Tom Magnier at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and he is certainly proving to be a very smart investment. Winning on debut, the outstanding colt has quickly climbed the ranks at Group level, winning the G2 Todman S., the G2 Roman Consul S., and on Saturday, dominating the stallion-making race at Flemington by 2.75l.
Having visited Snitzel in every breeding season since her Australian arrival in 2020, Ms Bad Behavior has produced four colts. Her 2-year-old was purchased by Tony Fung Investments for $550,000 at this year’s Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Top Fasig-Tipton mares boost Kia Ora's success
Kia Ora Stud boast an excellent record of buying quality broodmares from Fasig-Tipton; the likes of More Than Real (USA) (More Than Ready {USA}), Dream Play (USA) (Hennessy {USA}) and Decelerator (USA) (Dehere {USA}).
Now they look forward to the impending broodmare career of Bubble Rock (USA) (More Than Ready) who was purchased by Kia Ora for $1.5 million at last year's Fasig-Tipton Lexington November Sale.
Bubble Rock (USA) | Image courtesy of Fasig-Tipton
Whilst in the past Kia Ora had purchased mares ready for stud, this time they decided to race a horse and whilst she only raced a couple of times in Australia, Bubble Rock added to her value by running two excellent races.
A brave third off a wide run from an outside gate in the Listed Helen Coughlan S. at Eagle Farm in early June, she made the pace in the G1 Tattersall's Tiara; fighting on gamely to finish third to Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai) who has certainly franked that form since.
Kia Ora Bloodstock and Breeding Manager Shane Wright was proud of Bubble Rock's efforts and is looking forward to her career at stud.
“We went over her races in depth and believed she had more to give on the track and that she could also be very competitive in some of Australia’s big Group 1’s,” he explained.
“So we gave her to Tony Gollan, and he and his team did a great job having her placed in a Listed race on her first ever Australian start followed up by a huge run for third in the Tattersalls Tiara right on the heels of winner Bella Nipotina and as we all know if you’re looking for sprinting form in Australia it doesn’t get any better than that.”
“Bubble Rock was set up to have her last start of her career in the G1 Winx S. but annoyingly she picked up a minor knock the week leading into the race and wouldn’t be the able to start on the day, so the decision was made to give her a little time off before heading to the breeding barn in September.”
“I can happily report she is in foal to I Am Invincible and letting down into the most beautiful broodmare.”
“She is the most beautiful mare," he continued. “A tall, very well-made mare with so much quality. We absolutely love More Than Ready having had mares like More Than Real previously and we have been trying to get our hands on as many of his daughters as we can, so Bubble is a very welcomed addition to our broodmare band.”
“She (Bubble Rock) is the most beautiful mare, a tall, very well-made mare with so much quality.” - Shane Wright
Out of a Giant's Causeway (USA) daughter of the triple Group winner Dixie City (USA) (Dixie Union {USA}) who also produced the Group 1-placed dual Listed winner Blue Chipper (USA) (Tiznow {USA}), Bubble Rock raced 15 times in America. She won five of those races, two at Group-level and two in Listed company.
Con Te Patiro a gem for Newgate
Also coming to Australia with classy overseas form was Con Te Partiro (USA) (Scat Daddy {USA}), US$575,000 (AU$874,800) buy for SF Bloodstock and Newgate Farm at the 2018 Fasig Tipton Kentucky November Mixed Sale.
She too had raced on 15 occasions overseas, winning in Listed company at Saratoga before venturing to the UK where she won the Listed Sandringham H. at Royal Ascot. Heading back to America where she was Group-placed, she kicked off her local campaign for the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable in the G3 Dark Jewel Classic at Scone in May 2019.
Con Te Partiro (USA)
Putting her nose out on the line to make her Australian debut a winning one, Con Te Partiro added further valuable black-type to her pedigree though at the time Newgate's Henry Field admitted that they had not purchased her with racing in mind.
But “she was only going to be in a paddock at Newgate getting fat, so we thought why not give her a chance to improve her record.”
“We were buying her as a broodmare, not a racehorse but when she got here we put her into pretraining. She worked well and it looked a good chance for her to make some money.”
“We were buying her (Con Te Partiro) as a broodmare, not a racehorse but when she got here, we put her into pre-training. She worked well and it looked a good chance for her to make some money.” - Henry Field
Adrian Bott was pleased that day, noting that “she acclimatised really well, which is a big thing with these imported horses. Newgate have done a good job with her and we are hoping she can add to her record for them before going to stud.”
With that win under her belt, Bott was keen to have Con Te Partiro race on with Field at the time noting that “he was very bullish that if we put her back into training, she could go to the next level and his judgement was to prove correct.”
That plan which certainly paid dividends with the classy brown mare over the autumn of 2020 adding to her record two elite-level races; the G1 Coolmore Classic and the G1 Queen Of The Turf S.
So much did that increase her value that Newgate took her back to the United States where David Redvers Bloodstock purchased her for US$1.6 million (AU$2,435,300) in November 2020. Since then, she has produced three foals including a couple by the mighty Frankel (GB).
Class act Princess Grace enhances China Horse Club’s broodmare band
Another successful Fasig-Tipton racing story is that of Princess Grace (USA) (Karakontie {Jpn}), a US$1.7 million (AU$2,586,300) purchase for the China Horse Club at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Lexington November Sale.
At the time she had proven her class with five victories in Group company and she was still in fine form at sale time; a Group 3 winner in July of that year and in the placings at her next three outings through to July, two of those at Group 1-level.
Making her Australian debut for the Chris Waller stable in April last year, Princess Grace loomed up to win the G2 Sapphire S. before her condition gave out at her first run in six months. But she was nicely primed for her second-up assignment, the G3 Hawkesbury Crown in which she overcame trouble in running to record an easy win as favourite.
Princess Grace (USA)
Spelled in preparation for her spring campaign, Princess Grace was then thrown straight into the deep end contesting three Group 1 races in a row; run down only late when splitting stablemate Fangirl (Sebring) and Zaaki (GG) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) in the Winx S. before another brave second in the G1 Memsie S. won by the in-form Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) - beating home I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel) and Alligator Blood (All Too Hard).
Fourth in the G1 Makybe Diva S. before her Rose Of Kingston S. second, she was not far away when having her final start in the G1 Empire Rose S. which was dominated by Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai).
“She was unlucky not to win a Group 1 race in Australia,” China Racing Club's local representative Michael Smith said, “but we are obviously delighted to have such a high-class mare in our broodmare band.”
“She (Princess Grace) was unlucky not to win a Group 1 race in Australia, but we are obviously delighted to have such a high-class mare in our broodmare band.” - Michael Smith
And all the more exciting is the news that Princess Grace has tested in foal to I Am Invincible.
Princess Grace is a daughter of the Niarchos family's triple Group 1 winner Karakontie (USA) who took out the Prix Jean-Luc Lagardere, the French 2000 Guineas and the Breeders Cup Mile. Her dam Masquerade (USA) (Silent Name {Jpn}), a bargain Fasig-Tipton October Yearling Sale purchase at just US$15,000 (AU$22,800) won six races and was stakes placed twice.
A descendant of the legendary matriarch La Troienne (Fr) (Teddy {Fr}), she is also the dam of the two-time Group 1-placed G3 Monmouth S. winner Catnip (USA) (Kitten's Joy {USA}).
