Bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds, Wodeton's stunning 3.9l win on Saturday compelled bookmakers to elevate him to a clear and outright favourite for the G1 Golden Slipper at $5, with no other runner featuring in single figures.
Segenhoe Stud’s General manager Peter O’Brien - who sold the colt on behalf of his breeder, Fairway Thoroughbreds, for $1.6 million at the 2024 Magic Millions Yearling Sale, believes it was the win of an extremely special horse.
“It was as good a performance by a 2-year-old, first time out that I’ve seen in a long while,” O’Brien said.
“It was as good a performance by a 2-year-old, first time out that I’ve seen in a long while.” - Peter O’Brien.
“I love his whole demeanour in the parade ring. He was like a 4-year-old. Even with the delay he was so calm. And despite missing the start a bit he just handled it like a total professional. The turn of foot was electric and obviously listening to J-Mac, he said, wait till he gets on good ground. It was a pretty special performance."
“I was just looking at the paper today and he’s on the front page of the sport section with the Fairway brand on him. I was talking to John Camilleri, and I said, well we know that last one that Chris Waller had with that brand on was pretty good – Winx. And then John obviously bred Zarastro who won at the Gold Coast on Friday night. He continues to be one of the best, if not the best, breeders in the country.”
While many people expected Wodeton to win, not many could have imagined he would do so such a devastating manner. However, O’Brien insists he knew he would.
“I expected him to win like that,” O’Brien said.
“I heard directly from the lads at Coolmore all along, even from the moment he was broken in, the breaker picked him out as his best. I spoke to Chris Waller at the sales, and Chris is a very understated person, and you could just hear it in his voice what he thought of this horse.”
Could Wootton Bassett be the next Danehill?
What O’Brien did not expect however, was the impact that Wodeton’s sire Wootton Bassett (GB) would have on Australian racing in such a short amount of time.
“Wootton Bassett is unbelievable,” he said.
“I’m old enough to remember when Danehill had his first runners, and I haven’t seen a stallion since him to start off like it. You never know with shuttle stallions, what works here and what doesn’t and it’s very rare that you get a stallion that works in both hemispheres and obviously he does. He’s got three of the top five in the Golden Slipper market which is unbelievable. As breeders, we are just saying all our prayers that he comes back!”
Wootton Bassett
Despite his exuberant sale price and immense talent, O’Brien shared it wasn’t always obvious Wodeton was going to be Segenhoe’s next rising star.
“To be honest he wasn’t always a standout,” he said.
“He was a huge foal. He was 70kg and the average weight for a foal is 53kg. He was quite contracted through his tendons and he had a few developmental issues early. It was only when he got to 3 or 4-months of age, when all his tendons relaxed and then you could see his action. That’s when we realised he was a good looker.”
Brand with a sale premium
Segenhoe Stud has a well-established reputation for success and recently achieved remarkable results at the Gold Coast Magic Millions, where they sold 32 yearlings for an impressive total of $14.69 million, including a top lot that fetched $2.3 million.
It’s a stud the commands a premium, however sale prices are assessed on market value, and it's clear the history of proven results on the track at an incredible strike rate is weighted accordingly. Segenhoe ranks amongst the most elite vendors this season, offering the likes of Pride Of Jenni (Pride of Dubai), I Am Me (I Am Invincible), Joliestar (Zoustar), Eagle Nest (Shalaa {Ire}), Airman (I Am Invincible), and Jasmine Rouge (Dundeel {NZ}) in recent times.
The Segenhoe team with the $2.3 million sister to In Secret at Magic Millions | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“A lot of trainers were joking at the sales that they have to pay a ‘Segenhoe tax’ but that is relevant to the success of our horses on the track,” O’Brien said.
“A lot of trainers were joking at the sales that they have to pay a ‘Segenhoe tax’ but that is relevant to the success of our horses on the track,” Peter O’Brien.
“No one remembers your sales average or sales topper but it is once they hit the dance floor, that’s what it’s all about.
“We’re the leading farm in Australia for the percentage of stakes performers of horse through the ring. Through the Magic Millions, one in five of our horses through have been stakes performers.
“But, you can’t look backwards, you’ve got to look forwards and this crop of 2-year-olds looks like it could be the best crop of 2-year-olds we have ever reared. It’s incredibly exciting.”
Perhaps Segenhoe's best 2-year-old crop yet
It has been an amazing start to the season for Segenhoe’s 2-year-old crop, headlined by Wodeton, and according to O’Brien some of the best are still to come.
“We’ve had four 2-year-old winners in the last 3 weeks off the farm, including Cherish Me which is second favourite, behind Wodeton, for the Blue Diamond,” O’Brien said.
Cherish Me (Brazen Beau), debut winner at Geelong | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“United States is trialling Friday and Fermoy has already run and I know Chris has huge opinion of both of them and they were both high-priced yearlings - both bought by Coolmore. Coolmore have been really good supporters of ours and that’s even more satisfying for me having worked there so long."
“Kerber, In Secret’s full-sister, Ciaron Maher thinks she is very good. Hillier, Pretty In Pink’s son, looks smart and Ciaron also has an opinion of Ripley."
“So, if all the dice fell as we hoped we could end up with six or seven runners off the farm in the Golden Slipper. Obviously, that probably won’t happen, but you can only dream!”
O’Brien is particularly excited about the imminent debut of Ripley (Too Darn Hot {GB}), who was reared at Segenhoe before being sold as weanling at the 2023 Gold Coast National Weanling Sale for $100,000 to Redbank North as a pinhook. Redbank North then on-sold him as a yearling at the Magic Millions for $625,000 to Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and David Redvers Bloodstock.
The son of Too Darn Hot (GB) reportedly has plenty of ability and also intriguingly shared a remarkably strong bond with Wodeton, which O’Brien posted online via a tweet.
“From the moment they were three weeks of age they (Wodeton and Ripley) were inseparable,” O’Brien said.
“From the moment they were three weeks of age they (Wodeton and Ripley) were inseparable.” - Peter O’Brien
“You’d go to the field and even at a month of age were just glued together. If you saw the video, you’d have seen they would sleep beside each other all the time. When they got weaned, they just stayed together like best mates and they are actually related, they’re cousins in blood.
“They were heading Ripley towards the Breeders Plate but I believe he went shinny and didn’t run. David Redvers, who is in the ownership, was telling me at the sale they have a huge opinion of him. I think they were hoping he’d run in the next few weeks.
“I joked to someone, imagine if they came first and second in (Golden) Slipper – they would just spend the whole race together!”
Highlights in their Inglis Easter draft
Segenhoe will now head towards The Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale full of confidence.
“All the Easter Yearlings just came in to start their prep last Thursday,” O’Brien said.
“We have 17 yearlings for Easter from memory. We have a very, very good Street Boss colt out of Total Attraction, who is half to Yoshinobu and Pretty in Pink as well as some outstanding Vinnies and Snitzels."
“The one I’m most excited about though is the Snitzel colt out of La Mexicana. I think he’s special. He’s got the greatest action you’ve ever seen in your life and he’s built like a 2-year-old already. But it’s his action – when you see him in the field, he doesn’t touch the ground.”
Last year Segenhoe sold 17 yearlings at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for an average of $528,000.
