The Group 1 winning horseman enjoyed a lengthy and successful career at Randwick and a six-year stint in Hong Kong before he retired in 1996.
Begg, 89, has also always had an interest in breeding and in more recent times that has fostered his familiarity with online bidding and he made another successful play on the keyboard on the opening day of the virtual Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
He secured the Valiant Stud-offered Lot 249, a Vancouver filly out of the winning More Than Ready (USA) mare Toyshop from the potent stakes-winning Denise’s Joy (Seventh Hussar {Fr}) family for $80,000.
Toyshop is a three-quarter sister to the eight-time Group 1-winning mare More Joyous.
Lot 249 - Vancouver x Toyshop (filly)
“She’s got a pedigree and Vancouver has taken a little bit of time to get going, but I am sure he is going to prove himself in the long run,” Begg said.
“I had somebody inspect her for me. She’s a little bit immature and wants a bit of time, which we’re going to give her before she gets broken in.
“She’s a little bit immature and wants a bit of time, which we’re going to give her before she gets broken in.” – Neville Begg
“I valued her about that price and thought she would bring between $60,000 and $80,000 so I was happy.”
“I thought the sale was strong and anything that looked promising with a worthwhile pedigree brought plenty of money.”
He was also in action on the closing day of the sale and went to $250,000 to secure Lot 488, Valiant Stud’s daughter of Savabeel and the G3 Gold Trail S. winner Honey Rider (Pins), who is from the family of Viewed (Scenic {Ire}), Group 1 winner of the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.
Lot 488 - Savabeel x Honey Rider (NZ) (filly)
Begg is no stranger to purchasing online and was sparked on the retirement of his former champion 2-year-old colt and Group 1 winner Written By, who now stands at Widden Stud.
“I’ve bought a few mares online over the last 12 months because I’ve got Written By and bought a few mares to go to him,” he said.
The Savabeel filly purchased on Wednesday was bought for a dual purpose, initially a racing career and longer-term is seen as an ideal match for Written By.
“I had my eye on her - she’s out of a Pins mare. Written By has a half-sister to Pins (Moral) in his family and I try and breed to family crosses in the pedigree,” Begg said.
Written By | Standing at Widden Stud
Written By was bred and raced by Begg and trained by his son Grahame to win the G1 Blue Diamond S. and was also successful three times at Group 3 level and finished fourth in the G1 Golden Slipper S.
“We won some really nice races with him, he was a very smart colt. I sent five mares of my own to him.”
“We won some really nice races with him, he was a very smart colt. I sent five mares of my own to him.” – Neville Begg
The chestnut son of Written Tycoon won six of his 11 starts before retirement and stood his first season at Widden Stud in 2019 with Begg remaining involved in the ownership.
Begg purchased Written By’s winning dam Yau Chin (Tobougg {Ire}) for $3000 at the Inglis Scone Yearling Sale and is continuing to breed from her.
“She’s got a yearling filly by Zoustar and she’s back in foal to Zoustar. I trained for quite a long time and always had a mare on and off over the years,” he said.
“I’ve always been fortunate enough to breed a few and I’ve bought a couple of yearlings this year. I bought a Lonhro colt out of a Commands mare with a triple cross of Eight Carat in him.”
Lonhro x Maiya Nova (colt)
A $65,000 Inglis Premier Sale purchase out of Northmore Thoroughbreds’ draft, the youngster is a son of Maiya Nova, who was unraced, and a family Begg knows intimately.
“I ended up with a lovely mare called Great Klaire, who is a half-sister to Eight Carat, when I was training. Dominic Beirne, Colin Tidy and myself bought her and we bred her to Bletchingly a few times,” he said.
“We sent her over to New Zealand to Star Way and we bred a very good horse called Telesto, who won a couple of Group 1s, another one was Fraternity, who won the G1 Spring Champion S. and a little mare called Bonanova.”
Bonanova won the G1 Emirates S., was a Group 2 winner and was successful three times at Group 3 level and is the grand-dam of the Lonhro colt.
Mildred stars
Begg’s eye for a young horse has again been emphasised this season by the 2-year-old Mildred (Hinchinbrook), also prepared by Grahame to win the G3 Chairman’s S. and the Listed Maribyrnong Trial S.
She was bought out of Middlebrook Valley Lodge’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale draft for $45,000 and has already won more than $280,000.
Mildred
Begg was inducted into Australia’s Thoroughbred Hall of Fame in 2016 after a racing career that began in 1945 when he started working as a stable boy for Maurice McCarten at Randwick.
He spent 22 years with McCarten and served as his stable foreman for a decade before establishing his own stable in 1967. In the ensuing years, he won 139 stakes races and 39 Group 1s, six of those with champion mare Emancipation (Bletchingly).
Other notable Group 1 winners for Begg included Dark Eclipse (Baguette), Divide And Rule (NZ) (Alcimedes {GB}), November Rain (Estaminet {GB}), Veloso (NZ) (Zamazaan {Fr}), Dalmacia (NZ) (Sir Tristram {Ire}) and Heat Of The Moment (Blazing Saddles).
“You need luck and you don’t get very far without it, no matter what business you’re in,” the widely respected and affable Begg said.
Carmel Size and Neville Begg
