Bellevue Hill, who raced with distinction in the Aquis colours during a short but successful seven-start racing career, which included a win in the G3 Baillieu S., will debut at $11,000 (inc GST) in the competitive New South Wales marketplace.

He joins another son of Pierro, the Group 1-winning sprinter Pierata, as a first-season offering for Aquis at Murrurundi, along with a roster that also contains a host of other young stallions in Divine Prophet, Invader, Brave Smash (Jpn), Santos, Spieth (NZ) and Jukebox.

Aquis CEO Tony Williams said that the huge level of interest breeders had already shown in Pierata demonstrated the appeal of the Pierro sireline and the burgeoning three-state operation were excited to have another of his sons on offer this season.

"At this stage, we have the only two sons of Pierro at stud. Pierata has been unbelievably well accepted by the marketplace and he will cover a really good book of mares, and to be able to offer a second son of Pierro at a really affordable price to the marketplace, it's a real feather in our cap," Williams said.

"With a lot of uncertainty out there in the market because of everything to do with COVID-19, We thought it was a good opportunity have Bellevue Hill to run off Pierata. Pierata is certainly our highlight horse and we are hanging our hat off him in the Hunter Valley.

"To have a second son of Pierro who has a lot of quality and there's a lot of things to like about him, he ticks a lot of boxes for us. When he walks out of that barn, he will not be out of place."

Bred by Aquis, Bellevue Hill was a $400,000 purchase from its draft at the 2018 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale for a syndicate of owners headed by co-trainer Gai Waterhouse, Blue Sky Bloodstock, Rifa Mustang and Raffles Racing.

Aquis had purchased his dam, Bellevue Girl (Exceed And Excel), the sister to Group 3-winner Sugar Babe out of G2 Surround S. winner On Type (Zeditave), for $200,000 in foal to Pierro at the 2016 Magic Millions Broodmare Sale.

Williams said Bellevue Hill always appealed as not only having the right pedigree for a stallion prospect, but also the right physical characteristics.

"He's a very nice type. He's a little different to Pierata. He's got a little bit more 2-year-old style about him and a bit more of the Exceed And Excel coming through," he said.

"He's a very fast 2-year-old. He won the Black Opal Preview over 1000 metres in 57.15 seconds and really won that well. He was then second to Yes Yes Yes, who went on to win The Everest, and it was a good second in the Todman, that was a seriously good race. Then he came out and won the Group 3 there and beat Strasbourg, who has gone to stud, and some other good horses."

Having been unable to find his best as a 3-year-old, Bellevue Hill was retired and his ownership group, as well as a host of others, were willing to support him in launching his breeding career in the Hunter Valley.

Rifa Mustang, Mystery Downs, Belsin Thoroughbreds, Raffles, David Rothwell, Will Manning, G1G Racing and Kate Waterhouse are among those owners who will support him, while Aquis will also offer lifetime breeding rights.

"With a horse like this, to be able to get more clients into them who can share in the success of them long-term, it's good for the farm to develop those partnerships and create goodwill," Williams said.

The Pierro factor

As a sire at Coolmore, Pierro has gone from strength to strength and off the back of Group 1 winners such as Regal Power and Shadow Hero this season, he is sitting a clear second in the Australian Sires' Table, behind reigning three-time champion Snitzel.

The son of Lonhro descends from a long line of elite stallions going back to his great-great grandsire Sir Tristram (Ire) and with Bellevue Hill's dam bringing in Danehill-blood through her sire Exceed And Excel, it combines two of Australasia's great bloodlines of the past 50 years.

"The Sir Tristram sireline right down through Zabeel, Octagonal, Lonhro and Pierro, when you look at it, it has been a middle distance to staying sireline, but at Aquis we have got two sons of Pierro, one who was a Group winning 2-year-old and the other a genuine Group 1 sprinting older horse," he said.

"We’ve got the speed out of that sideline standing at Aquis and I think it offers every breeder in the country good options."

Aquis' three-state roster now stands at 19 horses, with 16 of them having yet had runners to the track, and six of them serving their first seasons in 2020.

Williams is confident that in a competitive market, each of them will get their chance to shine.

"I think we offer stallions at every level of the marketplace, from a varying list of sirelines and race records to suit all breeders. I think we can tailor a package of stallion nominations to service any breeder and their mares," he said.

The COVID-19 shutdown may have delayed the National Sale from its usually early June timeslot on the calendar but vendors have thrown their support behind the catalogue for the two-day format on Monday, July 27 and Tuesday, July 28.

"Obviously, it's a very important sale for our vendors, given its our last yearling sale for the year and a lot of yearlings get earmarked for it from an early date, given they need time to be at their best. They see this as a sale which creates a lot of interest for these types of horses," Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch told TDN AusNZ.

The catalogue is around 20 per cent smaller in terms of volume than the 2019 sale which saw over $13.8 million traded over the two days, but Bowditch feels with supplementary entries still open until July 6, the amount of horses available is well-suited to the current market.

"The numbers, in my mind, are around the ideal number for this particular sale in these particular times. We will be exposing these horses, potentially, to a lot of Asian-based clientele. It tends to be a sale which creates a lot of interest for them," he said .

"We will be ensuring they have all the information they need to do their work and due diligence. It will also be great to have as many of the key trainers and key agents in Australia here, because it's a sale not only where quality horses can be found, but you can buy a horse at a value price."

The catalogue not only contains yearlings by star local stallions of past and present in Redoute's Choice, I Am Invincible, Fastnet Rock, Snitzel, Savabeel, Not A Single Doubt, Written Tycoon, Zoustar and Pierro, but also lots by international stars Galileo (Ire) and Siyouni (Fr).

Arrowfield Stud's draft of 15 includes Lot 1255, a colt by Siyouni out of imported mare Minamya (Fr) (Makfi {GB}), from the extended family of multiple Group 1-winner Manighar (Fr) (Linamix {Fr}), while Coolmore Stud's draft of nine contains Lot 1423, a colt by Galileo out of Cape Jasmine (Ire) (Danehill {USA}), who is a daughter of champion Italian filly Oumaldaaya (USA) (Nureyev {USA}).

Coolmore's draft is heavily influenced by leading first-season sire Pride Of Dubai, who has four in its draft and eight overall in the Sale.

Coolmore's American Pharoah (USA), the most in-demand freshman sire of the Australasian sales season, has five of his first crop catalogued, while there are nine by fellow high-profile freshman sire Capitalist, who stands at Newgate.

"You only have to flick through the catalogue to see the sires that are on offer. The strength of the catalogue is very good. The vendors have supported this sale like they have in recent years," Bowditch said.

"Last year was a huge sale for us and this year, without everything that has happened, it would have gone to another level. With the restrictions that we have, and the delay because of COVID-19, to still have the quality of horses we have, we are very excited for it."

Group 1 pedigrees abound

There are also lots by Group 1-winning mares, including Lot 1418, a filly by Maurice (Jpn) out of Brazilian Pulse (NZ) (Captain Rio {GB}), Lot 1443, a colt by Flying Artie out of Dizelle (Zabeel {NZ}), Lot 1557, a colt by More Than Ready (USA) out of Hasna (Snippets) and Lot 1276, a filly by Snitzel out of National Colour (SAF) (National Assembly {Can}).

Also from mares with Group 1s on their resume are Lot 1287, a colt by All Too Hard out of Our Egyptian Raine (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}), a filly, Lot 1367 by Pride Of Dubai out of Universal Queen (NZ) (Scenic {Ire}) and Lot 1330, a colt by I Am Invincible out of Serious Speed (Royal Academy {USA}).

While the pedigrees stack up well, Bowditch also believes that those looking for trading opportunities, such as the one realised last year when a No Nay Never (USA) colt was purchased for $90,000 at the National Sale and then sold for $525,000 four months later at the Gold coast 2YOs in Training Sale, will be well served in what could be a reserved marketplace.

"There's no question we will be dealing with a stilted market. And with that comes huge opportunity and anyone out there who is looking to buy, for whatever reasons, whether it be to trade through trials, to trade through 2-year-old sales, to race or whatever, this is a sale where you are buying a premium product, They are a well-bred product, that can go on and do a job for you," he said.

Bowditch also expects the market to respond well to the opportunity to get back to buying horses through public auction, something that has not been possible in the past few months because of biosecurity protocols in place around COVID-19.

"Public auction works best and there is no question that is the case. We will do our best to run it to the highest level we can," he said.

External factors in the economy make it hard to say how the sale will progress, but Bowditch feels that presents a terrific final opportunity to buy into the current crop of yearlings.

"For anyone in the market for a yearling, and anyone looking to play in this market, there has never been a better opportunity to do so," Bowditch said.

"Obviously the market is going to be in your favour and you are buying some extremely well prepared, well-bred and well-conformed horses that you can go on and do anything with."

Cover image courtesy of Makybe Racing

Jolly Banner, who won one race under the name Wonder Kid in Australia, is now eight and is a multiple Group winner in Hong Kong after his most recent success in the G3 Premier Cup for trainer Ricky Yiu .

He is one of three stakes winners from Valkyrie Diva, alongside half-siblings Wales (Redoute's Choice) and C'est Beau La Vie (Bernardini {USA}), with all six foals to the track from the mare having been winners.

Her half-sister Makybe Diva's (GB) (Desert King {Ire}) breeding career was never going to reach the heights of her extraordinary feats on the racetrack, and while she has produced a respectable five winners from her eight to the track, her best performed has been the stakes-placed Divanation (All Too Hard).

While there is no doubt on whose name adorns the front gates at Tony Santic's Makybe Stud outside of Geelong, Stud Manager Joe Murray is full of praise for what Valkyrie Diva has been able to achieve from the breeding barn.

"She's brilliant and she probably puts her older sister to shame when it comes to being a broodmare," Murray told TDN AusNZ.

"She has always flown the flag with everything she has thrown. They have all gone out and won, which is a credit to her. She's so often referred to as Makybe's sister, but in her own right, she has been one of the better broodmares we have had here for sure."

Valkyrie Diva was the second Australian-bred foal from Tugela (USA) (Riverman {USA}), and produced an impressive four stakes winners, with the two Divas joined by Musket (Redoute's Choice) and La Amistad (Redoute's Choice) with black type.

After a successful racing career which featured eight victories including a Group 3 win under Lee Freedman's eye, she retired to the Makybe broodmare band. With her first two pregnancies, she produced two colts by Redoute's Choice, Compass and Wales, both of which proved very popular at the yearling sales, with the first fetching $600,000 and the second $310,000.

Her third foal, Jolly Banner, was purchased by Yiu as a yearling for $300,000, while the fillies C'est Beau La Vie and Kentucky Diva (Fastnet Rock) were also popular in the ring and successful on the track.

Leaving her own legacy

Having built quite a legacy in her own right, the mare has earned pride of place at Makybe Stud and some deserved special treatment, away from her sister, who she has been a companion to for the past few years.

"She's easy as to deal with. She's as gentle as anything in the paddock. She is probably a little too soft. She's an old mare and you can’t throw her in the big herd anymore. You have to look after her, but she has done very well and she looks great," Murray said.

While Makybe Diva's breeding career was called to a close after she delivered a More Than Ready (USA) filly last year, Valkyrie Diva's life as a broodmare continues and she is successfully in foal to Widden Stud's Zoustar, having had a year off last season.

"She went in foal nice and early. We gave her the year off, the year before, because the Snitzel was a late foal. She'll probably head up to Coolmore to foal down and we haven't locked anything in for her yet," he said.

"She may go to one of the up-and-coming stallions because she can probably choose where she can go now."

Valkyrie Diva's Snitzel yearling filly was passed in short of her $400,000 reserve at this year's Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale and will be retained to race in the famous Makybe silks.

"She'll be broken in next week. She had a little accident on the truck on the way back from the sales but she is as good as gold now. She will head to the breaker next week and we will retain her and race her unless somebody offers something for her in the meantime," Murray said.

Makybe also has the 4-year-old daughter by Starspangledbanner called Last Bling, who has won one of her seven starts and could well be joining her mother in the broodmare paddock this spring.

"We will see how she goes in her next race. She has had a bit of an interrupted campaign. She had an abscess and then the tracks haven’t suited her. At the moment, we'd love to keep racing her, but we will make a call on where we go with her from there," Murray said.

The last Diva

As for the final foal from the legendary mare herself, Murray said the More Than Ready filly is progressing well. She will be kept to race and breed from by Santic, but will be given plenty of time.

"She's as good as gold, plenty of personality and she bucks and kicks around with the other foals. She's in a mob of five fillies and she's definitely the head honcho there," he said.

"She's probably got more spunk and more of her mother in her than any of the other ones I have dealt with.

"She's is happy as anything. She is growing well and she won't be an early type, given her breeding, if she sees the track as a 3-year-old that will be the earliest we probably see of her."

Makybe Diva herself is settling into her post-breeding life well, enjoying retirement with the help of the occasional treats from her adoring owner.

"She's still running around with the pregnant ladies, getting well looked after. The last foal took a lot out of her and that's why Tony decided to pull the pin on her as a broodmare. We’ll look after her now. Tony was down there giving her a bag of apples a few hours ago," Murray said.

"She has a few quirks about her. She will pick one other horse to be friends with and it's all about that. She tends to single out one. It used to be herself and Valkyrie, but they are in separate paddocks at the moment. She’ll pick one buddy in the paddock and that's her thing."