Weanling focus working well for Phoenix

Cover image courtesy of Phoenix Broodmare Farm

Phoenix principals Damian Gleeson and Deb Gifford changed tack in 2016 and moved out of the yearling business to concentrate on the weanling market. They have steadily increased their involvement with a consignment of 13 to offer on July 30-31.

The boutique farm made a quiet entry into the Gold Coast weanling sale in 2018 with a top price of $42,500 for a Sizzling filly and 12 months ago presented seven lots with a son of Shalaa (Ire) topping the bill when knocked down for $125,000.

“We made a decision four years ago to get out of selling yearlings and more into selling weanlings. It wasn’t just a business decision, but a lifestyle decision as well,” Gleeson said.

“Deb and I are both in our mid-50s and we wanted a change. Deb’s not very tall, and as she says, 'the horses are getting bigger and I’m staying the same size. '

“We’ve sold for the last two years at Magics and prior to that we sold at Melbourne. Coming to Magics is a lifestyle change, it’s nicer up here than trying to sell in June in Melbourne when it’s freezing cold.”

Phoenix’s draft this week features a strong representation of first-season sires and dominated by youngsters owned by the principals of the nursery, a 380-acre property located about 10km north of Euroa.

“We’ve got a sprinkling by sires doing the job as well and we’ve got two client horses and those people are actually helping us out staff-wise,” Gleeson said.

“They’ve got the Astern and the Hallowed Crown and then all the other horses belong to Deb and I, we’re partners in the farm and the horses.

“We’re fairly careful in our selection and budget plays a big part in it. We’re not at the top level and we have to be competitive because they are all our own horses.

“We select horses that we think can fit our economic situation and our outlook on what we want to do.”

Headline youngsters

Of the proven sires represented in the draft, Gleeson singled out a son of Dundeel (NZ) while a colt by Pariah is a favourite among the new stallions represented.

“The Dundeel is a lovely colt, he’s a very nice horse who has been very popular and he’s a good-walking horse,” he said.

“The Pariah is another lovely horse and we targeted Pariah, particularly with a Magic Albert mare, and it’s the right cross and we’re getting very positive feedback from him,” he said.

Lot 865 is the Dundeel colt, who is out of the Testa Rossa mare Marquise Da Rossa, a three-quarter sister to Elmore, who won eight times and was stakes-placed.

It is the family of the G1 Golden Slipper S. winner and successful sire Marauding and his stakes-winning half-brother and sire Springsteen. The G1 Myer Classic and G1 Doncaster H. winner Sacred Choice (Choisir) also features further back in the pedigree.

The son of Pariah will be offered as Lot 813 and is out of Happy Highway (Magic Albert), successful on three occasions, and a half-sister to Not A Happy Camper (Not A Single Doubt), the Group 3-performed winner of three races.

Another Golden Slipper winner in Mossfun (Mossman) also appears on this colt’s pedigree page.

Phoenix will also put forward weanlings by other first-season sires in Invader (Lot 849), Impending (Lot 869), Hellbent (Lot 954) and Tosen Stardom (Jpn) (Lot 1098).

Job expertly done

Gleeson was full of praise for Magic Millions’ determination to stage a live show and for its support of Phoenix.

“Thankfully, we’ve made the right decision this year by sticking with Magics and we were always determined to get here and they were very pro-active that they would have a live sale,” he said.

“They’ve done an amazing job and we continue to support them and they continue to support us."

The vibe around the Gold Coast complex was encouraging pre-sale, and the outstanding opening session of the National Broodmare Sale had served to further lift spirits for the rest of the series.

“After Monday, everybody is up and about again and you wouldn’t know there’s anything else going on in the outside world,” Gleeson said.