Anderson withdrew Elite Street (Lot 58) from the premier book of the 2018 Magic Millions Perth Sale when a scan of the colt revealed a bone-chip in the offside knee, and a dent from where the bone had chipped off, plus sclerosis to the dorsal radial carpal bone in both front legs.

“The x-rays were rated as a moderate to high risk for racing and that was not up to our minimum standard,” Anderson said.

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2020 Arqana Breeding Stock Sale: Wertheimer & Frère

Vets removed the bone chip and Anderson gave Elite Street a year to mature in the spelling paddock at the family’s Anita Vale Stud at Mardella.

Anderson was left lamenting again at Elite Street’s debut, when he pulled up with soreness in his front legs, after running fourth in a 1000 metre 3YO Plate, at Ascot on November 30 last year.

“He chipped both knees in running and still ran fourth which was a tremendous effort,” Anderson said.

Anderson read the vet’s report: “Radiographic examination of the right knee revealed a small bone chip off the radial carpal bone and the middle carpal joint, which accounts for the swelling and lameness observed, when trotting up the horse.

“Radiographs of the left knee revealed a large non-displaced bone fragment off the distal dorsal radial carpal bone, which accounts for the swelling in the left middle carpal bone.

Anderson added: “He went back to have further surgery.

“All of those issues were fixed by the Ascot Equine vets, who did a great job. He then went back to the spelling paddock to be managed for another extended period.

“He had his first start at Pinjarra, where he started an odds-on favourite - I think because of the way he looked - and faded to run fourth in a maiden on May 30.

“A vet examination of the horse revealed he had a lung infection, so it was back to the paddock for another short break.

“From that day on his hasn’t missed a beat.”

Hasn't missed a beat

The 4-year-old has won at four (Belmont Park (twice) and Ascot) of his past five starts, his only defeat coming when he was first past the post, but was disqualified after he was found to have the prohibited substance Heptaminol in his system, at Belmont on July 29.

Elite Street was sent for a short spell and has won impressively at his past two starts at Ascot.

Anderson shares ownership in Elite Street with long-time friends and trainer Len and Annette Morton – the parents of the gelding’s trainer Dan.

Dan Morton trained a descendant of one of Anderson’s early mares Sheltering (Valley Forge), Scenic Shot (Scenic {Ire}) to win the G1 Mackinnon S. and Doomben Cup (twice).

Len oversaw Scenic Shot’s preparation when he won his first Doomben Cup (2009) and the Mackinnon S., with Dan abroad with Scenic Blast (Scenic {Ire}), who won the G1 King’s Stand at the Queen’s Royal Ascot in June, 2009.

Scenic Shot won $3.12 million in stakes from his 17 wins and 16 placings at 74 starts.

Anita Vale also bred the Group 1-winning mare Ancient Song (Canny Lad). Ancient Song won the G1 Salinger S. at Flemington and was runner-up in the G1 Oakleigh Plate at Caulfield in the 2003/04 season.

The Mortons also trained other relatives with Len preparing Flight Path (Bletchley Park {Ire}), who was Group 3-placed in the WA Champion Fillies’ S. and Dan training London Line (Blackfriars), who won the Listed Supremacy S. and Fairetha S., before being sold to Hong Kong.

Line Of Flight (Bletchley Park), an unraced half-sister to Scenic Shot, produced Sky Rumba (Shrewd Rhythm), the dam of the G3 Red Anchor S. winner, Portland Sky (Deep Field), at Moonee Valley on October 24. (The Andersons have Line Of Flight at their home in Mardella).

Portland Sky was sold for $85,000 to Victorian trainer Matt Laurie at the Magic Millions Perth Sale.

“We are lucky to have Len and Annette Morton join in a racing partnership with us in Elite Street,” Anderson, a former QC and Supreme Court judge, said.

“We wanted someone to share the risks and the costs and they were more than happy to do that.

“So we are in a fifty-fifty racing partnership, with Len as the manager.”

Anderson purchased Elite Street’s dam Elite Ateates (Exceed And Excel) in Victoria.

Elite Ateates produced a colt by Nicconi, who sold to trainer Tony McEvoy and Wayne Mitchell, for $160,000 at last February’s Magic Millions Perth Sale.

A colt from Sky Rumba by Blackfriars was sold to leading Perth trainer Simon Miller for $170,000 at the same Sale.

Leading bloodstock agent Damon Gabbedy sourced Elite Ateates for Anderson who paid $65,000 for the mare.

An adamant purchase

“I paid more than I wanted to for her,” Anderson said. "Ann (wife) and I were adamant we wanted to buy the mare. She also has produced Sixtyfourth Street, who is showing some ability.

“Elite Ateates is with Michael Flannery at Springmount Farm in Victoria.

“She spent some time in the Hunter Valley, but we wanted to use Spendthrift Farm’s stallion Omaha Beach this year.

“We sent her down to Michael in foal to Written By. She has foaled to Written By, and we haven’t seen her because of COVID-19, but in the photographs she looks fine.

“Elite Ateates is now in foal to Omaha Beach and also has a yearling by Dundeel. That filly is here, with us, and we are keeping her. She is different from Elite Street, who is a big strong fellow.

“As you would expect from the Dundeels she is immature and needs to stay here for a year or two.”

Barrier no issue

Anderson believes barrier 12 should not prove too much of an obstacle to Elite Street’s chances in the Winterbottom, because of his racing pattern of sitting back and flourishing home.

Multiple Group 1-winning Victorian rider Brad Rawiller, who has recently relocated to WA, is Elite Street’s new rider.

“The way the field has drawn, it (gate) should not disadvantage him too much,” Anderson said.

“We have three nice horses just inside us and a couple with speed on our outside. It should work out all right, given a fair share of luck.”

Anderson’s daughter Kyffin and her partner Simon Smell bought a daughter of Line In Flight called Sembello (Reliable Man {GB}) to continue the family tradition.

“Sembello was sold at the Karaka Sale to Victorian trainer Wendy Kelly,” Anderson said. “She suffered an injury to her hind leg and has quite a pronounced lower near-joint.

“They decided to move her on and my daughter and Simon were keen for us to buy her back, because of the wonderful broodmare line she possesses, but Ann and I stood firm, as we did not want another broodmare.

“They snuck a bid in for her and got her. She is here in the paddock now. Kyffin is a vet nurse for the Lark Hill Vet and does all of our horse work.”

Dan will be out to emulate his father in Saturday’s Winterbottom. Len won the weight-for-age feature with Bradson (Serheed {USA}) in 1998.

The rivals

Godolphin’s trainer James Cummings will be keen to keep the dominance of interstate stables in the Winterbottom, saddling dual Group 1 winner and favourite Trekking (Street Cry {Ire}).

Interstate sprinters Buffering (Mossman) (2015), Takedown (Stratum) (2016), Viddora (I Am Invincible) (2016), Voodoo Lad (I Am Invincible) (2018) and Hey Doc (Duporth) (2019) have won the past five editions.

Last week’s Railway S.-winning jockey William Pike rides Trekking for the first time on Saturday.

Trekking has not raced since finishing second to Hey Doc in the G1 Manikato S. at Moonee Valley, on October 23. The 6 year-old was the $2.90 favourite, when running fourth in last year’s Winterbottom.

Cummings sent Trekking to Perth with Kementari (Lonhro), who ran eighth in last week’s Railway S., early to acclimatise.

Pike was happy to take a back seat on Trekking, before cruising past his rivals and winning by a comfortable 0.5l in last Monday’s 1000 metre Ascot barrier trial.

Cummings is seventh, behind Chris Waller, on 51 wins and over $14 million in stakes earned, on the trainers’ title for the 2020/21.

Outstanding 4 year-old Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) claimed Cummings’ only Group 1 scalp so far this season, with his brilliant win in the VRC Sprint, at Flemington on November 7.

Stable representative Nacim Dilmi believes Trekking is on target for the Winterbottom.

“He’s pulled very well from his trial and he’s going really well into Saturday,” Dilmi said.

“Five weeks between runs is something the stable does quite often. We didn’t want him going into the Winterbottom too fresh and going to Ascot to trial topped him off nicely.

“He has had a nice prep between Sydney and Melbourne and here. There are no other interstate horses here this year, but the locals are there on their home turf.

“He’s had a great prep running in The Everest (fourth) and two runs in Melbourne. I am very confident for Saturday.”

Trekking has drawn gate 11.

The lightly-tried Through The Cracks continues to repay Davies’ kindness and patience and on Saturday will step out for the sternest test of his career when he runs in the G3 Fujitsu General Festival S.

The gelding has won seven of his 15 starts, including last season’s Provincial Championship at Randwick, and booked his spot in Saturday’s feature event with a most recent success at Newcastle.

“He is very quirky, but a very nice horse. He refuses to work on his own on the track and have to send him out with a mate,” the Goulburn-based Davies said.

“It doesn’t matter what you do he needs a friend. He is a funny bloke and if you don’t cuddle him he starts rearing up. He’s probably been spoiled to be honest, but he’s worth spoiling that’s for sure.”

Through The Cracks has proved to be a wonderful money-spinner with earnings of more than $530,000 after he was purchased for just $7500.

He was bred by Bell River Thoroughbreds and sold at the Inglis Scone Yearling Sale to Michael Hohos, who remains in the ownership group.

The gelding is out of More Than Acracker (More Than Ready {USA}) and all three of her foals to race have been multiple winners.

“Michael has been a client and a friend for a long time and I’ve won a lot of races with his homebreds as well. I selected this horse and Michael purchased him and we thought we’d throw him out there as a cheap one,” Davies said.

“We sold 10 per cent shares for $750 and he was all sold within an hour of driving out of the Sale yard. Michael is from Sydney and been in racing for many years and given me a lot of opportunities.”

Patient handling

Through The Cracks was never going to be an early runner and has needed to be brought along quietly.

“He was a late foal to start with and just a late-maturing horse and didn’t strengthen up. Every time we put any pressure on him he stopped eating and wasn’t doing well so I kept putting him out and give him a few more months,” Davies said.

“It took a lot longer than we anticipated, but we had to give him the time he needed to mature.”

Through The Cracks is now repaying his connections for their tolerance and will chase a Group victory on Saturday.

“He’s just been super, this year in particular. We didn’t target this race, but it’s interesting how things have fallen into place,” Davies said.

“We always wanted to stretch him out in distance this preparation. His two runs back have been over 1200 and 1300 metres and we tried to sneak him in to The Hunter but failed, but he did win on that day.

“We thought if he had failed there was a perfect race for him next week, as it turned out he won, so we thought we’d have a go at this.

“It is a big step up no doubt and we’re just going there to enjoy the day and enjoy being in a good race. A lot of people who have been in horses all their lives and have never had one entered in a Group race.

“It’s a hard thing to achieve, especially with a cheapie horse, so we’ll see what happens and he doesn’t owe us anything.”

Image courtesy of Tattersalls

Online and in person

Gerard Lowry, of Oneliner Stables, emerged from the cloak of cyber anonymity after the hammer came down at 170,000 gns (AU$326,600) for a January colt by Sea The Stars consigned as Lot 718 by Newsells Park Stud.

“It’s a platform that’s there to be used, and it’s nice to see it succeed,” Lowry reasoned. “It’s an interesting tool and it was good to try it out.”

Lowry, in fairness, has never lacked enterprise; nor its close kin, daring. Two years ago, after all, he went as far as 330,000 gns (AU$634,000) for another son of Sea The Stars at this same auction, and returned for Book 1 of the October Sale in 2019 to sell him to Godolphin for a game-changing 725,000 gns (AU$1.4 million).

Relative to the built-in stud fee, this colt represented a relatively feasible ‘stake.’ He is out of a young Dubawi (Ire) half-sister to three Group 1 winners in Italy.

“Sea The Stars out of a Dubawi mare, he had it on both sides and comes from an outstanding family, with two champions under the second dam,” said Lowry. “He’s a lovely individual, has great movement and was our top pick of the day so we’re delighted to get him. All going well, and with a bit of luck, he’ll be back for Book 1 next year and try to do us proud.”

Julian Dollar, of Newsells, hoped that the result would encourage breeder Graham Smith-Bernal. “He bought the mare with Jill Lamb here three years ago from Kiltinan,” he explained. “She had a very nice Frankel who sold well but sadly, she then had a beautiful Kingman who died as a foal.

“She’s now in foal to New Approach. Mr. Smith-Brunel is a very nice man, new to the industry: he will race a few, wants to do some breeding as well, and has a few mares boarding with us.”

Lowry also took bronze on the podium for the day’s boldest prices, giving 140,000 gns (AU$269,000) for a typically elegant son of Camelot (GB), sold by Belmont Stud as Lot 751. He is out of an Oasis Dream (GB) half-sister to Juliet Foxtrot (GB) (Dansili {GB}), who won a couple of Graded stakes and also made the frame three times at Grade 1 level after export to the US.

“The cross works. Sir Dragonet won the G1 Cox Plate and he’s out of a mare by Oasis Dream, who’s a champion broodmare sire,” Lowry said.

A foal sale, of course, is a real test of confidence in the medium-term viability of the commercial market and business on the second day held up tolerably well, in the circumstances.

Understandably, as so often in the pandemic year, the clearance rate was conspicuously strong, with 84 per cent sent to a new home, up from 79 per cent at the equivalent session last year

From a slightly reduced offering (247 lots into the ring, down from 266), turnover slipped 18 per cent to 7,014,800 gns (AU$13.5 million) from 8,532,700 gns (AU$16.4 million). That yielded an average of 33,888 gns (AU$65,115), down 17 per cent from 40,826 gns (AU$78,450), while the median slipped to 25,000 gns (AU$48,000) from 33,000 gns (AU$63,400).

Hyde backing Saxon Warrior

Among the usual cavalry of new stallions, few appear as eligible as Saxon Warrior (Jpn) to introduce something different into the European breed. The son of Deep Impact (Jpn) will also tick commercial boxes, however, as a Group 1 winner at two and a Classic miler who always travelled so strongly; and, if the development of Lot 603 is any kind of guide, he is also making quite a print on his first foals.

Presented by Highclere Stud on behalf of his breeders Leonidas and Marina Marinopoulos plus partners, he is the third foal of Aktoria (Fr) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), a young mare who won at Listed level in France, and his fifth dam is the remarkable Stilvi (GB) (Derring Do {GB}), a flying filly on the track prior to producing winners of the G1 Irish Derby and G1 Dewhurst S., plus runners-up in both the G1 1000 and G1 2000 Guineas.

The colt gained a precious seal of approval in the signature, on a 160,000 gns (AU$307,440) docket, of Timmy Hyde Snr. of Camas Park Stud, whose seasoned eye later picked out a colt by the same sire, Lot 747, for 100,000 gns (AU$192,150). He was consigned by Glashare House Stud.

“Saxon Warrior was a hell of a racehorse,” Hyde said. “One of the best in many years and this is a lovely individual. We’ll be sending him back to the sales.

“I’m absolutely delighted for the breeders,” said Lady Carolyn Warren of Highclere. “They have been in the game a long time, and lovely people as well. Our horses live with them, when they go to French stallions, and we sell their yearlings over here.

“This is a gorgeous horse, with a great temperament, who was very popular down in the yard and what a lovely example of how lovely Saxon Warrior’s stock are. He’s a real credit to his sire.”

Cigars on Havana Grey

A rookie with a rather different profile is Havana Grey (GB), sent to market as a straight-down-the-middle conduit of commercial speed. There is no shortage of that around, of course, so Ed Harper of Whitsbury Manor Stud was palpably moved to see Lot 741, a February colt out of a mare by the farm’s stalwart Compton Place (GB), hit the ball out of the ground with a 130,000 gns (AU$250,000) sale to Harry Sweeney of Paca Paca Farms.

“It is amazing, somebody from Japan wants a horse by the stallion we stand for six grand,” he said. “I did love the foal, I have just stared at him ever since he was born. There’s a slight tinge of sadness, that I suppose I won’t be watching him race here, but I can’t complain at the price.

“The Havana Greys have gone so well, it’s just fantastic. Everybody has been opening the doors to see them, and they have been going to good homes as well. This market is really tough, if you have the wrong model. But with the right model, you get well paid.”

Ervine family flourishing

A February colt by Kodiac (GB) out of a speedily-bred Iffraaj (GB) mare looked a pretty safe formula for a market like this and Lot 610, consigned by Keith Harte for Max Ervine, duly achieved 110,000 gns (AU$211,365) from Tally-Ho Stud.

But he also had the benefit of a cosmopolitan update, since the publication of the catalogue, in the recent stakes success at Aqueduct of his juvenile half-sister Illegal Smile (Ire) (Camacho {GB}).

Their dam is an unraced half-sister to Ervine’s fast and hardy sprinter Galeota (Ire) (Mujadil {Ire}), whose own mother had been retrieved, at the end of her racing career, after selling to Darley Stud as a yearling.

Harte, who sold a 130,000 gns (AU$250,000) Churchill (Ire) colt for Ervine in Book 3 of the October Sale here, paid due credit to a patron who tends primarily to sell yearlings.

“Another great foal from Max’s farm in County Down,” he said. “We are very lucky to have him as a client. He only has five or six mares. This is a cracking foal, we had a lot of interest from all the top buyers, and he was bought by the right men who support the stallion well.”

Zoustar colt popular

David Redvers of Tweenhills reckoned he has seldom seen as many vettings in one day at a foal sale as preceded the arrival in the ring of Lot 691, a son of the stud’s coveted Australian commuter Zoustar from a very brisk Cheveley Park family.

Sure enough, the colt reached 100,000 gns (AU$192,150) before being knocked down to none other than Tattersalls Marketing Director Jimmy George.

Within five minutes, George was also signing an 82,000 gns (AU$157,560) docket for Lot 694, a filly by the same farm’s tragic Roaring Lion (USA). After enduring some amiable teasing from Alastair Pim on the rostrum, George explained that in both cases he was literally holding the phone for insurance broker David Howden, who has been introduced to the game by Redvers.

“David has got himself involved over the past couple of years and is very enthusiastic,” Redvers explained. “He has seen all the foals at the farm and particularly loved those two, who will be kept to race in his own colours.

The Zoustar is out of a Pivotal (GB) half-sister to Group 1 winner Hooray (GB) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) named Bewitchment (GB).

Howden may be a novice, but he’s in step with some of the most astute judges around, judging from the 110,000 gns (AU$211,365) paid by Yeomanstown Stud for another Zoustar colt, presented by Plantation Stud as Lot 738. This one gains some extra Australian dash through his dam, an Exceed And Excel half-sister to that remarkable racemare Gorella (Fr) (Grape Tree Road {GB}).