Naming horses can be a fun exercise and if Sledmere retains a future half-sibling to its G2 Angus Armanasco S. winner Yes Bay Yes, it will be a task to test the quickest of wits given the sire in question is Yes Yes Yes.
However, the name of the stallion to have served Exabelle (Exceed And Excel) in 2020 wasn’t the drawcard, it was strictly a plan that measured up on type and commercial sense.
“She is in foal to Yes Yes Yes, which is really confusing! There was no pun intended with any of that, it was just a good mating for the mare,” Catriona Murphy said.
Sledmere’s weekend to remember centred around a timely highlight result that can deliver short and long-term rewards for the farm.
Yes Baby Yes was bred by the Murphys, who wisely remained in the ownership of the filly, and her Caulfield victory came off the back of farm graduates Equation (Press Statement) and Blesk (NZ) (Savabeel) quinellaing a race at Canterbury the previous evening.
Further family honours
The Leon and Troy Corstens-trained Yes Baby Yes has now won twice at Group 2 level, having claimed the Moonee Valley Fillies’ Classic last preparation, and the Murphys are continuing to breed from Exabelle.
Purchased for just NZ$13,000 at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Broodmare Sale, Exabelle’s three foals to race have all been successful and Sledmere will offer her Spieth (NZ) filly as Lot 23 at the upcoming Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
Lot 23 - Spieth (NZ) x Exabelle (filly)
“It was really good timing and it was well-deserved for Yes Baby Yes. To get that result at Caulfield was pretty special for everyone involved,” Catriona Murphy said.
“We’ve got another half-sister by Shooting To Win that we’ve kept to race with Troy and she’s a 2-year-old called No Baby No and the Spieth yearling is a really nice filly going to Melbourne.
“She’s going to have her admirers down there with this update. She is a little bit neater and sharper looking and looks more like a 2-year-old. Obviously, Yes Baby Yes shined early, but has really come together as a 3-year-old.
“She’s (Lot 23) going to have her admirers down there with this update. She is a little bit neater and sharper looking and looks more like a 2-year-old.” – Catriona Murphy
“The mare has had a sister to Yes Baby Yes, who has been weaned, and she’s beautiful as well. She’s well put together with plenty of quality and a lot of similarities between the two.”
The full sister to Yes Baby Yes born last year
Exabelle won twice up to 1600 metres and was purchased out of Te Akau Stud’s draft at Karaka by agent Sheamus Mills on Sledmere’s behalf at New Zealand Bloodstock’s Sale in 2014.
“We were looking for one to send to Per Incanto and we thought it best to purchase a mare already in New Zealand to send to him,” Murphy said.
“We love Exceed mares and she stood out at the Sale on pedigree and we got Sheamus to inspect her and she was a cracking type. We are great friends with Sam and Cat Williams at Little Avondale Stud and wanted to support their stallion.”
The resulting son of Per Incanto was Exabelle’s first foal who realised $70,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and as Exactamante (NZ) has won five races.
“She’s been a fantastic mare to us and is one of our premier broodmares. Her foals are all winners, tough and athletic and they get the job done,” Murphy said.
“We haven’t made any plans yet to a mating this year, but which ever way we go she will get the best possible opportunity.”
Strong Melbourne lineup
Exabelle’s Spieth filly is one of a dozen youngsters Sledmere will offer at the Melbourne Sale with a son of an exciting young sire another favourite.
“This Sale will be strong and hopefully in our favour and the Extreme Choice is probably the colt that everyone is going to want,” Royston Murphy said. “As far as types go we do have a selection of Sebrings and all in the Sebring mould - nice, scopey styles of fillies."
Lot 202 is the son of Extreme Choice out of Mrs Vanderbilt (Host {Chi}) and is a half-brother to the six-time winner Love Squirrels (Eurozone) from the family of stakes-winning 2-year-old Savabill (NZ) (Savabeel).
Lot 139 is a daughter of Sebring out of the Listed Alinghi S. winner Liesele (Exceed And Excel), Lot 254 is the Sebring filly out of a three-quarter sister to G1 ATC Sires’ Produce S. and sire Invader and Lot 491 is by Sebring out of a half-sister to Group winners Sistine Angel (Testa Rossa) and Sistine Demon (Excites).
The Dundeel (NZ) colt, Lot 19, out of Etain (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) is from the family of the G1 CF Orr S. winner Manuel (Commands) and is expected to be a drawcard youngster.
“We have a good few Russian Revolutions through the China Horse Club and we’ve split them between all the Sales. The filly out of Lot Three Four One is a really nice type and the colt out of Prosperity is a lovely horse,” Murphy said.
“We have a good few Russian Revolutions through the China Horse Club and we’ve split them between all the Sales.” – Royston Murphy
The filly is Lot 147, a half-sister to G2 Sweet Embrace S. placegetter Dismissal (Not A Single Doubt) and their dam is a half-sister to the mother of G1 Railway S. winner Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge) and Listed Black Opal S. winner Delago Bolt (Delago Brom).
“Sam Williams sent us over a lovely Per Incanto colt, we’ve seen the stallion to be very successful over the last few years and he’s as nice as any colt Sam has sent us over,” Murphy said.
He will be offered as Lot 479 and his pedigree features the multiple Group 1 winner Metal Bender (NZ) (Danasinga) and the Group 1 winner and sire Keeper.
“They are a nice bunch of horses and to be honest there isn’t one there that I wouldn’t want to own myself,” Murphy said. “You can come up here with a later foal, a horse that might have needed a bit more time, and for us from a family that has performed well in Victoria.
“All these foals are born on different dates so you try and hit the sales when they are reasonably mature and show them all in the best light.”
Excellent strike rate
Meanwhile, Sledmere graduate Equation is building an excellent record from Annabel Neasham’s stable with his last-start success at Canterbury Park the colt’s third from four appearances.
Equation winning at Canterbury | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
He is out of the 2-year-old winner and stakes placegetter Purcentage (Onemorenomore), who is from the family of the G1 Hong Kong Mile winner Glorious Days (Hussonet {USA}), and sold to Aquis at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $110,000.
His half-brother by Russian Revolution was purchased this year at the Gold Coast by Triple Crown Syndications for $190,000 and the mare is currently back in foal to the Newgate stallion.
Blesk, runner-up to Equation, has won twice for trainer John O’Shea who went to $450,000 to buy him at the Gold Coast. He is a half-brother to juvenile winner Espumoso (NZ) (Pins), who as Regency Legend finished runner-up in the G1 HKJC Centenary Sprint Cup.
