Cover image courtesy of Inglis
Written by Bren O'Brien
The last time Macedon Lodge purchased a yearling from Mill Park at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, the colt ended up winning over $3.8 million, including three Group 1 races.
That was back in 2009, when it paid, through an agent, $70,000 for a colt by the Williams' former champion Reset, out of Dane Belltar (Danewin). Named Fawkner, he was one of the great servants in Lloyd Williams' iconic navy and white colours in the past decade.
With a focus on buying and raising horses in Europe, England and Ireland in recent times, a strategy which has yielded them three Melbourne Cups in the past five years, Williams and his son Nick have not featured on the buyers' list at an Australian yearling sale for seven years, until this week.
Early in the Sale on Sunday, it was Nick Williams, sitting with mate James Harron, who put his hand up to secure Lot 7, a colt by American Pharaoh (USA), for $180,000.
The price itself wasn't noteworthy, only around $40,000 above average for the day, but the purchaser and who it was from, was.
Lot 7 - American Pharoah (USA) x Elegant Eagle (NZ) (colt)
"Mill Park are a terrific nursery," Nick told TDN AusNZ.
"We don’t mind the stallion and we have had a lot of luck off the farm. They bred Fawkner for us and Tanby and we love what they do with the horses and we have got our fingers crossed that that this horse might be good in time."
US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (USA) had had four yearlings go through the ring in Melbourne this week, averaging $133,750. While his first crop has been so far highlighted by the star Head Of State, his sole Australian winner from four starters, they are expected to make a substantial impact later on in their 2-year-old season, and into their 3-year-old campaign.
The market has been a little more cautious on his second crop, with the average price for his yearlings dropping from a white-hot $229,262 last year, to $176,307 so far in 2021. It is worth noting that he has an impressive representation of 25 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, with many notable yearlings on offer.
On the dam's side, Williams' new acquisition doesn't want for quality either. He is a half-brother to G1 Champagne S. winner Go Indy Go (Bernardini {USA}) as well as G3 DC McKay S., winner Essay Raider (Bernardini {USA}), and stakes-placed Battle Brewing (Medaglia D'Oro {USA}). That family, bred by Harry Perks and all with the UFO brand, also contains the G1 Caulfield Cup winner Southern Speed (Southern Image {USA}).
American Pharoah (USA) | Standing at Coolmore
It was back in 2014 that Williams last purchased a yearling in Melbourne. That horse Pattern (High Chaparral {Ire}) cost $170,000 and showed a fair bit of promise in winning his first two starts before going amiss.
It was a dinner with Harron that convinced Williams he should have a presence at Oaklands Junction this week.
"We haven't been here much but James Harron keeps talking me into buying yearlings, and he told me that they are a wonderful crop this year, so we’d thought we’d get involved," he said.
"We haven't been here much but James Harron keeps talking me into buying yearlings, and he told me that they are a wonderful crop this year, so we’d thought we’d get involved." - Nick Williams
"We’ll take this boy up to Macedon up and see where he takes us."
Macedon Lodge has entered a new era, after the Williamses were unable to sell the iconic property, and elected to ramp up training operations there again. Robert Hickmott has re-joined Macedon Lodge as head trainer.
In an interesting twist of fate, the final foal of Fawkner's dam, Dane Belltar, is set to go under the hammer on Tuesday. Like his half-brother, who went through the same ring 11 years ago, Lot 572, a son of Sebring, is a grey colt which is being consigned by Mill Park Stud.
Lot 572 - Sebring x Dane Belltar (colt)
