Written by Paul Vettise
Bowness Stud’s daughter of Extreme Choice is a unique offering at the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale and farm Principal John North is confident the youngster will be the star of his show at the Gold Coast.
Bowness will offer nine yearlings at the Gold Coast this week with Lot 1553 the only filly by Extreme Choice in the auction and North is expecting there to be widespread interest when she goes through the ring on Tuesday.
She is the first foal of the Sebring mare She Brings Hope, who won four races up to 1400 metres and boasts an international pedigree. The G1 Prix de Diane winner Shemaka (Ire) (Nishapour {Fr}) and the G1 Grand Prix de Paris winner Shakeel (Fr) (Dalakhani {Ire}) feature on the page.
Lot 1553 - Extreme Choice x She Brings Hope (filly)
“She’s a beautiful filly and has completely clean x-rays. She’s been a very straightforward filly with no chinks,” North said.
“Mick Price trained both her sire and dam and she’s an excellent first foal. The dam also has a colt by Menari and he’s a ripper as well.”
“Mick Price trained both her sire (Extreme Choice) and dam (She Brings Hope) and she’s (Lot 1553) an excellent first foal. The dam also has a colt by Menari and he’s a ripper as well.” – John North
Another filly expected to sell well is Lot 1499, a daughter of So You Think (NZ) out of the unraced Pink Rocks (Fastnet Rock).
“She’s a really nice type and her grandam Milanova holds the record price for an Australian broodmare at $5 million.”
A sister to the Group 1 winner and Champion sire Holy Roman Emperor (Ire), Milanova (Danehill {USA}) was purchased by Coolmore at the 2008 Inglis Broodmare Sale and produced three winners, including Pretty Perfect (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who won an edition of the G3 Cork Munster Oaks.
It is also the family of the G1 New Zealand Derby winner Sherwood Forest (Fastnet Rock).
Another Bowness favourite is Lot 1418, a son of Impending who has enjoyed a recent pedigree update.
“He’s a nice horse and his half-sister My Snow Queen won by 3.1l at Goulburn last Friday for John Sargent,” North said.
They are out of Lionel Left Me (Casino Prince), who is a half-sister to the G3 Hawkesbury Gold Cup winner Amovatio (Al Maher) with their third dam the mighty multiple Group 1 winner Emancipation (Bletchingly).
D’Argento hit with breeders
North is also very much looking forward to the future and in time offering the first youngsters by resident sire D’Argento, who received a royal welcome from breeders.
He served his first season in 2020 and the Group 1-winning grey son of So You Think surpassed all expectations with the size and quality of his book.
D’Argento (white cap) | Standing at Bowness Stud
“He covered 152 mares and considering we didn’t get him until a month out from the stud season it was outstanding,” North said. “We were thinking he would get 60 or 70 mares and he more than doubled that.
“He’s an easy horse, a real gentleman and nothing fazes him. He just floats over the ground with a wonderful action.
"He’s (D’Argento) an easy horse, a real gentleman and nothing fazes him. He just floats over the ground with a wonderful action." - John North
“He was a genuine Group 1 performer who was unbeaten in two starts as a 2-year-old and competed at the highest level.”
D’Argento won four of his 14 appearances with his career highlight victory for trainer Chris Waller in the G1 Rosehill Guineas and placed at the top level in the Epsom H. and Winx S.
“People remember him as a very good horse and he came from 15th on the turn in the G1 Epsom H. to finish a centimetre behind Hartnell,” North said. “He was an amazing horse with a dynamic finish.”
