Egyptian Missile set for Written Tycoon date after topping Inglis Digital Sale

Written by Bren O'Brien

Well-related mare Egyptian Missile (Smart Missile) has topped the Inglis Digital July (Late) Online Sale after being secured for $230,000 by Clarke Bloodstock and Cunningham Thoroughbreds.

A three-time winner on the track for Bjorn Baker, who paid $240,000 for her as a yearling through the Cressfield draft at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Egyptian Missile is out of the Group 1-winning mare Our Egyptian Raine (NZ) (Desert Sun {GB}).

Our Egyptian Raine has produced nine winners in total, including the multiple stakes winner Egyptian Symbol (Stratum), who was also trained by Baker, and stakes-placed pair Strathmore (Fastnet Rock) and Cellsabeel (Hinchinbrook).

Jim Clarke has been helping Cunningham Thoroughbreds build up their broodmare band and felt she was the perfect fit for what they are looking for.

"She's a mare I've followed throughout her career. I worked for Bjorn when he trained Egyptian Symbol and she was obviously very, very talented," he told TDN AusNZ.

"Bjorn always had a very good opinion of Egyptian Missile as well. Her trials were very good and she gave every indication that she was a very talented racehorse. She never really lived up to that on the track. She was a minor winner of three races, but she did compete in some very good races early in her career.

"It’s just a family that the Cunninghams were keen to get some access into. There's a lot of upside to the pedigree with several half-sisters in the hands of some of the best breeders in the country."

Egyptian Missile will immediately join the Cunninghams' broodmare band, which is based at Ridgmont Farm, in which they are an investor. While a mating is yet to be finalised, she is likely to go to Yulong Stud's Written Tycoon.

"She's going to be a lovely mare for the Cunninghams' broodmare portfolio, which they have been developing over the past few years," Clarke said.

"We haven't bought her to trade, she will be retained for the medium-to-long-term and she will be given every chance to prove herself as a producer."

The Cunningham family's thoroughbred interests are headed up by Mitch Cunningham on behalf of his parents, Gary and Lorilie. As well as investing in Ridgmont Farm, they also race fillies with trainers such as Tony Gollan and John Thompson.

"They have got a multi-tiered approach to their business, but it is really focussed on developing a commercial broodmare band and racing some well-bred fillies that are going to add to that in the future," Clarke said.

Holyfield stays with Neasham

Group 3-winning 3-year-old Holyfield (I Am Invincible), an $800,000 yearling, will remain in the stables of Annabel Neasham after the Sydney trainer purchased him from his existing owners for $180,000.

The 3-year-old, who is out of the Group 1-winning mare Hurtle Myrtle (Dane Shadow), won four races for Ciaron Maher and David Eustace, including the G3 Baillieu S. and the G3 Ming Dynasty S. before joining Neasham's stable at the start of the year.

He has had five starts since, with a best performance a second at Doomben, before he was gelded and put through the ring by his ownership group.

Australian Bloodstock secured consistent 3-year-old Acrophobic (Dissident) for $160,000 and will send him to Tamworth trainer Cody Morgan.

Acrophobic has won one of his 12 starts for John O'Shea and has been placed on three other occasions, while he was fourth in both the G2 Stan Fox S. and Listed South Pacific Classic.

The gelding is out of stakes-placed mare Sense Of Hite (NZ) (Street Sense {USA}), making him a half-brother to the stakes-placed Quintessa (Pierro).

“These city grade to low-level stakes horses are impossible to buy but it’s a good price for a rising 4-year-old of his ability,” Australian Bloodstock's Luke Murrell said.

“But we are going to give him a good break and look to target the Queensland races with him initially and I think in time he will be the perfect country Cups horse.

“He is sound and tries hard and can race on speed and Cody Morgan has an excellent strike rate with these types in the past."

Quick turnaround for Leisele

Listed winner Leisele (Exceed And Excel), who was offered in foal to Zousain, was purchased by L Patterson for $130,000.

Leisele is the dam of the unbeaten Hong Kong galloper Blaze Warrior (Sebring) and was offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds as agent, having been purchased at this year's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for $80,000.

Yosemite (NZ) (Redwood {GB}), a 3-year-old filly who has won three races in the OTI colours, will remain in the stables of Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock, after she was purchased for $125,000.

Sold to dissolve a partnership, Yosemite, a granddaughter of Group 3 winner Zanetta (NZ) (Centaine) has won races at Bendigo, Pakenham and Geelong and close to $100,000 in prizemoney.

The other horse to sell for six figures was the well-related filly Avenue Of Pleasure (I Am Invincible), who was purchased by Odhran Bloodstock for $115,000.

A $180,000 yearling buy for Lindsay Park and Andrew Williams Bloodstock at the 2019 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, she was then purchased by Gary Lechte through the 2020 Inglis October Digital Sale for $205,000.

A granddaughter of Group 1 winner Carry On Cutie (More Than Ready {USA}) and closely related to the Aquis stallion The Mission, she has won two of her past three starts for trainer Grahame Begg.

Meanwhile, smart filly Don'ttelltheboss (Street Boss {USA}) was passed in short of her reserve of $550,000.

The July (Late) Online Sale concluded with a gross of $3.45 million.