Peachester Lodge’s Princess continuing favourite family line

Cover image courtesy of Peachester Lodge

Shoot Out was successful five times at Group 1 level and while I’m A Princess didn’t reach those dizzy heights, she was an accomplished race mare with five wins, including the G3 Summoned S., and is now a valuable member of the Peachester broodmare band.

Mating plans are the domain of Linda Huddy, who has confirmed stallions for all 38 of the Queensland operation’s mares and is hoping for a reversal in fortune with I’m A Princess, whose first foal in 2020 was a filly by American Pharoah (USA).

“She unfortunately slipped an Exceed And Excel colt a couple of months ago. I hadn’t booked her in to him again and she was booked to I Am Invincible,” she said.

“When she slipped, Darley was nice enough to let us go back. If we decide to sell the foal later, it will look pretty good on the pedigree page.”

She is also hoping for a change of luck with Anabandana (Anabaa {USA}), who was a dual Group 1 winner and purchased for $440,000 in foal to I Am Invincible at the 2019 Inglis Chairman’s Sale. She will visit Pierro this year.

“The filly has just turned two, but we haven’t got another foal out of her since we bought her. We sent her to Justify and So You Think and she didn’t get in foal to either of them,” Huddy said.

“Pierro is a good mating for Anabandana and she’s worth the money as she’s got a stakes winner in New Zealand (Packing Rockstar) by Fastnet Rock,” Huddy said.

Mintha (Redoute’s Choice) is a granddaughter of dual Group 1 winner Hansa (Snippets) and is in foal to Toronado (Ire) and going to Pierro, as is another Redoute’s Choice mare in Tracy May on her first serve.

Out of a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Typhoon Tracy (Red Ransom {USA}), Tracy May was a $650,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase and won twice before retirement.

Another star of the Huddys' broodmare band is Group 1 producer Different To (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Dorabella (NZ) (Postponed {USA}). She will visit Yarraman Park's I Am Invincible for a third time, a mating that has produced success before.

“She’s a good mare and just had a lovely Fastnet Rock filly and she’s going to I Am Invincible to get a full sibling to Group 1 winner Media Sensation,” Huddy said. “We also kept her sister (Veronica Jane), who is showing a fair bit.”

While Huddy usually works through the matings single-handed, in these restrictive COVID-19 times she has also taken advice from eyes and ears on the ground.

“It’s mainly me that does them, but because of how the situation is now, and we haven’t seen some of the stallions, I do speak to people who have seen them about type and temperament,” she said. “Otherwise, I do the pedigrees and on type of the stallions that I know.”

Gogoreilly (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}), the half-sister to Group winners Antonio Lombardo (NZ) (Pins) and Master Of Arts (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), is due to foal to The Autumn Sun and is booked for a return visit to the Arrowfield Stud stallion.

“She’s due in early October and we’re looking forward to that. On pedigree, it’s a very good match for the mare,” Huddy said.

Newcomers included

The majority of Peachester Lodge mares will be visiting proven sires, but three first-season stallions are in the mix and another new to Australia, but not to stud.

“I saw North Pacific at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale when he was paraded and he’s obviously a striking stallion so we’re more than happy to send two to him,” Huddy said.

Kiwi Kate (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), from the family of former top filly Katie Lee (NZ) (Pins) and Lacey Lynx Pack (Bullet Train {GB}), whose pedigree includes G2 Prince Of Wales’s S. winner and G1 Caulfield Cup fourth Faithful Son (USA) (Zilzal {USA}), will be heading to new Newgate resident North Pacific.

“They both match up with him really well and Lacey Lynx Pack is owned by the staff here and they were keen to send her to North Pacific,” Huddy said.

Irish Pipedream (Ad Valorem {USA}), whose only foal to race is the winner Irish Spirit (Not A Single Doubt), will be served by Darley newcomer Ghaiyyath (Ire).

“He was a great racehorse and she hasn’t had a stellar career at stud yet, but I like the way the bloodlines match. She is a lovely type of mare,” Huddy said.

Rubi Dee (I Am Invincible) was purchased by the Huddys as a yearling for $85,000 through the the 2014 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and before she set foot on the track, her value had already skyrocketed with her brother Brazen Beau winning the G1 Coolmore Stud S. later that year and then going on to win the G1 Lightning S. before embarking on a successful career at stud with Darley.

She is considered the ideal consort for another Darley stallion, Bivouac.

“We thought she was in foal to Blue Point and had her scanned and there was no foal there so it was a bit of a shock. We bought a breeding right to Bivouac so it seemed like the logical thing to do – the progeny should be pretty fast,” Huddy said.

Successful Northern Hemisphere stallion Wootton Bassett (GB) will shuttle to Coolmore Australia for the first time this year and will serve two of Huddy’s mares, Shop Til I Drop (NZ) (Savabeel) and Utopia (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}).

Shop Till I Drop was a NZ$270,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Yearling Sale purchase and subsequently won four races and was Group 2-placed and this will be her first year at stud. Utopia’s first foal was the G1 South Australian Derby winner Volatile Mix (NZ) (Pentire {GB}) and she is in foal to Written Tycoon.

“Wootton Bassett is proven in the Northern Hemisphere and I see no reason why he won’t do it down here,” Huddy said.

Another maiden mare is Pretty Brazen (Brazen Beau), who won twice at Group 2 level in the Peachester Lodge colours and was Group 1-placed for trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy, and is booked for a date with Capitalist.

“That was a bad day when Tony rang and said she had an injury and it was too risky to keep going with her,” Huddy said. “Henry (Field) was nice enough to let us get in because I’m sure they were knocked over with inquiries. It will give her the chance to start off with a bit of speed.”

NZ breeding plans

The Huddys were also involved in the ownership of four-time Group 1 winner Preferment (NZ) and continue to support the son of Zabeel (NZ) at Brighthill Farm.

Nine of their New Zealand-based mares, who reside at Wentwood Grange, will visit the stallion including repeat visits for Ninth Chance (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Pyrotechnics (Canny Lad).

The former is a half-sister to Hong Kong black-type winner Planet Ruler (Danehill {USA}) while Pyrotechnics is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner Sports (Zeditave) and dam of the G2 Hill S. winner Classic Uniform (Al Maher).

“We’ve got a few Preferments, one with the McEvoys and they quite like her but she needs time, and ones with Tony Gollan and Chris Waller and same thing again - they need more time,” Huddy said.

The other New Zealand mating will see Sunette (NZ) (Pins), out of a half-sister to three-time Group 1 winner Bentley Biscuit (Peintre Celebre {USA}), visit newcomer King Of Comedy (Ire), Novara Park's son of Kingman (GB).

Table: Some of Peachester Lodge's 2021 matings