Richard Foster’s Yarramalong Park bred Alpine Edge then remained in the ownership and continues to breed from the colt’s family, while also enjoying a 25 per cent stake in his Lyndhurst Stud Farm-based sire Better Than Ready.
Trained by Toby and Trent Edmonds, Alpine Edge was a star Queensland 2-year-old and he has returned to top form this season to earn a crack at the country’s best 3-year-olds in the Caulfield feature.
“There’s a lot riding on it for our stud. We own 25 per cent of Alpine Edge and we’ve got his mother, a brother to sell in January and a beautiful sister, which at this stage looks like a keeper,” Foster said.
Alpine Edge pictured as a yearling
Yarramalong’s association with Alpine Edge’s family goes back to his granddam Mortal Chase (Foxhound {USA}), who was a $20,000 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale purchase. The record book shows she was unplaced, but that doesn’t tell the full story.
“We bought her as a potential broodmare off Stuart Ramsey because she was by Foxhound, who was out of a Buckpasser mare and that was gold for breeding in my book,” Foster said.
“She actually won a race for us, but she didn’t have a jockey on by the time she got to the post. She had shied at the hoardings and dropped him about five metres before the post.
“She (Mortal Chase) actually won a race for us, but she didn’t have a jockey on by the time she got to the post.” – Richard Foster
“She was retired as a non-winner, when she really was and was a couple of lengths in front at the post.
“We put her to Freeze, who also had a Buckpasser mare through his dam Snowdrift so we got a double and the result was Alpine Edge’s mother Freezethemillions.”
Freezethemillions (Freeze), whose pedigree also features the Group 1 winners Melito (Redoute’s Choice), Norzita (NZ) (Thorn Park), Greys Inn (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and sire Zeditave, was originally sold to Queenslander Jake Clarke at the Magic Millions QTIS Yearling Sale.
“She was a beautiful filly but was by Freeze, who was virtually a private stallion for us, and nobody knew much about him and she only made $5000 at the time,” Foster said.
Richard Foster
“She showed quite a lot of ability and ran fourth in the G2 Sires’ Produce S. behind Brazen Beau and was twice stakes placed as a 2-year-old.”
Clarke was suffering a period of ill health when Freezethemillions was retired and approached Foster with a proposal.
“He said if you give me a share in one of your nice colts and a few bucks you can have her back so that’s how we got her. Every foal she has had has been a stand-out.
“The first two we sold as weanlings and then along came the Better Than Ready, Alpine Edge. He was a standout colt right from birth.” – Richard Foster
“The first two we sold as weanlings and then along came the Better Than Ready, Alpine Edge. He was a stand-out colt right from birth.”
Earlier this year, Freezethemillions’ Deep Field colt was sold at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Yarramalong for $310,000.
“The Deep Field made good money and was a nice horse. John Morrisey has got him, I don’t think he’s in a hurry which is a good thing for longevity. Not every horse can be a pre-Christmas 2-year-old,” Foster said.
Alpine Edge as a yearling
Alpine Edge was offered at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and was knocked down to Edmonds Racing, Kestrel Thoroughbreds and Lucky Clover for $160,000.
“I told all the people likely to bid on him that I was going to keep 25 per cent of him. The family is now becoming pretty commercial.”
A choice of stallion for Freezethemillions this season was a no-brainer and she was covered during the week.
“She went back to Better Than Ready, why would you go elsewhere?” Foster said.
Smart 2-year-old
Alpine Edge won the Listed Phelan Ready S. on debut last season and then claimed the G3 BJ McLachlan S. before he finished runner-up in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.
“He was terribly unlucky in the Millions. Either he or the jockey went to sleep in the stalls and came out 3l behind them. He was 11th at the 400 and was only 1.25l behind at the finish,” Foster said.
“He’s a horse with a great constitution and he’s a big horse. On size, you wouldn’t have picked him as a 2-year-old, but he was so well-balanced as a yearling that I couldn’t believe he wouldn’t go quickly.”
Foster also has a share-holding in Alpine Edge’s sire Better Than Ready, who is resident at Lyndhurst Stud Farm.
“I like Better Than Ready don’t worry, and we own 25 per cent of his as well, but this fellow is more precocious and probably stronger,” he said.
In good touch
Alpine Edge was a first-up winner at Eagle Farm this season and ran second to subsequent G1 Flight S. placegetter Startantes (Star Turn) at Doomben. Last time out, Alpine Edge suffered an interrupted run when fourth in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude.
“He’s in with a real chance on Saturday with the draw he’s got. He’s a chaser and needs to get out into clear running, he didn’t get that last start and a couple of other times he’s had trouble,” Foster said. “When he gets to the outside he’s a different horse.
“When he gets to the outside he’s a different horse.” - Richard Foster
Alpine Edge has yet to race beyond 1400 metres and 1600 metres on Saturday is a question the colt has to answer.
“At the end of the day, he has to run the mile and all the indications are that he will. You never know until they do it really,” Foster said.
“Every jockey that has ridden him think he will and Toby and Trent reckon he will so I’m not going to argue with them. Good horses should be in Group 1 races and he deserves to be there, it’s going to be exciting.”
