Written by Bren O'Brien
Shoko (Sebring), the $1 million Inglis Chairman's Sale purchase this year by Ridgmont Farm and Boutique Thoroughbreds, will be offered in foal to I Am Invincible, and with a colt by the same stallion at foot, through a special Inglis Digital Online Auction next week.
Shoko pictured with her 3-day-old I Am Invincible colt | Image courtesy of Ridgmont Farm
In a rare three-in-one package for a mare of that quality, she will be offered by Ridgmont Farm and Boutique Thoroughbreds, who along with Clarke Bloodstock purchased Shoko from Yarraman Park at the Inglis Chairman's Sale in May, carrying the I Am Invincible colt, which she subsequently foaled on September 12.
Shoko, a Group 3-winning half-sister to Group winners Mimi Le Brock (Show A Heart) and Heavenly Thought (So You Think {NZ}), subsequently visited Vinnie again and is in foal to him.
“I don’t think there’s been a mare of this quality, in foal to a Champion Sire and with a stunning colt foal at foot by the same Champion sire, ever been offered publicly before, at least not in this part of the world," Ridgmont Farm’s Andrew Dunemann said.
Harry McAlpine, Andrew Dunemann and Tony Gollan | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“It’s a unique opportunity for breeders worldwide to get their hands on this fabulous package, it’s just such a rare commodity.
“Shoko is a beautiful mare, a striking physical and everyone who saw her at the Chairman’s Sale fell in love with her and we thought we were very lucky to get her for $1 million.
“Shoko is a beautiful mare, a striking physical and everyone who saw her at the Chairman’s Sale fell in love with her and we thought we were very lucky to get her for $1 million." - Andrew Dunemann
“Her Vinnie colt who she was carrying at the Chairman’s, we’ve had a number of people here to the farm to look at him already and they’ve all taken to him, he’s a great first foal with good scope, he’s very correct, got a nice head on him, just a really nice foal overall and he’s no doubt going to be a standout in any yearling sale his new owners may want to target him at."
Shoko was purchased for $300,000 by Dean Hawthorne and Gary Mudgway at the 2015 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. She won three races, two for Peter Morgan and a G3 Tesio S. when trained by John Sadler.
It's a family which has had recent upgrades, with Mimi Le Brock's Snitzel daughter Diddles who sold for $1 million at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in May, purchased by Daandine Stud and Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA).
Shoko | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Shoko’s pedigree is one that will continue to upgrade, there are mares in the family in foal to some of the best stallions in the country, it’s a young family and obviously Mimi Lebrock is leading the way early not only on the track but off it also," Dunemann said.
“Our business plan is to offer something like this each year to the market and while it will be tough to part with Shoko and her colt, it’s part of who we are and how we plan to operate long term.’’
The bespoke Shoko Sale opens for bidding at 10am AEDT on Tuesday, November 30 with the final countdown of bidding beginning at 4pm AEDT on Wednesday December 1.
“People saw at the Chairman’s Sale earlier this year what a beautiful mare Shoko is and now that we know her I Am Invincible colt foal is as good as he is, this opportunity is one not to be missed," Inglis Digital’s Business Manager Nick Melmeth said.
"Now that we know her I Am Invincible colt foal is as good as he is, this opportunity is one not to be missed." - Nick Melmeth
“It’s a sexy pedigree and considering I Am Invincible colts averaged over $586,000 at Easter in 2021, before Home Affairs won the Coolmore, it doesn’t take much imagination to see how lucrative an investment opportunity this is for a discerning investor."
Shoko and her colt are available for inspection at Ridgmont over the next eight days by appointment.
