Evergreen presence at Magic Millions for the Bott family

Cover image courtesy of Evergreen Stud Farm

The Bott family carries one of the best respected names in Australian breeding and, on the eve of the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Aaron Bott recalls that his father Tony, the master of Evergreen Stud Farm, has hardly skipped a Sale for as long as he can remember.

“I don’t think he’s ever missed one,” Aaron said. “He’s been doing it a very long time, although I couldn’t tell you the exact number of years.”

The Botts are one of those families that has bloomed its generations ringside.

Aaron and his brother Adrian flanked their father at countless horse sales before growing into their own skins across the industry. Aaron worked at Darley and Aquis before settling into the family business at Evergreen, while Adrian is co-trainer at one of the largest and most successful training operations in the country.

It’s a high-achieving family, but then Tony Bott is a highly measured man. His careful acumen and quiet-spoken way have reaped he and his farm plenty of success, and some of it was on lavish show through 2021.

Evergreen had homebred success last year with the Frankel (GB) colt Converge, who won the Listed Fernhill H. before the G1 JJ Atkins S. in Brisbane. Converge races in the Evergreen colours, making his story particularly sweet for the Botts.

Additionally, there was the regally bred filly Argentia, also by Frankel, who won her juvenile debut and suggested every bit of her Princess Coup (Encosta De Lago) pedigree.

“The farm did very well on the track last year,” Aaron said. “Converge got a Group 1 race under his belt, which was so good for us because the horse was bred on the farm, his dam is there, he went through our system and was then trained by Adrian. In that respect, it was fantastic for us all.”

With a significant pretraining facility onsite at Evergreen, racetrack success is at the heart of the operation and, according to Aaron, it underpins the neat, useful draft that the farm will present at Magic Millions next week.

The one with quality

The Evergreen Stud Farm draft has eight horses for the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by eight individual sires. There are seven colts and a single filly.

Aaron said the standout of the draft is Lot 810, a Justify colt from the farm’s important mare Black Mamba (NZ) (Black Minnaloushe {USA}).

“This is a lovely, well-balanced horse,” Aaron said. “He’s got a quality about him. Obviously, being out of Black Mamba and by Justify, it’s a pretty good recipe. Two very high-quality racehorses right there.”

Like so many of the Justify yearlings, Lot 810 is a strapping chestnut type. He has two white socks and a good hindquarter, and he’s an ideal representation of the anticipated first crop of Justifys.

On the damside, Black Mamba was a Kiwi-bred, American-raced mare that won a Group 1 at Del Mar and twice a Group 2 at Hollywood Park. Further along this line there is the G1 Australian Derby winner Roman Emperor (NZ).

“All of this breeding has come together on type,” Aaron said. “We chose Justify for her partly because of that American influence creeping in, but also because that stallion was a phenomenal racehorse himself. He’s certainly got that size and strength about him, which has suited her.

“The mare is not small by any means, but we wanted to put a bit more strength and substance into her foals. Justify is an exciting first-season sire and hopefully it all comes together for her.”

Aaron said the boom about the Justify weanlings suggests something similar might occur across the yearlings.

“They are strong and forward types, and they certainly made some big-money as weanlings,” he said. “They’ve also made big-money in America, and it was very encouraging to see them reach those figures here in Australia.”

Lot 810 is Black Mamba’s seventh foal. He is a half-brother to Ringhals (Street Cry {Ire}), who is the dam of Macau S. winner Simon Fubuku (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}).

Black Mamba cost Tony Bott US$1.5 million (AU$2.1 million) at the Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale in 2009, sold by Taylor Made Sales Agency. It was the same year he paid $3 million for the mighty Princess Coup at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

The runner

Also making Aaron’s hot list, Lot 954 is an attractive bay colt by Squamosa from the High Chaparral (Ire) mare Porcellanus (NZ). He is the only progeny by Squamosa in the catalogue.

This mare was Group 3-placed and she’s a full and half-sister respectively to the Group-placed Keep Cool (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}) and Aridity (NZ) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}). Further down the page is Coco Cobanna (NZ) (Casual Lies {USA}), a winner of the G1 Australian Oaks and G1 Metropolitan H.

“This colt is a real little runner,” Aaron said of Lot 954. “He’s a real trainer’s horse and he’s VOBIS-qualified. He’s a real neat fellow and just goes about his business doing everything right. He puts his head down and gets on with things.”

Squamosa stands at Widden Victoria, a fetching son of Not A Single Doubt and a winner of the G3 Run To The Rose and Listed June S. He commenced stud duties in 2013 and, since then, he’s had the multiple stakes winners Kiwi Ida and Order Of Command.

“Squamosa raced in Sydney and won in Sydney, and he’s been doing the job,” Aaron said. “But also the cross with this mare has already worked. She’s produced two city winners by Squamosa already, and also a Hong Kong horse by Starspangledbanner.”

The latter horse is Copartner Ambition, who has won twice in Hong Kong, the latest in barnstorming fashion last October. But Aaron said this doesn’t necessarily point Lot 954 at the Asian market.

“I think he’s open to everyone,” he said. “He’s open to VOBIS buyers and the Victorians, but also this colt’s full brothers have won as Sydney 2-year-olds, so there’s that angle too.”

Evergreen has consigned Lot 954 on behalf of its client, the Singapore-based Jeremy Tan.

“Jeremy breeds quite a few with us and he’s one of Adrian’s clients too,” Aaron said. “They’ve got a great relationship and Adrian’s had some good success for him in the past.”

The most improved

Of the remaining horses in the draft, Aaron picks Lot 1018 as the most improved. This a chestnut colt by the Aquis sire Performer from the Tiger Hill (Ire) broodmare Tiger Cat (GB).

“This colt is really light on his feet,” Aaron said. “There’s so much to like about him. He’s an engaging horse. I can’t really explain it but I really like him, there’s just something about him.”

This colt’s page boasts the South African Champion colt Greys Inn (USA) as well as the Champion Older Female and Middle Distance Horse in South Africa, Smart Call (SAf) (Ideal World {USA}).

Further along, the brilliant broodmare Summoned (Crowned Prince {USA}) is a third dam, and she produced no less than five Group winners, including Zeditave and Alannon. Her stakes-winning daughter, Pampas Fire (Prince True {USA}), foaled the brilliant filly Melito (Redoute’s Choice).

It’s a page that is difficult to walk past, and one that Aaron feels is complemented by the first-season sire Performer.

“Performer was such a good racehorse and showed a lot of brilliance to Chris Waller,” he said. “These are the first of his to hit the sale ring, and this colt (Lot 1018) is a QTIS horse. Again, it opens up that Queensland market but he’s such a nice running-type that he could go anywhere.”

Performer is a son of Exceed And Excel. On the track, he won the Listed Breeders’ Plate and G3 Canonbury S., and he was third to Graff in the G3 San Domenico S. Performer’s first book totalled 104 mares.

Next week, the stallion will have five yearlings to sell from vendors as rich and varied as Evergreen, Newhaven Park, Twin Hills, Hopetoun Farm and Waylon J Stud.

“Lot 1018 is a good-sized colt by him,” Aaron added. “He’s not big and he’s not small. He’s just what you want to see really.”

The show goes on

The Evergreen draft is an interesting set of horses. It represents both the brilliance of the farm’s established stock, like that of Black Mamba, and the younger lines coming through, like that of sires Justify and Performer.

Gallery: Some of Evergreen Stud’s yearlings being offered at Magic Millions

On the selection of stallions, Aaron said they weren’t overly concerned at Evergreen about commerciality. It’s more about producing a strong racing horse.

“We try to cover all bases, but our number one aim is to breed racehorses,” he said. “When we do our mating plans, we try to do what’s right both physically and on pedigree, and if we like a stallion against results or types, we’re not afraid to use him, even if the market doesn’t like him.”

Aaron said that breeding on sale results doesn’t appeal to him.

“Sale results fluctuate and change,” he said. “So does the racetrack side of things, but if track results are already there, you can’t take that away.”

With eight yearlings on the Gold Coast already, Evergreen has a further seven yearlings pitching for the Inglis Classic Sale in February. The farm has six for Inglis Easter and around another eight for the Magic Millions National Sale in June.

“It doesn’t stop,” Aaron said. “But that’s okay, we’re well used to that.”