Cover image courtesy of Michael McInally
Purchased for $525,000 from the draft of Cressfield Stud, Personalised was sold carrying a foal by Eureka Stud’s ever-popular sire Spirit Of Boom in utero and the moment that foal, now named Spiritualised, hit the ground the following September Williamson had an inkling he would become a standout yearling.
And fast-forward to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Williamson’s faith in the foal was richly repaid, as trainer Tony Gollan and well-respected bloodstock agent John Foote secured Spiritualised for $575,000, which still remains a record price for Spirit Of Boom.
Spiritualised justifies the $1.40 quote, winning the first at Flemington | Image courtesy of Michael McInally
Spiritualised is steadily justifying that hefty price-tag, adding a second win to his record on Saturday when he took out a BM72 at Doomben and Gollan is now eyeing bigger targets for the colt, once again vindicating Williamson's early belief in the colt.
“He was as always an outstanding type and very good for a first foal. We knew had something a bit special before we went to the sales and when we got him there, we were very pleased with the response,” Williamson told TDN AusNZ.
“He got a lot of second, third and fourth looks and a lot of people were talking to us about the horse, so we knew he would sell quite well, but we weren’t obviously expecting $575,000. He is the highest priced Spirit Of Boom to be sold at the sales, so you are never expecting that much.
“He (Spiritualised) was as always an outstanding type and very good for a first foal. We knew had something a bit special before we went to the sales and when we got him there, we were very pleased with the response.” - Scott Williamson
“He was such a good-looking well-grown horse with a great temperament and he paraded exactly the same every time he came out of the box and he vetted extremely well. The people were interested in him. We were confident he would sell well and just delighted when he made that money.”
Beautiful family
Personalised (Snitzel) herself is a half-sister to the G1 VRC Oaks winner Personal (Fastnet Rock) with the pair being out of Adelaide Listed winner Personify (Galileo {Ire}).
Personify herself is a out of Procrastinate (Jade Hunter {USA}), whose four other stakes winners include the South African multiple Group 1 winner Laisserfaire (Danehill {USA}), the Listed-winning sires Foreplay and Time Thief, and Group 3 winner A Time For Julia (Redoute’s Choice).
Personalised | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
David Kobritz’s Musk Creek Farm have made it their business in the last few years to gather quality broodmares to join their small but select band at their property in Flinders and Williamson said because of her looks and pedigree, Personalised very much fitted within the brief.
“When you spend that sort of money on a mare, you hope for a result for this. We were thinking we would get her for around the $500,000 mark because she is an outstanding type herself and with that sort of pedigree you are buying into that Cressfield family, which is such a good-producing family, which goes so far back.
“They are families you dream about getting into, so we knew we would have to pay a bit of money for her at the time,” he explained.
“... She (Personalised) is an outstanding type herself and with that sort of pedigree you are buying into that Cressfield family, which is such a good-producing family, which goes so far back.” - Scott Williamson
“Things did fall right for us at the sale. I think one of the other bidders who were on her had paid a bit of money for a mare a few lots before her and maybe that changed their budget slightly. But we stuck to around the budget we valued her at and went that extra bid and got her, which now looks like fantastic business.”
Good business
With the mare market booming in Australia, Williamson is confident that if Personalised came onto the market now she would realise more than what they outlaid for her in 2019.
“Having these sorts of families helps when trying to breed good racehorses. When you look down the page there are just stakes winners the whole way down,” he said.
Scott Williamson | Image courtesy of Musk Creek Farm
“Obviously, you can’t always afford to buy those sorts of mares and certainly in the last couple of years they have gotten even more expensive and I guarantee if that mare came on the market now she would make quite a bit more money.
"We bought her at the right time and she is just producing quality types and it is exciting to have young mares of that quality.”
Personalised gifts did not stop at Spiritualised either.
Earlier this year, the mare handed the farm a second fine result in the sale ring with her second foal, a colt by Dundeel (NZ), who was offered at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, and he proved just as popular as his half-brother, with trainer Matt Laurie and ARJB Racing shelling out $520,000 for the youngster.
The Dundeel (NZ) x Personalised colt which sold to Matt Laurie and ARJB Racing for $520,000 at this year's Inglis Premier Yearling Sale | Image courtesy of Inglis
“To get more than what we paid for her with her first yearling and then her second yearling to come out and make over $500,000 as well, it is very rewarding,” said Williamson. “These are the sorts of mares we are trying to buy to set the farm up and it is really exciting to have a mare like Personalised, particularly because this is only her first foal and she is still very young.”
Star quality
Personalised has a filly by Zoustar who is destined for a yearling sale next year and Williamson said she is the best type the mares has produced so far.
“What is scary, is that I think the Zoustar filly is the best foal the mare has had so far. She is extremely athletic and moves beautifully. We have already had Magic Millions out to look at them and I have Inglis coming next week and I am sure they will both want her,” said Williamson.
“What is scary, is that I think the Zoustar filly is the best foal the mare (Personalised) has had so far. She is extremely athletic and moves beautifully.” - Scott Williamson
“There has been no decision made on which sale she will go to, we will wait and see the feedback from each one and see where she sits among the rest. We have to figure out each draft and make sure we have strength in all drafts and not just load one draft up with what we consider our best horses, we have to balance them up.
“She would be the sort of filly to be forward enough to go to a Magic Millions and she has plenty of quality to go to an Easter Sale. She is very hard to fault.”
Date with Vinnie
After missing to Written Tycoon last season, Personalised is booked to go to I Am Invincible this season and while his fee stands at an eye-watering $247,500, Williamson said the mare had more than earned her stripes to warrant the fee to visit the newly crowned Champion Sire.
I Am Invincible | Standing at Yarraman Park Stud
“She is booked to go to I Am Invincible this year. She is the sort of mare you can breed quite confidently, so even though it is a big investment, she has already produced three outstanding foals so far and hopefully she will produce another cracking type,” he said.
Spiritualised himself looks likely to have his mettle tested further, with trainer Tony Gollan planning a trip to Victoria for the colt and said after the race the G3 McNeil S. at Caulfield on August 27 could lie in wait for the 3-year-old.
“I know that Tony (Gollan) holds the horse in very high regard and I think he still has a lot of improvement in him. He was always quite relaxed and chilled as a yearling, but when a judge of John Foote’s calibre buys a horse off you and especially for that money it gives you such good confidence. It really means an awful lot,” said Williamson.
“He (Spiritualised) was always quite relaxed and chilled as a yearling, but when a judge of John Foote’s calibre buys a horse off you and especially for that money it gives you such good confidence.” - Scott Williamson
“Producing a product like that, raising him, conditioning him and getting him to the sale. He looked fantastic. I stood and stared at him every time he came out of the box, at the farm and at the sale.
“He is the sort of horse who had that certain presence about him. We had colt syndicates looking at him and all the big buyers, which for a boutique farm like ours is a great result.
“It is very promising and to think that Tony is now going to aim him at a Group 3 race next start and that would be huge to get a result like that if we can, not only for them but also for the mare. I think this is only scratching the surface of what he can do and he can only get better from here.”
