The Alliance went to the yearling sales for the first time in 2021, which means that first crop are now in their Classic year. The total spend on 12 colts was just over $7.3 million and, given that they’re attempting to buy a well-rounded horse who has precocity as well as scope to progress, they did well last season to get a pair of stakes-winning 2-year-olds with another taking a Flemington maiden in very taking fashion.
“That was the aim going into this, to secure a legitimate stallion prospect and/or prospects for Rosemont,” McEvoy told TDN AusNZ.
Ryan McEvoy | Image courtesy of Rosemont Stud
But, for all that they mean business, they haven’t lost sight of the enjoyment of racing horses. Take the naming of the colts as an example – being AFL fans, they decided that each should be named after a great Victorian football player.
“We’ve got a great group of partners in the Alliance, and it really aligned with what we’re trying to do,” McEvoy said. “It’s an important focus but we try not to lose sight of that fact that we want to keep it enjoyable along the way, and the partners are really enjoying the journey and get a kick out of having some real live bullets heading into the spring.”
Although he’s not one of the two stakes winners, perhaps the most exciting horse to emerge from last season for the Alliance is the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Doull (Snitzel).
Doull as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
His single start last season was in a Flemington maiden, in which he showed great professionalism in a 2.8l victory. So impressive was that performance, he finds himself the current favourite for the G1 Coolmore Stud S.
“Doull’s win was obviously very visually impressive,” said McEvoy. “It wasn’t a stakes race but, certainly from a ratings perspective, he achieved a figure that had him in and amongst the best 2-year-old performances of the year.”
“It wasn’t a stakes race but, certainly from a ratings perspective, he (Doull) achieved a figure that had him in and amongst the best 2-year-old performances of the year.” - Ryan McEvoy
Another of the Alliance’s colts, and one who did win a stakes race last season, is Brereton (Zoustar), trained by Peter Moody. After a narrow defeat on debut in the Listed Debutant S., he stepped up to take the G3 Maribyrnong Plate, before finishing off his season in Queensland, a campaign which included a third in the G2 Sires’ Produce S.
“He came back (from his debut) and won the Maribyrnong Plate at Group 3 level, so he’s a colt that I’d like to think can measure up in the spring, and we’re excited about his return on Saturday also,” said McEvoy.
An Alliance duel to kick off the spring
The return on Saturday alludes to the Listed Poseidon S. at Flemington, in which the pair of colts are set to shape up against each other, and a likely red-hot field.
“Him and Brereton are headed to that race on Saturday, it’s a good starting point for those colts who we’re hoping to get down the straight at the end of October in a race like the Coolmore,” said McEvoy.
Brereton, winner of the G3 Maribyrnong Plate | Image courtesy of Bronwen Healy
“Which paths they’ll take post-Saturday we haven’t quite finalised. Let’s just see how they look first-up.”
With an eye on a big season ahead, McEvoy revealed that neither colt will be seen at full boil this weekend.
“He hasn’t been screwed down so there will be improvement in Doull,” he reported. “If anything, Brereton might be the horse… that has a bit of a fitness edge, given that he carried a bit of residual fitness from a Queensland prep that he had there late in the winter.
“There will be improvement in both of them.”
“There will be improvement in both of them (Doull and Brereton).” - Ryan McEvoy
And McEvoy feels that even though Brereton achieved an important stakes win as a 2-year-old, he didn’t have the best of luck through that campaign, and that he’ll be seen to even better effect should he have better luck this season.
“He’s another horse that probably hasn’t had a huge amount go right for him. We had a look at him at a mile and he told us he wasn’t a miler. Peter (Moody) feels he’s improved a lot, and he’s such a good-looking horse, by Zoustar and with a great pedigree, he’s one we think there’s a good race in at three.
“It’s certainly an exciting day for everyone in the Vic Alliance to have two genuinely stakes-class horses, so we’re looking forward to seeing them back at the races.”
Plenty of ammunition
Whilst Doull and Brereton will be the highlights for the Victorian Alliance this weekend, they have plenty more to look forward to throughout the spring.
The other of last season’s stakes-winning duo, Millane (Zoustar) is also trained by Peter Moody. He won the Listed VRC Foundation Plate on his first start in March. Returning this season, he was third in the G3 Vain S. and third again last weekend at Moonee Valley behind the exciting Shalaman (Shalaa {Ire}).
And again, McEvoy feels there’s more to come from this colt when things start to go his way.
“He won his only start at two at stakes level. He’s a horse that has been hampered by some unsuitable tracks this prep. He’s in for a very good campaign, we’re excited by his prospects and he’s a gorgeous horse.”
“He’s (Millane) a horse that has been hampered by some unsuitable tracks this prep. He’s in for a very good campaign, we’re excited by his prospects and he’s a gorgeous horse.” - Ryan McEvoy
Another who won his first start is Hafey (I Am Invincible), for trainers Ciaron Maher and David Eustace. And, although he didn’t show up when stepped up into the G1 Blue Diamond S. on his next start, he’s another that McEvoy feels will find himself in good company this season.
“He’s another horse who ran really well on debut, he made a big impression. I know Ciaron and Dave were happy enough to head straight for the Blue Diamond with him.
“Probably the occasion just got the better of him that day, he got a little stirred up pre-race… He’s another one who we think is a stakes-quality horse.”
Gallery: Some of the Victorian Alliance's exciting prospects
Also by I Am Invincible, and again a winner on debut, is the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr.-trained Bews; “We think he’s a really smart colt,” McEvoy said of him.
And then there’s Quinlan (again by I Am Invincible), with Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, who McEvoy marked as one that should thrive in his Classic year.
“He’s a horse who’s shown us a little bit as an early horse and he’s got an unbelievable pedigree. He was probably always going to make a nicer 3-year-old, so we’re looking forward to seeing him.”
“He’s (Quinlan) a horse who’s shown us a little bit as an early horse and he’s got an unbelievable pedigree.” - Ryan McEvoy
A notable correlation
Those in the world of bloodstock are all too aware that horses rarely follow the script. So perhaps it’s a mark of the astuteness of the selectors within the Victorian Alliance team that their most expensive purchase from their first attack on the yearling sales is their most promising at this point in the spring.
Doull was bought from the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $1.2 million, offered by Yarraman Park as part of the Shadwell dispersal. He is by a stakes winner in Bulbula (Shamardal {USA}), from an excellent Shadwell family, which includes the Group 3 winner Aryaaf (Epaulette), Doull’s half-sister.
And the value for money doesn’t stop there. The Alliances’ second-most expensive purchase in 2021, also at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, was Millane. He is out of the multiple stakes winner Fireworks (Snitzel), who is a half-sister to Group 1 winner Calveen (Canny Lad).
Millane as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The Alliance purchased a total of three million-dollar colts last year, and not to let the side down, the last of those to mention is their other 2-year-old stakes winner, Brereton.
He cost exactly $1 million, hailing from the Widden Stud draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. He is out of Fuddle Dee Duddle (Red Ransom {USA}), a Group 3 winner who is also half-sister to the dam of the brilliant Bella Nipotina (Pride Of Dubai).
That’s quite an impressive correlation, one that’s unlikely enough with a single expensive horse, let alone three.
