Cover image courtesy of Cunningham Thoroughbreds

As far as introductions to racehorse ownership go, Cunningham Thoroughbreds’ tale is less orthodox than most.

There is a refreshing ease to how it all unfolded. Gary and Lorilie arrived at the Magic Millions sales complex on the Gold Coast, asked the sales office how they could go about purchasing a yearling and were promptly introduced to Queensland’s Champion Trainer Tony Gollan, who just so happened to be passing by at the time.

An introduction to Gollan’s bloodstock agent John Foote followed, and $120,000 later, the Cunninghams were on the board - all in a matter of days.

The manner in which Cunningham Thoroughbreds purchased its first racehorse may have been spontaneous, but the decision to become involved in the industry was far more deliberate. Gary’s first racing memories can be traced back as far as his school days, a time during which one particular racehorse was making a name for himself.

“I’m not from a racing background, but I developed an interest in racing very early, when I was at school as a young fellow,” he recalled. “I went to the races once as a little boy with some friends, and I was just transfixed by the animals. I loved the athleticism of them and I loved the racing, the competition, so I started to follow the races.

“Every Saturday, I’d listen to them on the radio whilst I was doing a whole series of chores that my father had set me to do, so it alleviated the pain of having to paint the back fence or mow the lawn or whatever.

“When my father saw that I was interested in racing, every now and again he would reward me with a day at the races. We’d go out together and I’d try and work out how to spend my small amount of money that I had available for the punt. It was just a fun thing.

“The first time I really fell in love with a horse was with Gunsynd when I was a young fellow. He set me on the path of what a champion racehorse was all about and it went from there.”

As is the case with many whose business interests lie outside of racing, Cunningham’s passion for the industry took somewhat of a back seat whilst all energies were channelled into growing his business and raising his family.

Lighting up a passion

It wasn’t until the two-phase sale of his US-based physiotherapy enterprise that Cunningham had both the time and resources to rekindle his interest in racing, and in 2017 that interest was taken to the next level with the purchase of the aforementioned yearling - a bay filly by champion racehorse and sire So You Think (NZ).

Subsequently named Light Up The Room (So You Think {NZ}), her exploits on the racetrack would go on to prompt a change in tact for Cunningham Thoroughbreds, but not before her race career could be enjoyed to its fullest.

“We had quite a good little racehorse for our first one, which tricked me into thinking that they were all going to be good,” Cunningham quipped. “She had a couple of wins as a 2 and 3-year-old and performed well in some Group races. She was a lovely horse.

“We loved being involved and the people who we met were great, but I realised that with racehorse ownership, there aren’t many strong economic arguments for it.

“I looked at breeding and thought that it’s a science and a business, and I understand how that would work. I decided that, if we were going to stay in racing, we should also go into breeding, and breeding has actually become more of our interest.

“It has involved a couple of my sons, who are passionate about it, and we bought into Ridgmont Farm, so the breeding has become the focal point - the racing is the entertainment.”

By his own admission, the opportunity to involve his family was a huge factor in why Cunningham chose to invest in racing and breeding over the multitude of other potential avenues.

Much to his delight, his eldest son, Mitchell, is now a director of both Cunningham Thoroughbreds and Ridgmont Farm, the latter of which the family are partners in, whilst his youngest son, Xavier, already boasts experience at Godolphin and Gollan Racing, to name but a few.

“I have a very strong sense of family, and one of the things that struck me as I started to come to understand the breadth of the industry is that very often it is multi-generational,” Cunnigham explained.

“Often a trainer is a trainer because his or her father or mother was a trainer and the same with jockeys and bloodstock agents. Breeding families seem to go back generations and that appeals to me a lot.

“I could have invested my money in all sorts of things, but I had two sons who were very interested in racing, and I thought that this was an opportunity for us to have a multi-generational business, that my children, and hopefully their children and their children’s children, can be involved with. Not all of them will be, of course, but those who don’t want to be in the business can enjoy the racing and the benefit of the association with people who are in racing and breeding.

“If that continues, I think that it’s a great thing. It involves the love of the animals, love of the country and the competition.

“Having my sons involved is the cream on the cake for me.”

Going the distance

Creating a breeding dynasty may have taken priority in recent years, but Cunningham hasn’t forgotten the aspects of the industry which first captured his imagination as a schoolboy.

One race above all others continues to hold special significance for the Brisbane-based businessman, and you get the impression that he won’t rest until he has won it.

“The boys keep telling me, ‘Dad, the Australian market doesn’t reward yearlings that have Cox Plate potential, everyone wants to win the Golden Slipper’ - well I want to win the Cox Plate, so we’ll have to find a way through that,” he said.

“All of my hero horses have won the Cox Plate. Starting out with Gunsynd, So You Think, who was a magnificent horse, Makybe Diva, Winx - it seems to me that all great horses win that race.

“I’m more of a traditionalist in racing. I love the way a distance race unfolds and all of my heroes raced over a mile and above. I’d love to win a Melbourne Cup, as would everybody, and I love the 3-year-old Classic races.

“There’s nothing wrong with sprint races of course and they’re fantastic to watch, but if you’re in a sprint race and you get a bad barrier or miss the start by half a length, you’re already out, whereas if you’ve got 2400 metres, you can get yourself back in the race and give yourself another opportunity.”

Given Cunningham’s affinity for the Cox Plate and distance races in general, it was no surprise that he jumped at the chance to be involved with globetrotting sensation State Of Rest (Ire) after being approached by Newgate proprietor Henry Field, who purchased the entire in conjunction with China Horse Club, Ireland’s Rathbarry Stud and a who’s who of Australian breeders following his victory in the Moonee Valley showpiece last year.

Injury may have prevented the son of Starspangledbanner from defending his Cox Plate crown and realising his part-owner’s long-held ambition, but the opportunity to join such exalted company in his Southern Hemisphere ownership group is a privilege that is not lost on Cunningham, whose appreciation for those who have mastered thoroughbred breeding continues to grow by the day.

“I’m deeply respectful of these people who understand the essence of breeding - the genealogy, the biology and the medicine that goes into it,” he said. “That part of it has my great respect and I think it’s essential.

“If you were sticking pins on a horse’s tail like at a kids' party, I wouldn’t be involved, but when you see how much effort, energy, understanding and insight goes into marrying the science of breeding with the success of racing, and then how the farms contribute and how the horse is raised and cared for, all that sort of stuff, it makes sense to me.

“There is a science, I think, to success. It also requires talent, hard work and luck, but I think everyone who is involved understands that success doesn’t just fall in your lap. You’ve got to work hard and you’ve got to wait, so people respect each other’s success.”

Mindful of the fact that such a competitive and cut-throat industry could so easily induce the opposite outcome, that sense of collegiality is something that resonates with Cunningham.

“It’s almost like the antithesis of the tall poppy syndrome,” he added. “In life, you find that sometimes if you’re successful, people can be inclined to resent it. In racing, what I have found so far is that people enjoy each other’s success, and I love that.

“If you throw a bet on every now and then and you don’t have the interest, you might tend to take a different view of other people’s success, but when you’re working in it and know how hard it is to achieve success, it’s very nice to share that with everybody else.

“Success breeds success. If people are having success on the track and enjoying the experience of racing, then the industry will thrive. There’s a recognition from everybody that there is nothing to be gained from pulling others down.”

Years in the making

Right from the very start of Cunningham’s involvement in the industry, a helping hand has never been far away. The likes of Gollan and bloodstock agent Jim Clarke have proved an invaluable sounding board and source of support, as have Andrew Dunemann and Neil Douglas, with whom the Cunninghams are partners in Ridgmont Farm.

The 530-acre property situated on the Segenhoe Road is a great source of excitement for Cunningham, and after years of investment in high-quality stock, infrastructure and personnel, Ridgmont is gearing up for its maiden Magic Millions sale as a vendor on the Gold Coast next month.

“I think the future is very rosy,” Cunningham concluded. “We are doing very well with Ridgmont - the people, the development and infrastructure and the quality of animals are all very good.

“It has been a developing process over the last five or six years, but we have our first cohort of yearlings going through Magic Millions in January, which is exciting.

“We are expecting the fruit to really ripen in 2024/25. That’s when we can consider ourselves at that first level of maturity in terms of the product that we are producing, but these are our first cabs off the rank and there are some pretty nice horses among them, so we’re confident.

“We really want to be identified at the quality end of the market. Maybe not the extreme end, but we’d be very happy producing quality animals which race well for their owners and provide them with some residual benefit post-racing.”

Should Ridgmont’s first Magic Millions sale as a vendor be like Cunningham’s first as a buyer, they will achieve that goal quicker than most.

Cover image courtesy of Zuzanna Lupa

The stakes-winning and Group 1-placed filly Times Square (Fr) joined the list of high-profile European-bred females set to continue their careers in Australia after the daughter of Zarak (Fr) was purchased by Hubie de Burgh of de Burgh Equine and James Harron for €1,250,000 (AU$1,937,900) at the Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale on Saturday.

Consigned by her former trainer Christophe Ferland, the 3-year-old filly, who was purchased for an undisclosed client, landed the Listed Prix de Saint-Cyr this season and also finished third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches (French 1000 Guineas), while as a juvenile she ran second in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac.

De Burgh told TDN AusNZ that an Australian-based trainer for her had not yet been decided and said he was confident her European form would stand her in good stead as she continued her career Down Under.

“She will go to Australia and stay in training,” explained de Burgh. “The client has not yet decided which trainer because I wasn’t sure we would get her so there were no plans made in advance.

“She has been very well looked after by Christophe (Ferland, trainer) and he hasn’t completely squeezed the lemon with her. She was placed in the Marcel Boussac, which he generally regarded as one of the top 2-year-old races for fillies anywhere in Europe and she trained on at three and was narrowly beaten in the French Guineas. She is a really good filly and she will be a very smart miler in Australia.”

Endless options

Being by a son of Dubawi (Ire) in Zarak and out of a Siyouni (Fr) mare the options for mating when she ultimately retires to the breeding barn are endless, which de Burgh said was a very appealing aspect.

“She will continue racing and then be covered after,” said de Burgh. “Being by Zarak, who is a brilliant young son of Dubawi, and she is out of a Siyouni mare, which means she is a brilliant outcross to the Danehill line,” he continued.

“As a type, she is a very pretty filly and is not one of those big-bodied, heavy-shouldered fillies that can prove difficult to train. She is very elegant and probably stands at 16 hands. She is a very fine French-looking filly, meaning she will probably suit the big, powerful Australian sires after her racing days are over.”

Times Square is out of the unraced mare See You Always (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}) and she is also the dam of Times Boulevard (Fr) (Shalaa {Ire}), who looked as classy as her half-sister when breaking her maiden at La Teste De Buch by 6l, before finishing third at Group 3 level on her next start.

The page further down is littered with black-type winners, including dual American Grade 1 winner Newspaperofrecord (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and G1 Irish Derby winner Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}).

“The sister has only run twice, breaking her maiden impressively and then ran third in a Group race, so she could be a stakes filly next year. The mother is very young and underneath the third dam there are brilliant horses like Newspaperofrecord and Latrobe. It is a very young and active family that is probably on the upgrade,” said de Burgh.

“I must have seen her three or four times, she was out for a lot of other people as well, and she always behaved and did everything right, she gave me the impression that she has a good nature.”

A few lots earlier de Burgh had tried in vain to purchase dual Listed-winning Sea The Stars (Ire) mare Burgarita (GB), who eventually sold to Godolphin for €1.7 million (AU$2,635,500). Being a year older than Times Square, de Burgh had thought she would be more within their price range.

“We were keen on this filly and Burgarita, who is a different filly being a year older and probably more of a 10-furlong filly,” he said. “We were on the two of them and I thought we would have a great chance getting Burgarita, but she ended up making €1.7 million and I thought we had no chance getting this filly, but it ended up being the other way round. We are delighted to get and we’re looking forward to getting her down there.”

Gabbedy snares three

After some near misses at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale last week, Damon Gabbedy of Belmont Bloodstock (FBAA) finally got his name on the buyers’ sheet, purchasing three mares on the first day of the French Sale and the trio were headed by the well-related, one-time winner Roselyne (Fr) (Dariyan {Fr}), who he bought for €400,000 (AU$620,100)

The daughter of the French Listed winner Bal De La Rosa (Ire) (Cadeaux Genereux {GB}), making her a half-sister to Listed-winning duo Blossomtime (GB) (Shamardal {USA}) and German Group 1 winner Danceteria (Fr) (Redoute’s Choice).

The 3-year-old filly’s third dam is Lady Vettori (GB) (Vettori {Ire}), making her a three-quarter sister to the late multiple Group 1-winning Champion turned leading sire Shamardal (USA) and Listed winner Lord Of The Land (Ire), while Lady Vettori is also the dam of Group 3 winner Lady Frankel (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Roselyne was offered in foal to Siyouni on Southern Hemisphere time and Gabbedy, who also acts at the Australian representative for Arqana, told TDN AusNZ the mare had been bought by a Western Australian-based breeder Nino Tufilli, who heads up an enterprise called Two Fillies Stud.

“She’s going to go to Middlebrook Valley Farm. He (Tufilli) watched Amelia’s Jewel win the Group 1 today (Saturday), and he is building up a nice broodmare band, really trying to upgrade his mares. Not only was she in foal to Siyouni, she also had a proper pedigree behind her, being a three-quarter relation to Lope De Vega,” Gabbedy said.

“Apparently, as she had a tonne of ability and was meant to run in the French Oaks but went amiss after only two starts. She was a rare offering and Siyouni just goes so well down in Australia.”

Dual winner Keshana (Fr) (Iffraaj {GB}), who was the second lot offered of the day, also went the way of Gabbedy and he paid the Aga Khan Studs €50,000 (AU$77,500) for the 3-year-old.

“She was bought for Bob and Fiona Guth and they were keen to get into an Aga Khan pedigree and this mare had a lot of ability, including running fourth in a Group race. She will head back into training before heading to the breeding barn,” said Gabbedy.

Meanwhile, Gabbedy also left the sale on day one with Listed-winning mare Angelinka (Fr) (Pedro The Great {USA}), who he snared for €65,000 (AU$100,800) on behalf of B2B Thoroughbreds.

The 4-year-old mare was offered by Haras des Capucines and she derives from the same family as Group 2 winner Gold Away (Ire) (Goldneyev {USA}) and Danzigaway (USA) (Danehill {USA}), the dam of stakes winners and now sires Silent Name (Jpn) and Galiway (GB).

“Ricky Surace loved the fact that she was a winner in three countries, France, Germany and America and it is their first purchase at Arqana and they are thrilled to bits,” Gabbedy said. “She was gorgeous, a really pretty filly.”

Thunder Beauty to race on

Thunder Beauty (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}), who was last seen winning the Listed Pipalong S. at Pontefract, is another set to continue her career in Australia after being snapped up for €330,000 (AU$511,600) by Garryard Equine, Paul Moroney and Catheryne Bruggeman on behalf of Silverdale Farm and partners.

Brian McGuire signed for the talented daughter of Night Of Thunder (Ire), and he told TDN AusNZ he was pleased to secure the 4-year-old, who also finished second in the G2 Duke Of Cambridge S. at Royal Ascot.

“She is by Night Of Thunder, who is obviously a leading sire, and she was a winner at two and Group 2-placed at Royal Ascot and last-start stakes winner,” said McGuire.

“She is also an outcross which is what we are looking for, and she has a little bit of an X-factor about her. She has been bought on behalf of Silverdale Farm, Grant Bloodstock and Carpe Diem.”

McGuire said that while the plan was to return the filly to training in the Southern Hemisphere, no plan had been made as to which stable she will join.

“She will go back into work, before retiring to the hills at Silverdale. She is going to go in the next shipment to Australia, and no decision on a trainer has been made. She is an exciting prospect and I think in this market, she has been well bought,” he said.

“Hopefully, she can be lucky for the lads, and we can have a bit of luck along the way. She was a lovely looking filly, who was very correct and well put together, and she had a very good head. She was the one we were really keen on, and we were hoping she would fall into budget, which luckily she did, but we were on our last legs.”

Thunder Beauty is out of the winning Dansili (GB) mare Quiania (Ger), making her a half-sister to two other winners, Quita (GB) (Footstepsinthesand {GB}) and Haku (Ire) (Dragon Pulse {Ire}).

Libre and Wild Vegas head Down Under

Sheamus Mills of Sheamus Mills Bloodstock (FBAA) also got involved in the action on day one of the sale, buying two mares for an aggregate of €270,000 (AU$418,600), and the most expensive of the pair was Libre (Ire) (Exceed And Excel) who cost the agent €200,000 (AU$310,000).

A Listed winner in Germany, the daughter of Darley’s leading sire Exceed And Excel is from the same family as Aryaamm (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the dam of G2 Champagne S. winner Saamidd (GB) (Street Cry {Ire}) and stakes-winning duo Masaarr (USA) (Distorted Humor {USA}) and Talmada (USA) (Cape Cross {Ire}).

Daughters of Exceed And Excel are well sought after at breeding stock sales the world over, and it is hardly surprising given his talent as a broodmare sire. On Saturday alone in Australia, his daughters produced five winners, headed by stakes-winning pair Impendabelle (Impending) and Garibaldi (I Am Invincible).

Overall, his daughters have produced 77 stakes winners headed by 12 elite-level winners, and Mills told TDN AusNZ the Exceed And Excel factor was a huge appeal in the acquisition of the mare.

“Exceed was probably the drawing factor in the first place, he is probably in my top three broodmare sires and I am big on broodmare sires,” said Mills. “Exceed is getting on a bit now and there aren’t that many of them and they rarely come on the market anywhere. He is just such a good broodmare sire, I don’t know where they are all hidden, especially the ones that can run.”

Given her pedigree, race record and global bloodstock market, Mills believes she represented value.

“Initially, it was just Exceed himself who attracted me to the pedigree, but I am a fan of the German form myself and I always have been. They produce tough, good-boned horses who look very similar to the Australian stock and she is a very good example of that. She is very well made with a lot of size and strength and quality.

“It was just a case of everything marrying up and the one thing I kept thinking, ‘If she was Listed winner at Flemington, what would she make in Australia?’ I understand you want a discount for her being a Listed winner in Germany rather than Flemington, but I think she was good value.

“I was very happy with the price because there isn’t much at the moment on anybody's list that makes well below their valuation, most horses I’ve been trying to buy have been at the very top or well above, so I was rapt to get her for that money.

“In terms of trying to come up with the valuation, I sort of thought if she made half of what she would have as a Flemington Listed winner, that would be pretty good and I think she has come in under half.”

A few lots before, Mills struck for the first time in the day when he went to €70,000 (AU$108,500) for one-time winner Wild Vegas (Ger) (Lope De Vega {Ire}).

The 3-year-old filly is out of Group 3 placegetter Wildfahrte (Ger) (Mark Of Esteem {Ire}) and she is the dam of four further winners headed by Wild Vegas’ Listed-winning three-quarter brother Wildpark (Ger) (Shamardal {USA}), while she also produced stakes-placed pair Wild Max (Ger) (Maxios {GB}) and Wild Approach (Ire) (New Approach {Ire}).

Like Libre, Mills was happy to be able to secure Wild Vegas for that figure and said she was the perfect outcross for many of the Australian sirelines.

“I might be bad at valuing these horses because I thought this was really good buying as well,” said Mills.

“I am a huge Lope De Vega fan and he has done a great job in both hemispheres. We don’t get much access to him anymore. I have sent him mares this year Southern Hemisphere time to bring back to Australia and he is a horse who has done really well down there. Like most people, I am a huge Shamardal fan as well and she is the perfect outcross for the majority of our sirelines.

“She has a lot of scope about her and a lovely walk. She will let down into a lovely mare. She will go to something good in the first instance and could even be for resale, more likely she will be kept, but when you buy them at what you believe to be good value it can open up more options.”

Three Bridges secure Siyouni daughter

Johnny McKeever was out of the blocks early in the day, going to €210,000 (AU$325,600) to secure Savoureuse (GB), a daughter of Siyouni from the Ecurie des Monceaux draft.

The 3-year-old is out of the unraced mare Knyazhna (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), who two other winners are headed by Savoureuse’s dual Grade 3-winning brother Sacred Life (Fr) and the Group 3-placed Khagan (Ire) (Le Havre {Ire}), while further down the page this is the same family as G1 St Leger winner Rule Of Law (USA).

McKeever, who bought the mare for connections of Three Bridges Farm, told TDN AusNZ that no plans had been made regarding the filly’s future.

“There have been no decisions made on her at this stage. She is the most outstandingly beautiful filly, with a 10 out of 10 physique. We actually liked her more on physique than most others in the catalogue,” he said.

The filly entered the ring as the fourth lot of the day and McKeever believed she was offered before the sale really hit its stride.

“We were keen to get stuck into her before the heat got into the market. The way the market is at the moment, I think if she had come later on in the day, she would have been slightly more expensive,” said McKeever. “As the day has gone on, it’s hotting up a lot and some of the others on our list have been very well sought after.”

Siyouni has proved time and time again to be a top-class stallion everywhere in the world, and only hours before the sale kicked off, he advertised his talent in Australia when his daughter Amelia’s Jewel chalked up the first Group 1 of her career in the G1 Northerly S. at Ascot.

McKeever said Siyouni’s reputation in Australia as a truly topline producer was well deserved.

“Savoureuse is well related and we are really keen on Siyouni, who is working really well in Australia. Siyouni seems to be very popular in Australia at the moment and rightly so, he is a fantastic stallion and I am also a huge fan of her damsire, Montjeu,” he continued.

First Light Racing get on the board

First Light Racing, working through Howson and Houldsworth, purchased two fillies at the Arqana Sale on Saturday, paying Haras des Cruchettes €160,000 (AU$248,000) for dual winner Osmose (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}), while the went to €80,000 (AU$124,000) for Zarafa (Fr) (Zarak {Fr}), who has also won twice in her career.

Placed fourth at Group 3 level, Osmose is the only winner out of the unraced mare Meseika (USA) (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and she is herself a daughter of Grade 1 winner Unrivaled Belle (USA) (Unbridled’s Song {USA}), who has also produced multiple Grade 1-winning Champion Unique Bella (USA) (Tapit {USA}).

Meanwhile, their other purchase, Zarafa, is out of the winning and Group 1-placed Amour A Papa (Fr) (Montmartre {Fr}), a sister to Listed winner Bebe D’Amour (Fr) and the pair are both out of Listed winner Prudence Royale (Fr) (Loup Solitaire {USA}).

Cambridge Stud and Foote buy two

After purchasing three lots at last week’s Tattersalls December Mare Sale, Cambridge Stud and John Foote of John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) made their presence felt once again, leaving the first session of the Arqana sale with two purchases.

They struck early on in the session, paying La Motteraye Consignment €60,000 (AU$93,000) for the winning Churchill (Ire) mare True Icon (Ire). The filly is a daughter of the Listed-placed Orientate (USA) mare Purple Glow (Ire), meaning she is a half-sister to Listed winner Main Desire (Ire) (High Chaparral {Ire}).

Later on in the session, Foote was bidding again for Brendan and Jo Lindsay’s New Zealand-based nursery, this time securing the unraced Motivator (GB) filly Win Over (Ger) for €32,000 (AU$49,600).

Win Over is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Walkaway (Ger) (Adlerflug {Ger}) and she is out of a half-sister to Group 1 winner and now sire Wiener Walzer (Ger), Group 2 scorer and fellow sire Walzertakt (Ger) and fellow Group 2 triumphant Port Douglas (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Cover image courtesy of Zuzanna Lupa

Malavath bound for America

A memorable anniversary year for Moyglare Stud was rounded off with some select purchases at Arqana's Breeding Stock Sale, including top lot, Malavath (Ire) (Mehmas {Ire}), at €3.2 million (AU$4,961,000) on a day when the single session aggregate was more than the entire sale last year.

The Co Meath-based farm owned by Eva-Maria Bucher-Haefner and established by her father, Walter Haefner celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022, and in quite some style on the track, courtesy of the Irish Classic winner Homeless Songs (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) and the champion stayer Kyprios (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was bred and raced in partnership with Coolmore.

The 3-year-old Malavath, twice runner-up at Group 1 level and the winner of a Group 2 and Group 3 in France, will race on, bearing the famous black, white and red silks in America, where she will be trained by Christophe Clement after leaving Francis Graffard's stable.

“Now all she has to do is to win a Group 1,” said Moyglare's bloodstock advisor Fiona Craig. “She's lovely, and physically she'll make a nice mare for Moyglare down the road; we can breed her to just about anything. I think America is the place for her. She likes the tracks there. I think she'll struggle to get a full mile here, whereas I think a mile over there should be within her limits. That's the plan anyway, and we all know that plans don't always work out.”

She continued, “We have lots of lovely mares, but they stay a bit and now we just need a bit of speed, and that's what she has.”

Moyglare later bought Lot 204, Dr Christoph Berglar's Group 2 winner Amazing Grace (Ger) (Protectionist {Ger}), for €850,000 (AU$1,317,800) from the draft of Ronald Rauscher.

Gemini Stud's G1 Prix Vermeille winner Sweet Lady (Fr) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) (Lot 188) was another from the Graffard stable to reap a decent return and she will be on her way to England after being signed for by Claiborne's Bernie Sams on behalf of an undisclosed client of the farm for €2,050,000 (AU$3,178,100).

“She's for a man who has a couple of mares in England and she may come back to Kentucky eventually,” said Sams. “He wanted to try to buy a filly here with a race record and a good pedigree and she fits that bill.”

Bred by Chris Wright's British-based Stratford Place Stud, the 4-year-old Sweet Lady is a daughter of the dual Listed winner High Heel Sneakers (GB) (Dansili {GB}) and won six of her 15 starts, including the G2 Prix Corrida and G3 Prix de Flore.

Rocketing figures

Malavath was one of a septet of seven-figure lots on a day which easily outstripped the stellar returns of 2021, with those leading lights selling respectively to interests from America, Japan, Australia, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. In just one day, the turnover was up nine per cent on the entire aggregate for four days of last year's sale, and by 42 per cent on last year's opening session.

The tally weighed in at €45,882,000 (AU$71,130,900) by the time the last of 238 lots had exited the ring in a session which lasted for more than 12 hours. A clearance rate of 79 per cent was achieved, with the average of €244,045 (AU$378,300) up by 16 per cent, and the median up to €115,000 (AU$178,300) from €87,000 (AU$134,900).

Burgarita headlines big Baroda payday

He may have pocketed €2.7 million (AU$4,185,800) in sales within the space of 20 minutes but Baroda Stud's David Cox could be forgiven for feeling there was more to be extracted from Burgarita (GB) (Sea The Stars {Ire}), who was knocked down prematurely to Anthony Stroud for €1.7 million (AU$2,635,500) just as a last-gasp bid was placed.

A huge groan went out among those in attendance at the packed sales complex, but Cox countered that the failed bidder had long enough to get involved as the price hovered through an arduous bidding process on €1.7 million (AU$2,635,500), and the leading consignor wasn't in the mood for arguing with French law.

The sale of the G1 Prix de Diane-placed Burgarita represented the most expensive lot sold by Cox's Baroda Stud and it was quickly followed by Nick Bradley's tough as teak mare Oscula (Ire) (Galileo Gold {GB}), a 4000gns (AU$7584) yearling purchase, selling for €1 million (AU$1,550,300) to Ted Voute on behalf of Prince Faisal's Nawara Stud.

Cox explained, “In fairness, the underbidders had plenty of time to put in their bid and once the hammer goes down, it's French law that the deal is done. When I saw the Godolphin team looking at her I thought she was an ideal filly to go to Dubawi. There's still racing in her, if that's what they want to do, but she's a gorgeous filly and one to look forward to in the breeding shed.”

Shortly after the sale, Stroud embraced Cox and joked, “Well, we got there eventually.” He later revealed to the press, “It's a family I know very well because of the Wildensteins and Dayton. We thought she'd be an ideal candidate for Dubawi.”

Baroda Stud brought a select draft of 11 to Arqana while the majority of the team stayed at home in Ireland to prepare for the December National Hunt Sale at Goffs. Cox paid tribute to his dedicated team of staff after the sale of Oscula as well as paying special thanks to BBA Ireland's Mick Donohoe for entrusting him to sell Burgarita on behalf of his client.

“If anything, Burgarita and Oscula highlight the advantages to selling in the sales ring rather than on the private market,” said Cox. “Owners are being inundated with private offers throughout a season but I think today (Saturday) proved that there's no better way to sell a classy filly than in the ring. When two, three or four buyers take each other on, there's no ceiling to what a horse can make and that was evident today. Also, the hype of a sale is great and we have some very happy owners and buyers alike so hopefully, it's a win-win for everyone.”

Oscula has more than paid for her paltry yearling price-tag during her two seasons in training with George Boughey, with three Group 3 wins as well as a Listed contest under her belt. The 3-year-old filly has also earned black type on another 10 occasions, including when third in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac.

“Prince Faisal selected her,” said Voute. “He watches all the videos and the pictures and we're just the team on the ground and went around to make sure everything is okay and organise vettings. He's chosen her to support Mishriff in his first season at stud here at Sumbe. She was a bit like Mishriff, they were both tough as nails and hopefully, they will produce something good together. I'm suspecting Prince Faisal will send Mishriff a half a dozen mares. Half the broodmare band will probably go to him but plans will be finalised when the sales are over.”

Hello You…and your mum

Shadai Farm made its presence felt when snapping up G2 Rockfel S. winner Hello You (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) for €1,550,000 (AU$2,403,000) on a day when the speedy 3-year-old's dam Lucrece (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) went through the ring for €710,000 (AU$1,100,700) to BBA Ireland.

Takuya Fujita, who signed for the filly on behalf of Shadai Farm, revealed that Hello You's speed is what attracted him most.

He explained, “My first impressions of Hello You, when I saw her on the sales ground were, that she had a really good walk. I thought she was my pick of the day and her conformation was perfect. She achieved good performances as a race filly but, more than that, she is just a very good mare.”

Asked if Hello You would stay in training or be retired to the breeding shed, he replied, “Well, we haven't decided that yet and we need to talk to my boss first. This is my first time attending this sale. I thought the beginning of the sale was slow and quiet, not what I expected. Now the market has got stronger and stronger and the goalposts will only go so far.”

He added, “The European pedigrees have made a big imprint on our breeding and racing in Japan. I try to find mares with good speed rather than stamina which is why I picked up this filly.”

Hello You and Lucrece were consigned by Ecurie des Monceaux and the latter, who featured among BBA Ireland's massive haul, was sold in foal to Frankel (GB).

Flay's trio of smart fillies

Bobby Flay has enjoyed notable success with his European broodmare purchases and he signed up three more decent prospects on Saturday for a collective €2,450,000 (AU$3,798,200).

Lot 208, Final Gesture (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), bought for €925,000 (AU$1,434,000) from Godolphin, is a filly with almost all the bases covered. A dual winner with some minor black type herself, her mother, the Newsells Park Stud-bred Secret Gesture (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), was a Group 2 winner and placed in two Classics and is a sister to two Group 1 winners.

“This is the kind of pedigree that I'm really interested in. She's by Dubawi, she's got some black type, she's out of a Galileo mare, and these are very, very hard to attain. This is a horse I hope I'll have for a very long time and I hope that my daughter will be breeding from this family in years to come,” said Flay.

He added that Final Gesture will head to England to join his mares already boarding there and that she will visit a “top three to five stallion”.

Flay went to the same amount for Glinting (Ire), a 4-year-old daughter of Galileo (Ire) offered in foal to Wootton Bassett (GB) by La Motteraye Consignment. A non-winner herself, the filly is from a family steeped in black type and including her Group 3-winning brothers Bondi Beach (Ire) and Constantinople (Ire) as well as this season's leading juveniles Proud And Regal (Ire) and Silver Knott (GB).

The breeder and chef had earlier signed for Lot 191, Ottilien (Fr) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), for €600,000 (AU$931,000), who was consigned by her trainer David Menuisier for Quantum Leap Racing, who also bred the sister of Group 1 winner Morandi (Fr). Ottilien's three wins include the Listed Prix Turenne and she was third in the G1 Prix de Royallieu in October.

BBA Ireland leads buyers' table

Michael Donohoe, bidding online from an office within the Arqana complex, was again one of the busiest agents in action, with a number of high-profile lots knocked down both in his name and that of BBA Ireland.

Donohoe confirmed that he was buying for a range of clients. He said, “A number of fillies are staying in training and going to Australia, one mare that I bought is going to America and one filly is going to the Middle East.”

Various BBA Ireland agents contributed to a haul of 35 purchases for the agency through the opening session for a total of €8,571,000 (AU$13,287,600). The list was headed by Lot 184, Let's Misbehave (Ire), a Montjeu (Ire) half-sister to High Chaparral (Ire) sold in foal to Siyouni (Fr) from Haras du Cadran for €920,000 (AU$1,426,300).

Treve's sister to Juddmonte

Juddmonte needs only to make selective purchases and a weanling half-sister to a dual G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe winner is just about as desirable as they come. So it was that the Le Havre (Ire) sister to Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) passed from one great breeding operation to another for the sum of €675,000 (AU$1,046,500), providing some consolation as Haras du Quesnay prepares to close its doors, that those bloodlines will live on at one of the best farms in the world.

“It's sad to see the end of the Quesnay and she's a very special filly so we're delighted to have her,” said Juddmonte's Simon Mockridge. “Obviously, you've got a dual Arc winner under the first dam so this is an amazing opportunity. I know this was the last foal but for a May foal, she is very well made and very strong.”

The first four lots from the Quesnay draft sold for a combined €1,525,000 (AU$2,364,200). Jill Lamb, buying on behalf of Newsells Park Stud, snapped up the first of the dispersal, going to €350,000 (AU$542,600) for the unraced mare Perle D'Auge (Fr) (Le Havre {Ire}).

Sold as Lot 31, the 5-year-old is a great-granddaughter of Haras de Saint Pair's influential mare Pearly Shells (GB) (Efisio {GB}) and was bought by Quesnay just two years ago for €22,000 (AU$34,100). It is a family, however, which enjoys regular updates, including a recent Group 1 win for Pearls Galore (Fr) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) who is a half-sister to Perle D'Auge's Listed-winning dam Pearly Steph (Fr) (Oasis Dream {GB}). Another of the young mare's half-sisters is Godolphin's Eternal Pearl (GB) (Frankel {GB}), the winner this year of Group 3 contests in France and England.

Perle D'Auge, who has an Intello (Ger) filly catalogued as Lot 329 in Sunday's sale, was offered in foal to Persian King (Ire).

Lamb later signed for the second-most expensive foal of the session, a Kingman (GB) daughter of the Group 2 winner Castellar (Fr) (American Post {GB}), a half-brother to the Group 1 winner and sire Recoletos (Fr), at €400,000 (AU$620,100). She was also bought for Newsells Park, from Haras de San Isidro.

Cover image courtesy of Bronwen Healy

Lyndhurst Stud’s prolific juvenile producer Better Than Ready could very well have one of the most exciting prospects he has ever had in Skirt The Law who posted an ultra-dominant victory at Doomben on Saturday, taking her record to a perfect two from two.

The Tony Gollan-trained filly signalled she might be one to follow when running her rivals ragged to post an excellent 2.8l debut victory at Doomben last month.

Sent back to the same track on Saturday, the filly put even more daylight between her and the field, serving her counterparts a 5.3l defeat and booking her ticket to the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic in the process.

The filly was one of four winners for her sire on Saturday, with fellow juvenile Tahkian Bubbles, who was tasting victory for the first time at Rockhampton, also among the victors.

While the season is still at a formative stage, Saturday’s haul moves Better Than Ready into pole position to retain his crown as Australia's leading sire of 2-year-olds by winners. He currently sits one winner ahead of I Am Invincible, while a whole host of top-class stallions, including Zoustar, Exceed And Excel and Better Than Ready’s familiar foe, Spirit Of Boom, have all been represented by two individual winners this season.

Timely update

Skirt The Law herself was bred by Lyndhurst Stud and is out of Listed-placed mare Outlaw Kate (Exceed And Excel), who was acquired by the Queensland operation for $30,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale in 2019.

Following the purchase, the page has continued to be updated, most notably when Outlaw Kate's half-brother, Masked Crusader (Toronado {Ire}), snared the most high-profile victory to date in the 2021 G1 William Reid S. and in the process provided Skirt The Law a timely update ahead of her going under the hammer on the Gold Coast.

The filly eventually made $170,000 at the Magic Millions sale in January, catching the eye of her subsequent trainer, Gollan, John Foote Bloodstock (FBAA) and Black Soil Bloodstock.

“She was always a lovely, athletic type, without being a standout, but she had a lovely page which got her into the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Her mother is a half-sister to Masked Crusader who just prior to the Magic Millions won his Group 1,” recalled Kruger.

“She looks a very exciting prospect for Better Than Ready and Saturday's performance was brilliant, which gained her a starting berth in the Magic Millions on the Gold Coast.

Skirt The Law was conceived in 2019 when his fee was set at a career-high fee of $33,000 (inc GST), having stood his previous four seasons at $9900 (inc GST). The colossal rise was in response to the son of More Than Ready (USA) finishing the 2018/19 season as the Champion First Season Sire by winners. In fact, the 23 individual winners he sired in his first season with runners was the best haul of scorers since 2010 and has yet to be bettered.

Given the higher quality of mares that follows a fee hike, Kruger said he is looking forward to seeing what other potential stars can emerge from the 2019 crop.

“This current batch of 2-year-olds are from his best crop of mares. He got a lot of support in the Hunter Valley from this particular crop and we would expect nothing to be any different if not better with his 2-year-olds,” he said. “I don’t know the reason why he is better than every stallion as far as getting juvenile winners is concerned, they just jump and run early, right from the moment they start trialling.”

Crowning glory

Better Than Ready was crowned Australia’s leading 2-year-old sire last season, producing 25 winners from 70 runners, two ahead of his nearest rival Spirit Of Boom.

“The amount of juvenile winners he and Spirit Of Boom get here in Queensland is just unbelievable. He (Better Than Ready) had 70 2-year-old runners last season and just to get that many juvenile runners to the track, bearing in mind all the variables, it is just amazing to get that many horses to the track, let alone for a lot of them to win,” said Kruger.

In 2020, his fee was shaved back to $30,000 (inc GST), before standing the 2020 term for a private fee and this year he has covered mares at $24,200 (inc GST) and Kruger is hoping his current crop of 2-year-olds can fire and the stallion's fee can return to the higher echelons.

“His book of mares was good this year, but they were nothing like the sort of mares he covered for his current crop of 2-year-olds.

“There is no denying that Better Than Ready really needs another Group horse to get his fee back to where we had it at $30,000 because we are currently at $24,200 (inc GST). We would like to get his fee back to where it was in 2019 because those better-quality mares certainly come from those farms that can afford to pay that fee and that’s where those mares come from.

“There are no shortages of mares for him, but if we are going to get the better quality of mares for him like we did with the current crop of 2-year-olds we need to get his fee back to where it was.”

There is nothing like a top-class colt, gelding or filly to reignite breeders' interest in a stallion and Kruger is hoping that Skirt The Law can prove the catalyst this season.

“Hopefully, a horse like Skirt The Law can do that for him. He has a couple of good 3-year-olds as well and he may just have one of the best 3-year-olds in the state as well in Steady Ready, he looks really good. You then have the older horses like Apache Chase and Alpine Edge.

“Apache Chase is well into his preparation whereas Alpine Edge has trialled well and is about to commence his preparation. I believe he is very well and I believe he is going to New Zealand for a Group 1, so we need those older horses to step up as well.”

Covered by Spirit Of Boom

As for Skirt The Law’s dam, Outlaw Kate, she foaled a colt by Widden Stud-based sire Nicconi this season and was on Saturday covered by Eureka Stud’s headline stallion, Spirit Of Boom, whom the Krugers have shares in.

“We bought her at Magic Millions in foal to Flying Artie, but we bought her with the intention of putting her in foal to Better Than Ready, which is how we got Skirt The Law and she then slipped the next foal and went to Nicconi. Her Nicconi colt is lovely and she was covered yesterday (Saturday) by Spirit Of Boom,” explained Kruger.

When Better Than Ready is mated to daughters of Exceed And Excel the cross has produced 10 winners from 13 runners and as a result Kruger is doing his best to snap up as many daughters of the Darley stallion as possible.

However, Spirit Of Boom also works well with the son of Danehill (USA), with the nick producing seven winners from seven runners, including stakes winner Ef Troop, and Kruger said he is often competing with the McAlpines for the daughters of Exceed And Excel.

“Exceed And Excel mares tend to go well with both Better Than Ready and Spirit Of Boom and I think Eureka Farm would tell you likewise.

“We’ve actually been online bidders on a number of Exceed And Excel mares throughout the years and actually been outbid by Harry McAlpine a number of times, so we are thinking along the same tracks with that. We probably have half a dozen of them now and I wish I had more.”