‘Any stud would be happy to have her on the farm…’ - Paris Dior heads to Magic Millions

Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan

Building on last week’s announcement that Piping Hot (More Than Ready {USA}), the 9-year-old dam of dual Group 1 winner Coolangatta (Written Tycoon), will be sold at their National Broodmare Sale, Magic Millions have now secured G2 Percy Sykes S. winner Paris Dior (Pierro).

Retiring as a 3-year-old, a curtailed racing career hasn’t done much to hinder her appeal as a broodmare prospect, and she will likely be the subject of much interest when she heads through the ring on the opening day of trade, Tuesday, May 23. That’ll have to be the case, however, if she’s to find a new home, with co-owner Steve Wilde revealing to TDN AusNZ that he would be happy to retain her himself should she not meet expectations.

“If she doesn’t make a very reasonable number that we want for her we’ll definitely be retaining her and breeding from her,” he said.

But the expectation is very much that she’ll make her money. Not only were the top-end results at the recent Inglis Chairman’s Sale plain to see, Wilde also pressed that she’s let down very well since leaving training.

“When people see the finished article, I’m sure she’ll be even more popular,” he said. “She’s an absolutely outstanding type, a nice big, strong filly. I’ll be surprised if they don’t like her up there.”

Deep pockets called for

One interested party is confirmed already. Speaking to TDN AusNZ having just taken receipt of Paris Dior, Arthur Mitchell - whose Yarraman Park Stud will consign her at the Gold Coast - confirmed that she represents an enticing offering.

“She’s (Paris Dior) an absolute beauty,” he said. “She’s a lovely, big scopey mare… A good size, good girth, just a really high-quality filly.”

Declaring that, “Any stud would be happy to have her on the farm,” Mitchell said that Yarraman will certainly be trying to secure her, though admitted:

“I’m not sure we’re going to have enough money.

“That is the sort of mare that Yarraman would love to buy, (but) when we take on people like Yulong and co., it makes it very hard to buy these sorts of horses.”

Wilde’s dream

Having raced horses for many years, Steve Wilde is relatively new to breeding. Whilst a few minutes in conversation reveals an enviable breadth of knowledge on the game, Wilde in fact runs an air conditioning business in Sydney, and enjoys horses as a hobby.

In the case of Paris Dior, he shares the fun with ex Publican and old friend Bill Hilton. The pair raced Paris Dior’s dam, Entrancing (Exceed And Excel), to win five races, and sold her sister at last year’s Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $330,000.

Entrancing’s second foal, who was named Queen Of Dragons, has had two starts for a Trilogy partnership and is expected to be very competitive in this weekend’s Listed Woodlands S. - so, it’s a young family full of promise.

Paris Dior herself was retained after failing to meet a $300,000 reserve at the 2021 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, and more than returned the favour.

“We ended up keeping her, and she went to Peter and Paul (Snowden),” Wilde said. “They had a massive opinion of her from day one, and she continued to do well, there was a lot of hype about her when she was a 2-year-old.”

Off the mark at the second attempt in early January last year, Paris Dior was then second in the R. Listed Inglis Millennium before she took out the Percy Sykes. Just five starts later, holding Group form all the way, she would run her last race.

“We never saw the best of her…” said Wilde. “In quite a few of her runs she was very unlucky and injury has now prevented her from moving forward as a racehorse after just nine starts.”

Wilde revealed that her injury wasn’t necessarily a career-ending one, and he took the admirable view that the filly had done enough in her career and decided to retire her at that point.

“I love the horse and now, whether it’s us that does it or someone else, I’d like to see her in foal and I’m sure she’ll produce nice horses.”

Top credentials

As Wilde noted astutely, Percy Sykes winners have an excellent history both in the sales ring and as producers. Selling for $4 million to top last year’s Broodmare Sale, Away Game (Snitzel) boasts her banner victory in the same race, as does Missrock (Fastnet Rock), who sold at the 2019 sale for $2.3 million.

Then there’s Sliding Cube (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}), the dam of Rubick, and Anaheed (Fastnet Rock), whose I Am Invincible colt topped this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale at $2.7 million.

Then there’s Paris Dior’s pedigree to consider. It’s early days for Pierro as a broodmare sire, but the former Champion 2-Year-Old has made an excellent start in that regard. He’s represented by 27 runners as a damsire, which include four stakes winners headed by dual Group 1 winner Jacquinot.

Another to savour

Magic Millions Managing Director Barry Bowditch is delighted to see Paris Dior join a high-class catalogue, his appetite further whetted by another potential headliner.

“She’s got all the hallmarks of a seven-figure mare,” he told TDN AusNZ. “From the photos I’ve seen and being able to see her at the races from time to time, I think she’s physically outstanding.

“The recipe of her being a very good 2-year-old, running for her whole career in the very best races, Paris Dior fits the bill for any commercial farm - both here in Australia and internationally.

“Some of the fastest horses to run here in Australia, when you look at the likes of De Lightning Ridge, are in her pedigree. It’s a speed pedigree, it’s what we’re about, and Paris Dior possessed all of that.”

Announced by Magic Millions on Tuesday afternoon, Paris Dior is one of 11 black-type performers who sit amongst 28 new lots supplemented to the National Broodmare Sale.

Joining her will be the likes of juvenile Listed winner Xtravagant Star (Xtravagant {NZ}), Group 2 winner Zoe’s Promise (Swear) and the Kiwi juvenile stakes winner Grace’s Secret (NZ) (Vadamos {Fr}). As sale day dawns, it’s shaping up very well according to Bowditch.

“We’re really excited by the depth that we’ve got in our catalogue, especially when you look at the amount of stakes winners and stakes-performed mares, both off the track and in foal, and stakes producers,” he said.

“The catalogue continues to get stronger, and we’re gathering more and more interest in the sale all the time. We’re looking forward to having everyone on the Gold Coast in less than a couple of weeks' time.”