Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Just a day after announcing 11 new black-type performers in the first release of supplementary entries for their National Broodmare Sale - headed by G2 Percy Sykes S. winner Paris Dior (Pierro) - Magic Millions on Wednesday locked in another star performer.
A second Parisian filly - Sunshine In Paris (Invader) - is a truly rare addition to the catalogue, and will go through the ring under the Newgate Consignment as Lot 700 on the first day of trade, Tuesday, May 23.
A current 3-year-old Australian Group 1 winner, the first in a decade to be sold at the National Broodmare Sale, she’s sure to garner plenty of attention, lot least because of the considerable potential her CV offers to bidders.
Sunshine In Paris | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
A last-start winner of the G1 Surround S., the form in that race is notably strong and received a significant boost of late. With Godolphin’s star filly In Secret (I Am Invincible) back in third, runner-up that day was Ruthless Dame (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) - the lightly raced filly who broke through in last weekend’s G1 Robert Sangster S.
With that being only Sunshine In Paris’ fifth start, she’s certainly one that trainer Annabel Neasham doesn’t want to lose, not least because she holds a special place in Neasham’s heart as her first ‘self-made’ Group 1 winner.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have some Group 1 winners but most of those have been with imports and she’s actually my first homegrown one as it were,” Neasham told TDN AusNZ.
“I’ve been lucky enough to have some Group 1 winners but most of those have been with imports and she’s (Sunshine In Paris) actually my first homegrown one as it were.” - Annabel Neasham
“When I worked for Ciaron Maher I was running his Sydney stable when we had her three-quarter sister Macroura in work, and she was one of my favourites, so I was really happy when I was sent this filly to train.
“She was very similar to Macroura in that she took time as an early 2-year-old. She was quite immature so we just gave her that time. All of a sudden, it paid off…”
Not many horses go from a Canberra maiden to Group 1 victory in one preparation, but that’s exactly what Sunshine In Paris managed just 105 days after her first outing in the ACT.
Annabel Neasham | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“It wasn’t just any Group 1. It was pretty special to beat the likes of In Secret and subsequent Group 1 winner Ruthless Dame, so it was a pretty strong field that she beat that day.
“She’d been up and racing since November. Most of those other mares were more to the beginning of their preps but we were probably towards the end, and I just felt that she deserved a break.”
A bright future
Should the filly remain in Neasham’s care after she’s been through the ring later this month it would be a fitting reward for the patience inspired by dealing with her three-quarter sister Macroura (Snitzel), the G3 Typhoon Tracy S. winner.
Electing to spell her after that Group 1 victory in February, Neasham had the filly’s 4-year-old career in mind, and a notable target race to go with it.
“The Golden Eagle - that’s the race I’ve circled in the calendar for her,” Neasham said. “I think 1500 (metres) at Rosehill will suit. We haven’t raced her beyond 1400 (metres) yet, but with the way she hits the line, I think she’ll relish the 1500 (metres) at that sort of track.
“We just thought we’d put her away and save her for her 4-year-old year. I understand the way the market goes, broodmares are selling for a lot of money. She’s worth a lot of money and whoever buys her is going to have to dig deep.
“I’m hoping, for my sake, that she ends up back in my stable somehow.”
“She’s (Sunshine In Paris) worth a lot of money and whoever buys her is going to have to dig deep. I’m hoping, for my sake, that she ends up back in my stable somehow.” - Annabel Neasham
Running until now in the colours of Kelly Avison’s Chip, Neasham reports that Sunshine In Paris is adored by her owner, returning to her Queensland property between stints in training.
“Like a lot of people in this game, they have horses and they’re there to sell. It’s obvious to see - we saw what Nimalee and Montefilia made - the market’s just so strong at the moment. I’m sure she’ll end up being a pretty lucrative investment for them.”
Early days
Aside from being such a rapidly rising star, the intrigue in the filly’s story goes back further too. Bred by Aquis Farm and from the first crop of their young sire Invader, Sunshine In Paris was originally retained by the Queensland-based organisation.
But, as TDN AusNZ explained after her Surround win, she was relinquished when unraced at last year’s version of this sale, where she was knocked down to Champagne Bloodstock for $90,000.
Hindsight's a wonderful thing, though Sunshine In Paris was arguably a value buy at that sale regardless of her now glittering race record.
Sunshine In Paris when offered at the 2022 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Aside from Macroura, the pair’s dam Zenaida (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) is a half-sister to New Zealand’s 2009/10 Horse of the Year and three-time Group 1 winner Vosne Romanee (NZ) (Electric Zone {USA}).
And, it’s a pedigree which promises to keep developing too. Whilst Sunshine In Paris has a winning Exceed And Excel half-brother in Noble Exception, Zenaida has a yearling colt by Dubious to come through and is currently in foal to Maurice (Jpn).
Even by high standards…
For the Newgate Consignment, selling exceptional females on the Gold Coast is far from new. Last year they sent through the top two lots, Away Game (Snitzel) ($4 million) and Tofane (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) ($3.1 million), who both sold to Yulong.
But even Henry Field admits that Sunshine In Paris is particularly special, labelling it a ‘privilege’ to be entrusted with her.
Henry Field
“She’s a very rare offering,” he told TDN AusNZ. “Her mother is doing an enormous job, having produced her and Macroura, it’s a pedigree that’s working incredibly well.
“We’ve been entrusted to sell many of the best mares in Australia in recent years and she’s… a 3-year-old filly with a lot of racing ahead of her and she’s coming off one of the hottest form races at this moment.
“She’s (Sunshine In Paris) going to be one of the rare jewels in the sale. When it comes to those really elite ones it’s hard to say (what she’ll make). She’s a very special offering, it’s very rare you get a filly that’s got the physique, the pedigree and most importantly a huge amount of racing upside in front of her.”
“She’s (Sunshine In Paris) going to be one of the rare jewels in the sale... it’s very rare you get a filly that’s got the physique, the pedigree and most importantly a huge amount of racing upside in front of her.” - Henry Field
Reliably conscientious, Field noted that the Surround S. also provided the breakthrough Group 1 win for Forbidden Love (All Too Hard), who went on to score back-to-back at the elite level in the Canterbury S. and George Ryder S.
“The Surround Stakes has also been an amazing race for future high-class broodmares,” Field added. “I believe 60 per cent of fillies who’ve won Surround Stakes have gone on to produce stakes winners of races such as the Cox Plate, Golden Rose and Oakleigh Plate.”
The former Michael Freedman trainee Forbidden Love will compete with Sunshine In Paris for top honours amongst the 63 mares in the Newgate Consignment, heading through the ring earlier on the same day as Lot 568.
Forbidden Love | Image courtesy of Sportpix
For those that might be outgunned on the latter, the National Broodmare Sale provides two opportunities to buy into the same family. Whilst Sunshine In Paris might eclipse them all, the aforementioned three-quarter sister Macroura is consigned by Vinery Stud as Lot 991, and their dam Zenaida is offered by Three Bridges Thoroughbreds as Lot 751.
The scene is well and truly set for a big couple of days for the family.
