Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
In late July, we learned that leviathan owner-breeder John Singleton’s was selling his Strawberry Hill bloodstock portfolio, and ever since, there has been great interest in the star-studded catalogue. A total of 57 lots - featuring some of the world’s best bloodlines - will be offered without reserve, and the stock includes yearlings, 2-year-olds, race fillies, racehorses and broodmares.
The Strawberry Hill dispersal starts at 1pm AEST on Tuesday, August 29 at Strawberry Hill Stud, 140 Morgans Road, Mount White, NSW 2250.
There’s yearlings by some of the best stallions on the planet, including Frankel (GB), Written Tycoon, Zoustar, Street Boss (USA), Fastnet Rock, I Am Invincible, Zoustar and So You Think (NZ). And the dams of the yearlings on offer feature Group winners and stakes producers such as Dear Demi (Dehere {USA}), More Joyous (NZ) (More Than Ready {USA}), Once Were Wild (Johannesburg {USA}), Samantha Miss (Redoute’s Choice) and Miss Fabulass (Frankel {GB}).
The lovely crop of just-turned 2-year-olds boasts a Pierro filly from Dear Demi, a Dundeel (NZ) half-brother to More Joyous, a Pierro half-brother to Fenway (High Chaparral {Ire}), a Zoustar filly from Once Were Wild, as well as progeny by Capitalist, Harry Angel (Ire), So You Think, The Autumn Sun and Written Tycoon.
The Group 1-winning broodmares Dear Demi, More Joyous and Samantha Miss will be offered, so too will Miss Fabulass and Mokulua (Redoute’s Choice) - both Group 2 scorers. There are also the dams of the stakes winners Fenway, Mokulua, Eawase (Sebring), No Looking Back (Redoute’s Choice) and War.
John Singleton | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
And there’s some very well-performed horses in training for sale, including the Group 3 placegetter Air To Air (Smart Missile), the two-time Group 2 winner Castlereagh Kid (Snitzel) and the dual Group 3 scorer The Elanora (Redoute’s Choice).
The sale will take place on farm at Mount White and Bowditch is understandably looking forward to it.
“There’s plenty of people around. Some will be here (on Tuesday), some will bid online, but I’m sure there will be significant interest,” Bowditch remarked.
“It’s the culmination of a lot of time, resources and effort from a big team here at Strawberry Hill.
“They’ve bred plenty of champions along the journey, and while it’s sad to see it all sell up, we are honoured to be entrusted with the job. We’ve marketed the sale strongly and the reaction has been extremely positive.
“They’ve (Strawberry Hill) bred plenty of champions along the journey, and while it’s sad to see it all sell up, we are honoured to be entrusted with the job.” - Barry Bowditch
“There’s no doubt that some highly sought-after stock will go under the hammer.
“It is an unreserved sale, so anyone needing information on these horses should get in touch. Hopefully, we’re pleased with the overall results, but I think there is going to be huge opportunity post-sale; there will be some horses that will slip through the cracks.”
Barry Bowditch | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Lot 47 - Mokulua (Redoute’s Choice x Dear Demi {Dehere {USA}}) - in foal to Frankel (GB)
The 5-year-old amassed more than $260,000 in prizemoney, with her lone win being the 2021 G2 Moonee Valley Classic.
Mokulua was served by Frankel on an overseas cover on September 16, 2022.
Her dam notched seven wins - six of them coming in stakes company - with her career highlight being her victory in the 2012 G1 VRC Oaks.
Lot 47 - Mokulua | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Mokulua is a sister to the four-time winner Ma And Pa and a half-sister to the unraced 3-year-old colt Dear Frank (Frankel {GB}), who is in training with Chris Waller.
The mare’s second dam, Shirley (Zabeel {NZ}), was an unraced daughter of the brilliant Merlene (Danehill {USA}) - a two-time elite-level scorer, and other close relations include the stakes winners Brayroan (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Merlene De Lago (Encosta De Lago).
“It’s her first cover, she’s in foal to Frankel. She was a Group 2 winner, she’s a daughter of a Group 1-winning star, so I think she will be incredibly popular,” Bowditch said.
“She (Mokulua) was a Group 2 winner, she’s a daughter of a Group 1-winning star, so I think she will be incredibly popular.” - Barry Bowditch
Lot 46 - Miss Fabulass (Frankel {GB} x Samantha Miss {Redoute’s Choice})
This mare won the G2 Tea Rose S. in 2018 and was runner-up in the G1 Coolmore Classic in 2020. She won three times, amassing earnings in excess of $430,000.
Miss Fabulass is a sister to the stakes performer Call Di and she ran second at Rosehill on Saturday.
Her dam was a star, saluting on three occasions at the highest level. She won seven of her 12 starts and retired with prizemoney topping $1.7 million.
Lot 46 - Miss Fabulass | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Other stakes winners in the family include Cronus (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) and Pravda (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}).
Miss Fabulass has a Written Tycoon filly and an I Am Invincible colt on the ground.
“She has an outstanding pedigree, she was an untapped, Group 1-class mare,” said Bowditch.
“She (Lot 46, Miss Fabulass) has an outstanding pedigree, she was an untapped, Group 1-class mare.” - Barry Bowditch
“Her foal, her I Am Invincible (yearling) colt (Lot 10) will sell extremely well.”
Lot 38 - Dear Demi (Dehere {USA} x Shirley {Zabeel {NZ}}) - in foal to Zoustar
Per the above, Dear Demi was a sensational race mare and she is now doing the job as a broodmare, with two winners from two foals to race, including the stakes winner Mokulua.
She was covered by Zoustar on November 30 last year.
Lot 38 - Dear Demi | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“It’s very rare that you get a Group 1 winner that’s produced a very, very good horse already in Mokulua. And she’s in foal to Zoustar, so it ticks a lot of boxes for breeders. For an older mare, I think she will be very well sought-after,” Bowditch commented.
Lot 7 - Yearling colt (Frankel {GB} x Key {Exceed And Excel})
This colt is the first foal of a stakes performer. She won her maiden at Otaki on debut in October 2020, before placing second in the G2 Wellington S. the following month.
The colt’s grandam, Vanilla Princess (Lonhro) won twice and she is a half-sister to the Group 3 victress Argentia (Frankel {GB}) and Thewizardofoz (Redoute’s Choice) - a Group 3 winner and Hong Kong’s Champion Griffin in 2014/15.
Lot 7 - Frankel (GB) x Key (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
His third dam is four-time Group 1 heroine Princess Coup (NZ) (Encosta De Lago). She had 18 starts in top company, amassing $3,842,694 in earnings, and was named Champion 3YO Filly in New Zealand in 2006/07.
“I think he will sell particularly well, he’s a nice colt with a lovely pedigree. There’s been good interest in him,” Bowditch said.
Lot 28 - 2-year-old colt (Dundeel {NZ} x Sunday Joy {Sunday Silence {USA}})
This is the 13th foal of the 2003 G1 Australian Oaks heroine. She won three races and $683,000 in prizememoney.
Sunday Joy has had nine foals to race; six are winners, including the superstar More Joyous. She notched eight Group 1 triumphs, among them the Flight S., Doncaster H., Queen Elizabeth S. and Toorak H.
Another of Sunday Joy’s progeny is the stakes performer Joyous Legend (Snitzel).
Lot 28 - Dundeel (NZ) x Sunday Joy (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Sunday Joy is a daughter of the brilliant Joie Denise (Danehill {USA}) - a Group 1 heroine herself, who has also produced the elite-level scorer Tuesday Joy (NZ) (Carnegie {Ire}).
“He’s another lovely colt with an exceptional pedigree. His sire is going really well and there has been plenty of interest in him,” said Bowditch.
Veteran mares make plenty of appeal
Bowditch expects the Group 1 winners More Joyous (Lot 48) and Samantha Miss (Lot 52) will also be hugely popular.
Gallery: Images courtesy of Magic Millions
“Some of those older mares… to be able to get the opportunity to buy a More Joyous or a Samantha Miss… imagine buying them, putting them in foal and getting a filly out of them. It’s something you can create your own dynasty with,” Bowditch explained.
