Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos

‘That’s absolutely gold for her pedigree’: Huge Oaks result for Godolphin

Godolphin filly Zardozi (Kingman {GB}), who was a beaten favourite in Saturday's G2 Wakeful S. (2000 metres), relished the 2500 metres of the G1 VRC Oaks, unleashing a stunning turn of foot to win the $1 million feature in dominant fashion.

Her victory was Godolphin’s second in the race in the past three years, after Willowy (Kermadec {NZ}) prevailed in 2021.

The Matthew Smith-trained Aethelflaed (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) ran on well to claim second, 2.25l adrift of the winner, while Basilinna (NZ) (Staphanos {Jpn}) was third.

“It’s just a real privilege to be on the big stage with beautifully bred horses like this,” winning trainer James Cummings said.

“She’s a real reflection of his honour, Sheikh Mohammed’s vision, to have an international pedigree here in a VRC Oaks. For only a slender filly, she packed a punch at the end of a mile-and-a-half, as we had full confidence in her to do.

“She let go like a weapon, that’s absolutely gold for her pedigree.”

Cummings revealed Zardozi almost didn’t head to Melbourne for a spring campaign after failing to fire in two legs of the Princess Series in Sydney.

“It’s a great exercise in patience and to have a bit of belief in your horse. I can promise you she had one or two hooves already in the spelling paddock after those first couple of runs,” Cummings remarked.

“We had great faith that she was going better than that, and she was just begging me to step her up in distance.”

Zardozi is out of the unraced Dubawi (Ire) mare Chanderi (GB). Godolphin bought Chanderi for 1.3 million gns (AU$2.6 million) from the Highclere Stud consignment at the 2017 Tattersalls October Yearling Sale.

The filly’s grandam, Silk Sari (GB) (Dalakhani {Ire}), was trained in Europe by Luca Cumani. In 2014, she won the Park Hill S. at Doncaster and was second in the G1 British Champion Fillies/Mares Stakes at Ascot. Silk Sari is a half-sister to the stakes performer Fashion Fund (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}) and the Lingfield maiden winner Dreamlike (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}). The latter has produced this year’s G1 Saratoga Derby victor Program Trading (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}). This is the family of the brilliant Barathea (Ire), a multiple elite-level hero who became a Group 1-winning stallion.

“Those bloodlines came through to the fore, it’s a great recipe, finding some good European staying blood and sending them to a local trainer in Australia, and it’s amazing how effective that recipe can be,” Cummings commented.

“We can enjoy the win today (Thursday). A VRC Oaks goes onto her pedigree page, and that’s absolute gold for her, she’s by Kingman, so she’s incredibly valuable.”

It was a maiden success in the race for superstar jockey James McDonald, who has now won three Group 1s in 12 days, following Romantic Warrior’s (Ire) (Acclamation {GB}) Cox Plate heroics and Riff Rocket’s (American Pharoah {USA}) Victoria Derby victory.

McDonald told Racing.com he was rapt to finally have his name on the honour roll.

“Derbys and Oaks, there’s something special about them. I’ve never won a VRC Oaks and it’s a test of training ability, horsepower and obviously you’ve got to execute pretty well because they’re immature still,” he said.

“Oaks and Derbys are very precious. It is a test of horse, trainer and jockey and the VRC Oaks and Derby are testament to that.

“Credit to the whole Godolphin team, they’ve turned out a beautiful filly for this Oaks, it’s so prestigious, it’s a beautiful race to win and I’m so proud to win it.”

McDonald heaped praise on Zardozi, who took her record to five wins and a second from nine starts, and prizemoney of $973,700.

“Her run here on Saturday was phenomenal and even though we were disappointed not to win, it had Oaks written all over her,” the jockey, who now has 84 Group 1 victories, explained.

“There wasn’t a horse in this race that has a turn-of-foot like her and it was evident today (Thursday) when she ambled up and put them to the sword very quickly.

“She’s a star filly, executed beautifully, bang, crash, whatever you want.

“It actually felt like I was just jogging in for a six-furlong race to be honest with you, she just ambled up and she’s got an incredible turn of foot, she’s got a very stout pedigree, and it takes her a long way in these types of races.”

The Alabama Express keeps on rolling

Yulong’s first-season sire Alabama Express has made a huge impression in his fledgling career, and on Thursday, he chalked up his first stakes victory when the Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained Karavas made it two from two. Karavas triumphed in the G3 Ottawa S., scoring by 1l under Jake Toeroek, with Eneeza (Exceed And Excel) second and Arabian Summer (Too Darn Hot {GB}) third.

“To get a stakes winner so early on in the season is great for Alabama. I think everyone probably wasn’t expecting them to be as early, but they’ve got the right constitution and they’ve got the speed,” Yulong’s Chief Operations Officer Sam Fairgray told The Thoroughbred Report.

“She was his first winner and has turned into his first stakes winner, it’s a fantastic result.”

Alabama Express - a Group 1-winning son of Redoute’s Choice - now has three wins on the board from just three runners; two victories are courtesy of Karavas, while the other came via Kirkham Plate victor Shangri La Express. That colt has the chance to add to his winning tally, and that of his sire, in Saturday’s Inglis Golden Gift at Rosehill.

“Obviously, they (Alabama Express’ progeny) were really well-received as yearlings and then by the pre-race educators as well. The feedback from trainers has been very positive, saying they’re good movers with great brains, and now the feedback is that they also have the speed and turn of foot.

“It’s exciting, especially given that he’s a son of Redoute’s Choice. We know what a good sire of sires he has been, so for Alabama to have come out hitting the ground is great.

“She was reared off the farm, we’ve also had Blue Stratum, who ran second in the stakes race on Cup Day, and Shangri La Express was also bred and reared on the farm, so it has been a really nice start and gives us confidence that the system is going well.”

Yulong Stud bred Karavas and then offered her at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, where Richard and Chantelle Jolly Racing paid $260,000 for her. The filly is owned by Neville Morgan, who has enjoyed Group 1 success in recent times with Kovalica (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}).

Richard Jolly told Racing.com there was a lot to like about the filly at Oaklands.

“She’s a real athletic filly, well-muscled, always looked like she would go early, and here she is,” Jolly said.

“We paid a bit of money, we don’t usually spend that much for them to be honest, but I had the backing of Nev Morgan.”

Karavas won on debut at Murray Bridge on October 7, and Jolly claims that experience held her in good stead.

“I think it means a lot, you see a lot of them improve after a run. She had the benefit of that run at Murray Bridge,” he said.

It is the second Ottawa S. success for the Jollys in the past three years, having won the race in 2021 with See You In Heaven (Divine Prophet).

“This girl is probably a bit more precocious than See You In Heaven was as a 2-year-old, but she’s out to a trip now, where this filly will probably be a sprinter.

“We can put her out now and look at some nice races in the autumn.”

Karavas is from the winning Pierro mare All Of Me and she herself is a half-sister to the stakes winners Star Of Giselle (Reset), Solicit (Street Cry {Ire}) and the stakes performer Ducal Castle (Domesday). Star Of Giselle has produced the Group 2 victress Starelle (More Than Ready {USA}).

The filly’s grandam is the dual Listed scorer Princesa (Danehill {USA}) and she is closely related to the Group 3 winners Nayeli (More Than Ready {USA}) and Kaphero.

Zoustar filly does it again

The Michael Freedman-trained Mumbai Muse (Zoustar) finally broke through at the sixth time of asking, taking out the Listed Brian Crowley S. at Randwick on October 28. And it would seem the win has done her the world of good, with the filly making it consecutive black-type triumphs when prevailing in the G3 Red Roses S. up the Flemington straight.

Mumbai Muse was ridden cold by Tommy Berry and stood the leaders several lengths at the 200-metre mark, before unleashing a stunning turn of foot. On the line, she held a 0.75l margin from Saltaire (Star Turn), with Appin Girl (Capitalist) back in third.

“When she got to the outside I could see that she was going to feature in it somehow. I wasn’t quite sure whether she was going to get up,” Freedman said on Racing.com.

“She’s had a terrific preparation. She’s mixed it with the best fillies in Sydney at her two starts this preparation. She beat the colts in the Brian Crowley and she won a really nice race today (Thursday).

“She’ll go to the paddock for a bit of a break now. We’ll have a think about what we target with her.

“I think essentially she’s a sprinting-type filly so we’ll have a look at what is coming up.

“It might be worth bringing her back for something up the straight.”

Bred by Morning Rise Stud, Mumbai Muse was offered by Coolmore Stud at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. Michael Freedman Racing and Julian Blaxland Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $525,000 for her.

The filly is from the winning Fastnet Rock mare Mumbai Rock and she herself is a sister to the stakes performer Petrelle. Mumbai Rock has thrown Jazz Etude (I Am Invincible) - a Listed scorer in Japan, as well as the stakes performers Mumbai Jewel (I Am Invincible) and Splendoronthegrass (So You Think {NZ}).

Mumbai Muse’s second dam is the Grade 1 heroine Mani Bhavan (USA) (Storm Boot {USA}) and she herself is a half-sister to the stakes winners Hear The Ghost (USA) (Ghostzapper {USA}) and Closing Bell (USA).

The filly is part-owned and races in the colours of Debbie Kepitis’ Woppitt Bloodstock, who won the Derby on Saturday with Riff Rocket. Fellow owners include Robert McClure and Kia Ora Stud.

Foxwedge mare wins another Listed Inglis Bracelet

Consistent mare Foxy Frida (Foxwedge) handled the quick back-up with aplomb, landing her second Listed Inglis Bracelet in three years. The Andrew Noblet-trained 6-year-old, who finished towards the tail of the field in Saturday’s G1 Empire Rose S., was sent out favourite for the $350,000 race for fillies and mares, and ran home well late to prevail by 0.3l. Matron Bullwinkel (So You Think {NZ}) was second, with Chandon Burj (Pride Of Dubai) third.

It was the third stakes triumph for Foxy Frida, who also won this race in 2021. She boasts 10 wins from 30 starts and her earnings climb to north of $1.3 million.

“It was a huge punt for me, I put a bit of pressure on myself to bring her back to the races again in such a short space, but we knew she had pulled up that well,” Noblet told Racing.com.

“She just never got into the race on Saturday and pulled up accordingly.

“We rolled the dice, she turned up today (Thursday) and got the job done.”

The mare was passed in at the 2019 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale (Book 1) when offered by her breeder - Mill Park Stud.

Out of the stakes performer Family Portrait (Excellent Art {GB}), Foxy Friday is half-sister to the Group 3 placegetter Ritratto (Fiorente {Ire}).

The mare is closely related to the stakes winners Personal Ensign (Rubiton), Fontiton (Turffontein) and Sartorial Splendor (Brazen Beau).

Najem Suhail leaves it late in Century S.

Given his daring, front-running effort in Saturday’s G3 Rising Fast S. at Flemington Saturday, you could forgive the Robbie Griffiths and Mathew de Kock-trained Najem Suhail (Starspangledbanner) for getting tired in the dying stages of the Listed Century S. That wasn’t the case, in fact, it was the opposite, with the 6-year-old gelding powering home to nab his conqueror from Saturday, Spacewalk (Exosphere), in the shadows of the post. The winner’s stablemate Halvorsen (Magnus) was third.

Najem Suhail commenced his career in South Africa with Mike de Kock, winning a 2-year-old maiden at Vaal, before running second in a Group 2 at Turffontein.

“It’s an awesome thrill to have a winner during the Cup Carnival, and making it even more special, my dad’s in the ownership and he’s the one that’s had a lot of faith in this horse from day one and made it possible,” de Kock told Racing.com.

Form Bloodstock paid $100,000 for Najem Suhail at the 2019 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale (Book 1). He was consigned by his breeder - Gilgai Farm.

The gelding is from the Group 3 scorer Sophie’s Spirit (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and she is a sister to the stakes performer Emma Princess.

Cover image courtesy of Western Racepix

Unbeaten in all her trials and both her races prior to Tuesday’s first attempt at stakes level, Keshi Boom handled the step up in class with complete aplomb to run out a most taking winner of the Listed Burgess Queen S., a race won by the likes of G1 Kingston Town Classic heroine Kay Cee (Playing God) and dual Melbourne Group 2 winner Miss Rose De Lago (Encosta De Lago) in the past decade.

Keshi Boom had missed an intended engagement a couple of weeks prior and was therefore almost a month between runs, a factor that makes Tuesday’s victory all the more impressive given that she was jumping straight to 1400 metres from her first-up win at Northam over the minimum trip.

Her co-trainer Grant Williams was particularly taken with the ease in which Keshi Boom put away a talented rival in Super Smink (Super One), who was crowned Perth’s 2-Year-Old Horse of the Year last season after becoming the first horse in history to win the R. Listed Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic, G2 Karrakatta Plate and G3 W.A Sires’ Produce S.

“We didn’t think we’d be able to beat Super Smink, but it was a nice little surprise,” Williams told The Thoroughbred Report. “She was two from two going into the race, so it was more the record of the favourite that was putting us off a little bit, but I didn’t think we’d be going there to win.

“I was just talking about it with Alana, that other horse might have been a bit unders, but we actually beat her pretty easy in the end.

“Until yesterday she hadn’t surprised us, because we have always had an opinion of her. She’s not huge, but everyone that rides her has said she has a really long stride for a little horse and she has never been beaten.”

Bred on the same cross as her sire’s flag-bearer Outback Barbie (Spirit Of Boom), Keshi Boom is more than likely to put her unbeaten record on the line once again in Saturday week’s G3 Champion Fillies S. over a mile at Ascot, before potentially backing up into the G2 WA Guineas over the same course and distance the following weekend.

Plans remain fluid for the talented 3-year-old, although Williams is also mooting the possibility of bringing Keshi Boom across the Nullarbor for a crack at some of the autumn riches on the Eastern Seabord, a strategy he and training partner Alana have previously employed to great effect with the likes of The All-Star Mile winner Regal Power (Pierro) and G1 Mackinnon S. heroine Arcadia Queen (Pierro).

“I was actually thinking about that yesterday, it would be great if we could bring over another team in the autumn and if Keshi Boom happened to win any of these bigger races that she’s going to contest, she’d be one that would probably come with us,” Williams said.

“She’s the up and comer in the yard. Alsephina is probably our number one at the moment, she got beat last Saturday but she was eight months between runs and really needed the hitout.

“All our hopes were pinned on her, but now we have Keshi Boom as well, so it’s a good problem to have.

“I’m not quite sure where her ceiling is. We haven’t been in this situation for a few years now.”

Going it alone

Keshi Boom is from the first crop of yearlings purchased by Grant and Alana Williams since their split from leviathan owner-breeder Bob Peters, for whom they trained almost exclusively for the best part of a decade and enjoyed immense success across Australia.

The daughter of Eureka Stud stallion Spirit Of Boom was secured by her trainers with the help of veterinarian Kim Rose for $120,000 at the Magic Millions March Yearling Sale on the Gold Coast, and Williams was quick to praise Rose for putting the now stakes-winning filly on his radar.

“In the past we’ve always had Bob’s (Peters) fillies and you knew they were nice because of the way they were bred, but to have bought this one ourselves and come along as she has is a really nice surprise,’ he said.

“She was actually the last filly that we bought that year and we got her through Kim Rose. He spotted her and actually said to me, ‘Have you got enough?’, to which I said yes, but he said, ‘I’ve just seen this lovely filly, so if you want to grab her I’ll keep a share in her as well’. I thought if he’s telling me that, I’ve got to take her.

“Kim picked her on type, she’s not that big but she’s just got something about her. Even when she came off the truck after being on the road for a few days, there was just something about her.

“She’s had a beautiful nature from the start, she’s just a little darling, but she does have that little streak in her when she needs it. I never thought she had it, but about two months ago I was trying to take a shoe off and she booted me out of the blue, got me in the knee and put me down, but I actually don’t mind it when they’re like that.”

Eureka through and through

The draft from which Grant and Alana Williams secured Keshi Boom at the Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale was that of Eureka Stud, who stand her Group 1-producing sire Spirit Of Boom alongside exciting second-season stallion Encryption on its property in Queensland’s Darling Downs region.

It was a Melbourne Cup Day to remember for Eureka, who as well as breeding and selling Keshi Boom as a yearling, also sold impressive Randwick winner Hard To Say (Exceed And Excel) for $160,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2021.

Purchased by Dynamic Syndications and Dean Watt Bloodstock, Hard To Say was a talented juvenile, finishing fourth on debut in the G3 Breeders’ Plate in Sydney and runner-up in the Listed Phelan Ready S. in Brisbane. The son of Exceed And Excel has taken a while to return to that level of form but is really starting to hit straps as a 4-year-old, with Tuesday’s victory over previous stakes winners Recommendation (Shalaa {Ire}) and Dashing Legend (Snitzel) chalking up his fourth metropolitan win in succession.

Eureka Stud’s nominations and bloodstock manager Harry McAlpine purchased the dam of Hard To Say with him in utero for $170,000 back in 2019, and sent her to Spirit Of Boom the following season, a mating which yielded last season’s Listed Calaway Gal S. heroine Malaboom.

The McAlpines have owned the family of Keshi Boom for considerably longer, however, having bred each of her first five dams going all the way back to stakes producer Mink And Pearls (Aloe {Ire}), who was foaled in 1974.

It’s a family that has become littered with black type in recent seasons, with the likes of Waikato Stud’s promising young sire Ardrossan, three-time Group 1 winner Incentivise (Shamus Award) and Keshi Boom’s close relation Prince Of Boom (Spirit Of Boom) all on the page.

With Keshi Boom the latest Group horse to emerge, McAlpine admitted that he has been somewhat taken aback by just how productive the family has been in recent times.

“It’s a family we’ve been breeding up for quite some time with Rex Lipp, the Mahonys and a few clients involved, but it has really blown up in the last three or four years,” he told The Thoroughbred Report.

“We bred Express Air, who won a Guineas, Prince Of Boom, Simply Fly and now Keshi Boom. We actually bred the dam of Incentivise, Miss Argyle, as well, so it’s a family that we have had for a long, long time and it’s now throwing up Group horses every year all of a sudden.

“It has been quite exciting and it is great how well that family has gelled with Spirit Of Boom. They keep turning out to be pretty handy Group horses, so we’ll keep at it.”

Much to McAlpine’s delight, Keshi Boom’s dam Pearls For Me (Red Dazzler) is now back in foal to Spirit Of Boom, a decision which was made after observing the promise displayed in Keshi Boom’s impressive debut victory at Belmont as a juvenile.

Following a year which saw him sire 23 individual 2-year-old winners Down Under, the most of any stallion currently standing in Australia and three clear of his nearest pursuers I Am Invincible, Better Than Ready and Russian Revolution, McAlpine is hopeful that 2024 will be just as fruitful for Spirit Of Boom, and with the quality of his mares getting better with each passing year, there is no reason to believe that won’t be the case.

The sire of G1 Manikato S. winner Jonker might already have another juvenile star on his hands in the shape of Barbie’s Sister (Spirit Of Boom), who as the name suggests, is a sister to his multiple stakes-winning daughter Outback Barbie.

A winner of the Listed Calaway Gal S. as a juvenile before running third in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic on the Gold Coast, Outback Barbie was trained by Tony Gollan for the duration of a stellar career which yielded over $1.5 million in prizemoney, and Queensland’s Champion Trainer may well be setting Barbie’s Sister on a similar path to her older sibling after she trialled the house down on her first public appearance at Deagon last week.

It’s an exciting time for all at Eureka, who bred Barbie’s Sister in conjunction with David and Fay Paynter before selling her to Harvey Black for $300,000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“She was very, very impressive winning a trial by seven lengths last week,” McAlpine said. “She’d be the closest to (Outback) Barbie that we have bred out of that mare since Barbie, who was always very special.

“I believe she’s going to kick off next weekend if she’s still up and going. Tony is very patient with his 2-year-olds, but if she stands up to it I suppose she’ll go from there into the Calaway Gal and then maybe onto the Millions, but it’s a long way to go.

“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, but it’d be great to see her replicate what Barbie did, or even go one or two better. She’s a lovely filly and that mare gels so well with Spirit Of Boom.

“Summer is usually a very prosperous time for his runners, so we’re looking forward to it kicking off and hopefully we’ll have a bit of a team marching towards those feature juvenile races.”

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

Galileo show continues for Yulong

Yulong Investments’ relentless appetite for the world’s best breeding stock shows no signs of slowing down any time soon, with BBA Ireland signing the docket for four broodmares on behalf of Yuesheng Zhang’s global operation for a combined total of US$3,525,000 (AU$5,474,000) during the opening session of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale.

Mr Zhang has made no secret of his adoration for the progeny of the late great Galileo (Ire), whose reputation as a broodmare sire is bettered only by his own progeny’s achievements on the racetrack. BBA Ireland’s Michael Donohoe was on hand to secure a quartet of mares by the breed-shaping stallion in foal to a variety of America’s finest sires, spearheaded by Group 1-producing mare White Hot (USA) (Galileo {Ire}), who boasted a positive test to America’s reigning Champion Sire Into Mischief (USA).

Yulong also welcomed a pair of Galileo mares in foal to Coolmore’s red-hot shuttle stallion Justify (USA). Season Ticket (Ire), the unraced half-sister to multiple Grade 1 champion Tepin (USA) (Bernstein {USA}), was secured for US$450,000 (AU$699,000), and Butterfly Rose (Ire), the daughter of Grade 1 winner Amazing Maria (USA) (Maria’s Son {USA}), was purchased for US$525,000 (AU$815,000).

The operation’s fourth and final purchase of the day, again under the BBA Ireland banner for US$450,000 (AU$699,000), came in the shape of Urban Hill (GB) (Galileo {Ire}), who has already produced the stakes-class Ohtwoohthreefive (USA) (Union Rags {USA}) from her only two foals to race.

All options remain open for the regally bred quartet according to Yulong’s Sam Fairgray, who told The Thoroughbred Report that the operation’s purchases will remain in the US for the time being.

“We bought the four Galileo mares, a couple of them are in foal to Justify who is going brilliantly, and Mr Zhang obviously has a real affinity with Galileo,” Fairgray said.

“They were all from lovely families, so it’s fantastic to be able to add some more well-pedigreed mares to the broodmare band that is growing worldwide.

“At this stage they’ll all stay in America and foal down there, then we’ll decide what to do with them. There are plenty of options for them and Mr Zhang has some other ideas that we might try, but there’s a likelihood that a couple of them could end up here in Australia.”

The most expensive of Yulong’s quartet of purchases at US$2.1 million (AU$3.3 million) was White Hot, the three-quarter sister to G1 English Derby hero and former Coolmore stallion Pour Moi (Ire), who was offered in foal to four-time Champion US Sire Into Mischief as Hip 170 by Stone Farm.

White Hot’s first foal, Pizza Bianca (USA) (Fastnet Rock), landed the G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf during a stellar race career, one which reached its pinnacle on Tuesday night when she sold to Gavin O’Connor on behalf of Lexington financier John Stewart for US$3 million (AU$4.7 million) at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.

Fairgray revealed to The Thoroughbred Report that Yulong was one of the underbidders on the Group 1-winning mare during Tuesday night’s fierce bidding battle, so securing her dam White Hot was a most welcome tonic for the team.

“Her first foal is a Group 1 winner and if you can keep breeding fillies out of a mare like that and keep building the family, that’d be the key,” Fairgray said.

“She’s obviously in foal to a phenomenal stallion and she is from a fantastic family. When you want these nice mares you’ve got to front up and pay for them.

“She has some beautiful bloodlines and should be an easy mare to mate. It’s exciting to add a mare of this quality.”

Milburn keen on Munnings

Another Australian outfit which made its presence felt on the opening day of the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale was John Muir’s Milburn Creek, who was assisted in its US$220,000 (AU$342,000) purchase of Hip 197, the cleverly monikered Beyond Mybudget (Can) (Munnings {USA}), by Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA).

Hedge, who watched from afar as Wiggum (Rich Enuff) - a horse whom he did the mating for and subsequently purchased as a yearling - landed a valuable 3-year-old contest on Melbourne Cup Day at Flemington, is currently in the midst of a spell overseas securing bloodstock from the Northern Hemisphere for various clients.

Fresh from buying a filly by former Coolmore shuttler Saxon Warrior (Jpn) and a colt by Cambridge Stud shuttler Almanzor (Fr) from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, the leading bloodstock agent was on hand to help Milburn Creek secure the Group 3 placegetter Beyond Mybudget, who was consigned by Taylor Made Sales.

This was the third time that the former Mark Casse-trained mare had passed through a sales ring, having fetched US$105,000 (AU$163,000) as a yearling before being sold at the Ocala Select 2YO Sale for US$200,000 (AU$311,000) as a juvenile.

A daughter of Canadian stakes winner Amiable Grace (Can) (Alphabet Soup {USA}) and from the family of US Grade 2 winner Awesome Baby (USA) (Awesome Again {Can}), there were several reasons why Milburn were drawn to the daughter of Munnings according to Hedge, who was taken with the mare from the moment he first laid eyes on her.

“We were walking around looking at our shortlist and Trish Muir spotted the horse,” Hedge recalled. “She said, ‘Look at that mare over there’ and pointed over to her, and when we saw her walking she was beautiful with a really good action, so we called her out.

“As soon as we saw her we thought she was really nice, beautifully athletic and well put together, so we were keen.

“Her pedigree is nice and open, and we thought she’d suit the Australian stallions really nicely. We also felt physically that she’d be up to the quality of mares that they have at Milburn, because they have a really high standard of mare there, so it’s a pretty high benchmark.

“Scott Holcombe, who is an incredible judge, is here with John (Muir) and they had already purchased a mare by Munnings - they like the stallion and they wanted to get some more bloodstock by him. We think she will fit in really well.”

A plan as to which stallion Beyond Mybudget will visit for her maiden cover is yet to be made, and Hedge revealed that the multiple stakes placegetter, alongside any other mares that Milburn is successful in purchasing over the coming days, is likely to remain Stateside until her successful suitor has been identified.

“I think usually what Milburn do is leave the mares here in the States for a period of time and then they’ll send them down to Australia,” he added.

“I can’t speak for Scott and John as for matings, because they may look to do a Southern Hemisphere cover in America for next season, but if they don’t do that they’ll ship her down and look for a stallion that will suit her next spring.

“Milburn have some other mares on their shortlist, so we’ll have a crack, but it’s very competitive. Yesterday at Fasig-Tipton was incredibly strong and again today there was plenty of competition on these nice mares.

“Hopefully they can buy a few more, but if not, we’re very happy with this one to take home.”

Following on from their sole purchase during Tuesday’s Fasig-Tipton November Sale, the Newgate-SF Bloodstock combination struck again at Keeneland on Wednesday, securing three-time Listed scorer Lady Edith (USA) (Street Boss {USA}) for US$240,000 (AU$373,000).

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales Agency as Hip 247, Lady Edith is the best performed racemare out of the Listed winner Lady Grantham (USA) (Yankee Gentleman {USA}) and won over distances up to and including 1300 metres.

Diverse buying bench powers electric Keeneland November opener

The Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale gained momentum throughout its opening session and concluded a day of competitive bidding Wednesday evening with 11 seven-figure mares and a median up 30 per cent from its 2022 counterpart.

“It was a good day. It was a really good day,” said Keeneland President Shannon Arvin. “We were really pleased with the session overall. The theme of the century seems to be that the quality sells and there was really high demand for the quality. There was great international participation, but plenty of domestic participation as well. There was a real diversity among the buyers. It was a very, very strong market.”

During Wednesday's session, 120 horses grossed US$54,340,000 (AU$84,392,000). The average of US$452,833 (AU$703,300) was down eight per cent from the corresponding 2022 session, which included a US$4.6 million (AU$7.1 million) fractional interest in champion Flightline (USA). The median of US$375,000 (AU$582,000) was up 29.31 per cent from a year ago.

White Hot was the day's top seller in the ring, when BBA Ireland's Michael Donohoe bid US$2.1 million (AU$3.3 million) for the dam of Pizza Bianca (USA) (Fastnet Rock), but the session had a post-sale topper when Puca (USA) (Big Brown {USA}), carrying a full sibling to G1 Kentucky Derby winner Mage (USA) (Good Magic {USA}), was purchased by John Stewart for US$2.9 million (AU$4.5 million) after initially being led out of the ring unsold.

The mare capped a busy couple of days for Stewart, who also purchased a colt by Curlin (USA) for US$600,000 (AU$932,000) on Wednesday, as well as seven horses on Tuesday at Fasig-Tipton for US$13,350,000 (AU$20,730,000).

“There is a lot of confidence in the breeding industry right now,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “I think the median jumping just over 30 per cent when you include Puca, is a significant increase.”

Shadwell Racing, which purchased the co-topping weanling at Fasig-Tipton on Tuesday, purchased Wednesday's highest-priced foal when going to US$750,000 (AU$1,165,000) for a colt by Gun Runner (USA) (Hip 154) from the Taylor Made Sales Agency consignment. The colt was the top of a particularly vibrant weanling market Wednesday.

Last year's November Book 1 section had six weanlings sell for US$400,000 (AU$621,000) or more. Twelve hit that mark on Wednesday.

“The foal market was especially strong, we thought today,” said Arvin. “We had double the number of foals this year sell for US$400,000 or more than last.”

With 65 horses reported not sold, Wednesday's buy-back rate was 35.14 per cent. It was 26.49 per cent a year ago.

“There was some protectionism in the market,” said Lacy. “A lot of people were setting reserves that were not letting horses go. They were not going to sell them short. There were quality mares not being sold off cheap which I think is great for the industry. When you speak to the sellers, they were comfortable that they were not going to sell this one below a certain value. And that's okay.”

The Keeneland November sale continues through to November 16, with sessions beginning daily at 10am (2am AEDT).