Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions

An increase of 189 offerings year on year has ensured that the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale will be the biggest in the auction house’s history, and with the catalogue featuring half or full relations to the likes of Griff (Trapeze Artist), Attrition (Churchill {Ire}) and Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), all of whom have won Group 1 races in the past month, there is plenty for buyers to get excited about this year.

No less than 20 yearlings fetched seven-figure sums in 2023, spearheaded by the auction-record $2.7 million spent by Coolmore’s Tom Magnier to secure the first foal out of the multiple Group 2-winning juvenile Anaheed (Fastnet Rock). With a record 1020 lots in Book 1 for 2024, Bowditch is hopeful that there will be plenty more fireworks at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, especially in light of the recent slew of major race wins from past graduates.

“We have been overwhelmed with support, which I guess is off the back of some outstanding results out of the sale for vendors in recent years,” Bowditch told TTR AusNZ.

“We have an extraordinary line of graduates at the moment, you’ve only got to look at Imperatriz, Militarize, Ozzmosis, In Secret. These are some of Australia’s most elite racehorses, and the sale that is consistently providing stars on the racetrack more than any other in our part of the world is the January sale.

Gallery: A selection of the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduates who have achieved recent elite-level success, images courtesy of The Image Is Everything

“This year, to be able to have a bigger Book 1 than ever and a huge increase in Book 2 numbers as well, is a reflection of where the vendors think they have been getting rewarded in the sales ring.

“It’ll be our job now that they have promised us more horses to ensure we have a buying bench that credits the horses they have given us to sell.”

It may be the largest catalogue in the sale’s history, but that has certainly not diminished the quality according to Bowditch, who after seeing some of the stock on offer earlier this year, is confident that the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale compares favourably with recent editions of the company’s flagship auction.

Table: Top 10 most represented vendors in the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale catalogue

“I think the sale continues to go from strength to strength,” he said. “There’s a lot of star yearlings in there, and when doing the rounds back in August and September we were very excited by what the vendors were looking to show us.

“They’ve stuck with us and entered some of these outstanding yearlings in what we believe will be not only the biggest catalogue, but undoubtedly the best catalogue that we have put together.

“You’ve only got the look at the progeny of Group 1-winning mares or the numbers by the elite sires to show that there is any one of a huge number of horses who could potentially be the sale-topping horse in this catalogue. I think it has a lot of depth at the high end of town.”

Jewels in the crown

Bowditch was at pains to single out any particular yearling from the vast array of regally bred offerings, which is understandable given the depth of quality set to go under the hammer during the seven days of selling on the Gold Coast.

Table: Top 10 most represented stallions in the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale catalogue

Just some of the many standouts from a pedigree perspective include the first foal out of $3.2 million broodmare purchase Arcadia Queen (Pierro), a colt by reigning Champion Sire I Am Invincible, who will be offered by Arrowfield Stud as Lot 442. Another multiple Group 1-winning mare set to have her first foal pass through the ring is Avantage (Fastnet Rock), whose filly by Wootton Bassett (GB) will be offered shortly after by Coolmore as Lot 454.

The full siblings to Group 1 winners will be spearheaded by the sister to this year’s G1 Lightning S. heroine Coolangatta (Written Tycoon), who will be offered as Lot 47 by Milburn Creek, and the sister to fellow multiple Group 1-winning mare In Secret (I Am Invincible), who will be offered by Segenhoe Stud as Lot 623. Other highlights among Segenhoe’s star-studded draft, which produced last year’s $2.7 million sale-topper, include the three-quarter brother to dual Group 1-winning 2-year-old and now Coolmore stallion King’s Legacy, who has 43 of his first-crop yearlings catalogued for sale, the most of any freshman sire.

For those looking to secure some of the more precocious offerings on the Gold Coast, the half-sister to Espionage (Zoustar) and the half-brother to Bodyguard (I Am Invincible), both of whom were purchased for seven figures by James Harron at last year’s sale and have already won 2-year-old stakes races this season, are sure to prove popular. The half-sister to Espionage is by Snitzel and will be offered for sale as Lot 786 by Baramul Stud, while the half-brother to Bodyguard is by Capitalist and will be offered by Emirates Park as Lot 316.

There will also be half-relations to some of the stars of this year’s spring in the shape of Saturday’s G1 Darley Champions Sprint heroine Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), The Everest winner Think About It (So You Think {NZ}) and G1 Caulfield Guineas hero Griff (Trapeze Artist), while those with arguably the most global appeal include the half-sister to Hong Kong Champion Golden Sixty (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) and the half-brother to this year’s dual-Group 1 winner in Europe Warm Heart (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the latter of which will be the first foal out of three-time Group 1 heroine Sea Siren (Fastnet Rock) to be offered for sale in Australia.

Other lots sure to command plenty of interest include the Extreme Choice half-sister to King’s Gambit (I Am Invincible), who remains one of the most exciting young sprinters in Australia, and the three-quarter brother to star sprinter Sunlight (Zoustar), whose family has lit up the Magic Millions auditorium on several occasions in the past few years. They will be offered as Lots 256 and 181 by Newgate and Emirates Park respectively.

Gallery: Half-relations to these stars are sure to command interest on the Gold Coast in January 2024

Aside from the obvious standouts in the catalogue, one of the aspects of this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling sale that has Bowditch most excited is the number of first-season sires who will be represented, with buyers able to get their first look at the progeny of no less than 26 freshman stallions come the second week of January.

Bowditch feels that the position of the Gold Coast Yearling Sale in the calendar means that Magic Millions is always the best place to shop for yearlings by first-season sires, and 2024 is set to be no different, with large representation from the likes of Bivouac, Farnan, Ole Kirk and Wootton Bassett (GB), the latter of which has already proven himself as an elite stallion in the Northern Hemisphere, some of the headline acts in that sphere.

Gallery: The 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale includes a large representation from first-season sires

“I think it’s a huge year for first-season sires and I think it’s a very well-credentialled mob this year,” he said.

“Each and every year we have what I believe is the best by these sires that go to market. The vendors and the studs want to get these horses off to a great start, so they support Magic Millions to set the tone for the rest of the year.

“The first-season horses are a great talking point every year going into the sale and I think it adds to it that we have a lot of horses by the very proven sires, and then through the middle there’s a lot of horses by the emerging sire talent too.

Table: Top 10 most represented first-season sires in the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale catalogue

“I’d like to think the catalogue has a horse for everyone and there are plenty of horses at each margin of the budget. We’re just very excited in the coming weeks to get out on the road and not only market the sale domestically, but internationally as well.”

Global appeal

Having been sourced from the Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $120,000 back in 2017, two-time Hong Kong Horse of the Year Golden Sixty, who in April became the most prolific Group 1 winner in the jurisdiction’s history, has flown the flag beautifully for Magic Millions on the international stage.

In becoming the first horse ever to win the G1 Champions Mile on three occasions earlier this year, Golden Sixty also surpassed the record of the great Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), another Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale graduate, as the world’s leading prizemoney earner, meaning that the two highest earners in the history of thoroughbred racing were sold as yearlings on the Gold Coast.

A record like that, coupled with the relentless prizemoney increases Down Under and the current state of play with the Australian dollar, gives the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale huge international appeal in the eyes of Bowditch, who is optimistic that overseas buyers will once again realise the incredible return on investment potential available at this auction.

“We’re hopeful and we’re working hard to make sure that our international market is very aware of the catalogue and very aware of what this sale can provide you with,” Bowditch said.

“Given the currency and exchange rate in Australia at the moment, I think there’s a lot of good reason to be very supportive of the Australian product, particularly when you look at what they can race for in Australia with the incredible prizemoney that’s on offer week in, week out.

“The Magic Millions race series is also going from strength to strength with the 2-year-old increasing from $2 million to $3 million for this year and the 3-year-old race going to $3 million as well. In 2025, it goes to a bigger level again, with $20 million up for grabs in 24 hours.

“Then on top of that, the fact that some of the best horses in the world will be sold in Australia, in January, gives us confidence to go to the international market and invite them to the Gold Coast in January.”

The fun and theatre associated with this sale, whether it be through the barrier draw on the famous Surfers Paradise beach or the Pacific Fair polo and showjumping event - which this year features the inaugural Queensland Off-The-Track Cup - undoubtedly adds another dimension to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Gallery: The Magic Millions carnival adds another dimension to the horse sale, images courtesy of Magic Millions

Now that the lid has been lifted on the quality laden catalogue for 2024, Bowditch is counting down the days until the hoards of industry participants descend on Queensland’s Gold Coast, and in his mind, there is no better place to host the eight-day extravaganza.

“This is our grand final for Magic Millions,” he said. “We’re excited to get our vendors and buyers to the Gold Coast and provide them with a great market to sell and buy upon, and to do it in such a beautiful place as the Gold coast, where we’re going to have a lot of fun along the way, is very exciting.

“The quality of the horse we get here sets the tone, the race series is a huge component and then there is the depth and diversity - there is no sale that has that depth like the January catalogue. To be able to provide all of that, in one of the most beautiful places in the world, the Gold Coast, is what I’m most excited about.

“There is just so much incentive around this sale, and I feel anyone that’s in this game, whether you have got a big budget or a small budget, you just have to be there.”

Selling at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale will commence at 11am AEST on Tuesday, January 9 and will continue through to the final Book 1 session on Saturday January, 13 which will remain in its traditional evening slot after the running of the lucrative $14.25 million Magic Millions Raceday at the Gold Coast Turf Club.

Book 2 will then be held on Monday January, 15 and Tuesday January, 16 following a designated day of inspections on Sunday 14.

Cover image courtesy of Racing Photos

Having justified his big reputation with an effortless debut victory at Gosford last month, Schwarz lost his unbeaten record in the G3 Red Anchor S. at The Valley last time out after making a mess of the start, but the son of Zoustar atoned for that blip with aplomb on Saturday, producing a dominant display from the front under Champion Jockey James McDonald.

The regally bred colt is by no means the finished article, however, which makes the ease of Saturday’s 1.75l success all the more impressive according to Ryan McEvoy of Rosemont Stud, who along with Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) and David Redvers Bloodstock, purchased Schwarz for $1.25 million at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“It was a performance we were certainly hoping to see as he’s a horse that has always shown John (O’Shea) and the stable a huge amount of talent,” McEvoy told The Thoroughbred Report.

“He has a hell of a lot of ability but has just lacked a bit of race craft. This is effectively his first prep, so he’s still learning, and I dare say that the penny hasn’t dropped yet.

“You probably saw on Saturday that he still does a few little things wrong in the run, but thankfully that natural talent is taking him a long way. It’s exciting for everyone.

“I just love that turn of foot he showed at the 300 metre mark to put three or four lengths on his opposition in a really short space of time, that was the pleasing part. He went bang and put the race to bed really quickly, which is the sign of a really good colt.”

The opinion that Schwarz’s trainer John O’Shea has of the million-dollar colt was well-documented in the lead up to Saturday’s contest, and with a host of suitable races lying in waiting for him in the autumn, Schwarz’s connections are now faced with the enviable task of enhancing his stallion credentials for the remainder of his hugely promising career.

Although nothing has been set in stone with regards to his principal autumn target, ‘there will certainly be no hiding him’ according to McEvoy, with the G2 Arrowfield Sprint against his own age group and the Group 1 sprints against the older horses all on the table at this stage.

It’s exciting times for all Schwarz’s owners, whose patience was handsomely rewarded with his breakthrough stakes-level victory on the weekend.

“He’s a horse we think we’ll start to see the best of in the autumn and it’s all geared towards that now, but to go the paddock and have a little let up as a stakes-winning colt with his profile, it’s a great feeling for everyone,” McEvoy added.

“John (O’Shea) pegged this horse as a special talent 12 months ago as an early 2-year-old, but he had a couple of little niggles and we just weren’t prepared to push him. To the stable’s credit and the veterinary team, they just sort of kept the wraps on the horse and did the right thing by him, just to steady the jets on him.

“We’ve had to be a bit patient with him to experience what we did on Saturday, but hopefully that patience will be rewarded over the next six-12 months.

“As a horse that has been well looked after and wasn’t pushed at two, I dare say we’d be pretty open minded to racing him on at four, so that’s always in the back of your mind. He has a good 12-18 months ahead of him this horse.”

The pick of the bunch

Purchased and raced by the Rosemont-Victorian Alliance, which now operates under the Rosemont Alliance to reflect a growing interstate involvement amongst its stakeholders, Schwarz was the seventh most expensive horse at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2022.

A number of the industry’s biggest hitters helped push his price-tag up to a hefty $1.25 million, which McEvoy believes was as much a result of his outstanding physical attributes as his impeccable bloodlines.

“He was such an attractive, smooth-moving horse with a huge amount of quality about him,” McEvoy recalled. “He was a good size, had a really smart brain on him and was well-prepared by a great farm in Widden.

“He was one of the better-looking Zoustar colts that we’ve seen at a sale, and he’s the first live foal of a Group 2-winning Not A Single Doubt mare from the family of Redoute’s Choice, so there was a lot to like about him.

“There were some great judges that we had to fend off to buy him and John (O’Shea) was pretty quick to come and join us after we bought him to say that he was by far the stand-out colt in the sale from his point of view.

“It was a stretch to buy him, but I’m glad we did. He’s got a stallion's pedigree and certainly has a stallion's looks.”

Schwarz’s pedigree is as intriguing as it is regal, with his sire Zoustar out of a mare by Redoute’s Choice and his dam Summer Sham by a son of Redoute’s Choice in Not A Single Doubt. There is plenty of the late Arrowfield stallion’s breed-shaping blood in Schwarz’s pedigree, for Summer Sham is also a direct descendant of Redoute’s Choice’s dam, the hugely influential blue hen mare Shantha’s Choice (Canny Lad), who produced an astonishing five stallion sons in addition to the dam of another Group 1-producing sire in Swettenham Stud-based stallion Rubick.

Last weekend’s G1 Coolmore Stud S. winner Ozzmosis and Thursday’s G3 Red Roses S. heroine Mumbai Muse are just two of the 14 stakes winners by Zoustar out of mares by immediate sons of Danehill (USA), of which Redoute’s Choice is one, and McEvoy is already dreaming of the impact Schwarz could have at stud should he go on to achieve what is hoped and expected of him during the remainder of his racing career.

“It’s interesting, Zoustar has actually worked pretty well when bred back to Danehill and, to an extent, mares offering an additional strain of Redoute’s Choice,” McEvoy said.

“I think he has had a few stakes winners now from Not A Single Doubt or Snitzel mares. The good filly Haut Brion Her is actually out of a Redoute’s Choice mare and we’ve had a stakes-winning colt out of a Snitzel mare called Millane.

“We even saw Ozzmosis last weekend, who’s out of a Darci Brahma mare, who is of course by Danehill, so it seems to be a sireline that really nicks well with an additional strain of Danehill.

“It’s a fascinating pedigree when you line it up and have a look at it, and to think that one day he could be a stallion for us at Rosemont - a really classy, quality-looking Zoustar colt from the family of Redoute’s Choice - it’s nice to think about what he could do for us.”

A star born from a familiar face

McEvoy knows Schwarz’s sire Zoustar better than most, having worked at Widden Stud as head of nominations and marketing for 15 years prior to joining the Rosemont team as General Manager of Bloodstock in March 2020.

During that time, McEvoy oversaw the launch of Zoustar’s stallion career - as well as that of many others including his own sire Northern Meteor - which adds an added layer of satisfaction to Saturday’s breakthrough stakes result with one of his most exciting sons.

Together with Schwarz, the aforementioned Ozzmosis and Mumbai Muse have contributed towards a real purple patch for the Widden flagbearer’s 3-year-old crop, and Zoustar’s juveniles also hit the ground running at the earliest opportunity this season courtesy of Espionage’s victory in the G3 Breeders’ Plate at Royal Randwick.

All in all, it has been a landmark spring for a stallion that not only McEvoy, but the Rosemont Alliance as a collective, have a huge amount of time for.

“I’ve certainly got a soft spot for him having had a bit to do with him since the start of his stud career, and to see him elevate his status to a world-class sire now, it’s special,” McEvoy said.

“We’ve only established the Rosemont Alliance partnership in the last two years, but we’ve had good success with that stallion. We haven’t bought a lot of them but we have bought three stakes winners by him now - Millane and Brereton, who were 2-year-old stakes winners, and now this horse.

“He’s a special stallion, Zoustar, and I’d like to think myself and Suman Hedge, who has also had a lot to do with him, have a bit of an idea of what a fast one looks like. Thankfully it seems to be working pretty well.

“From a Rosemont breeding point of view we have supported him with some of our best mares - the likes of Brooklyn Hustle, Minhaaj and Bella Vella. He’s a stallion that’s going to keep going from strength to strength and he’s clearly a champion stallion in waiting.”

Whether Schwarz can be the one to help his sire achieve that Champion Sire status remains to be seen, but McEvoy is hopeful that he can, at the very least, become Zoustar’s second Group 1-winning colt in the autumn.

“That’s the indication from the stable and that’s certainly what we’re all dreaming about,” he said.

“John (O’Shea) and James (McDonald) feel that it’s a level he can get to. They’re happy to publicly state that that’s the feeling he gives them.

“We’ll leave no stone unturned trying to get him to that level, but we’ve got to keep emphasising that he’s done what he’s done off just the one preparation.

“The fact that the penny is still dropping makes it exciting to see the sort of level he could get to when he is the real furnished article.”

Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything

Mounting yard observers described Atishu’s (NZ) (Savabeel) behaviour on Saturday before the running of the G1 Champions S. as cantankerous. Those watching from afar viewed the 6-year-old daughter of Savabeel strutting around the mounting yard with her ears pinned back.

For some, it could be considered as a negative display before a $3 million feature with the likes of Zaaki (GB) (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}), Duais (Shamus Award) and West Wind Blows (Ire) (Teofilo {Ire}) to contend with.

Not only that, but Atishu was backing up from a brutally run G1 Empire Rose S. won by Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai) only seven days earlier. Despite all of those perceived negatives, the Champion Jockey James McDonald was confident upon meeting Chris Waller for instructions before mounting.

Settling midfield throughout the 2000-metre trip, McDonald eased Atishu to the outside for clean air while Damien Oliver aboard Duais attempted to keep pace with the mare. However, McDonald gave the Waller-trained mare her head, and the afterburners went on to record a dominant 1.75l victory over Duais, while Young Werther (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}) ran third.

Post-race McDonald shared the inside word, “I said to Chris, “I think we’re on to a winner here.” Because horses don’t run like she did last start and don’t win.”

Momentous occasion

The victory was the ninth win for Atishu and the second at the elite level, having been a wide-margin winner of the G1 Queen of the Turf S earlier in the year.

Incredibly, on Champions Day last year, the daughter of Savabeel was winning her first Group 2 in the Matriarch S.

The Champions S. proved a momentous occasion for the New Zealand-based syndicator Go Racing, who purchased Atishu for NZ$260,000 from her breeder Waikato Stud's draft at the 2019 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.

Atishu’s victory wasn’t the only one Go Racing celebrated the debut success of the Stephen Marsh-trained Velocious (Written Tycoon) saluted at Te Rapa. The filly was a NZ$190,000 (AU$176,000) purchase by Go Racing from the draft of Inglewood Stud at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale.

The Thoroughbred Report caught up with Go Racing’s racing manager, Matt Allnutt, to learn more about the super mare.

Allnutt made the trek to Melbourne last Saturday to watch Atishu finish second in the Empire Rose but had commitments in New Zealand and couldn’t witness Atishu first-hand. However, Allnutt shared that despite not being on course, there were still celebrations to be had.

“We celebrated, put it that way,” Allnutt told The Thoroughbred Report.

“It was awesome. It’s quite funny because Atishu had always shown us quite a lot in New Zealand as a 3-year-old, and Stephen Marsh said, ‘Look, you know it probably won’t be until she’s five or six that she’ll Atishy will be fully developed, and you’ll see the best of her’.

“Stephen was bang on, and he’s been proven right. With each campaign and returning from each spell, Atishu has just gotten better, bigger and stronger; now she’s the full package.”

Early days

The idea of Go Racing was born in 2001 when Albert Bosma raced the Casual Lies (USA) gelding Silky Red Boxer (NZ). He proved a successful galloper, recording victorious in the G2 Western Bay Finance Trophy, the G3 Sunline S., and the Listed Parramatta Cup.

Bosma teamed up with Patrick Vinaccia, and Go Racing has grown since then. Allnutt, a client of Go Racing and now representative of the syndication, is proud of the team's growth and achievements.

“We’ve been going for about 20 years. The first ever horse raced under the banner was named Silky Weird, and he was trained by Heather Weller and Chris Waller when they were in partnership. Chris (Waller) was starting out and had a stable at Foxton.

“And then the relationship with Chris has grown from there. We’ve just built a really good business with a great and loyal client base. Naturally, the more success you have, the better horses you can afford. However, we don’t play at the top end of the market. We’re not going out chasing $1 million horses. We buy the horses we like and have had great success with that strategy.”

Astute buying

Unsurprisingly, the Savabeel progeny were in high demand at Karaka in 2019. However, at a purchase price of NZ$260,000, Atishu was far from making headlines. The top-priced Lot 192 was a Savabeel colt from the draft of Cambridge Stud who made NZ$1.4 million, while Atishu’s classmates in the Waikato Stud draft saw a colt and filly by the leading sire make NZ$775,000 (Lot 445) and NZ$525,000 (Lot 362).

But Atishu has proven talented where it ultimately matters the racetrack, and it has proven an astute piece of buying by Go Racing with the mare now arguably worth a lot more than the initial price.

“The NZ$260,000 is nothing compared to what she’s worth now. Atishu is very valuable, and we’ve had such good luck buying off Waikato Stud. We really love buying horses they’ve bred because they do such a terrific job. So, we are more than happy to buy anything branded with the WS and then hopefully sell them back to them as Group 1 winners.”

Although Allnutt admits that Atishu’s career hasn’t always been smooth sailing, the Savabeel mare has had her fair share of quirks.

“I think Atishu is at her best when she’s in one of those moods on race day because she was very dominant. But that wasn’t her only quirk; we went through a stage with her where she wouldn’t leave the barriers. She’s never been straightforward.

“Stephen Marsh in Cambridge did a great job with her as a young horse and educated her well, but she’s just quirky. When she wasn’t leaving the barriers, Atishu was probably one more incident away from retirement.

“But she came good and won a Group 1 in the Queen of the Turf. The job Chris (Waller) and his team have done is unbelievable. For Atishu to be back winning such good races against really good opposition is just such a credit to the team.

“They put so much time and effort in and work away every day, so we’re just really grateful to the whole team.”

Not done yet

While the future is bright for Atishu, there are no talks of retirement yet for the outstanding daughter of Savabeel. When the time does come, she arguably will be sought after by any breeder in Australasia and potentially internationally.

Not only does Atishu carry an elite race record, but her pedigree stacks up. Her sire Savabeel, the Champion of Waikato Stud, has been crowned New Zealand’s Leading Sire an incredible eight times while has sired 135 stakes winners, including 32 at Group 1 level.

While Atishu’s dam side is also deep, a daughter of the No Excuse Needed (GB) mare Posy (NZ), who won twice at 1400 metres and from five foals to race, has produced four winners, including Mazzolino (NZ). A full sister to Atishu, Mazzolino saluted thrice and scored the G3 Desert Gold S.

Posy is a full sister to Daffodil (NZ), the Champion 3-Year-Old in New Zealand in 2008/09, winning the G1 Australian Oaks, the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and the G1 Windsor Park Challenge S.

They are not the only classy gallopers on the page with Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls {NZ}), a close relative. The son of the late Sacred Falls (NZ) was crowned the Champion 3-Year-Old in New Zealand in 2020/21 and has won six races, including the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas.

Gallery: Some of the classy gallopers within Atishu's (NZ) family

“We tend to buy not the biggest or shiniest progeny of Savabeel. We like the more athletic ones that move well and are light on their feet. Atishu was just a natural athlete, and we loved the way she moved.

“She had a really lovely walk and a good pedigree. Plus, the Waikato Stud factor, she just ticked every box for Go Racing.

“Retirement isn’t on the cards, but we generally sell our stock in auctions in Australia. We like to think we do a good job of the racing side of things and managing them through their careers, and then we leave the breeding side up to the experts.

“It’s just easy to sell at a public auction. It’s full disclosure; everyone knows what’s going on, and people all get their chance to buy her if that’s what they want to do.”

Autumn goals

No plans have been set in stone and Allnutt expects Atishu to be competing in the autumn.

“I think being perfectly honest Atishu rates as the standout for Go Racing, most definitely at the moment. We’ve won Group 1s before, but we’ve never had a horse win more than one Group 1 race, which she’s now achieved.

“And she’s got a bit of a cult following throughout our client base and even outside of it, I think that’s due to the fact she’s been a bit of a challenge at times and quirky, so people seem to relate to those sort of horses and become a bit attached to them.

“I certainly wouldn’t discount her adding more Group 1s to her CV. I think she’s just been in a really good headspace, and she’s sound, racing well and full of confidence. It’s a pleasure to have horses like Atishu in the stable, to be honest.

“We’re blessed to be involved with her and hopefully we’ll be back in the autumn.”