Cover image courtesy of Wexford Stables
2023 has been a remarkable year for Scott Eagleton. Eagleton, the owner of Seaton Park nestled in Waikato, New Zealand, celebrated the 20th anniversary of the property this year.
On Saturday, at Riccarton Park, Eagleton was given further cause to celebrate when the Seaton Park-bred Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) saluted in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
The sky looked like the limit for the Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott-trained 3-year-old, who defeated the Group 2 winner Impendabelle (Impending) by 1l in the Classic, while the consistently classy Tulsi (The Autumn Sun) finished third.
First Group 1 winner for Ace High
The G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas provided Molly Bloom’s sire Ace High with his first Group 1 and stakes success as a sire. The Rich Hill-based sire’s progeny are only 3-year-olds and have sired six individual winners of eight races.
For Eagleton, Molly Bloom’s success wasn’t all that surprising. He’s always held the October-born filly in high regard from day dot.
Scott Eagleton | Image courtesy of Seaton Park
“Everybody will say it, but from the day Molly Bloom was about a month old, I thought she was the nicest horse I’ve ever bred,” Eagleton told The Thoroughbred Report.
“She’s always had a bit of a presence about her and a fantastic walk. Molly Bloom has a full sister, now a 2-year-old, but she hasn’t got the quality of Molly; she was just quality.”
“... from the day Molly Bloom was about a month old, I thought she was the nicest horse I’ve ever bred. She’s always had a bit of a presence about her and a fantastic walk.” - Scott Eagleton
Fan of the family
Molly Bloom’s family is one Eagleton knows well. It began with Generous (Ire) mare Nordic Dancer (NZ), a three-time winner that placed in the Listed Cornwall H. and a relative of the Champion galloper Rough Habit (NZ) (Roughcast {USA}), a winner of 29 races including the G1 Queen Elizabeth and the G1 All Aged S. and the G1 Stradbroke H. twice.
Nordic Dancer’s first foal is the Pins mare Decorah (NZ), a victress of the G3 City of Auckland Cup and the G3 Manawatu Breeders’ S. the mare’s fifth foal Dancilla (NZ), a daughter of Iffraaj (GB), won over 2000 metres and is the dam of Molly Bloom.
Molly Bloom (NZ) as a yearling | Image courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
“Seaton Park’s very first clients were Allan and Colleen Jackson, and they owned Molly Bloom’s grandam. The Jacksons were starting to wind down their breeding side of things, and Nordic Dancer’s daughter Dancilla had just finished racing. I always liked her from the day she was born.
“Dancilla was born at Seaton Park and carries my brand. I just like the filly, and Allan told me he wasn’t sure what he would do with Dancilla; I told him I was happy to have her. There were a small amount of agistment fees and sort outstanding, so Allan, out of the goodness of his heart, basically gifted her to me.”
“Allan (Jackson) told me he wasn’t sure what he would do with Dancilla; I told him I was happy to have her. There were a small amount of agistment fees and sort outstanding, so Allan, out of the goodness of his heart, basically gifted her to me.” - Scott Eagleton
Ace fits the bill
Eagleton explained why the multiple Group 1 winner Ace High was chosen as the first mate for Dancilla.
“I really liked the fact Ace High won a Group 1 during the spring of his 3-year-old year, and there are not too many stallions in New Zealand who can say that most of ours won their Group 1s in the autumn.
“I also was attracted to him being a son of High Chaparral, and honestly, the deal Rich Hill Stud put together was a great business for a horse of his quality. I was keen on Ace High from the start, and as Dancilla was a young mare, it looked promising.”
Ace High | Standing at Rich Hill Stud
The resultant progeny was Molly Bloom, who Eageton offered under his Seaton Park banner at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, where Wexford Stables paid NZ$150,000.
“It was a COVID year at the sale, and I think in a way it helped the mare and Molly Bloom make Book 1 of the sale, as I’m not confident in a typical year she would have. A lot of the big farms were sending numbers to Australia or selling online and the sort because nobody could travel.
“I think that helped us a bit. However, Molly Bloom was just a quality filly with a fantastic walk, and there were people interested in the sire, but the main thing that sold Molly Bloom was her type.
“Molly Bloom was just a quality filly with a fantastic walk, and there were people interested in the sire, but the main thing that sold Molly Bloom was her type.” - Scott Eagleton
“Last year, she was served by Proisir but wasn’t successful. She was dry this year and has been sent to Contributer. In the future, it only makes sense for Dancilla to revisit Ace High, and hopefully, we can get some sisters to Molly Bloom, which would help.”
Ready to Run offerings
Molly’s Bloom’s success was timely for Ace High, who is set to have three lots go under the hammer at Wednesday’s 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale.
The first of the three will be Lot 59 on account of Riverrock Farm. The filly breezed up in 10.81s and is from the Pentire (GB) mare Hei Matatu (NZ).
She is a full sister to Chenille (NZ), who prevailed in the G1 Auckland Cup, while Hei Matatu is also related to the G2 Rich Hill Mile S. winner Chintz (NZ) (Savabeel) and the Not An Option (Not A Single Doubt), a victor of the G2 Wakefield Challenge S.
Furthermore, Lot 59 is from the family of the brilliant Mo’unga (NZ) (Savabeel), who won the G1 Rosehill Guineas and the G1 Winx S. in addition to placings in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. and the G1 LKS Mackinnon S.
Gallery: Some of the 2-year-olds by Ace High to be offered at the 2023 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready to Run Sale, images courtesy of New Zealand Bloodstock
Riverrock Farm purchased the filly for NZ$65,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka National Weanling Sale.
Riverrock Farm will offer the sole colt in the sale by Ace High, Lot 140. The colt completed his breeze in a time of 11.39s.
Lot 140 is from the Thorn Park mare Miss Thorn (NZ), who was placed in the G2 Matamata Breeders’ S. and is a half-sister to the G1 Diamond S. placegetter Corsage (NZ) (Volksraad {GB}); she also finished fourth in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas.
