Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Brilliant mare She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) is the first confirmed major entry for next year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
Sadly, the 4-year-old, who was last seen winning the G1 VRC Oaks at Flemington in November 2022, has been retired due to injury. She bows out with a record of three wins and five placings from 11 starts, for earnings just shy of $1.7 million.
She’s Extreme notched three stakes victories, all in 2022 - the G3 Magic Night S., the G1 Champagne S. and the G1 VRC Oaks.
Prominent owner-breeder Robert Crabtree of Dorrington Farm raced the Anthony Cummings-trained She’s Extreme in partnership with others. Speaking to The Thoroughbred Report, Crabtree heaped praise on the mare, revealing she is probably the best female horse he has raced.
“I think she is probably at the top of the list. Back in the day, Scandinavia was not a Group 1 winner, but she was four-times Group 1-placed and you saw the dynasty that she produced,” Crabtree said.
A Group 2 victress, Scandinavia (Snippets) was an exceptional broodmare, producing four stakes winners - the Group 1 hero Magnus, the Group 2 winners Scandiva (Fastnet Rock) and Wilander (Exceed And Excel), and the Listed scorer Arctic Flight (Flying Spur). Magnus has become a brilliant stallion, siring 28 stakes winners (four at Group 1 level), while Scandiva has thrown Maximillius (Written Tycoon), who triumphed in Group 3 company last year.
“I think she (She’s Extreme) is probably at the top of the list. Back in the day, Scandinavia was not a Group 1 winner, but she was four-times Group 1-placed and you saw the dynasty that she produced.” - Robert Crabtree
“I think She’s Extreme could do what Scandinavia did,” Crabtree explained.
She’s Extreme was a supreme talent. At her second start, she was runner-up to the subsequent dual Group 1 heroine Fireburn (Rebel Dane) in the G2 Sweet Embrace S., before her Magic Night triumph. She then placed seventh in Fireburn’s G1 Golden Slipper, before finishing second to that filly in the G1 Sires’ Produce S. She’s Extreme notched a richly deserved Group 1 at two when she turned the tables on Fireburn in the Champagne.
“She developed a great rivalry with Fireburn, they were both very good 2-year-olds,” Crabtree remarked.
Robert Crabtree | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Returning in the spring as a 3-year-old, the then-filly ran well in Group races in Sydney before being asked to tackle the 2500 metres of the G1 VRC Oaks. Many believed she wouldn’t get the trip, but She’s Extreme’s class came to the fore.
She’s Extreme’s ability was noticed by many in the racing world, including one of the greatest trainers of all-time.
“One day Gai Waterhouse rang me and said, ‘You’ve got something extraordinary with her’, and I said, ‘What’s that?’ She said, ‘The only filly I can compare her to would be Miss Finland’. That was a huge wrap,” said Crabtree.
“One day Gai Waterhouse rang me and said, ‘You’ve got something extraordinary with her’, and I said, ‘What’s that?’ She said, ‘The only filly I can compare her (She’s Extreme) to would be Miss Finland’.” - Robert Crabtree
“Her win in the Oaks was pure class. We understood she wasn’t a genuine 2500-metre horse, her pet distance was probably 1500 metres. It was sheer class that just gave her the opportunity to compete and then win.”
Still a prominent breeder, Crabtree admitted “it still is” very tempting to retain She’s Extreme for breeding purposes.
“As a matter of honesty and transparency, you have to offer them for sale, so I’ve agreed with the other owners we will offer her for genuine sale.”
“As a matter of honesty and transparency, you have to offer them for sale, so I’ve agreed with the other owners we will offer her (She’s Extreme) for genuine sale.” - Robert Crabtree
Bred by Aquis, She’s Extreme was purchased as a weanling by One Plus Investments for $32,500 through the Inglis Digital June (Late) Sale in 2020, before Cummings bought her for $275,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale from the Willow Park Stud draft the following year.
She is from Keysbrook (So Secret) - a two-time winner who was runner-up in the G2 Western Australian Derby and third in the G3 Western Australian Oaks. Keysbrook is a half-sister to the Listed scorer Brasileira (Commands).
“I was after an Extreme Choice filly because I think he is the most extraordinary stallion and I can’t seem to get a mare in foal to him, so that (buying into her) was the alternative,” Crabtree commented.
Extreme Choice | Standing at Newgate Farm
She’s Extreme is one of only 11 fillies in the past 20 years in Australia to win at the highest level at two and three, joining a list that includes Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice), Yankee Rose (All American) and Samaready (More Than Ready {USA}).
She had a Timeform peak of 117 as a 2-year-old, higher than the juvenile marks set by Sunlight (Zoustar), Coolangatta (Written Tycoon), Away Game (Snitzel) and Loving Gaby (I Am Invincible).
Dorrington believes we never got to see the best of She’s Extreme.
“There was potentially huge upside for her until she did that tendon,” he said.
The full package
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch was understandably thrilled that She’s Extreme will go through the ring at the 2024 Inglis Chairman’s Sale in May. He said the mare is “arguably the most talented breeding prospect that we will have ever offered through the Chairman’s Sale.”
Inglis Bloodstock CEO Sebastian Hutch | Image courtesy of Inglis
“The Chairman’s Sale is such a special evening which the market has recognised and now embraced to a phenomenal extent, particularly in the past few years and the presence of She’s Extreme will ensure the 2024 renewal will mean the momentum of the sale will continue to build,’’ Hutch said.
“We have offered many top-class fillies and mares in the relatively short history of the sale, but She’s Extreme will be arguably the most talented breeding prospect that we will have ever offered through the Chairman’s Sale.
“She’s Extreme will be arguably the most talented breeding prospect that we will have ever offered through the Chairman’s Sale.’’ - Sebastian Hutch
“The engagement in the Chairman’s Sale from all the major local investors and an ever increasing number of significant international investors has been awesome and is only going to continue to grow.
“We took great pleasure in seeing She’s Extreme develop from an Inglis Digital weanling, to an Easter yearling and then into a star race filly, so we are hugely grateful to the ownership group for providing Inglis with the opportunity to market her to the world as a breeding prospect – it’s incredibly exciting.’’
She's Extreme as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
She’s Extreme will be offered in the Newgate Consignment.
Newgate’s Henry Field said: “We are honoured and humbled that Robert Crabtree and the ownership group has entrusted us with the responsibility of consigning She’s Extreme at the 2024 Inglis Chairman’s Sale.
“She’s the rarest of commodities being a Group 1-winning 2-year-old that trained on to win the G1 VRC Oaks at three.
“She’s (She's Extreme) the rarest of commodities being a Group 1-winning 2-year-old that trained on to win the G1 VRC Oaks at three.’’ - Henry Field
“Most importantly, she’s by the most elite stallion statistically standing in the Southern Hemisphere in Extreme Choice and she’s just a gorgeous mare.’’
