Cover image courtesy of Sportpix
There was a time when prominent Victorian breeder Des Pope wasn’t a huge fan of 2-year-old racing.
That all changed when Innovation Girl (Rubiton) came along. She was a top filly, winning 10 of her 15 starts (seven in stakes class) between 2001-03 and close to $1 million in prizemoney.
Innovation Girl was a daughter of Rubiton, who Pope supported when the stallion transferred from Trans Media Park in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales to Blue Gum Farm in Victoria.
Pope, now 88, has tasted stakes success with good horses such as Due Sasso, Chloe In Paris (Exceed And Excel), Great Glen (Regal Classic {Can}) and She Dances (Street Boss {USA}), but it was a son of Rubiton, the brilliant sprinter Rubitano, that is the best horse Pope has bred and raced.
Rubitano | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Rubitano won 11 of his 21 starts, including two Group 1s, and just shy of $1.3 million, which was a hell of a lot of prizemoney back in the early 2000s.
Innovation Girl, meanwhile, was from Bright Gleam (Jugah {USA}) and she herself was bred by Pope. Between 1996-97, Bright Gleam won four races and placed in Listed grade on two occasions.
Trained by the great Brian Mayfield-Smith, Innovation Girl was one of the leading contenders for the 2002 G1 Blue Diamond S., before an elevated temperature saw her scratched from the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies). She later contested the Listed Veuve Clicquot S., but was touched off by Yell (Anabaa {USA}).
Innovation Girl | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Mayfield-Smith admitted the elevated temperature had put the filly on the back foot so he decided, in the filly’s best interests, not to run her in the Diamond.
Sadly for Pope, Innovation Girl placed in top company at both times of asking, but never achieved the ultimate success. She did, however, win the G2 Ascot Vale S. in 2002.
“Innovation Girl was our first 2-year-old and she was a natural,” Deanna Pope told The Thoroughbred Report.
“Innovation Girl was our first 2-year-old and she was a natural.” - Deanna Pope
“Dad was always of the opinion that you should never push them if they’re not ready.
“I have to keep going back to look at what Innovation Girl did. She retired as a 3-year-old after running second in the (2003) G1 Futurity Stakes. Who knows what Innovation Girl could have gone on to do. She was a brilliant 2-year-old and 3-year-old, but unfortunately we never got that Group 1 win.”
Better luck this time?
Pope and his family are hoping the 2024 G1 Blue Diamond S. is a more enjoyable experience than that of 2002, and they look to have a serious contender on their hands in the form of Innovation Girl’s granddaughter, Bold Bastille (Brazen Beau). She gets the opportunity to enhance her G1 Blue Diamond S. credentials when she lines up in Saturday’s G2 Blue Diamond Prelude for fillies at Caulfield.
Bold Bastille was bred by Pope, before being offered by Blue Gum Farm at the 2023 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. Lindsay Park Racing / Group 1 Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $270,000 for the filly, with Pope retaining a share.
The Lindsay Park-trained filly, whose other owners include heavy hitters Ozzie Kheir, John O’Neill and Colin McKenna, will be lining up for her second start, having blitzed her rivals on debut in the R. Listed Inglis Banner at The Valley on October 28.
Deanna Pope admitted the family is eager to see the filly return to the races on Saturday.
Bold Bastille | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We’re excited to see her run again, but there’s some mixed feelings. She couldn't have been more impressive at her first start, so now there’s high expectations,” she said.
“We’re excited to see her (Bold Bastille) run again, but there’s some mixed feelings. She couldn't have been more impressive at her first start, so now there’s high expectations.” - Deanna Pope
“She had a little setback about a month ago, she had a virus. They were going to take her to Sydney for the Inglis Millennium, but we had to scrap those plans, so here we are.
“It’s great to see another good one from this family.”
Deanna said she is incredibly proud of her dad’s impact on the Victorian landscape, and his achievements, and she would love nothing more than for her father to be able to lift the coveted Blue Diamond trophy.
Shiralee Lilley and Deanna Pope | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Dad keeps saying, ‘I’m getting too old, I haven’t got much longer, I need another good one’,” she said.
“He’s 88 now, but I’m still learning from him. He still studies all of the stallions and pedigrees.
“We’re all hoping she (Bold Bastille) is the one. To win a Blue Diamond would be amazing. I know Rubitano did well for us and won two Group 1s for Dad, but to win the Diamond after 22 years with Innovation Girl, that would be very special.
“We’re all hoping she (Bold Bastille) is the one. To win a Blue Diamond would be amazing.” - Deanna Pope
“Innovation Girl was scratched and I don't think we’ve ever recovered from that. She was doing everything right at the time. We always have in the back of our mind, ‘What could have been?’, with her.”
An eye to the future
Bold Bastille’s performances during the autumn have the potential to impact her value considerably. It may also influence the worth of her yearling brother, who is set to be offered as Lot 174 by Blue Gum Farm at next month’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
“We’ve got Bold Bastille’s full brother going through the sale at Inglis Premier. We just got an update on him this morning (Thursday)... in the last month, he has really started to grow, so we’re looking forward to putting him through the ring,” said Pope.
“He’s got big shoes to fill.”
