Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Impressively winning his maiden at his Balaklava debut in early February, the Richard and Chantelle Jolly-trained Stokomo (Divine Prophet) stepped straight up to city class - catching the eye with a fast-finishing second at Morphettville three weeks ago.
Brash is hoping to see the horse he sold to the stable for $56,000 go one better this weekend, adding Stokomo to the list of talented horses prepared by Collingrove for sale.
One of Hong Kong's most exciting horses is also on that list - Victor The Winner (Toronado {Ire}), who Collingrove sold for $180,000 on behalf of his breeder Adam Sangster, won the prestigious G1 Centenary Sprint Cup late last month... the seventh success of his 14-start career.
“He cemented himself amongst the world's leading sprinters beating a high-class field,” Brash said, proud of the first elite-level winner prepared at Collingrove - and from the very first draft the stud took to the sales.
“It's a massive achievement for a young farm to do this - it's the reason we get up in the morning and work as hard as we do!”
“It's a massive achievement for a young farm to do this (breed a Group 1 winner) - it's the reason we get up in the morning and work as hard as we do!” - Daniel Brash
With Victor The Winner's next assignment being the G1 Takamatsunomiya Kinen in two weeks, the 5-year-old is proving to be quite the flag-bearer for Collingrove - and it is little wonder that his sire Toronado (Ire) is one of Daniel Brash's favourites.
“We have sold a number of very nice horses by him,” he said - the multiple Country Cup winner Station One and the VOBIS Guineas winner Chartres amongst the others.
And they are amongst a larger group of talented horses who have been through the Collingrove system, others including Material Dreams (Lean Mean Machine) who has looked good winning four of her first seven starts for the Nick Ryan stable, the Henry Dwyer-trained Electric Impulse (Cable Bay {Ire}) who has also won four of seven including a Flemington contest last spring, the 2022 Listed Geelong Classic winner Grand Pierro (Pierro) who was recently placed in both the G3 Launceston and Hobart Cups and the last start VOBIS Eldorado winner Deekay (Hellbent).
Collingrove boast a good record at the Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale, topping the 2022 sale with a $300,000 Snitzel colt and again faring nicely last year.
Those sold at Adelaide showing promise include the recent winner Toro De Carga (Toronado {Ire}) who fetched $40,000 and the stakes competitive dual city winner Scheelite (Real Steel {Jpn}) who Ken Keys purchased for $80,000.
Gallery: Some of the talented horses who have been through the Collingrove system
It was the latter - whose dam is a half-sister to the stakes winners Don't Doubt Mamma (Not A Single Doubt) and Risen From Doubt (Not A Single Doubt) - who really won Brash's heart during preparation - “I just loved him!” he enthused, “he was my favourite of all the horses we prepped that year.”
“We actually hoped to buy some of him but there wasn't any left. He has been a bit unlucky but he has plenty of ability.”
It is just a small group of five yearlings being sold by Collingrove at this year's Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale which kicks off on Monday, March 11, but Brash is happy with the quality, particularly taken by a couple of colts by Leneva Park's triple Group 1-winning first season sire Fierce Impact (Jpn) and Woodside Park's proven stallion Foxwedge.
Lot 272 - Fierce Impact (Jpn) x Under the Stars (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Lot 272 is a bay son of Fierce Impact out of the unraced Under The Stars (Snitzel) whose dam is the dual Group 3 winner Sky Love (Octagonal {NZ}), half-sister to the G1 Emirates S.-winning Sky Cuddle (Snippets) - dam of the G2 Breeders Classic-winning, G1 Golden Rose S. runner-up Champagne Cuddles (Not A Single Doubt).
Stakes winners A Lot More Love (Sebring), Sky Command (Deep Field), Highly Recommended, Undeniably (Fastnet Rock) and Fast Clip (Snippetson) are also closely related to this colt who Brash said “is just a lovely animal.”
“He has the best nature and he is beautiful mover - I think he will do very well.”
“He (Lot 272) has the best nature and he is beautiful mover - I think he will do very well.” - Daniel Brash
Lot 249 by Foxwedge is out of the two-time winning Northern Meteor mare Talkingdol from the family of the G1 Railway S. winner Inspirational Girl (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}) and the Group winners Rainbow Styling (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), Zingaling (Redoute's Choice), Demonetization (All Too Hard) and Midnight Blue (So You Think {NZ}).
“He is a very flashy colt - a big, strong fellow who looks Ready To Run material.”
Lot 249 - Foxwedge x Talkingdol (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“I am confident that both colts will make well above the sale average,” Brash said.
Collingrove have another son of Fierce Impact on offer - lot 33 out of the city-placed winner Judgement (Starspangledbanner) with the draft also consisting of lot 54, a North Pacific filly out of the Group 3-placed multiple city winner Labdien (Stryker) and lot 141, a Ghaiyyath (Ire) half-brother to the eight-time winner Deal Master (Master Of Design) from the family of the G1 VRC Derby hero Warning (Declaration Of War {USA}).
Lot 33 - Fierce Impact (Jpn) x Judgement (colt) | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Whilst yearling preparation is Collingrove's main business, Brash is also a keen breeder with five of the mares who call the picturesque Murchison farm home being in his ownership.
He is especially excited about the prospects of Striking Meteor (Northern Meteor), a good looking mare whose second foal Heavenly Impact (Harry Angel {Ire}) really put in the big strides late when finishing second in the rich Magic Millions The Debut (Colts and Geldings) at the Gold Coast in mid-January.
She foaled an Exceedance colt last spring, one who has Brash excited - “he is just a superb colt,” he said, also very happy with the “outstanding” Hanseatic colt produced by the stakes-placed multiple city winner Comearoundsundown (Not A Single Doubt).
Daniel Brash | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
In foal to I Am Immortal, Comearoundsundown has had an exciting update to her page in recent times, her half-brother Galaxy Patch (Wandjina) is G1 Hong Kong Derby bound on the back of his G1 Silver Jubilee Cup second to California Spangle (Ire) (Starspangledbanner) last weekend.
Brash is looking to continually upgrade the quality of the horses he prepares and sells, hoping to venture to the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale next year whilst selling less but better types at the Magic Millions Adelaide and Inglis Premier yearling sales.
“We are definitely striving for quality over quantity,” he said.
Trusted with the Collingrove legacy, Brash boasts an excellent resume having spent time working with yearlings at Three Bridges, Eliza Park/Sun Stud and Bowness Stud as well as at the stables of Tony Vasil, Greg Eurell, Gai Waterhouse and Lee Freedman.
