Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Best known as the breeder of Winx (Street Cry {Ire}), whose $10 million yearling dominated the news this week, John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds has found another good one with debut winner Seascape (I Am Invincible), who won the first at Gosford on Wednesday for trainer Michael Freedman and jockey Tom Marquand.
The homebred filly is a full sister to Listed winner Zarastro (I Am Invincible) who was bred by Fairway Thoroughbreds and sold via Segenhoe Stud at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $1.05million to Chris Waller and Guy Mulcaster. The yearling full brother to both Zarastro and Seascape sold late on Tuesday as Lot 406 for $1.15million to Kia Ora / TFI / Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott / Kestrel Thoroughbreds.
Seascape | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
“We purchased the mare as a yearling,” said Peter O’Brien, Segenhoe Stud.
“She was obviously a top class Zabeel mare with a ton of speed for a Zabeel. James Harron and I were at the sale in New Zealand and when she came out of the box, she was just a queen.
"Initially Coolmore were part-owners in Adrift, and then she went through the broodmare sales a couple of years ago where John Camilleri purchased her. He is a very astute breeder. He’s backed that mare every year with good stallions.
“Seascape would’ve made seven figures as a yearling but John was always going to keep her. I think she broke the class record today. Tom said that she just kept quickening every time he asked. We are hopeful she will have a fulfilling career, and Michael has a big opinion of her. He will likely take her to the Listed Woodlands S. at Scone next.”
Adrift (NZ) (Zabeel) was purchased by James Harron Bloodstock at the 2013 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale from Monovale Farm for NZ$370,000, and was sent to trainer Gai Waterhouse. She won two of her first three starts as a spring 3-year-old, then returned in the autumn to win the G2 Light Fingers S. first-up, beating Group 1 winner First Seal (Fastnet Rock).
Peter O'Brien | Image courtesy of Inglis
At stud, Adrift had an unlucky start with her first dying as a foal, and her second still-born. After a break, Adrift went to I Am Invincible and that foal, born in 2018, is Listed winner Zarastro. She missed the next year. Her current 3-year-old is unraced gelding Helmsman (Merchant Navy), and then there’s Seascape and the million-dollar yearling colt. She missed last year, and is in foal to Wootton Bassett. All up, Adrift has four live foals, two to race for two winners and one stakes winners.
Adrift is a half-sister to RL Karaka Millions winner Xiong Feng (NZ) (Iffraaj {GB}), and to the dam of G1 Auckland TC Railway S winner Entriviere (NZ) (Tavistock {NZ}).
Adrift’s million-dollar colt at this week’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale became the tenth such horse sold by Segenhoe Stud in 2024.
“We sold about 44 yearlings this year, ten of which were million-dollar yearlings, which is an Australian record,” said O’Brien.
In fact, Segenhoe's 10 individual $1 million dollar + yearlings account for 16 per cent of their yearlings sold thus far in 2024.
Adrift (NZ) | Image courtesy of Sportpix
“All the credit is to the breeders of those horses. John had half of them, and also credit to the farm and our yearling manager Dennis Gilmanov who does an amazing job. It’s a team effort, led by wonderful horse people on the farm who deserve all the credit.
“The success of the farm graduates on the track has been the backbone of our yearling success. Over the last few years, we’ve bred so many stakes winners and that helps when people make that final decision to buy.
“This season, we’ve had fourteen individual stakes winners go through our yearling drafts, which relative to the number of yearlings we sell is very gratifying.”
If Seascape wins the Listed Woodlands S at her next start, she’ll be another success story for Fairway Thoroughbreds and the team at Segenhoe Stud. Whilst O’Brien humbly parlays the credit to his team, it’s clear that they are led by a strong captain.
