Two Bays Farm heads to Inglis Great Southern Sale with seven weanlings

Cover image courtesy of Two Bays Farm

Ross Ferris’ outstanding nursery, Two Bays Farm, located on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula, will present seven quality weanlings by a classy group of stallions at this week’s Inglis Great Southern Sale, set to begin on Thursday, May 13, and conclude on Friday, May 14.

Explaining the decision to offer these seven weanlings to the market, Ferris noted that the lack of room due to redevelopments on the property forced his hand. The original intention was to offer the weanlings as yearlings next year. “They are a really good bunch of horses. They tick the boxes on paper and physically.

“They are getting sold as weanlings due to some developments on the farm. We’ve run out of space, and it is a bit tight on the farm. So, we had a paddock of weanlings at home and decided to bring our really nice ones to the Inglis Great Southern Sale.”

Zou, Zou, Zoustar

It has been shown that if you're taking a Zoustar to the sales this season, you’re going to attract plenty of attention. Two Bays Farm will present the only weanling by the Widden Stud-based superstar at the Inglis Great Southern Sale, Lot 270.

The chestnut colt is the first foal from the speedy Magnus mare News Girl, a winner of five races from 1100 to 1200 metres, and a dual Group 3 placegetter. In addition, she was fourth in the G2 Angus Armanasco S.

News Girl is a full sister to the talented Front Page, who won the Listed AR Creswick S. and finished third in the G1 The Galaxy.

Across weanling sales to date, Zoustar’s six weanlings sold have averaged $228,333 and grossed $1,370,000, with a top price of $350,000 for a colt.

Ferris said, “He’s a really nice colt and is for genuine sale. He’s a really athletic horse and a good first foal from News Girl.

“He’s from a fast family and by Zoustar, who can obviously get a very good horse.”

News boys on the block

Making up part of Two Bays Farm’s lovely draft of seven are two weanlings by the ‘new boys on the block’ - Home Affairs and Extreme Warrior.

Lot 70 is a bay filly by the handsome Home Affairs, a dual Group 1-winning son of I Am Invincible, who stands at Coolmore.

The filly is the second foal from the Soldier Hollow (GB) mare Clear For Take Off (GB). She won three races and was placed in a Group 3 in Germany. Her half-sister, Calyxa (GB) (Pivotal {GB}), was crowned the Champion Older Female in Italy and is a dual Group 1 placegetter.

Home Affairs showed exceptional talent as a juvenile, winning the G2 Silver Slipper S., but returned even more imperious as a 3-year-old, claiming the G1 Coolmore Stud S. and then beating his Champion stablemate Nature Strip (Nicconi) in the G1 Lightning S.

The progeny of Home Affairs have averaged $179,736 from 19 sold across weanling sales to date, achieving a top price of $430,000.

“She’s a big strong filly, with a big bum on her. She’s got a lot of power and strength with a good bone, coat, and colour. She’s just an all-round nice filly, to my eye,” said Ferris.

Meanwhile, Extreme Warrior will be represented by Lot 160 in Two Bays Farm’s draft. Extreme Warrior, a good-looking and talented son of the ‘statistical freak’ Extreme Choice, stands at Rosemont Stud.

Lot 160, a filly, is the second foal from the aptly named Hard ‘N’ Tough, a daughter of Hard Spun (USA). She won nine races, ranging from 1400 to 2100 metres, and is from the family of the Group 2 winners Dancing Daze (NZ) (Dance Floor {USA}) and All Roads (NZ) (by Road To Rock).

“She’s a neat, good running filly. She’s not overly big, neither is the stallion (Extreme Warrior). But she’s just a very attractive filly that gets along. She’s got a great eye, is smart, and has an attractive head.

“She’s a neat package,” added Ferris.

Ferris, a fan of Street Boss

Darley’s wonderful sire, Street Boss (USA), the sire of Champion Anamoe, is represented by two lots in Two Bays Farm’s draft.

The first through the ring from the farm is Lot 125, a filly. She is the fourth foal from the Exceed And Excel mare Excelsior Island. The filly is bred on the hugely successful Street Boss/Exceed And Excel cross that has produced the likes of the Group 1 winner Elite Street.

Excelsior Island is a half-sister to New Zealand’s Champion 2-Year-Old Warhorse (NZ) and the Listed winner Epona Princess (Fastnet Rock).

“She’s bred on the magic cross of Street Boss and Exceed And Excel. He had another 2-year-old winner the other day bred on that cross. She’s going to turn into a big, gorgeous filly when fully furnished,” said Ferris.

The second Street Boss, a colt, Lot 138, is the second foal from the Foxwedge mare Foxpack. A winner of four races, she is a full sister to the Listed winner Kentucky Miss. Their dam, Twelve Pack Shelly (USA) (Deputy Storm {USA}), was a dual Listed winner in North America.

“The Foxpack colt is just a lovely, lovely horse. He gets along really well, he’s very attractive, and I think he’s going to turn into a beautiful horse,” added Ferris.

P for Proven

Newgate Farm’s G1 Golden Slipper victor, Capitalist, is represented by Lot 198. The bay filly is the second foal from the Wandjina mare Kimberley Spirit, who is a half-sister to the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas victress Miss Tycoon Rose (Written Tycoon).

Also in the family is the Group 3-placed Light Up The Room (So You Think {NZ}) and the talented filly Mare Of Mt Buller (Dundeel {NZ}), who contested Saturday’s G1 Queensland Oaks and was placed in the G2 The Roses at Doomben.

Lot 362, a colt by Swettenham Stud’s outstanding Toronado (Ire), is the third foal from Spin Me A Kiss (USA), a Listed-placed daughter of Hard Spun (USA). She is a half-sister to the North American Listed victress Coco Kisses (USA) (Empire Way {USA}), while their dam, River Kiss (USA) (Awesome Gambler {USA}), was placed in the G3 Sorrento S. at Del Mar.

Heading into Thursday’s first day of selling, Ferris is taking an optimistic approach: “There’s always reservations, but at the end of the day, going off the first two weanling sales of the year, you’re going to have to be pretty confident and bullish about the market itself if you have some nice horses that tick the boxes for buyers.”