Cover image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Willaroon Thoroughbreds’ Sally Watkins made a shrewd investment of $120,000 for Passarelle (Not A Single Doubt) at the 2015 Inglis Australian Weanling and Broodmare Sale on the recommendation of Bruce Slade, and it is quickly turning to gold.
On Saturday, Passarelle’s fifth foal, the talented Bases Loaded (Deep Field), delivered on the promise he showed as a 2-year-old by recording his maiden stakes victory in the G3 Gunsynd Classic at Eagle Farm.
The Thoroughbred Report caught up with Watkins following the weekend success.
Shrewd investment
Watkins operates the Victorian-based Willaroon Thoroughbreds. In 2015, she was in the market for her next broodmare and was pointed towards Lot 478 by Bruce Slade. The filly presented by Newgate Farm was named Passarelle. She was by the outstanding sire Not A Single Doubt and out of the Brocco (USA) mare Speedy Bell, who won the Listed Gimcrack S.
Bruce Slade | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Speedy Bell had proven to be a talented producer. Her daughter Speedy Natalie (Al Maher) won the G3 Adrian Knox S. and the Listed Dequetteville S. Another daughter, Sweet And Speedy (Street Cry {Ire}), claimed the G3 Vanity S. and was placed in the G3 National S. They were followed by Speedy Bell’s ninth foal, Silverstream (Al Maher), a four-time stakes winner, including the G2 Lee Steere S.
Passarelle was the ninth foal from Speedy Bell and was presented by Newgate Farm as an unraced maiden mare.
Silverstream, winner of the G2 Lee Steere S. | Image courtesy of Western Racepix
Watkins told The Thoroughbred Report, “Passarelle had been trained by Gai Waterhouse, and she had shown a lot of speed early but had gone amiss. She’d chipped her knee very badly, and they were selling her just as a broodmare proposition.”
Describing Passarelle as a type, Watkins said, “She was only two at the time I bought her. She was a very forward, mature, beautiful Not A Single Doubt mare, and I sent her to stud as an early 3-year-old.”
“She (Passarelle) was only two at the time I bought her. She was a very forward, mature, beautiful Not A Single Doubt mare, and I sent her to stud as an early 3-year-old.” - Sally Watkins
Watkins admits she thought she would purchase Passarelle much cheaper than the $120,000, although in hindsight, it was an astute buy that has paid dividends. Watkins is grateful Slade urged her to come and view the daughter of Not A Single Doubt.
“Bruce showed me the horse and he said, ‘You’ve got to come and have a look. She’s really beautiful.’ Bruce has always loved her.
“So, he took me down and showed her to me, and I really loved her. I thought I was going to get her a lot cheaper than the $120,000, but once I got going on her, I didn't want to lose her because I really loved her.”
Passarelle proves the goods
Passarelle was sent to Yarraman Park Stud’s I Am Invincible in her maiden season, resulting in a filly named Invabelle. Invabelle was sold for $200,000 at the 2018 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to Peachester Lodge. Like her dam, Invabelle retired unraced and was served by Newgate Farm’s G1 Golden Slipper victor, Stay Inside.
Invabelle as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Following Invabelle, Passarelle visited Widden Stud’s late G1 Golden Slipper winner Sebring. This union produced Shebringzit, who was purchased for $85,000 by Cameron Cooke Bloodstock and Mick Huxtable at the 2019 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. Shebringzit finished fourth in the G1 South Australian Derby and third in the G3 Chairman’s S., in addition to winning three races.
Passarelle returned to Sebring to produce another filly, Chevalet, who retired as a three-start maiden. She was followed by Embarque, a daughter of Zoustar, who was placed once in her two starts before retiring prematurely. Watkins retained Embarque and bred her to another Golden Slipper winner, Capitalist.
Watkins detailed the progression: “Passarelle’s first foal was a Vinnie filly, sold through the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, but she didn’t race. She then had a few Sebrings, including a smart filly in Shebringzit.
“She was then sent to Zoustar. That resulting filly, Embarque, had two runs but had a wind issue. We debated whether to operate and keep going with her or to just send her to stud. We decided on the latter, and she’s now in foal to Capitalist.”
Deep Field the perfect match for Watkins’ girl
When it came time to decide on a fifth mate for Passarelle, Watkins chose Newgate Farm’s Deep Field, a son of the brilliant Northern Meteor.
Deep Field | Standing at Newgate Farm
Watkins outlined the reasons: “I sent Passarelle to Deep Field because I liked him physically, and it was just a nice pairing on paper as well. Additionally, I do a lot of work with Newgate Farm. I really like their model, and Henry (Field) supports his stallions in the ring. I’m always happy to deal with Newgate Farm; they’re very good.”
“I sent Passarelle to Deep Field because I liked him physically, and it was just a nice pairing on paper as well. Additionally, I do a lot of work with Newgate Farm. I really like their model, and Henry (Field) supports his stallions in the ring.” - Sally Watkins
The resultant foal, a good-looking chestnut, became Bases Loaded. Watkins elected to sell the colt as a weanling at the 2021 Inglis Great Southern Weanling Sale through her good friends David and Kayley Johnson, who at the time owned Rushton Park.
Bases Loaded as a weanling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Bases Loaded was purchased by Hunter Valley Bloodstock for $290,000 and was later reoffered as a yearling through Tyreel Stud at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, where China Horse Club, Newgate Bloodstock, and Starlight combined to pay $400,000 for him.
“I sold him as a weanling through the Rushton Park draft at the Inglis Great Southern Sale. Kayley and David, who recently sold Rushton Park, are very good friends of mine, and we often had drafts together. I sold him for $290,000 to Hunter Valley Bloodstock, and actually, Henry (Field) was the underbidder on Bases Loaded as a weanling.
“He then bought him for $400,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale. I said to Henry, ‘You should have gone another bid and bought him as a weanling,’ but he said, ‘Yeah, in retrospect,’ but he was happy to pay the $400,000. We were delighted with the $290,000. Passarelle has been a very good mare to me. Kayley and I worked it out the other day; it was around $1.2 million sold out of the mare.”
“We were delighted with the $290,000 (as a weanling). Passarelle has been a very good mare to me. Kayley (Johnson) and I worked it out the other day; it was around $1.2 million sold out of the mare.” - Sally Watkins
Describing Bases Loaded as a type, Watkins said, “He was a lovely, very, very obvious horse. Passarelle is a beautiful mare, though, and she throws a beautiful type. They’re quite big as weaners, but then they don’t grow into enormous yearlings. That’s part of the reason I’ve been selling them as weanlings, apart from the fact that you get them off the books earlier. All her weanlings are quite big and forward, but he really was just the obvious colt and was very popular at the sales.”
“All her (Passarelle's) weanlings are quite big and forward, but he (Bases Loaded) really was just the obvious colt and was very popular at the sales.” - Sally Watkins
Passarelle was returned to Deep Field but failed to get in foal, so she was instead bred to Capitalist, producing a filly. The filly was sold for $460,000 to Silverdale Farm and Brian McGuire at the 2023 Inglis Great Southern Sale.
Passarelle’s latest foal, a filly by Written Tycoon, was offered at the 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, where Lyndhurst Farm and Kaha Nui Farm paid $350,000.
Written Tycoon x Passarelle (filly) sold for $350,000 at the 2024 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale | Image courtesy of Inglis
“I’d left her empty in order to get an early cover by Deep Field, but that was the year he really started to have trouble with mares. I think she went to him three times, and finally, we just said we have to go somewhere else, and that was when I sent her to Capitalist instead.
“So, that was quite late in the season. The filly was born in November, and we had a throw at the stumps with Written Tycoon, and fortunately, she got in foal on the first go. That Written Tycoon filly we sold for $350,000, and obviously, Bases Loaded provided a nice pedigree update for the people who bought her: Mark and Shelley Treweek and Nicky White of Kaha Nui Farm.”
Bases Loaded delivers on potential
Watkins, currently in London, was pleased to see Bases Loaded deliver on the promise he showed as a 2-year-old. Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, he showed talent as a juvenile, winning on debut at Randwick-Kensington.
That effort was followed by a third in the G2 Skyline S. and the G2 Pago Pago S. behind the subsequent G1 Golden Slipper victor, Shinzo. Skipping the Golden Slipper, Bases Loaded finished fifth in the G1 Sires’ Produce S., beaten by Militarize (NZ).
Bases Loaded was then second to that colt in the G1 Champagne Classic. The son of Deep Field opened his preparation on the Gold Coast with a fifth in the G3 Sunshine Coast Guineas, won by Corniche (Fastnet Rock). Before winning the G3 Gunsynd Classic, he tackled the G3 Fred Best Classic, won by Roll On High (Shamus Award).
The Fred Best Classic proved to be the form race of the Brisbane winter, with Saturday’s G1 Stradbroke H. victress Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard) running third while Bases Loaded finished fifth.
Watkins reflected on Passarelle: “She’s been a super mare. Obviously, my favourite mare, not only because she’s provided a lot of financial success but because she’s just beautiful. She’s so gorgeous to look at and easy to handle. Passarelle is a wonderful, great mother. She’s very quiet, and her foals always have a great temperament. She’s just an absolute queen.
“She’s so gorgeous to look at and easy to handle. Passarelle is a wonderful, great mother. She’s very quiet, and her foals always have a great temperament. She’s just an absolute queen.” - Sally Watkins
“Hopefully, bigger things are in store for Bases Loaded, but she’s done an exceptional job producing two stakes-performing horses. These Not A Single Doubt mares are gold. I am so grateful to Bruce for showing me the mare. I constantly thank him, and he says, ‘Lots of people saw her, but you were the one that bought her.’ But I know he gets a kick out of it too because he’s always loved Passarelle, and he’s the first one to send me a text message whenever we sell one well or they win a race. He’s very good, and so is Newgate. They always look after me with the mare.
“I also want to thank Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for the fantastic job they’ve done with Bases Loaded and congratulate his owners. Fingers crossed, much more is in store, but I’m very proud of Bases Loaded because it was a big effort. He’s such a good competitor and a gorgeous-looking horse.”
