Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Bred by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum, Arabian Summer has earned the majority of her prizemoney in 8 career starts with victories in two Magic Millions features - the 2YO Classic at Ballarat and the $1 million National 2YO Classic at Doomben which netted her over $700,000. However, it could be argued her most valuable win to date came on Saturday when earning a mere $120,000 in prizemoney but in the process also adding an all-important first Group win to her already impressive pedigree page.
Supported strongly as the $2.60 favourite after a luckless run in the Magic Millions Sunlight (1100 metres) behind emerging star Private Harry (Harry Angel {Ire}), Arabian Summer received an excellent ride from jockey Harry Coffey, ultimately securing a narrow but determined victory by 0.2l from Tobeornottobe (Pierata), with Shadhavar (Pride Of Dubai) finishing 0.46l behind in third place.
The well-bred 3-year-old started well from gate seven, and Coffey positioned her sixth in running, benefiting from a favourable trail. As they approached the home turn, he urged her to advance, and she surged forward to challenge the leaders, clinching the win in a closely contested finish.
“She is a fantastic filly and before yesterday she had won $1.2 million and she’d raced in a lot of big races but she didn’t have a Group win so, it was so important that she got that,” Calvin McEvoy said.
“Prizemoney was really irrelevant yesterday, the status is what she needed.
“I thought she was terrific, she showed tenacity and toughed it out really well. She had five weeks between the runs yesterday, so I think she will still improve a little bit going into her next start.
Calvin McEvoy | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“The barrier killed us in the Sunlight. Harry Coffey couldn’t do much else but she finished alongside the Golden Slipper winner at level weights with arguably a tougher run so she certainly put the writing on the wall. She is only three years old so we have so much to look forward to with her.
“It's not over yet and hopefully she can continue to build on it.”
Group 1 targets on the radar
McEvoy mentioned that several possibilities are being considered for Arabian Summer's next start, including some at the highest level, despite the narrow winning margin achieved yesterday.
Arabian Summer (yellow cap), winner of the G3 Peter Le Grand Stakes on Saturday | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We’ll definitely consider the Oakleigh Plate,” McEvoy said.
“We had spoken and thought if she had trotted in that the Oakleigh Plate would be the number one option. She only just won but that was a good tough win so we will certainly consider it. There’s a Listed race in Sydney on March 8, there’s The Galaxy late March, there’s the William Reid Stakes so there are plenty of options. The great thing is she is a Group winner, now we can sit down over the next few days and work out where we want to go.”
“She (Arabian Summer) only just won (G3 Peter Le Grand Stakes) but that was a good tough win so we will certainly consider it (G1 Oakleigh Plate).” - Calvin McEvoy
The 3-year-old filly is the second winner from three foals to race from metropolitan-winning mare Maraam (Street Cry {Ire}) who was purchased as a yearling by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa Al Maktoum for $1.05 million from the draft of Segenhoe Stud at the 2014 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Maraam is a is a half-sister to Group 2-winning stallion Derryn, who stands at Grangewilliam Stud in New Zealand. It’s a an extremely deep pedigree page that traces back to the family of Not A Single Doubt and Snippets. It is also a family boasting G1 Golden Slipper winner Forensics (Flying Spur) and Golden Slipper and G1 Blue Diamond Stakes runner-up Zizou.
Small but speedy
McEvoy was instantly taken with Arabian Summer when he first spotted her at the Magic Millions. He had thought he might be able to acquire her for a lower price being in Book 2 of the sale, but he is now very satisfied that he went over his budget to secure her for $220,000, a fraction of her true worth today.
Arabian Summer as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“She was in Book 2 and we thought we would steal her,” he said.
“I didn’t think there would have been many other people that would have found her. I loved her when she was parading and I thought we might be able to steal her at $80,000 however John O’Shea thought the same. That’s how that bidding duel started but thank goodness we managed to come out on top and I remind John every day!
“A lot of people don’t look at everything in Book 2 so I thought she may have fallen through the cracks. Obviously, Too Darn Hot was a bit of an unknown down here at that stage. She was on the smaller side, she was quite small, and that’s what a lot of people would have knocked with her but what I loved about her was she looked fast, she looked racy, everything was in proportion and she had a big walk.”
“She (Arabian Summer) was quite small, and that’s what a lot of people would have knocked with her but what I loved about her was she looked fast, she looked racy, everything was in proportion and she had a big walk.” - Calvin McEvoy
McEvoy asserts that seeking the 'perfect' horse at the yearling sales is a futile endeavour, which is why he was willing to overlook Arabian Summer's smaller stature.
“I think size is a factor but in this game we have to forgive little things and if you are always looking for the perfect model you are not going to buy many horses,” he said.
“Everything else about her we loved. I must say, she has grown up a little bit, she’s not overly big but she is big enough and a lovely type.”
Family upside ahead
McEvoy Mitchell Racing and Belmont Bloodstock Agency (FBAA) partnered once again to secure Maraam’s Wootton Bassett (GB) filly at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for $475,000, which has been named Filigree Shadow but has yet to be seen in public.
“We’ve got the half-sister at home and she’s a very different filly,” McEvoy said.
Filigree Shadow as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Physically she was always going to be a much later type and for that reason we haven’t pushed her. She is still in the paddock at the moment and she will come in for a more 3-year-old campaign but she is a quality filly, I just saw her down at the farm a couple of weeks ago.”
Maraam foaled a Wootton Bassett colt last year and was served by Shinzo.
The victory of Arabian Summer has brought Darley’s Too Darn Hot (GB) to a total of 21 stakes winners, reinforcing his dominance in the second season sires rankings this season. Earlier on Saturday, his 2-year-old filly Rivellino achieved a remarkable win in the $2 million R. Listed Inglis Millennium at Rosehill.
The stallion, who is sure to be popular again, has three colts and one filly in the catalogue for the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale at Riverside Stables in Sydney from February 9-11.
McEvoy Mitchell Racing making moves at Inglis Classic
On the hunt for their next stable star, McEvoy Mitchell Racing had bought two fillies, Lot 114 and Lot 144, and a colt, Lot 183, so far on Day 1 of the Inglis Classic Yearling sale in Sydney.
Gallery: McEvoy Mitchell purchases on Day 1 of the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, images courtesy of Inglis
“We have bought an I Am Invincible filly off Yarraman who has a lovely pedigree and we have bought an Autumn Sun filly off Arrowfield," McEvoy said.
"We also picked up a cracking colt by Wootton Bassett from Willow Park Stud.
“Buying good quality pedigrees off good farms is a good starting point.
“It’s a bit early to really get a line on the sale at the moment, there have been a few pass ins but the nicer types and those with a pedigree are certainly making their money.”
