Cover image courtesy of Kenton Wright (Race Images)
NZ$400,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Ready To Run Sale graduate Quantum Legend (Castelvecchio) was an exciting debut winner on Saturday for Tony Pike and his Hong Kong-based owner. The win also provided a lot of satisfaction for bloodstock consultant Paul Willetts, who purchased the 3-year-old as a weanling for just $10,000 at the Inglis Australian Weanling Sale just 18 months before.
Mitigating factors
Formerly a form analyst in his native New Zealand, Willetts developed his interest in the bloodstock sphere through stints at England’s Whitsbury Manor and Germany’s Gestut Rottgen, then working for Gressier Stud and Wrightson Bloodstock before striking out on his own in 1996. His meticulous rating and cataloguing of horses at all major Australasian sales in the years since has developed into a database of 320,000 plus horses that helps guide his judgement at the sales.
From the second crop of Arrowfield Stud-based Castelvecchio, who stands beside his father Dundeel (NZ) at $49,500 inc GST, Quantum Legend struck Willetts as a good investment for the ready to run sales, a market that Willetts has been targeting for a long time.
“He was a lovely type,” Willetts recalled the weanling colt, who was offered by Bhima Thoroughbreds on behalf of breeder Jonathan Munz’s GSA Bloodstock. “He had a couple of little x-ray issues, which didn't affect us, but it probably affected a lot of other people. He actually grew out of the problems that he had as a weanling, hence that’s why he made the money that he made at the ready to run.”
“He (Quantum Legend) actually grew out of the problems that he had as a weanling, hence that’s why he made the money that he made at the ready to run.” - Paul Willetts
Willetts had no intention of aiming for the yearling sales with his $10,000 colt; “In the back of our minds, we were thinking, ‘well, it'll probably take a little while to improve on those x-rays, so the ready to run sales are the more favourable option’. It also just gave the horse a bit more time and the family a bit more time to improve, as well as for the stallion to become popular.”
Quantum Legend as a weanling | Image courtesy of Inglis
Willetts had been a fan of Castelvecchio as much as he had of Dundeel, with the High Chaparral (Ire) sireline being so dear to New Zealand. Castelvecchio stood his first two seasons at $33,000 inc GST, earning his increase with two first crop Group 1 winners in the 2024/25 season.
“I’ve always been a huge fan of the High Chaparral sireline, and when you get a horse who runs second in a Cox Plate, as he did, you know you have a very serious horse,” said Willetts. “So he was always on my radar as a good prospect before I saw any of his stock. I took a bit of a punt on his second season weanlings, they tend to be a bit cheaper.
“I try to see every horse at every major sale throughout the year, so you get a picture of what stallions you want to follow, if you’re looking for a bit of value. You concentrate on those ones that might be just a little bit out of favour, because their first season is gone and everyone now concentrates on the next season sires, and you can sometimes buy a really nice horse.”
“When you get a horse who runs second in a Cox Plate, as he (Castelvecchio) did, you know you have a very serious horse.” - Paul Willetts
After the weanling sale, the G1 Champagne Stakes winner had a somewhat slow start with his first 2-year-olds, recording two individual winners in his first season with runners.
This would all change in the spring of his first crop of 3-year-olds; by the time the NZB Ready To Run Sale came around in late November, breakout star Aeliana (NZ) had two Group 3 wins to her name and a second in the G1 1000 Guineas, and El Castello had clocks four straight wins culminating in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes. Safe to say, the buyers would look a little more favourably on Quantum Legend’s sire.
“There were a few mitigating factors as to why he only made $10,000,” Willetts said. “But after his win yesterday, I went back and watched his (sales) video, and I thought to myself, ‘bloody lovely horse’.”
Paul Willetts
Growing the family
“I had also seen the full sister, and she was a lovely type as well,” Willetts said. “And, from memory, I really liked the mare as she was inbred to Redoute’s Choice’s third dam. That was a reason I was quite keen on the mare as well as the weanling’s physical presence.”
“I really liked the mare as she (First Tier) was inbred to Redoute’s Choice’s third dam.” - Paul Willetts
Quantum Legend is a full brother to Double Market (Castelvecchio), who had been sold earlier in the year at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by Bhima to Lindsay Park Racing for $100,000.
Double Market wouldn’t appear on raceday as a juvenile, but when she did make her debut in October of last year, she strung two wins together in quick succession, jumping from maiden to taking out the G2 Moonee Valley Fillies Classic. It was a timely update for Willetts and Kilgravin Lodge who offered Quantum Legend at the Ready To Run, where Waikato Bloodstock signed for the colt for NZ$400,000 on behalf of his new owner.
Double Market’s autumn didn’t go as well as her spring, but she is currently listed as back in work for Ben, Will, and JD Hayes.
Double Market | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
To circle back to that pedigree; Quantum Legend also is a son of First Tier (Redoute’s Choice), a winning descendant of Show Lady (USA) (Sir Ivor {USA}), dam of the breed-shaping Dancing Show (USA) (Nijinsky II {Can}). The latter’s arrival in New Zealand in 1988 heralded the beginning of a dynasty that includes G1 Golden Slipper Stakes winner Marhoona (Snitzel), G1 Queensland Oaks winner You Wahng (So You Think {NZ}), first season stallion Schwarz, and Redoute’s Choice himself.
Castelvecchio carries no Dancing Show himself, but Dundeel’s damsire Zabeel (NZ) ties in Show Lady’s sire Sir Ivor (USA) to his pedigree.
“I quite like that duplication on the dam’s side,” Willetts said. It helped, for Willetts, to offset a page that was, at that time, somewhat thin on the ground across the top half of First Tier’s page. First Tier is one of three winners from the placed Bernardini (USA) mare Racing Nadine, who is a half-sister to dual Group 1 winner He’s No Pie Eater (Canny Lad), who puts the first piece of black-type on the page.
Of course, it’s in Quantum Legend’s fourth dam Show Lady that the action happens, but the genetic distance between her and Quantum Legend didn’t worry Willetts too much.
“Not with the individual standing in front of me,” he said. “I really liked that breeding back to the very good family of Redoute’s Choice. And, of course, by the time we sold him, he had had a nice pedigree update from Double Market, being his full sister. I think it was four weeks before the sale, which is crazy - just perfect timing. It was a perfect storm.”
“By the time we sold him (Quantum Legend), he had had a nice pedigree update from Double Market ... It was a perfect storm.” - Paul Willetts
Not served in 2023 after delivering rising 2-year-old Pietiero (Pierro) - a full brother to First Tier's first foal, four-time winner Heaven Bound, and a $70,000 weanling into $120,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale yearling pinhook for GM Bloodstock - First Tier is back in foal to Castelvecchio and is due any day with a full sibling to Quantum Legend. If something works, you may as well go back to the well.
The reward for patience
Of his expansive database system first started in 1996, Willetts said that he updates it on the daily and utilises it in all his decision-making.
“I keep the whole thing moving along, and it's been a great assistance over the years,” he said. “It’s coming up to 30 years of the system.”
Each horse is assessed based on three key areas, broken down into different factors.
“I call them ‘the three As’,” Willetts said. “Athleticism, attitude, and a pedigree. When I finally evaluate the horse upon seeing it, those are probably the three main things that I look for.
“Conformation is important, but I think I've done this for so long now that conformation is probably not quite as important as I thought it was when I first started out. I think it just comes down to looking after the horse as a younger horse and hoping that they keep improving as nature intended.”
“I think I've done this for so long now that conformation is probably not quite as important as I thought it was when I first started out.” - Paul Willetts
Part of what comes into that is what goes into a horse’s upbringing; the gentle sloping hills around Eion and Megan Kemp’s Kilgravin Lodge provide the perfect backdrop for growing out a young horse, particularly one in need of a little more time than those aimed at a yearling preparation.
“I think that’s probably why this horse has done so well,” Willetts said. “It really helped him that he didn’t actually go through a yearling sales preparation. He was just out being a kid, enjoying life, and not being put under any stress.”
“It really helped him (Quantum Legend) that he didn’t actually go through a yearling sales preparation.” - Paul Willetts
Quantum Legend’s trainer Tony Pike has been just as patient; the now gelding first trialled twice in April for a second and a first, before returning to the trials at the beginning of August for another hit-out ahead of his 1200-metre debut at Waikato. A Heavy 9 track did not phase him as he darted home for a one and a quarter length victory over the more seasoned Shoma (NZ) (Contributer {Ire}), who was on start number five.
Pike was understandably excited with the win, and post-race professed his hope to keep the gelding in the country for at least the season before an inevitable departure to his owner’s home of Hong Kong.
“He looks like a proper horse,” Pike told the media after the race on Saturday. “He was a bit slow away and probably ended up further back than we expected, but Michael (McNab) was able to get a good tow into the race. You don’t often see them cruise up on the bridle like that against a good field like this. He’s an immense talent. I just hope I can keep him here.
“You don’t often see them cruise up on the bridle like that against a good field like this. He’s (Quantum Legend) an immense talent.” - Tony Pike
“Michael’s had a big rap on this horse for a long time, and a lot of people have talked him up over the last couple of weeks. It’s good to get the job done today, and thankfully it’s all been as easy as we could have hoped so far. Hopefully it’s onwards and upwards from here.”
Tony Pike | Image courtesy of Nicole Troost
All going well, Quantum Legend will aim for the G2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas at the end of September, with the hopes of honing him for a G1 NZ 2000 Guineas in mid November. The TAB consequently slashed the 3-year-old’s odds from NZ$21 to NZ$10 in the Group 1 event, following his debut performance.
“I’ve got a really big opinion of him,” regular jockey Michael McNab said post-race. “I think he’s capable of being a dominant 3-year-old here. He’s very smart.
“I don’t know the owner, but I’ve been saying my piece since his first trial. Hopefully the owner is willing to race a horse here in New Zealand through his 3-year-old season. I’ll be very grateful if he does.”
No doubt, so will GSA Bloodstock if Quantum Market can become the second Group winner from three to the track for First Tier. Willetts might not be able to pick up her 2025 quite so cheap.
