Cover image courtesy of Sportpix

Tempted ready to rattle the boys in Run To The Rose

She was the Blue Army’s star filly last season when winning two Group 2 events and running third in the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes, and word suggests that Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) has returned even better this season for new trainer Ciaron Maher. The 3-year-old is the only filly in the G2 Run To The Rose field on Saturday, versus a full field of 15 colts and geldings at the time of writing.

Johann Gerard-Dubord, Maher’s New South Wales assistant trainer, is under no illusions as to how tough a task faces Tempted, but also truly believes she is the filly that could best the boys.

“Everything she does at home, she’s an ultra professional,’’ Gerard-Dubord told Racing NSW. “She’s very mature physically and mentally, and her form obviously reads very well. On what she did at two, on what she shows at trackwork, we don’t have many horses like her. She looks pretty special.”

Godolphin produced the only Run To The Rose filly winner in the race’s history with In Secret (I Am Invincible) in 2022, and few others have tried - it takes a serious filly to even take a shot.

Tempted jumps from barrier 7, having trialled once this preparation, and Gerard-Dubord expects the current Heavy 8 track to pose no real challenge to her.

“The way she moves, you would think she would handle a wet track,’’ he said. “Nothing fazes her, she has a smooth action. She switches off, her work is very sharp and she’s a horse that has a great recovery. She’s the kind of horse you couldn’t fault.

“When James (McDonald) jumped off her after the trial, he said she’s very sharp. On the track, she’s the most beautiful horse to do anything with. She is very exciting.”

Written Tycoon on track to keep his 3-year-old crown

Champion Sire and last season’s Champion 3YO Sire Written Tycoon currently leads the 3-year-old sire leaderboard in Australia; ahead by both winners, stakes winners, and prize money, he is the only stallion in double digits with winners and sits more than $200,000 ahead of his nearest rival before Saturday.

His spread and quality of entries across the 3-year-old stakes racing at Flemington and Rosehill Gardens seems like his position in the premiership will be secured for another week, especially down at Flemington, where six of his progeny have accepted to run across all three Listed races for 3-year-olds.

Dual Group 3 winner Tycoon Star, who was third in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes, will be joined in the Listed Poseidon Stakes by Cannyworth and Bedourie, both of whom are last start winners having their first swing at stakes level - making up a third of the field.

Growing Empire won this race last year after also winning the G3 McNeil Stakes - also Tycoon Star’s most recent victory, on a day where his sire recorded a stakes double - and before placing in three Group 1s in a row en route to commencing his stud career this spring. After Tycoon Star's McNeil victory, the Lindsay Park team confirmed the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes was top of the colt’s agenda for the spring.

“He looks sharp and he’s already a winner down the straight,” Ben Hayes said after the race, and it’s hard to look past Tycoon Star, given his talent advantage over his rivals.

Signature Scent and Scenic Point clash in the Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes - Signature Scent came off the better when they last met in the G3 Quezette Stakes, finishing fourth and over two lengths ahead of Scenic Point, who won the Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes last season. The effort has Signature Scent on the second line of betting for the race - which was won last year by subsequent Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Bellatrix Star (Star Witness) - behind My Gladiola (I Am Invincible), who was second in the Quezette.

Soroush is accepted for the Listed Exford Plate at the time of writing, but did start on Thursday.

Heading north to Rosehill, top-performing colts Skyhook and Grand Prairie are split between the G2 Run To The Rose and the G3 Ming Dynasty Handicap respectively. The pair met four weeks ago in the Listed Rosebud, where Skyhook came away with the win, despite giving 7kg to the runner-up Grand Prairie. Skyhook’s co-trainer Gerald Ryan is opting to follow the same path he used with the late Menari, who won both G1 Golden Rose Stakes lead-up races before running third in the grand finale.

“I’d have thought he’d improve (off of his first-up effort) because he had one soft trial prior to winning first-up,” Ryan said. “He drops 3.5kg and meets them okay at the weights. I’m happy with what I’ve seen so far. He had a nice tickover trial last Tuesday and worked well on the course proper.

“All of it worked for Menari, he won the Rosebud and then won the Run To The Rose.”

Last year, the Ming Dynasty was the kick-off for Lady Shenandoah’s (Snitzel) spectacular 3-year-old, could it portend the same for Grand Prairie, who won the G3 Up And Coming Stakes last start? The son of Group 1 winner Viddora (I Am Invincible) has drawn wide in a potential field of 13, but has the assistance of Kerrin McEvoy on board to assist him.

Of the above, five are raced by Yulong, who stand the 23-year-old Written Tycoon for a private fee this year.

Mr Brightside butts heads with five rivals in Makybe Diva

Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) faces a field of five in his attempt to win a third G1 Makybe Diva Stakes in a row; how have his rivals fared against Lindsay Park’s heavyweight in previous clashes?

Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) - Old sparring partners. He was second to Mr Brightside in the G1 Futurity Stakes in the autumn, before getting the better of him in the G1 All-Star Mile at his next start. Comes into this first-up off of two jump-outs.

Antino (NZ) (Redwood {GB}) - Beaten two lengths by Mr Brightside last start in Treasurethe Moment’s (Alabama Express) G1 Memsie Stakes. Shapes up better over the mile.

Mark Twain (NZ) (Shocking) - Having his first punt at Group 1 level since running in the G1 Australian Derby two years ago, so has dodged Mr Brightside to date.

Gallery: Mr Brightside's five rivals in the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes

Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) - Haven’t run into each other since this very race last year, where Mr Brightside came off best by six and a half lengths. But given the threat from the Waller camp that she’s somehow returned bigger and better this season, that margin should be a lot narrower.

Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) - Also hasn’t run into Mr Brightside before, as she was running in her own age group last season, but given the scare she gave James McDonald on Via Sistina in the G1 Winx Stakes last start, she profiles as one for him to watch out for.

Epsom awaits Autumn Glow after Theo Marks test

A less swamp-like track awaits unbeaten mare Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) at Rosehill Gardens this Saturday, where she will bid to extend her unbeaten streak to six in the G2 Theo Marks Stakes. On Friday, the track rates a Heavy 8, two points better than what she faced a fortnight ago when winning the G3 Toy Show Quality at Randwick.

Speaking to the media earlier in the week, trainer Chris Waller was certain that the mare was right on song for her likely tilt at the G1 Epsom Handicap in October.

“I’m very happy with her,” Waller said. “That first run is pretty important to see they’ve come back well, but also for fitness. The 1300 (of the Theo Marks) will probably suit her a little bit better than the 1100 (of the Toy Show).”

Waller was modest about the mare’s abilities - she has long been something special to her owners at Arrowfield Stud, but Waller was careful not to over-hype the mare before she snares her maiden Group 1.

“She shows some exciting things, but we want to see her tick that Group 1 box before we start talking a bit more,” he said. “But she’s got all the signs of a nice horse and we haven’t found the ceiling with her yet.”

With James McDonald down in Flemington, Kerrin McEvoy gets back on board for the second time, having previously steered Autumn Glow to her Up And Coming victory last spring.

“She’s obviously a star on the rise,” McEvoy told The Age. “She was good first-up, and I’ve been able to sit on her a couple of times, (so I’m) looking forward to getting on her on Saturday.

“She was brilliant that day (in the Up And Coming Stakes), so she’s the star of the card on Saturday for me.”

McEvoy has his fingers crossed for a shot at the Epsom with Autumn Glow, if all goes well on Saturday; “It’d be nice (to ride her in the Epsom). She’s rated 105. If she wins on the weekend, I’m not sure what weight she gets in an Epsom, but hopefully you (can) win on her and then you get a chance to ride her again.”

Yeomans saddles first runner as solo trainer in Let’s Elope

Four weeks after announcing she would go solo, Lucy Yeomans will saddle her first runner on Saturday and could kick things off with a bang, with Jenni The Fox (Too Darn Hot {GB}) lining up in the G2 Let’s Elope Stakes.

Previously trained by Alex Rae, the 4-year-old mare, who is one of the Jenni fillies belonging to Pride Of Jenni’s (Pride Of Dubai) owner Tony Ottobre, was a winner at Cranbourne and second in the G2 Angus Armanasco Stakes in the autumn behind Treasurethe Moment.

“Tony (Ottobre) has always been a very big supporter, which I’m very grateful for,” Yeomans told RadioTAB on Friday. “When I was in partnership with Lloyd (Kennewell), he sent us a couple of horses, and then as soon as he heard the news I was going out on my own, he said that when I was ready, he would send me a couple of horses as well. He kindly dropped off three, and one of them is Jenni The Fox.”

She is one of five horses on Yeomans’ books, along with two other Ottobre trainees; Enchanted Jenni (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) has placed in her last three starts and Sassy Jenni (Shalaa {Ire}) was a winner on debut as a juvenile before running third to Growing Empire in the Listed St Albans Stakes and fourth in the Listed Atlantic Jewel Stakes last spring.

“We’re going there hoping to win, but it’s obviously a very tough race," Yeomans said of Saturday. "I’ve only had the horse two weeks, but Tony sent her to me because she’s been going a little bit too keenly in her races and he knows that I have an equestrian background, and my partner is Blake Shinn, so he thought that her being with us would be the best chance to get her to relax a little bit. So we’ve been doing a lot of flatwork with her and tinkering with her gear.

“Obviously we would be delighted with a win, but the goal tomorrow is for her to travel kindly and hit the line strongly.”

Yeomans has implemented a tongue tie and a stronger bit at home to aid Jenni The Fox.

“She knows her job, she’s quite competitive, so it will be interesting to see how it all feels for her on raceday.”

The commitment of a handful of Ottobre horses means that Yeomans’ six boxes at Cranbourne are full already. Yeomans’ other trainees are multiple winner Parvati Party (NZ) (Complacent) and last start winner Thunder Hawk (American Pharoah {USA}), whom Yeomans previously trained in partnership with Lloyd Kennewell.

Cover image courtesy of Keeneland

The Keeneland September Yearling Sale continued to churn out double-digit year-on-year gains as its second Book 2 session concluded Thursday night with yet another son of Gun Runner leading the way. Through four sessions of the 12-day auction, 671 yearlings have grossed US$307,639,000 ($461.9 million). At this same point a year ago, 640 head had sold for US$252,528,000 ($379 million).

Asked about the gross surpassing the US$300 million mark after day four, Keeneland Senior Director of Sales Operations Cormac Breathnach laughed and said, “It's never been on a Thursday before.”

Breathnach continued, “There were several September sales, especially in the early years, but post-2008 economic crash, and I think the COVID year, where it didn't even sniff US$300 million for the whole thing. This is putting money back into the hands of the people who make this industry go.

"The breeders are the backbone of the sale, but also of the industry. It's such a difficult job and a lot of them are still taking hits on certain horses here this week, as good as it has been for most. So as much of that money we can get back into their hands to go forward year to year, that's a massive focus.”

'A good, healthy environment'

Through the two Book 2 sessions, 454 yearlings sold through the ring for a gross of US$163,454,000 ($245 million). The section's average was US$360,031 ($540,500)–up 18.1% from the 2024 Book 2–and the median was US$300,000 ($450,000), up 15.4% from a year ago.

“It has been consistent over the last two days,” said Keeneland Vice President of Sales Tony Lacy. “There are a lot of similarities in the increases and the RNA rate–there was a little better clearance rate today. It was just a good, healthy environment. The money was here right to the end.”

Through four sessions, the buy-back rate stands at 27.07%. It was 29.59% at this same point a year ago. Eighteen horses sold for US$1 million ($1.5 million) or more during the 2025 Book 2, up from just five in 2024.

“Today again, the top 15 sellers went to 13 different buyers by 12 different stallions and from 11 different consignors,” Breathnach said. “That's what gives you confidence going into the next eight sessions. Because we have depth to the market. We have more buyers that are coming in, the next waves are going to arrive for Book 3 and beyond and people that are still here are having to bid hard for the horses they want.”

Bidding at the Keeneland September sale will have a one-day break before resuming Saturday and continuing through the following Saturday with sessions beginning daily at 10am.

'Can't go wrong with Gun Runner': Magnier, Brant team for US$1.55 million colt

Coolmore's MV Magnier and Peter Brant's White Birch Farm, who went to a sale-topping US$3.3 million ($4.95 million) to acquire a colt by Gun Runner on Monday, added another son of the Three Chimneys stallion to their portfolio when going to US$1.55 million ($2.33 million) for a yearling (hip 969) from the Four Star Sales consignment on Thursday. All four sessions of the September sale have been topped by sons of Gun Runner.

Hip 969 was bred by Three Chimneys and is out of graded winner Twenty Carat (Into Mischief). His third dam, Silk n' Sapphire (Smart Strike), produced GI Breeders' Cup Fillies And Mares Turf winner Shared Account, who in turn is the dam of GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner and 'TDN Rising Star' Sharing.

“(Three Chimneys') Goncalo (Torrealba) is a very good breeder, and he's out of a good mare,” Magnier said of the yearling's appeal. “So we are happy enough to get him.”

Of the colt's placement in Book 2, Four Star Sales' Kerry Cauthen said, “I saw that horse back on the farm quite a while ago. He was a rangy horse who probably didn't have it all pulled together at the time. People might ask what this million-dollar horse is doing in Book 2, but he was narrow and light. But we thought he would come along and develop. And he did.”

Gun Runner, whose 'Rising Star' son Brant won the GI Del Mar Futurity Sunday, has had 12 yearlings sell for seven figures this week at Keeneland. Through four days, 36 yearlings have sold for an average of US$932,917 ($1.4 million) and a median of US$825,000 ($1.24 million).

“What can you say about Gun Runner?” Cauthen asked. “You can't go wrong right now with Gun Runner. They are in love with them and they should be.”

Searing goes to US$1.4 million for Flightline colt

The action around first-crop sire Flightline continued Thursday with a colt out of Layla (Union Rags) (Hip 794) realising US$1.4 million ($2.1 million) from April Mayberry, bidding on behalf of Lee Searing's C R K Stable.

A full-sister to Grade 1 winner Express Train, the 11-year-old mare is a granddaughter of GI Alabama Stakes heroine November Snow (Storm Cat). Mayberry also secured Express Train for Searing for US$500,000 ($751,000) at the 2018 September sale. The March 12 foal was offered by Dixiana Farms, who also bred the colt.

“He's identical (to Express Train) and then throw Flightline in on top of that,” said Mayberry of Thursday's purchase. “Express Train is one of Mr Searing's all-time favourite horses, so it's kind of a no-brainer. He looks so much like (Express Train).

“It is definitely a seller's market right now. We expected after watching Saratoga, everything was going to be a little bit higher and we were not wrong. If you want them, you're going to pay for them. We've been real, real picky and I think we're happy with everything we've gotten so far.”

Richard Drake jumps in for US$1.35 million Not This Time colt

Many of the big names at this week's Keeneland September sale were still in attendance for Thursday's Book 2 finale and several of them made their presence felt when Hip 1066, a colt by Not This Time, stepped into the ring. When the dust had settled, it was Texas horseman Richard Drake who secured the third highest-priced yearling of the session for US$1.35 million ($2 million). Handling the bidding and signing duties for Drake was former European champion jockey Cash Asmussen.

“It is going to be the first horse that Steve (Asmussen) has for Mr Drake,” confirmed Asmussen. “He's smooth. This is the kind of horse we felt was not too big, not too small. He's very athletic.”

The March 15 foal is the first for the 6-year-old unraced Tapit mare Definitive, a daughter of GI Humana Distaff winner Aubby K (Street Sense) and full sister to Graded winner Magic On Tap and Graded stakes-placed Principe Guilherme.

“He's got enough pedigree out of a Tapit mare and the Winchell family (who campaigned Tapit) has been a great supporter of my family, and so Tapit is a very familiar horse for us,” explained Asmussen. “He has the pedigree and confirmation. It's a roll of the dice, as we all know. But Mr Drake said, 'I want to roll the dice on this horse.'”

Consigned by Taylor Made Sales, the dark bay was bred by Jane Lyon's Summer Wind Farm.

“I fell in love with him the first time I saw him–a beautiful horse, so well balanced,” Taylor said. “He reminded me of the one we sold out of Wembley in Book 1 for US$1.7 million (Hip 211). This one ended up in Book 2. I thought he was a US$1 million horse, and that is aggressive to say for a Book 2 horse. I didn't know definitely that the money was going to be there, but it was.

“The list of people on that horse was two pages, but the one I didn't have on the horse was Cash Asmussen. He surprised me. I mean, he's a legend. I think Cash got an awesome athlete and I can't wait to see what he does.”

According to Asmussen, the colt is the first of what looks to be a growing string of horses that Drake plans to have under the care of Asmussen's Hall of Fame brother, Steve.

“(Drake) has quite a few horses, but he wanted to get hooked up with Steve,” Asmussen explained. “He'd like to buy a horse that was special. We feel this horse was special.”

Asmussen indicated the new acquisition will initially start at the Asmussen family's El Primero Training Center in Laredo, Texas, that has been the launchpad for the careers of horses like Epicenter and Tapit himself.

First-crop yearling sire Life Is Good gets first Keeneland millionaire

Minutes before 8pm on Thursday evening and just a dozen hips before the end of Book 2, the hammer dropped at US$1.25 million ($1.88 million) for a colt by WinStar's first-crop yearling sire Life Is Good, a multiple Grade 1-winning son of Into Mischief, with Hunter Rankin signing the ticket on behalf of the Boersma family's Flying Dutchmen.

“When you're buying horses, they're all undefeated right now, so you've got to be excited,” said a jubilant Rankin. He said this is the third Life Is Good yearling Flying Dutchmen will have in the barn.

“We bought one last year as a weanling that we love (a US$400,000 - $600,500 - colt out of Lady Aces {Constitution} at Keeneland November). We have a homebred that we really like, too, and here at this sale, we've liked a bunch of them, but this guy just came from a really good pedigree and really great breeders. It's really hard to overestimate how much that means to us in terms of where they were raised.”

Bred and consigned by Hinkle Farms, who also bred his first two dams, the bay colt, sold as hip 1142, is out of the unraced Indian Bay (Indian Charlie), making him a half-brother to Japanese Group-winning Shivaji (First Samurai) and to stakes winner and multiple Grade I-placed Tarabi (First Samurai), as well as to this year's GI Santa Anita Derby third Westwood (Authentic).

Rankin signed for 10 yearlings for Flying Dutchmen through the first two books at Keeneland September, including a US$1 million filly by Not This Time.

“It's hard to say if this is going to be the best one,” said Rankin, “but if you keep buying horses like him, you're going to be successful. It was really hard to get him. I know we outbid some really good people, and obviously, maybe (it was) a little more than what we'd hoped to spend, but if you want to put nice horses in the barn, you have to spend real money.”

Rankin touched on the emotions behind buying at this level.

“You can't take this stuff for granted. It's really special,” he said. “This family, they're such special people and they get excited with every horse we buy, as we all do. The horse will be named within 24 hours. It's a really cool thing to be a part of.”

Rankin also went to a cool US$1 million ($1.5 million) on Thursday afternoon to add a Not This Time filly to the Flying Dutchmen's haul. Consigned by Warrendale Sales as hip 887, the bay daughter of 2017 GII Golden Road Stakes victress Road To Victory (Quality Road) is a half-sister to 2024 Sir Barton Stakes winner Corporate Power (Curlin). She was bred by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings, who picked up her dam for US$1.45 million ($2.18 million) at Fasig-Tipton November in 2019.

“We loved the family,” said Rankin, “and Barbara (Banke) is so great to buy from. (Stonestreet) raises their horses the right way, so we loved her and we were really going to try to get her. That was at the upper end of what we wanted to pay, but it was great."

Nothing but net: Jack Christopher colt stars for Ledgelands

Shelley and Andrew Ritter's Ledgelands, which has been consigning at the Keeneland September sale since 2016, enjoyed its biggest result to date when its homebred colt by Jack Christopher (hip 854) sold for US$500,000 ($751,000) to the bid of Katsumi Yoshida Thursday at Keeneland. The Ritters had purchased Pathos (Successful Appeal), with the colt in utero, for US$26,000 ($39,000) at the 2024 Keeneland January sale.

“Not US$500,000,” Andrew Ritter said when asked what his expectations were for Thursday's sale. “Maybe US$200,000-$300,000.”

The Ritters first became aware of Pathos when she went through the sales ring at OBS at the 2023 Winter Sale where she sold for US$30,000 ($45,000). The couple missed out on the mare that day, but didn't hesitate when given a second chance last January.

“We saw her before down in Ocala and we liked her,” Andrew said. “But then she went to somebody else. When she came up for sale again, we hit it.”

Of the bargain price, he added, “It was blind luck.”

Shelley Ritter said the colt impressed them right away; “We loved him from the start."

Her husband added, “He came out gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. He was the best on the farm from the time he was born.”

The Ritters confirmed this was the highest they have ever sold a horse for, although they had a close second at Keeneland last September.

“We didn't cry this time,” Andrew said. “Last year, we cried. The one last year was a Yaupon that brought US$475,000. We bought that mare for US$1. That was pretty exciting.”

Of the Ledgelands operation, Shelley said, “We have 25 mares. We do it all. A little bit of everything.”

Boomer and Blacker combine on Book 2 purchases

Craig Rounsefell’s Boomer Bloodstock and multiple Breeders’ Cup-winning trainer Dan Blacker signed for three lots over Book 2 of Keeneland’s September sale, starting with Hip 750 towards the close of the sale’s third session. Sired by Bolt D’Oro, the filly is the third foal from multiple stakes winner Honey’s Sox Appeal (Successful Appeal), who won 11 races from two to seven, and was consigned by Legacy Bloodstock for US$90,000 ($135,000).

The partnership combined again midway through the sale’s fourth session to secure Hip 919, a Munnings colt out of a Medaglia D’Oro half-sister to multiple Graded winner Tom’s Ready (More Than Ready) and Japanese Group winner Jean Gros (More Than Ready). Consigned by Indian Creek, the hammer fell on the colt at US$75,000 ($113,000).

As the fourth session drew to a close, Rounsefell pounced on a filly (hip 1149) by GI Preakness Stakes winner Early Voting, a son of Gun Runner whose first yearlings headed to auction houses this year. Out of a Medaglia D’Oro half-sister to Graded winners Stormello (Stormy Atlantic), My Best Brother (Stormy Atlantic), and Gala Award (Bernadini), the filly was consigned by Valkyre Stud, with Rounsefell signing the docket for US$60,000 ($90,100).

Today’s Foal Focus comes from the first crop of multiple Group 1-placed Don Corleone, who stands at Eureka Stud, where his son out of three-time metropolitan winner Bleu Zebra (I Am Invincible) was born at the end of August.

Looking like a million dollars

“He’s pretty magnificent,” said Eureka Stud’s Harry McAlpine. “The mare does throw a very good sort, but he’s very powerful and he’s really well marked like his father. Don Corleone is a very good looking stallion. He’s very in the Not A Single Doubt style, so he (the colt) has plenty of that, and plenty of strength to go with it.”

Second in both the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes and the G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes alongside other stakes performances, Don Corleone heads up his second year at stud at an unchanged fee of $13,200 (inc GST).

“He’s (the colt) actually quite similar to the Stay Inside colt that we sold for a million earlier this year.”

Gallery: Don Corleone x Bleu Zebra colt, born at Eureka Stud

The colt’s three-quarter-brother was a $1 million purchase at this year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale when snapped up by the duo of James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership and Tony Fung Colts, and has subsequently been named Incognito (Stay Inside). He has been given to the capable hands of Michael Freedman to train.

“Hopefully he (Incognito) might do something on the track to frank the breeding,” McAlpine said. “I believe he’s heading for his first jump-out next week, and then hopefully he’s on track for the Breeders’ Plate.”

A patient investment

The half-sister to Listed Cap D’Antibes Stakes winner Fox Swift (Foxwedge) out of a half-sister to multiple Group winner White Moss (Mossman), Bleu Zebra was a yearling acquisition for Eureka and the McAlpines at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast sale. Tony Gollan, John Foote Bloodstock, and Black Soil Bloodstock signed the docket for $600,000 when the filly was offered by Edinglassie Stud.

“She was a magnificent yearling,” McAlpine recalled. “She had a lot of speed - she used to win trials by big margins, and she won in town. Unfortunately, her knees didn’t hold up to going far with her, but she had a lot of ability. She definitely had stakes ability.”

Two of Bleu Zebra’s three wins were at Doomben, including beating subsequent Group 3 winner Tycoon Evie (Written Tycoon) at her third victory. She retired to stud in 2021 and visited Spirit Of Boom for her maiden season.

“We thought, with a beautiful mare like her, we may be better off taking her to the breeding barn than to keep rehabbing her to race,” McAlpine said. “She’s certainly been a wonderful producer in the barn so far.”

Bleu Zebra's first foal - Funky Zebra - was a $220,000 sale as a yearling, followed by Incognito at $1 million, and her Pinatubo (Ire) filly was a $280,000 weanling at the Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale earlier this year.

“She throws a heap of oomph into her foals, but she does have to be mated correctly,” McAlpine said. “She’s a big Vinnie mare that needs a neater stallion, so Stay Inside was an obvious choice. Him and Don Corleone are very, very similar, the two are very alike, so that was the idea and it has worked well.”

The right cross

McAlpine understood the need to mate a large mare like Bleu Zebra appropriately, but a little bit of fortune went into the cross to produce her 2025 colt.

“She was meant to go to Militarize,” McAlpine said. “But 24 hours before she was ready for cover, we got a call from the stud.”

Militarize (NZ) (Dundeel {NZ}) was discovered last year to be infertile, having since made a return to racing, and plans had to swiftly change to find Bleu Zebra a new match, or miss the ovulation.

“I said to Brian (Siemsen of Black Soil Bloodstock), ‘well, the Stay Inside foal was magnificent, and we have another son of Extreme Choice at the farm’,” said McAlpine. “We might as well go back to that line and try to breed something similar.”

The results can be seen for themselves. This season, Bleu Zebra goes to Broadsiding at Darley.

“She’s actually getting on the truck tonight to go to Broadsiding,” McAlpine said. “She’s a very big, robust mare, and I think you need to be breeding to more athletic, neater stallions if you can, and Broadsiding certainly ticks the box for that.

“We’ll go there and hopefully the Stay Inside 2-year-old gets up, and we can return to him (Stay Inside) next year.”