Cover image courtesy of Trackside Photography
A $65,000 purchase for Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) from the draft at Figtree Thoroughbreds at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Foreign Press (Invader) certainly impressed on Saturday when adding the Listed Mode Plate to her record and taking her lifetime earnings to $372,800.
More impressive - in buy of the weekend terms - still, former Queensland Bulls cricketer Damien MacKenzie bought a slice of the action in 2024, when paying just $600 for a 30% stake in the filly offered in an Inglis Digital online auction.
“I played cricket for Queensland for eight, nine years and this replaces any high that I had playing cricket,” said MacKenzie, who was trackside to watch the filly fight it out to win on Saturday. “I’m not an emotional bloke, but even yesterday, my wife asked, ‘are you going to cry?’”
“I played cricket for Queensland for eight, nine years and this replaces any high that I had playing cricket.” - Damien MacKenzie
A real presence
What grabbed Boomer Bloodstock’s Craig Rounsefell about Foreign Press, when first laying eyes on her at the Gold Coast in 2024, was her presence, more than anything else.
Foreign Press was in the catalogue’s Book 2, where the average purchase price sits at a more modest position than the main sale. She is the first foal from winning Written Tycoon mare Writer’s Block, who is a half-sister to six-time winner and multiple stakes performer Demanding Miss (Commands), whose seven-time winning son Demanding Mo (Uncle Mo {USA}) was second in the Listed Canberra National Sprint Handicap last year.
Foreign Press as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Second dam Agony (Royal Academy {USA}) was only modestly performed, but she was more critically a half to G1 Flight Stakes-winning filly Angst (Kala Dancer {GB}), whose descendants include New Zealand Champion 2YO and first season sire Sword Of State, G3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes winner Recuperato (Farnan), and last month’s Listed Keith Noud Handicap winner Epic Proportions (Better Than Ready).
As an aside - Writer’s Block has a 2-year-old son of Aclaim (Ire) to follow in Foreign Press’s footsteps (sold to Marcus Wilson Racing for $28,000 at this year’s Magic Millions March Yearling Sale) and she foaled a colt by Spirit Of Boom this spring.
Pedigree aside, Rounsefell found himself taken with the filly’s physicality.
“She just had a real presence about her," said Rounsefell. "She was one that I locked onto and I was pretty certain that I wanted to buy her.”
“She (Foreign Press) was one that I locked onto and I was pretty certain that I wanted to buy her.” - Craig Rounsefell
Rounsefell was successful in scooping the filly for $65,000 and set about syndicating her between friends and family.
“We put a really good group together and bought her,” Rounsefell said. “I thought she would be a 2-year-old type, and with the QTIS program giving added bonuses for the fillies, I was looking for something that was QTIS eligible. She had a standout filly, and when (I saw) she was a QTIS filly, I had to buy her.”
Craig Rounsefell | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Rounsefell sent the filly to Tony Gollan, with whom Rounsefell already has a number of horses, knowing she would be in the best hands possible.
“He (Tony Gollan) is, pound for pound, one of the best trainers in Australia.” - Craig Rounsefell
“He is, pound for pound, one of the best trainers in Australia, and I've got a lot of clients that would like to have horses with him,” he said. “My owners just love having horses with him. He's a fantastic communicator, he places his horse very well, and he's very forthright and honest in his assessment. It’s a great stable to be in.”
Tony Gollan | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Sharing an opportunity
Not among the original ownership of Foreign Press, it was good fortune and a keen eye that led MacKenzie to buy into the filly. In late 2024, one of Rounsefell’s clients fell ill, and his daughter put his share up on Inglis Digital unreserved. At the time of the sale, Rounsefell was overseas and unaware of what was happening.
“I was at Keeneland, which is a real bubble where I’m looking at over 2000 horses,” he said. “My father John, who is my second set of eyes, was having hip surgery so he wasn’t watching the online auctions either. Nobody in the ownership saw it for sale.
“I was at Keeneland, which is a real bubble... Nobody in the ownership saw it (the share) for sale.” - Craig Rounsefell
“And I got a call one night, in the middle of the night, while I was in Keeneland. In the morning, I woke up to a message from Damien MacKenzie.”
MacKenzie had just purchased the share - for just $600.
Foreign Press | Image courtesy of Inglis
“It was quite interesting because, many moons ago, I played representative cricket with Damien’s brother-in-law, Nick Kruger, who ended up taking a share (in Foreign Press),” Rounsefell said. “Obviously Nick's gone on and played for Queensland, and Damon as well.
“And I was like one of those horses that broke down and never got there,” he added lightheartedly.
“It has kind of all come full circle. There’s a part of us (the other owners) that feels like we missed out, but it’s great to have Damien and Nick involved. They’ve gotten to really enjoy the experience, and they are getting a real thrill out of this filly.”
On to a good thing
At the time he called Rounsefell with the news of his purchase, MacKenzie’s greatest concern was how to explain to “a man of his standing” how MacKenzie had just bought into one of his horses for cents on the dollar.
“I’ve got a few horses with Tony Gollan already so I saw that first, and then I had a look at the ownership group and I could see that Boomer had bought it and syndicated it with his family,” said MacKenzie. “And I thought, ‘oh sh*t, he’s bought it for himself to keep!’ Obviously seeing a very, very globally well-respected bloodstock agent buying a horse like that for his family, I thought that was good enough for me.”
“Seeing a very, very globally well-respected bloodstock agent buying a horse like that for his family, I thought that was good enough for me.” - Damien MacKenzie
Having been involved in racehorses over the last few years - initially taking shares in horses owned by Executive Race Club before branching out on his own - MacKenzie also could appreciate the filly’s breeding, but the presence of Gollan and Rounsefell was enough alone to secure his interest. When the auction timer ticked down to zero, he couldn’t believe his luck.
Damien MacKenzie in his cricket days | Image courtesy of Herald Sun
“I probably had five to seven grand, even up to 10 grand, in my head initially, and then I bought the share for $600,” MacKenzie said. “It was unreserved, and Boomer being in Kentucky, no one else kept an eye on it to bid against me.”
“I probably had five to seven grand, even up to 10 grand, in my head initially, and then I bought the share for $600.” - Damien MacKenzie
MacKenzie stayed in for 10% and syndicated the rest of the share out to friends for $750 per 5% stake.
“I sold 5% to my neighbour, to a good man I play cricket with, to another dad at school, and to my brother,” he said. “They all wanted to get into horse racing, and normally to get into a horse with Tony for 5%, you’re looking at a minimum of two and a half to three grand. I got them in (to Gollan’s stable) nice and cheap, and she’s won $370,000 and counting.”
One friend of MacKenzie’s will have to treat the filly as the one that got away.
“I was in my office when I brought in a good mate who I’m in other horses with and I said to him, ‘I’ve give you half, 15% each’,” MacKenzie said. “I said, ‘this has a Takeover Target story about it, I just have that feeling’.
“I said, ‘this has a Takeover Target story about it, I just have that feeling’.” - Damien MacKenzie
“He said, ‘no, I’ve got too many horses, I don't want to pay the fees’. So now he kicks himself every time she runs!”
Strong to the line
“She’s tough,” MacKenzie said. “I don’t think she’s been beaten by more than a length except for on debut, and that was on a bog track. Tommy Berry got off her after the race and said, ‘she got whacked three times, it's a heavy 14. I've ridden horses that have been whacked once and given up’.”
“Tommy Berry got off her after the race (Magic Millions Debut) and said, ‘she got whacked three times, it's a heavy 14. I've ridden horses that have been whacked once and given up’.” - Damien MacKenzie
An impressive winner in her debut trial, Foreign Press was sent out to the $500,000 Magic Millions The Debut one year on from her purchase at the Gold Coast, where she ran afoul of interference at the start to finish sixth.
“She was so strong to the line that day - if you watch a replay, she was really good. That's what gave us hope. When Tommy said that, we thought, ‘give her some time to get over it’, and obviously we are reaping the benefits now.”
Her resumption in July saw the filly claim her maiden at her second start and back it up a fortnight later as a freshly turned 3-year-old when sent to Eagle Farm.
Foreign Press | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Beaten a head at her return to Eagle Farm, Foreign Press bounced back at her fifth lifetime start with another metropolitan victory before taking a swing at the $100,000 Toowoomba Guineas. Sent out the favourite for her third consecutive start, Foreign Press was just nabbed by Cryptolini (Encryption) for the six-figure prize pool.
Given a six-week freshen and a trial, she returned to the races with a third in late November before trainer Tony Gollan aimed the filly at Saturday’s Listed contest, where she powered home to beat out Sylph (I Am Invincible) by a nose, with $3 million filly Ernaux (I Am Invincible) in third.
Attention now turns to the question: where next? MacKenzie would love to take a tilt at the $3 million Sunlight slot race in January, but is cautious about whether Foreign Press will have had enough.
“There’s so much money flying around at this time, especially for 3-year-olds.” - Damien MacKenzie
“Because she's been up for quite a bit, I think in the back of his (Gollan’s) mind, he would like to tip her out and maybe wait for the QTIS Jewel in March, or the winter carnival,” Mackenzie said. “There’s so much money flying around at this time, especially for 3-year-olds. We’ll touch base Monday or Tuesday and see what he’s thinking.”
If Gollan says wait, MacKenzie is happy to do so. The thrill of Saturday’s victory will carry him forward for now.
