Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Bred by Widden Stud’s client Bert Vieira’s Vieira Group, Where’s The Circus (Trapeze Artist) was listed on Inglis Digital in September 2024 and sold to trainer Paul Murray’s partner Michelle Ritchie for $1250. Her victory in the R. Listed Inglis Nursery Stakes, on debut, took her earnings over $230,000.
As if that’s not impressive enough, Where’s The Circus will probably head to the $2 million Inglis Millennium on February 7. And if she can follow in the footsteps of past Inglis Nursery winners Extreme Choice, She Will Reign (Manhattan Rain), and Mossfun (Mossman), then she’ll also qualify for Bert’s Bonus – a $500,000 bonus to be paid by Trapeze Artist’s owner Bert Vieira to the owners of the first Australian juvenile Group 1 winner sired by Trapeze Artist. The bonus was only valid for his first four crops, and Where’s The Circus sneaks in as a member of his fourth crop.
Knowing the family was core to the decision
Trainer Paul Murray has already trained two half-sisters to Where’s The Circus, and it was this connection that piqued the team’s interest in her when she popped up for sale on Inglis Digital.
“Out of the mare, we’ve trained three of the mares, Where’s Snippy, Can’t Find Snippy, and Where’s The Circus now. We had a lot of fun with the first two. Can’t Find Snippy ran third in a similar race a few years ago. When (Where’s The Circus) came up on online, one of our owners who was in Can’t Find Snippy saw her and we decided to buy her and fill the syndicate. We didn’t think we’d get her for $1250. Michelle only had the two bids on her and we got her,” Murray said.
“It’s pretty staggering!”
Where’s Snippy (Snippetson) won three races for Murray and Ritchie before being transferred to Jason Judge in Queensland where she won another race.
Where's Snippy's year-young full sister Can’t Find Snippy debuted with a second at Canberra before running third in the R. Listed Inglis 2YO Classic, now named the Inglis Millennium. She then won twice at three and again at four. Her current 2-year-old filly Elusive Capital (Capitalist) is trained by Michael Freedman and recently ran third in the Listed Phelan Ready Stakes.
“We think the fillies (from that mare) are better types than the colts, and I think the fillies seem to race better. That’s the path we are taking.
“She’s not overly big, but very strong, muscle on muscle, very powerful. We think she’s pretty special, we haven’t got near the bottom of her yet. She’s still doing it at 80%, so there’s a lot of improvement to come. Them Inglis races are restricted, so you have to have a go at them. Michelle was a bit hesitant, but I said it’s going to be a small field and you have to have a go, especially when you’ve paid up for the bonuses. It’s really paid off.”
Where's The Circus | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Where’s The Circus is the seventh winner for Misplaced (Fastnet Rock), who died in January 2025. Her four fillies to race are all winners, with Murray training three of them. The other, Cavallo Rampante (Menari), won three races for trainer Ciaron Maher, including two at Moonee Valley and she’s currently listed on Inglis Digital as Lot 114.
The digital process creates opportunity
Widden Stud sold Where’s The Circus on behalf of her breeder. “We typically put a lot of them up on both sales companies (digital platforms). Not all of the horses on the farm will make the criteria to go to a yearling sale, and that's part of breeding. That's the beauty about the game. It can bring a lot of opportunity for people looking to buy a horse at pretty good value, exceptional value in the case of Where’s The Circus!” said Matt Comerford.
“Michelle rang me and asked me a bit about the horse. We do our absolute best to ensure that we provide all the necessary information to buyers, to give them confidence. It’s an important factor.
“(Digital) is a great tool to be able to move horses on that the breeder is not in a position to race. It’s a fact of the breeding industry and we're thrilled that Inglis can provide such a good service. This is a great story to give more people confidence to partake.”
Matt Comerford | Image courtesy of Inglis
Murray agrees about the process. “She had a couple of little faults we could pick up on but they are only young horses going through maturity and everything, and we liked the look of her,” Murray said.
“We expected her to go for about $20,000, and we couldn’t believe it. She might end up being a Takeover Target at that price!”
Like any sale, doing your research is an important part of the process. “If you do diligence like Michelle did, they’ve ended up with a decent result. We offer a lot of horses online and it's incredible how one week they can make $1250 and the next week they can make $5000 for a similar type of horse,” said Comerford.
“They've had a bit of the family and now they've got a very valuable filly going forward.”
Trapeze Artist colt heading to Classic
The full brother to Where’s The Circus is being offered by Widden Stud at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale as Lot 190.
This is a strong juvenile family which includes G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g) winner General Beau (Brazen Beau). Other stakes winners featured include G3 Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes winner Nediym’s Glow (General Nediym), and G2 Danehill Stakes winner Kinglike (Exceed And Excel).
Despite Murray believing that the fillies are better than the colts out of Misplaced, he’s keen to have a look at the colt. And the colts aren’t terrible with the three winning colts from Misplaced having won 14 races between them, although none in the city.
“We’ll have a look at him, and if he looks like her, we’ll talk to the owners. We might have a little dabble at him,” Murray said.
Misplaced | Image courtesy of Inglis
Widden Stud are excited to present the colt. “Physically, he's a better style of horse than her, and just a little bit more saleable as far as meeting the criteria of the sales,” said Comerford.
“He'll be obviously more in demand now going forward.”
Trapeze Artist, who stood for $33,000 inc GST in 2025, now has eight stakes winners from his first four crops to race. “He's having a fantastic run. He had the runner-up in the Golden Gift with Spicy Miss. He had two winners yesterday with Special Artist and Crimson Wings, and he’s had a very good spring,” said Comerford.
Chris Waller-trained 3-year-old filly Panova won the G3 Carbine Club Stakes and Listed Reginald Allen Handicap. Piggyback won the G3 Colin Stephen Handicap for Ciaron Maher. Trapeze Artist's 3-year-old fillies Artistic Venture and Tupakara ran second and third in the G2 Tea Rose Stakes.
Trapeze Artist | Standing at Widden Stud
Moonlight Circus was third in the G3 Ladies Day Vase, and Big Swinger was third in both the Listed Always Welcome Stakes and Listed Testa Rossa Stakes.
“He's had 22 stakes horses now. He's really starting to tick along. He's pretty unlucky not to have a couple of Group 1 winners in Pinito and Tupakara last year and I think he's on the verge.” Pinito ran second in last year’s G1 Queensland Oaks and Tupakara was third in the G1 Champagne Stakes.
Trapeze Artist is the sire of G1 Caulfield Guineas winner Griff from his first crop. “His 2-year-old crop is his biggest crop that he’s got. Breeders probably shied away from him at his earlier higher fee initially. He’s at $30,000 now and he’ll stay around that price. I think they'll sell reasonably well this year again. Snitzel took a while to get going and this horse is no different in that regard.”
As for Where’s The Circus, what’s next?
Last year’s winner of the R. Listed Inglis Nursery Stakes, Within The Law (Lucky Vega {Ire}) went directly to the R. Listed Inglis Millennium, running second to Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}), before winning the G2 Sweet Embrace Stakes next. She then went to the G1 Golden Slipper, but was pushed through the running rail and failed to finish. Fortunately uninjured in the incident, Within The Law returned three weeks later to record a third in the G2 Percy Sykes Stakes and second in the G1 Champagne Stakes.
Within The Law | Image courtesy of Sportpix
Could Where’s The Circus follow in her footsteps?
“Everyone keeps telling us it’ll be the Millennium. We haven’t put a plan into place yet. She’ll tell us in the next few days. At this stage, she’s pulled up very well. Michelle will keep an eye on her for the next five to 10 days, and if we like, we have the walking machine here to tick her over. It’s up to her really,” Murray said.
“She’s pulled up very well. She’s come straight home to Berry last night and had a night in the big yard. She’s out in the paddock, she ate everything up and she’s out in the paddock now having a pick of green grass after the nice bit of rain we had. I’m very happy with her.”
Murray, who is the son of the late trainer Bede Murray, has a small stable at Kembla Grange. “We’ve only got about 15 in work and the majority are 2-year-olds. We’ve got a few coming through and getting close to racing. You could see one next Saturday in Sydney. We’ll just see how he goes through the week. His name is Mr Peasant.”
Mr Peasant (Sandbar) was bred by some of the people who raced his dam in conjunction with Kooringal Stud. Murray Racing and DJI Bloodstock purchased his dam, Miss Scorcher (Fighting Sun) from Bucklee Farm’s Inglis Premier Yearling Sale draft for $78,000. She won five races and over $173,000. Mr Peasant is her first foal.
