Knightsbridge builds momentum as Magic Millions looms for Lime Country

Cover image courtesy of Lime Country Thoroughbreds

That blend of racetrack success and sales-season anticipation has become a hallmark of the operation, and it is again evident as Lime Country prepare a strong draft of 15 for the Gold Coast, buoyed by strong pedigrees, consistent graduate juvenile form and growing confidence in what lies ahead.

Knightsbridge makes his mark

Knightsbridge’s (Farnan) emergence has been particularly satisfying, not only for his connections, but also for Lime Country as last season's Magic Millions graduate looks a live chance in the big $3 million R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic Saturday week.

“It is very exciting, one of the things that I am super impressed with is the fact that James Harron and TFI have three horses qualified in the top 16 at the moment for the 2-year-old Magic Millions. It’s not bad, is it, when about 1000 horses sell at the sale,” explained Lime Country Thoroughbred's co-owner Jo Griffin.

The Farnan colt was a major investment at last year's sale, and Griffin believes the price reflected genuine quality.

“They paid a lot of money for Knightsbridge ($750,000) and he was the highest-priced Farnan of the sale. I think Kia Ora were on him also, so the good judges were. For a second-season sire to have a colt sell for that kind of money showed the real quality he had.”

Delving into the pedigree, Griffin highlighted the strength and speed that runs through the dam line.

When asked about a bit of the background of the dam line, Griffin explained that it was a very quick one, with a lot of runners being held in high regard from their respective connections.

“Gai trained the mother (Festivity) and she told me that she thought the mare was a lot faster than her record actually showed.”

The family was well known to several key players involved in the colt’s purchase.

“Bruce Slade actually managed the owners of Semana and Festivity, so he knew the family well, and I knew Gai was having a bid on him also.”

Temperament is often as important as physical ability when it comes to elite colts, and Griffin recalled Knightsbridge leaving a strong impression long before sale day.

When asked about the colt’s temperament or mannerisms as a young colt heading to the sales, Griffin replied, "He was rock solid, a real good colt. I can remember at one stage Greg was doing a few parades of him around lunchtime, when some of our leaders must have been having a break, and a few people asked was he tough as Greg was on the lead.

“But that was certainly not the case, he had a great temperament, and that is so important for these colts. They need to remain colts for as long as possible, so they need to be solid in the mind and body.”

Unfortunately, a bit of bad luck has hit Festivity as can be seen by the lack of a yearling entered for the sales this year. “Unfortunately we lost the full brother and he isn’t in the sales. He had a fractured eye socket and not through lack of trying, we couldn’t save the eye.

“But the mare has had an I Am Invincible colt last spring, and we actually have sent Knightsbridge’s half-sister More The Merrier to Farnan and she is in foal. We liked Knightsbridge that much, so that will be a three-quarter sibling.”

Classy 2-year-old winners before the sales

In racing and breeding alike, timing is everything, and Lime Country are again benefiting from having their graduates peak just as the sales spotlight turns to the Gold Coast.

While not the same sale, Griffin pointed to last year’s Inglis Classic period, when Rivellino (Too Darn Hot {GB}) was making headlines with his $2 million Inglis Millennium win.

“Timing is everything and it adds to the excitement around the sales when your graduates have success on the track. The Millennium is a bit like the Magic Millions equivalent, and even to have Knightsbridge as a chance is a great effort.

“To have runners in these quality races in both 2025 and 2026 is enough, but to also have them performing and live chances is fantastic. To make these fields is very hard.”

Griffin is also under no illusions about the strength of this year’s Magic Millions 2YO Classic, which is shaping as a deep and competitive affair.

“It really does look a good field. The calibre of these 2-year-olds is very high. Bjorn’s horse looks very exciting, Gai always has numbers and quality, and Incognito is a very nice horse.

“If they all show up sound and happy, it looks a very tough race.”

One special girl among the boys

Lime Country will present a tidy draft of 15 yearlings at this year’s Magic Millions, with a notable skew towards colts - 14 colts and just one filly.

That lone filly, however, is one Griffin believes will command plenty of attention. The Anamoe filly out of Eawase (Sebring) was purchased by Lime Country for $340,000 at the 2025 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale and will be offered as Lot 239 on the Gold Coast.

“She was an expensive pinhook, and I’m normally not a huge pin-hooking fan, but we tentatively went down that route, as Greg and the team really loved her.

“With expensive pinhooks, I much prefer them to be fillies, as if anything happens or there are any issues you can always keep them and race and breed. In saying that, our mantra is to sell, sell, sell and she will very much be on the market.

“She is a lovely filly and she just looks like a runner - not just a good-looking sales horse, a real runner. She looks tough, and look at her dam line, full of stakes winners.”

Griffin is also an unabashed admirer of the filly’s sire.

“It’s not very often that a horse of his record retires to stud in Australia. He is very exciting.

“The feedback so far about the sire is strong. I know Newgate and Segenhoe both have some nice ones going to the sales, so I’m sure he will do well.

“I’m actually looking forward to having a look at them on the sales ground, as there are always broodmare sales coming up and it is good to do your research and get to know the progeny that stallions leave across the board.”

The year of the boys

While the filly offers quality and pedigree, the Lime Country draft is very much defined by its colts, sourced from a diverse group of proven and emerging stallions.

“It was the year of the boys, we actually had 48 colts and 17 fillies from the mares we foaled down,” Griffin commented.

“It was just the way it worked out on the farm that year.”

Asked to single out a handful of standouts, Griffin highlighted four colts with differing profiles but shared appeal.

Lot 139 is a colt by the late Snitzel, he is out of an unraced full sister to four-time stakes winner Houtzen (I Am Invincible), who herself was successful in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

Gallery: Lot 139 - Snitzel x California Gallant colt, images supplied

“He is a special colt, he really is a very well-bred colt. We paid $525,000 for the dam at the Chairman’s Sale, and her first foal (Sequoia) was actually purchased by James Harron for good money, just like Knightsbridge. Harron actually purchased three of our 10 lots at Magic Millions last year.

“Off the back of that sale, we were happy to pay up a hefty fee for Snitzel and this colt is a cracker. He has a touch of Vinnie about him also.”

Lot 312 is a Castelvecchio colt out of the three-time winner Gina Lola (Not A Single Doubt).

“He is a smashing, forward-looking colt. His half-brother sold at last year’s Magic Millions for $375,000, and he was a very nice colt, so the dam is leaving them.

“He has plenty of Not A Single Doubt about him, and Castelvecchio has a very good record with stakes winners to runners.”

Lot 71, by first-season sire Jacquinot out of the Capitalist mare Asteria, is another that has caught Griffin’s eye.

“He looks quick. The dam is a sister to Profiteer and Henry has told me before that the dam was very quick also and better than her record shows. The mare now has an Extreme Choice colt on the ground and was served by Farnan, so it shows how much faith we have in the family.”

Lot 907 is an Artorius colt out of the New Zealand Group 3 winner There You Go (NZ) (Niagara).

“This colt was bred by Steve Bruhn who had shares in Artorius and raced the dam. It is actually the first yearling he has ever sold. We really like him and think he is a quality colt.

“We actually liked him so much that we sent a mare to Artorius last spring. We don’t often work with stallions in that price bracket, but going by this colt and a couple of others, we have been really impressed with what he has left.”

The sales season begins again

The Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale signals the start of an intense six-month sales period across Australasia, and with graduates firing on the track and anticipation building, Lime Country are looking ahead with confidence.

“We are excited about what we are offering yearling-wise at the sales, and we also have a lot of lovely homebred fillies. Our graduates have had a great run and we have had 12 individual stakes winners come off the farm in the last 16 months.

“For people that haven’t been to Magic Millions, it is hard to describe how big it is, how much energy there is, and how much money turns over. We wish we could bring more of our farm staff to the sales to enjoy it, but they will be watching on their phones and the graft continues as we have 20 more to get ready for Classic.

“It’s also very exciting to have Jess de Lautour join the team and add to our Kiwi contingent. She is settled in well and I can’t wait to get her to the Gold Coast and to get amongst it.

“But we are lucky with the team we have at home - all our success really is a team effort.”