Cover image courtesy of Racing SA
The son of Anders was purchased for $5000 by Frank Sghirripa from the Pepper Tree Farm draft at the 2025 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale. He has now won both of his starts and banked close to $100,000 in prizemoney, delivering a remarkable return for owner Sghirripa, fellow connections and trainers Shane Oxlade and Cassie Oxlade.
The story of Brave Hustler (Anders) was close to having a very different narrative, as Sghirripa and Shane Oxlade nearly didn’t purchase a horse at the sale at all — but perhaps it was meant to be, as Oxlade told The Thoroughbred Report.
Sghirripa's late play, pays off
Sghirripa and Oxlade attended the 2025 Magic Millions Adelaide Yearling Sale initially with interest in another horse related to stable favourite and three-time stakes winner Sghirripa (Lonhro), but when that opportunity fell away, a late decision on the second day of the sale changed everything.
“Frank bought him. We were at the sale that year and had a look at a relation to Sghirripa. Frank wasn’t really that keen on buying one, but said if we get that one, he could be keen on him,” Oxlade said.
“That wasn’t to be, but then late on the second day he changed his mind and said he wanted a horse.”
After inspecting the colt multiple times, the team negotiated his purchase down from $10,000 to $5000 - a deal that now looks one of the bargains of the season.
Brave Hustler as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“When we saw him at the sale, he was just really relaxed and lovely,” Oxlade recalled.
“They wanted $10,000, but I said he didn’t want to give $5000,” Oxlade laughed.
“After a little back and forward we got him for $5000, so it was a pretty good buy.”
“After a little back and forward we got him (Brave Hustler) for $5,000, so it was a pretty good buy.” - Shane Oxlade
A relaxed colt from the start
For Oxlade, Brave Hustler’s greatest asset may not simply be his natural talent, which he seems to have an abundance of, but his temperament.
“There were a couple of others looking at him and nothing seemed to bother him,” he said.
“He’s pretty much been like that since he came home. I threw him in the paddock and gave him a short spell and then sent him to the breaker and he logged back in and just kept going forward.”
Shane Oxlade | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
The colt has handled every stage of his preparation with maturity well beyond his age. Whether travelling alone, standing quietly on raceday or coping with extended periods in work, nothing appears to faze him.
“He’s a happy little horse,” Oxlade said.
“He loves his work. There was no hassle with him. He’ll have a play and a game with you when you’re riding him, but he hasn’t got a vice. He’s just really good.”
“He loves his work (Brave Hustler). There was no hassle with him. He’ll have a play and a game with you when you’re riding him, but he hasn’t got a vice. He’s just really good.” - Shane Oxlade
In fairness to the colt, Oxlade said he has been in work for a lengthy period and continued to thrive throughout.
“He was in work at Christmas time and we went to Hong Kong for the races for a week or so and he was happy as.
“I was waiting to get a name because someone hadn’t sent paperwork back. You always wait for someone. But he enjoys being in work. Probably a week before he raced I trialled him and it was only about a week before we finally got his name back.”
The trainer admitted the process had been drawn out, but Brave Hustler never gave his stable any concern.
Brave Hustler | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He’s just a really relaxed, lovely horse,” Oxlade said.
“I took him up to Balaklava to get his barrier ticket and it was two and a half hours by himself. He didn’t care less. Nothing worries him.”
“He just stands around and takes it all in. He had his first run at Murray Bridge and went there by himself that day and stood around by himself.”
At Morphettville on Saturday, Brave Hustler showed the same professionalism on raceday that he had displayed throughout his preparation.
“There was a huge amount of owners in the parade ring, even plenty that I didn’t know who they were,” Oxlade joked.
“But it was very enjoyable - a great day.”
Stakes success at start two
After winning impressively on debut at Murray Bridge, Brave Hustler stepped straight into stakes company and handled the rise in class with ease.
Given a confident ride by Lauren Stojakovic, the colt rolled forward before taking complete control in the straight, kicking clear to score by a length and a half.
The performance further enhanced the growing reputation of Anders, who posted another stakes winner and continues to emerge as a value sire capable of producing tough, precocious runners.
Even after the biggest win of his young career, Brave Hustler appeared to take no harm from the effort.
“He hasn’t turned a hair since he’s raced,” Oxlade said.
“I haven’t done a lot with him. I’ve just stuck him on the walker and let him poke around. He’s had a couple of big days but he’s been bucking and ploughing around the yard this morning when I was getting the others to put on the walker.
“He’s still pretty happy with himself. He hasn’t taken any harm from it.”
A spell now appears likely, although Oxlade said a final decision would be made in the coming days.
“It’s more, I guess, the time that he’s been in work.”
“It was a pretty good day at the office on Saturday. I’ve definitely had worse days at the races.” - Shane Oxlade
“I’ll have another look at the calendar and decide in the next couple of days but at this stage he’ll go to the paddock. But it was a pretty good day at the office on Saturday. I’ve definitely had worse days at the races.”
The one buyers walked away from
While Brave Hustler possessed the physical qualities buyers seek, one issue dramatically impacted his value in the sales ring.
According to Pepper Tree Farm's Damian Kirwan, he was a very athletic tidy colt, but virtually every veterinarian who inspected the colt failed him on x-rays.
“He was actually a very nice first foal, a really attractive colt and very athletic,” Kirwan explained.
“He (Brave Hustler) was actually a very nice first foal, a really attractive colt and very athletic.” - Damian Kirwan
“At the time Anders was a little bit on the outer and hadn’t really done what people were expecting at that stage. Then on top of that he had a small X-ray issue that literally every vet on the complex failed him on.”
The result saw a quality colt overlooked by many buyers despite his obvious athleticism.
“Someone said the other day that x-ray issues don’t stop them racing - they just stop them selling,” Kirwan added.
“He was a good looker and very popular at the sales, but unfortunately when everyone looked at his x-rays they all put a line through him.
“He (Brave Hustler) was a good looker and very popular at the sales, but unfortunately when everyone looked at his x-rays they all put a line through him.” - Damian Kirwan
“So in fairness to Frank and Shane, they took a chance on him and they’re reaping the rewards of it.”
A big result for Pepper Tree Farm
For Pepper Tree Farm, the Morphettville victory carried additional significance, with Brave Hustler becoming the first stakes winner bred by Damian Kirwan and partner Dr Brianna Vandyke since acquiring the farm just over two years ago.
“Yeah it was good,” Kirwan said.
“It was actually the first stakes winner we’ve bred ourselves off the farm, so it was a great result.”
“It’s been a good couple of weeks with the 2-year-olds. We had a nice 2-year-old winner off the farm the week before as well with Marffiano, a Home Affairs filly we bred and sold winning the VOBIS race down in Melbourne.
“So it’s nice to see a couple of good 2-year-olds winning at the bigger tracks with the brand on their shoulder. It all helps.”
Damian Kirwan and Dr Brianna Vandyke | Image courtesy of Inglis
Brave Hustler is the first foal from Night Hussler (NZ) (Reliable Man {GB}), a mare purchased by Pepper Tree Farm for just $10,000 from the Merricks Station draft at the 2023 Inglis Great Southern Sale.
The mare is a two-time winner and a half-sister to dual Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Night’s Watch (NZ) (Redwood {GB}), while the pedigree also traces back to Group 1 winner Penny Gem (NZ) (Pentire{GB}).
“I really wanted a Reliable Man mare because I think they’ll make very good broodmares and she has a strong pedigree,” Kirwan said.
“It’s obviously a good start for her and she’s only eight years old, so she’s got plenty of life left in her.”
Night Hussler (NZ) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Night Hussler is currently in foal to Hitotsu, while Pepper Tree Farm may now raise their sights even further with the mare.
“She is now in foal to Hitotsu and is due in early August, so we’ll probably up our sights a bit this year and maybe send her to a horse like Broadsiding or something,” Kirwan said.
“I’m a big fan of Hitotsu and while he hasn’t set the world on fire in the sales ring, the idea was to breed her to him because I liked him and because you’d be selling the year his 3-year-olds were on the track.
“If he’s going well, hopefully you catch the right one at the right time.
“But as a smaller farm you have to take a stand on some stallions and support them.”
