Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
Winning a stakes race at two automatically boosts the value of any horse, such is the rareness of the feat along with the emphasis that the commercial market places on such achievements.
Pinatubo (Ire) filly Voynichese lifted her value from her $30,000 yearling price with victory in Saturday’s Listed Show A Heart Stakes. She was found by trainer Nick Olive at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, where she was offered by breeder Canning Downs Stud.
Small fillies are good bargains
Trainer Nick Olive, who is based in Canberra, will back up Voynichese into Saturday’s G1 JJ Atkins Plate.
“She's pulled up terrific. She has pulled up really well. If everything goes well this week, that’s the plan,” Olive said.
“She's (Voynichese) pulled up terrific. She has pulled up really well. If everything goes well this week, that’s (G1 JJ Atkins) the plan.” - Nick Olive
“I think it is going to be a hot field this year, for sure.” The G1 JJ Atkins Plate will see the likes of Tron Bolt (Toronado {Ire}), Berzelius (Extreme Choice), Stormy Marco (Wootton Bassett {GB}) and Vantorix (Captivant) likely to take part in the final Group 1 for juveniles of the season. The field will be out on Wednesday.
With Pinatubo’s first Australian crop of yearlings averaging $171,000 in 2025, Voynichese was a bargain price at $30,000.
Voynichese as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“She's not overly big. I think that's what put a lot of people off. But she just got such a lovely way of moving. She’s a small filly, not big at all, but all the riders, when they ride her, they say that she doesn't feel small at all when you're on her. She’s got a beautiful stride and covers the ground really nicely.”
A trial winner in early May, Voynichese ran second on debut at Bathurst in mid-May before winning a country boosted maiden at Albury at her second start over 1157 metres. Sent to Queensland for the Listed Show A Heart Stakes over 1500 metres for her third start was a bold move.
“Two reasons. One, I was dying to get her over more ground. And obviously, I wanted to try her up in grade too. I just thought that they'd both work well together, and I thought she'd be competitive. I knew she'd race well. I didn't know where she fitted in ability wise,” Olive said.
“Stepping up to the distance made a really big difference."
Nick Olive | Image courtesy of Nick Olive Racing
She took her earnings over $117,000 but it’s the juvenile black type that is most important for her resume and long term value.
Training on from this race
The renamed Listed The Phoenix Stakes, now the Show A Heart Stakes, in honour of one of Queensland’s greats, was won in 2020 by The Actuary (Sebring) whose second foal Sumeria (Zoustar) was bought by Resolute Racing for $2.6 million at the 2025 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale. This easy demonstration of the value of 2-year-old black type isn't the only recent success from this race.
Last year’s winner Sunrays (Hellbent) trained on to run fourth in the G2 Light Fingers Stakes this autumn, while the season prior’s winner Imperialist (Churchill {Ire}) won the G3 Rough Habit Plate at three and placed in the Listed January Cup this summer.
Sunrays | Image courtesy of Trackside Photography
The 2019 winner Shadow Hero (Pierro) trained on to win both the G1 Spring Champion Stakes and G1 Randwick Guineas at three.
Pinatubos look like they’ll get better with time
Voynichese was Pinatubo’s first stakes winner in Australia. The Champion 2YO in Europe won six times at two, including the G1 National Stakes and G1 Dewhurst Stakes, then trained on to add the G1 Deauville Prix Jean Prat at three in a season where he was also three times Group 1-placed.
He retired to stud in Europe in 2021, but missed the first year on the shuttle, not arriving here until he had covered two seasons in Europe. His oldest foals in the Northern Hemisphere are 5-year-olds and he has nine stakes winners there.
Pinatubo (Ire) | Image courtesy of Darley
“Watching all the other Pinatubos, they've got ability, but with time, they'll be nice horses,” Olive said.
The son of Shamardal (USA) is out of Listed winner Lava Flow (Ire) (Dalakhani {Ire}) who won over 1900 metres and 2200 metres. A versatile, and wonderful, broodmare, her two other stakes winners are the sprinter/miler Mountain Breeze (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}) and middle distance winner Sundoro (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}).
“I actually bought one at the National Sale last week. She was a lovely filly too. Similar in movement to Voynichese, she’s not as small but a lovely moving horse.”
“She (Lot 998) was a lovely filly too. Similar in movement to Voynichese, she’s not as small but a lovely moving horse.” - Nick Olive
Olive went to $72,500 for Lot 998, a filly sold by Arrowfield Stud who is the first foal of winning mare Valoria (Maurice {Jpn}).
Lot 998 - Pinatubo (Ire) x Valoria filly | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“Good movement is my number one thing. I’m not overly fussed on size. Spicy Lu, the good 3-year-old filly that’s a stakes winner, she’s not overly big. Single Gaze wasn’t big. With the fillies, I don’t mind it. It is a bit different for colts when it comes to size. It does make a difference for them.”
Spicy Lu (Tagaloa) won the Listed Fernhill Stakes at two, and this season has added the G3 Ethereal Stakes and Listed Princess Stakes. She cost Olive $30,000 and has earnings over $450,000.
Spicy Lu winning the G3 Ethereal Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Single Gaze (Not A Single Doubt) won the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes before falling in the G1 Australian Oaks. She recovered to two more stakes wins after that. A $70,000 yearling, she was sold privately to Japan where she is the dam of 3-year-old winner Tender Look (Jpn) (Duramente {Jpn}).
Single Gaze winning the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
A family that trains on
Olive thinks Voynichese will improve again at three and her family supports this notion.
“She'll love 2000 metres (in the spring).”
Voynichese is the first foal from Group 3 placegetter Great Mystery (Redoute’s Choice). Great Mystery had one start at two, running last on debut in July. She didn’t win until her ninth start as a March 3-year-old but quickly added a second victory before placing in the 2500-metre G3 South Australia Fillies Classic.
Great Mystery | Image courtesy of Inglis
Great Mystery is a daughter of G3 Ethereal Stakes winner Dawnie Perfect (Big Brown {USA}). Dawnie Perfect is a daughter of G1 Queensland Oaks victress Zagalia (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), from the family of G1 Diamond Stakes winner and New Zealand Champion 2YO Sword Of Osman (NZ) (Savabeel).
Te Akau Racing and Fortuna Racing bought Voynichese’s Capitalist half-sister for $36,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale from Silverdale Farm, who purchased the filly for a modest $5000 at last year’s Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale.
Canning Downs sold Great Mystery for $70,000 to Yulong’s Walnut Farm via Inglis Digital in March 2025. She foaled a Pierata filly in 2025 before visiting Tagaloa.
