Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Trilogy Racing, Snowden Racing and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA) paid $300,000 for The Machine Gun (Stay Inside) at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but the colt’s path to becoming a Listed winner was far from straightforward.
Sold through Blue Gum Farm by his breeders Jason and Melanie Stenning, The Machine Gun was well liked before going cold late in the sale, with buyers questioning whether the son of Stay Inside had enough size and scope. On Saturday, now unbeaten in two starts after winning the Listed Tattersall’s Stakes, he gave that judgement a timely rebuttal.
For Hedge, the weekend carried another layer. The Machine Gun was one of three recent winners he had purchased, alongside Listed Oaklands Plate runner-up Brevitas (Doubtland) and Sydney winner Ready To Shine (NZ) (Better Than Ready). But the two black-type 2-year-olds also came with stories: one about backing a neat, fast horse others thought was too small, and the other about a sale-ring lesson that could have gone badly wrong.
The Machine Gun’s winding path back to Trilogy
Jason and Melanie Stenning are part owners of Blue Gum Farm and also race under the Trilogy Racing banner, but The Machine Gun’s sale story was not simply a case of buying back their own horse.
“Jason, Melanie and I were talking about pinhooking and doing some pinhooks together,” said Suman Hedge.
“I inspected all the foals at Blue Gum and there was a group that my pinhooking group, Myrrh Australia, loved and he was one of them. He was a real star, just a beautiful foal.”
The Machine Gun | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Trilogy Racing had bought his dam, Don’ttelltheboss (Street Boss {USA}) in foal to Stay Inside, for $400,000 at the 2022 Inglis Chairman’s Sale. Myrrh Australia purchased 50% of The Machine Gun privately as a weanling and he went through Blue Gum Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft in 2025.
“He was well liked at the sale. Magic Millions staff loved him, he was getting brought out a lot and we were optimistic that he was going to sell. And then the day before the sale, he went cold. There was nothing wrong with him, but when we talked to people they all said he was an inch or two too small and didn’t have enough scope.
“He (The Machine Gun) was well liked at the sale. Magic Millions staff loved him, he was getting brought out a lot and we were optimistic that he was going to sell.” - Suman Hedge
“I was a bit annoyed about it because he’s by Stay Inside who is by Extreme Choice. What are they expecting?”
Extreme Choice is known for his lack of height, and it’s a feature that his sire Not A Single Doubt was also known for.
Extreme Choice | Standing at Newgate
“Everything that runs well from that sire line is neat. He was strong and moved well but ultimately it didn’t matter. Jason tried to protect the other group of investors, my group, so he ended up buying them out.”
In effect, the Stennings bred The Machine Gun, sold half privately into Hedge’s pinhooking group, then bought back full ownership after the colt only made $300,000, not quite meeting the market at the level expected.
“It was a genuine purchase and anyone had the chance to buy him. I think there was a good degree of good karma in yesterday’s win because Jason was not obliged to buy them out at a very decent figure.”
Melanie and Jason Stenning | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
Spring aims after a patient start
The Tattersall’s Stakes has already proven a useful spring reference point. Last year’s winner, Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun), returned at three to win the G1 Caulfield Guineas and G1 Rosehill Guineas, giving The Machine Gun’s winter win a little more intrigue heading towards the new season.
“Peter (Snowden) has trained the horse really beautifully. He’s been super patient. The horse is very laconic and only does what he needs to in track work. He doesn't show huge amounts of ability in track work. So he's a little bit harder to assess. Peter didn’t know what was under the hood, but obviously he’s shown really nice ability now,” said Hedge.
“Peter (Snowden) has trained the horse really beautifully. He’s been super patient. The horse (The Machine Gun) is very laconic and only does what he needs to in track work.” - Suman Hedge
“He was caught a little bit wider, but I think it was really good ride from Tim (Clark) because they assessed the speed of the race and he relaxed the horse and then got him out and it was really professional all around.
“I was a bit worried on the line because his head was coming back up and the other’s was coming down and we've been beaten a few times like that, but he was still in front, which was good.”
Peter Snowden | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
With spring just around the corner, and with this race having proven to be a good springboard into the Classics, The Machine Gun has gone out for a spell.
“Peter wants him to have four or five weeks with the Queensland sun on his back, then bring him for the spring and just reassess from there and work out what level he's at. The Machine Gun has been given a very good foundation for spring. He's had a couple of preps now and every time Peter's done a little bit more with him.
“We weren’t sure about running in Queensland as he drew wide but it turned out well, so it was a great decision by the stable and by Colum McCullagh who is the Racing Manager for Trilogy.
“It’s good for Stay Inside too. He's done a nice job.”
Hedge tried to buy more yearlings by Stay Inside this year, but they were too expensive for him.
Jason Stenning and Suman Hedge | Image courtesy of Inglis
“We got a bit bruised by other people being too strong for them. He leaves a good shape and his fertility is pretty good for that sire line. There’s good reason to be positive about him with leaving good types and they seem to be running.”
“He (Stay Inside) leaves a good shape and his fertility is pretty good for that sire line. There’s good reason to be positive about him with leaving good types and they seem to be running.” - Suman Hedge
Stay Inside has sired four stakes winners with his first crop, led by G3 Kindergarten Stakes winner Blue Door and G3 Breeders’ Plate winner Incognito.
Investment into broodmares for Blue Gum Farm
Blue Gum Farm have been investing heavily into high quality broodmares and Don’ttelltheboss is proving that the investment is worthwhile.
“She’s a talented running mare who wasn’t top class but she had talent. It’s not a really deep family but she was a runner and she’s clearly left one. We’re looking forward to the Toronado she’s carrying because he’s flying and it’s a good mating on paper,” Hedge said.
The Machine Gun is the first foal of G3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes and G3 Typhoon Tracy Stakes-placed Don’ttelltheboss who has a Russian Revolution yearling colt, Ozzmosis weanling colt and is in foal to Toronado (Ire).
Don’ttelltheboss | Image courtesy of Inglis
“With The Machine Gun, I couldn’t thank Jason enough for what he did. Trilogy do such a great job, they are really putting into the industry and they have big plans for the future.
“It’s important to recognise the owners. The amount of money they’re putting into the industry is just unbelievable and a lot of the time it’s for a disappointment, so when you get a stakes winner, it’s amazing.
“When Libertad won the Group 1, they were in tears, they were so thrilled and excited. The Machine Gun is even more special because they bred him. They have an amazing pipeline of talent coming through and I can see them having a good deal of success over the ensuing years.”
Brevitas adds black type after sale-ring stress
In Saturday’s Listed Oaklands Plate, Pretty Baby (Barbados) headed off Hedge’s purchase Brevitas (Doubtland) by half a length. Pretty Baby became the fourth stakes winner for Barbados who stands at Ducatoon Park.
“Barbados is creeping up in years now but he’s jumping out of his skin and is looking forward to the spring,” Ducatoon Park’s Peter Toole said. Barbados, a son of Redoute's Choice and dual Group 1 winner Virage De Fortune (Anabaa {USA}) will stand for a slightly reduced fee of $3300 inc GST in 2026.
“Barbados is creeping up in years now but he’s jumping out of his skin and is looking forward to the spring.” - Peter Toole
“Dr John McKinnon bred Pretty Baby, he’s an ex dentist. He sent the mare up here, she’s a lovely looking mare and this is the resulting foal. She did it the hard way, was wide the whole way yet I thought she won well.
“They get better with age, the Barbados horses, so she’ll be a handy horse in the next few years. John’s been good for the racing industry with the Barossa Jockey Club. It’s nice to see him get success.”
Chasing her in second was last start winner Brevitas, who Hedge bought from Widden Stud at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale for $100,000. Brevitas is the fourth winner from six runners for winning mare Brevity (Bernardini {USA}) who is a daughter of stakes-placed Rose Darmore (More Than Ready {USA}).
It wasn’t all smooth sailing though.
“There’s been such a roller coaster of emotions with her. I bought her at the Melbourne sale and I’d done my normal inspections when Matty Upton, who is a good mate of mine, had met this bloke that I didn’t know and said, ‘I think he's got a few horses and he's spending a bit of money and he's talking a big game and if you want, you can meet with him.’ I said sure and met him for coffee,” Hedge said.
“He was definitely different. Said he wanted to win the Golden Slipper within three years and spend millions of dollars. And I'm as an agent thinking, ‘Geez, this is great opportunity to be able to buy horses for someone like that.’ He had some weird theories about buying horses who were foaled on his son’s birthday, but we went through my list of fillies and Brevitas was quite early in the sale and he liked her, so we put a figure on her.
“About 15 minutes before she was about to go through, he comes up to me and he goes, ‘Oh, are you registered to buy here?’”
Brevitas as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
The upshot was that this bloke told Hedge he hadn’t completed his paperwork and could Hedge buy the horse and he’d sort it out on Monday.
“I didn't really even think about it because I've never had a situation where something bad has happened to me. So, in a very naive manner, I bought her for $100,000 and on Monday nothing came through.”
“I didn't really even think about it because I've never had a situation where something bad has happened to me. So, in a very naive manner, I bought her (Brevitas) for $100,000 and on Monday nothing came through.” - Suman Hedge
And then the excuses came. An endless stream of them over the course of two months with promises of payment. Hedge realised the promises were empty and after more phone calls, it was time to change tracks.
“I contacted Inglis and spoke to Andrew Munce to explain the situation. He was completely on my side, understanding that I’ve always done the right thing and told me that I could have some leverage to get it done, just do it as quickly as you can.”
Two more stressful months later with a lot of help from friends, as well as trainer Phillip Stokes, Brevitas was sold.
Phillip Stokes | Image courtesy of Phillip Stokes Racing
“A beautiful group of people are in her and they were really very supportive. And they're all from around Australia, from WA, South Australia, everywhere.
“She's not big, she's a very neat type of filly, and same sire line, Not A Single Doubt through Doubtland. I love the sire line. First and foremost, horses need to have speed, not size, and from the beginning she had a great attitude. She eats and wants to please you and Phil was always very positive about her.”
Brevitas had an educational run on debut, then ran fourth in the G3 David Coles AM Stakes before winning at Murray Bridge. Saturday’s Listed placing was the icing on the cake and promises a lot more for the future.
“As a stakes-placed city-winning 2-year-old, she’s well and truly worth more than what we paid. The whole thing has been a great life lesson for me. I was naïve at the sale, and got caught up in the moment,” Hedge said.
“It was a good lesson that no matter how long you’ve been in the industry, you still have to be careful and do your proper due diligence. I’ll always do it for my clients, but I’m guilty of not protecting myself. Luckily we were able to sell her, and she’s turned out to be good, but it could have gone really pear-shaped.
“There are all these protection mechanisms that the sales companies put in place to protect you and they are there for a good reason. And it wasn’t this guy’s first rodeo. Paul Moroney reached out to me and said he’d done the same to him the year before in New Zealand. So, a serial offender.
“Ultimately the best karma and the best revenge for me is that horse (Brevitas) doing well. Every time she does gets a result, that's my response.” - Suman Hedge
“Ultimately the best karma and the best revenge for me is that horse doing well. Every time she does gets a result, that's my response.”
Karma.
Building a community of people matters
You could call it karma, or perhaps it’s simply that creating a community of good friends is the best way to live a good life.
“She's the coolest horse. She tries at everything she does, every bit of work they do with her. She gives 100% and she's just such a trier. Those types of fillies that are genuine, they're the best horses to own. They're the most fun horses because they give everything and they're so genuine and everyone has a lot of fun with them,” Hedge said.
Trilogy Racing team | Image courtesy of Trilogy Racing
“We don’t have a huge database of people, but we've got a very nice ecosystem of like-minded people that we've developed over the years. We like to think that we run a very authentic business where I communicate with people and look after their interests while advocating for them.
“It's something that is done tremendously well in Australia, where racing has always been available to everyone. People become friends and socialise together. Keeping this sport affordable for owners is important. It’s difficult, people who used to take 10% are now down to 2.5%, but a huge part of what makes racing charming is how it brings people together.
“Keeping this sport affordable for owners is important. It’s difficult, people who used to take 10% are now down to 2.5%, but a huge part of what makes racing charming is how it brings people together.” - Suman Hedge
“One horse can be part-owned by a billionaire and a tradie, and their education levels will be completely different but they’re all having a beer together after the race, win, lose or draw, and that’s an amazing thing you can do for people.
“Racing should be more cognisant about how we continue to create these communities and maintain them.”
End the loneliness crisis, put down your phones, and buy a share in a racehorse. It might just be the best group of people you ever meet.
