Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Sometimes a bargain buy is measured purely by prize money, while other times the story behind the purchase makes it even more rewarding. Astronomix falls into both categories.
The John O'Shea and Tom Charlton-trained 3-year-old Astronomix (Calyx {GB}) has put together two impressive late winter victories at Canterbury and Randwick to improve his record to three wins and three placings from just six starts.
Already earning more than $200,000 in prizemoney, the promising gelding has proven an outstanding return on the $70,000 investment made by James Bester Bloodstock and John O'Shea when they secured him from the Paramount Thoroughbreds draft at the 2024 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Astronomix as a yearling | Image courtesy of Inglis
A bargain buy starting to deliver
Astronomix enhanced his record with an impressive fast-finishing one-length victory in a 3-year-old BM72 over 1300 metres at Randwick last Saturday over Nullarbor Jane (Too Darn Hot {GB}) and Aisle Two (Shooting To Win), showing an impressive turn of foot that suggests there is still plenty more to come.
“He's a young horse with a lovely presence about him,” winning jockey James McDonald said after the race.
“He's a young horse with a lovely presence about him.” - James McDonald
“He has been so well handled, so well educated, and he was strong to the line today.
“I don't think he's a world-beater but he tries very hard in his races.”
James McDonald | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Winning co-trainer John O'Shea was equally pleased with the lightly raced gelding's progress.
“We like him, he's a very genuine young racehorse,” O'Shea said.
“He's only lightly raced, he gives his all but we feel he can only keep improving.”
Astronomix | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
A family James Bester knows better than most
While Astronomix is emerging as a smart racehorse, the story behind his purchase is what makes him one of the more unique buys of the year.
Bester has been heavily involved with the family for well over a decade.
He purchased Astronomix's grandam Waveline (USA) (Stravinsky {USA}) for US$200,000 (AU$285,000) on behalf of Ananda Krishnan and Kia Ora Stud at the 2011 Fasig-Tipton Fall Mixed Sale, he then later bought Astronomix's dam Waimea Bay (All Too Hard) for clients, purchased the dam as a breeding proposition for other clients and himself before eventually becoming a co-breeder of Astronomix, and then purchasing him in partnership with John O'Shea.
Despite that extensive involvement, Bester made it clear to O'Shea prior to the Classic sale that he had an interest in the horse, leaving the trainer to make the final decision on whether they would buy him.
James Bester | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“Astronomix is of particular interest to me because I bought his grandmother in America for Ananda Krishnan and Kia Ora Stud on one of my trips over there,” Bester explained.
“She was a Listed-winning Stravinsky mare, she could run and I purchased her in America, then I bought her second foal which was by All Too Hard at the sales, I really liked her and talked some clients of mine, the Murrays, John and Cass Murray, who actually were part owners of Adelaide who won the Cox Plate and many other horses, into buying her, so we bought her and called her Waimea Bay.
“We called her Waimea Bay because her mother was called Waveline, so I looked up all the hardest surf breaks in the world, and Waimea Bay was one of them.
“We called her Waimea Bay because her mother was called Waveline, so I looked up all the hardest surf breaks in the world, and Waimea Bay was one of them.” - James Bester
“From small acorns and beginnings she developed, she won a maiden at Taree and then developed into a handy filly for Kris Lees and won three races and was placed in the Listed Canberra Guineas. From memory she was to run in a Provincial Championship when she hurt herself and had to be retired.”
Waimea Bay | Image courtesy of Inglis
The full-circle purchase
Bester's involvement with the family continued into the breeding barn before eventually leading him back into the sale ring.
“I decided I wanted to continue with her and breed her as the Murrays decided they would sell out of her. So I brought in another partner, and we bred a couple of foals and then sent her to Calyx.”
“The first Calyx had a couple of little problems, and the second Calyx was to become Astronomix and he went to the sales just after John O'Shea exposed a promising winner by Calyx in Getafix.
“We were at the Inglis Classic Sale and I had just started buying for John and I said to John, listen, I like this colt, but it's difficult for me to recommend him to you because I am a part breeder and part owner, and I bought the mother and grandmother.
“We were at the Inglis Classic Sale and I had just started buying for John and I said to John, listen, I like this colt, but it's difficult for me to recommend him to you because I am a part breeder and part owner, and I bought the mother and grandmother.” - James Bester
“He said in typical John style, I don't care. If you like it, you like it, I'm going to decide whether or not I will buy it and I'm going to set the price.
He basically said don't ever hold back on recommending to me a horse you like just because you have some involvement, as I will set the price and make a final call.”
John O'Shea | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
It became one of Bester's earliest purchases for O'Shea Racing, with O'Shea trusting his judgement while ensuring the buying decision remained entirely his own.
“We went to buy him, and I think it was Tom Charlton or young Jackson Gwynne who were working for John at the time, he wasn't at that sale, but he gave them instructions and they sat next to me.
“They set the price and did the bidding and secured him for $70,000. I thought internally he may have been worth at least $100,000 but it was a good result for everyone and he entered the stable.”
Finding value where others weren't looking
Astronomix also highlights the opportunities that can arise when a stallion falls out of favour.
Calyx (GB), the Coolmore Stud shuttling son of Kingman (GB), stood just two Australian seasons, resulting in only 77 live foals, and was well overlooked in the marketplace.
Calyx (GB) | Image courtesy of Coolmore
“Calyx wasn't the flavour of the month at the time. He had very limited opportunities here, but served big books in Ireland. He came here in the same year as Magna Grecia and he potentially got lots of the mares that Calyx should have got.”
“Calyx wasn't the flavour of the month at the time. He had very limited opportunities here, but served big books in Ireland.” - James Bester
“There was not much call for them at the sales and not much on the track apart from Getafix who John had, so naturally John was quite keen on them and said that he wanted one, he had a penchant for them.
“So it has turned out a happy ending. Because he is talented and things haven't always gone his own way, his last two wins have come from draws that were far less than ideal. Both James McDonald and Zac Lloyd, who have ridden him, have been impressed and he has grown a leg halfway down the straight both times and flew home.”
Pedigree on the rise
Astronomix is one of three winners for Listed Canberra Guineas-placed Waimea Bay (All Too Hard). She has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Acrobat and a weanling colt also by Acrobat.
Waimea Bay is a half-sister to $1 million earner and G2 Sapphire Stakes victrix In Flight (Flying Artie), with both out of Waveline who was purchased by Bester as earlier mentioned.
Waimea Bay is also a half-sister to In Flight (Flying Artie), the nine-time winning sprinter who has captured the G2 Sapphire Stakes, G3 Sir John Monash Stakes and two Listed victories.
In Flight | Image courtesy of Racing Photos
“We will see where he ends up but he looks promising and is lightly tried. As can often happen, prior to his emergence I sold the mare for nothing online prior to him looking smart, but good luck to the buyer who picked her up for $3250 last year via Inglis Online.
“Joe Pride's horse In Flight has popped into the pedigree now, she is a pretty handy horse so the page has developed. It always has been a good family and could only improve.”
“Joe Pride's horse In Flight has popped into the pedigree now, she is a pretty handy horse so the page has developed. It always has been a good family and could only improve.” - James Bester
Astronomix's story is still only in its early chapters, but already he has become one of the standout value purchases of the season.
For Bester, it is more than simply buying a talented racehorse. It is the culmination of a journey that began with purchasing his grandam, continued through buying and breeding his dam, and ultimately returned to the sale ring where one of his earliest purchases for O'Shea Racing is proving to be one of its most rewarding.
