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Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday November 25

By the time the dual Group 1 winner Virage de Fortune visited 4-time Group 1 winner Sepoy in 2019, both had failed to fulfil the expectations of Darley.

When Virage de Fortune foaled a filly in 2020, she was just one of 28 foals that season for Sepoy.

It did not get any better for Sepoy in the following two years, with 16 foals in 2021 and five on the ground to date this season. The magnificent-looking son of Elusive Quality was not advertised on the roster this season.

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Remedies makes impressive debut (image George Sal/Racing Photos)

The Virage de Fortune filly, named Remedies, made a winning debut in the Super Vobis 2-Y-O Plate at Cranbourne on November 12, banking $104,000 for Godolphin.

She lines up in Saturday’s Listed Merson Cooper Stakes (1000m) at Caulfield, where Godolphin has set a conundrum by accepting with Cylinder (Exceed And Excel) and Heuristic (Street Boss).

The winner of the Group 1 MVRC Australia Stakes and Group 1 QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes and placed in the Oakleigh Plate and TJ Smith Stakes, Virage de Fortune set a new mark in Australia for a thoroughbred sold at public auction when Darley went to $3,400,000 to secure the daughter of Anabaa (USA) at the 2007 Inglis Easter Broodmare Sale.

That was a hefty return on the $70,000 shelled out by James Bester for the grey flyer as a yearling.

Remedies is a grand type (image George Sal/Racing Photos)

Unsurprisingly Virage de Fortune was courted by elite stallions, firstly Redoute’s Choice, then Exceed And Excel, Street Cry (IRE) and Lonhro.

The Redoute’s Choice colt, Barbados, showed ability in five starts and is now a more than useful stallion.

But the first real payoff for Virage de Fortune came with her first visit to Sepoy, her sixth foal, Subedar.

The winner of his first two starts, Subedar separated Just Thinkin' and Shadow Hero in the Listed Dulcify Stakes and Shadow Hero and Just Thinkin' in the Group III Gloaming Stakes.

After an honourable fourth behind Super Seth, Alligator Blood and Groundswell in the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas. Not seen again for 15 months, Subedar won twice more before earning a lifetime ban when bleeding for a second time, closing out his career with four wins and three seconds with earnings of $400,000.

Things are looking up Virage de Fortune (image Mark Smith)

So, clearly, a return to Sepoy was not just a sentimental decision.

A sister to the slick multiple Group III winner and Group 1 Oakleigh Plate runner-up Avenue, Virage de Fortune is a daughter of the Kenmare mare Virage, herself a daughter of the magnificent 6-time Group 1 winner Emancipation (Bletchingly).  

Virage de Fortune has a yearling colt by Impending and missed to Earthlight last spring.

Two daughters of Virage de Fortune have produced stakes-placed winners early on in their careers.

Godolphin sold two of her daughters in recent years, the sisters Panegyria (Exceed And Excel) and Reverse.

The dam of the stakes-placed Testimonial (Medaglia d'Oro), Panegyria was a $420,000 purchase for James Bester Bloodstock. She has a yearling filly by Territories (IRE) and a colt foal by Farnan.

Reverse was a $240,000 purchase for David Redvers Bloodstock/Widden Stud. Her first foal is a Blue Point (IRE) colt.

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