Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Friday April 21

Catalogued to sell under the Mill Park banner at next month's Inglis Chairman's Sale, Mileva will contest Saturday's Group III RN Irwin Stakes (1100m) at Morphettville Parks in what could be her last hurrah for owner Michael Birchall and trainer Phillip Stokes.

It would be a popular win for the locals as the daughter of Headwater is not only owned and trained in South Australia, she was bred by Geoff and Chris Tucker of Little Hills Pastoral.

Mileva captures the Group III Monash Stakes (image Grant Courtney)

The family of Mileva traces back to one of the great South Australian families.

Mileva's seventh dam, Miss Pompilia, is a sister to the champion 2yo Pago Pago.

A son of the South Australian legend Matrice, Pago Pago won nine of his ten starts at two before selling to America. His wins included the Golden Slipper, VRC Sire' Produce Stakes, Merson Cooper Stakes and South Australian Bloodhorse Breeders' Stakes.

Pago Pago retired to Claiborne Farm in Kentucky and was later sold to Lasater Farm in Kentucky. He left a lasting legacy in his daughter Olmec the dam of Navajo Princess (Drone), who won sixteen races, including the Molly Pitcher Handicap.

Navajo Princess achieved renown as a broodmare by producing one of racing's undisputed champions, Dancing Brave, and the Prix Vermeille and Prix Diane heroine Jolypha.

Jolypha is the granddam of Westbury Stud's underappreciated stallion Redwood (High Chaparral).

Pago Pago was repatriated to Australia at age nineteen by Robert Homes a Court.

He stood for four seasons and defied the odds to sire a further 21 stakes-winners off small crops of foals.

Advertisement

Pago Pago's dam Pompilia was faithful to Matrice for twelve years.

The union produced another stakes winner, Lady Pompilia, and the multiple stakes-placed Tutuila, who placed in the VRC Newmarket and VATC One Thousand Guineas. Tutuila is the granddam of The AJC Doncaster Hcp and VATC One Thousand Guineas heroine, Magic Flute (Adraan).

Miss Pomilia did not reach the heights of her siblings on the track, winning twice and placing in thirteen of her 26 starts. She produced the SAJC Dermody stakes winner Johnnie's Luck. Still, a lot of the heavy lifting was done by her daughter Café Miss (Estaminet), the dam of Spring Champion Stakes winner Sakana (Rassendyll) and the Group III winner Rohatyn (Carnegie).

A $42,000 purchase for Dan Clarken and Oopie Macgillivray from Little Hills Pastoral draft at the 2019 Adelaide Magic Millions Yearling Sale, Mileva made nine starts for Clarken and MacGillivray before her purchase by Michael Birchall and transferring to Phillip Stokes.

Mileva has banked $622,760 from a record of seven wins, two seconds and three thirds from 21 starts.

Mileva one of the stars on offer at the Chairman's Sale on May 4 (image Grant Courtney)

The 5yo daughter of Headwater has a Group III to her credit in the MRC Sir John Monash Stakes, and Listed wins in the Alinghi Stakes, Manihi Classic and Kensington Stakes.

Little Hills purchased Mileva's dam Lady Einstein off Vinery for $30,000 at the 2017 Inglis Australian Broodmare Sale when carrying the future 4-time stakes-winner.

A winner at Geelong and Cranbourne in a light career of five starts, Lady Einstein is a half-sister to the Group II MRC PB Lawrence Stakes winner Second Effort (Mossman) and the Group III MRC Heath Stakes winner Diamond Effort (Mossman).

Lady Einstein foaled a sister to Mileva last spring and was covered by Headwater again.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Group One Goals for Headwater's Mileva
The family of the Phillip Stokes-trained mare Mileva has a rich history in the Listed Kensington Stakes, a race won by Mileva’s sire Headwater, while Headwater’s dam River Dove was second in 2003.
Belclare Seeking to Find Best Form Back in Australia
Dual Group One winner Belclare’s return home for a three-race campaign didn’t go to plan earlier this year, and now she is back on the other side of the Tasman to try and get her preparation back on track.
Yes Yes Yes It’s Been a Big Week for Kate Nivison!
This time last week passionate owner breeder Kate Nivison was basking in the success of having bred and sold a $1.7million Extreme Choice colt at Inglis Easter and today she was enjoying a different sort of success as a winning owner at Kembla.
Pedigree Watch – Euro 3YO - Classic Potential
Interesting racing overnight at Newmarket with a couple of Classic key lead up stakes races for three year-olds and the winners were both first time stakes-winners, one from the family of Sydney autumn carnival staying star Alalcance and the other a homebred Dubawi filly for Juddmonte.
Little Avondale Announce Fees - Little Brose New
Little Avondale Stud created a slice of New Zealand racing history when they successfully brokered a deal to stand Little Brose at their Wairarapa farm.
Sires With Winners - Tuesday April 15
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Arrowfield Announce 2025 Fees
In the wake of his third Golden Slipper winner and his career-best yearling sale results, multiple Champion Sire Snitzel heads the 2025 Arrowfield stallion roster at an unchanged fee of $247,500, while Castelvecchio has earned a deserved fee increase.
Switzerland To Stand Alongside Fellow Coolmore Stud Stakes Winner Home Affairs at Jerry’s Plains
Following on from a phenomenal year in the sales ring, which saw first crop Home Affairs yearlings sell for an aggregate of more than $31 million, fellow Coolmore Stud Stakes winner Switzerland will join him in the stallion barn in 2025.
1.4mil Gns Record at Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up - St Mark's Basilica 750,000 Gns
A colt by Acclamation eclipsed the record price for a lot at the Tattersalls Craven Breeze Up Sale when selling to Godolphin for 1,400,000 guineas on the opening day of the sale with a St Mark’s Basilica colt second highest at 750,000 guineas.
One to Watch – Kembla
The juvenile maiden at Kembla on Tuesday was an intriguing affair featuring a number of well-bred and very expensive colts on debut, but the winner was a stylish first starter filly by Capitalist that broke 56 seconds for her debut win.