A 4-year-old mare that has not won since her career debut at two almost two years ago has drawn barrier 18 in race eleven when it will be the last man standing on the Gold Coast on Saturday gets the nod as the Best on Breeding.
For many punters, and perhaps her connections, Willinga Beast has been a frustrating character.
A winning debut in a Thursday meeting at Canterbury on March 10, 2022, looks like a meagre return for the daughter of Snitzel, who has performed with distinction against the best of her generation.
Paris D'Or narrowly defeated her in the $1 million Group II Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) at Randwick: she was second in the Group II Furious Stakes and third in the Group II Roman Consul Stakes.
In twelve starts, Willinga Beast has not been further back than sixth, and she is rarely far away.
The Kris Lees-trained mare lines up in Saturday's $1m Tab Magic Millions Fillies & Mares (1300m) at the Gold Coast off the back of a fast-finishing sixth behind Lady Laguna in the Listed Nudgee Stakes at Doomben
Willinga Beast was a $625,000 purchase by Willinga Park Operations Pty Ltd/Australian Bloodstock from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
The chestnut has won half of that back on the track already and looks to wipe the slate clean on Saturday, and it would be fair to speculate that the daughter of Snitzel would likely make double her purchase price at the broodmare sales.
She is the best of three winners from as many to race out of the imported Shamardal (USA) mare Time Check (USA).
Purchased by Badger's Bloodstock for $300,000gns from the Godolphin draft at the 2017 Tattersalls July Sale, Time Check (USA) is a half-sister to the Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial Stakes runner-up Lascars (Sepoy) and to the Darley blue hen Essaouira (Exceed And Excel) the dam of Alizee, Astern, Tassort and Mogador.
Triple Group 1 winner Alizee (Sepoy) had two foals in Australia before her export to Europe: a filly by I Am Invincible named Visual, in training with James Cummings, and a Street Boss (USA) colt named Diabat, who tragically died in November.
Essaouira's daughters are keeping the family up in lights. Marrakesh (Lonhro) is the dam of the Listed MRC Galilee Series Final Handicap winner Mamounia (Medaglia d'Oro), and Leopard (Animal Kingdom) is the dam of the Group III ATC TL Baillieu Handicap winner Amur (Snitzel).
Her sons Astern and Tassort are also making a mark at stud.
Time Check's dam Alizes (Rory's Jester) won the 2004 STC Magic Night Stakes, and her Group 1 winning dam La Baraka is the daughter of the champion Triscay.
Ciaron Maher Bloodstock and Mystery Downs combined to purchase Time Check's The Autumn Sun filly, Atomic Clock, for $600,000 at the Gold Coast in 2023, and Paul O'Brien shelled out $280,000 for her The Autumn Sun colt at the second session of the MagicMillions Gold Coast Sale.
After missing in 2022, Time Check (USA) was among the first of 147 mares to visit Godolphin's nine-time Group 1 winner Anamoe.
