The Flying Family!

Tara Madgwick - Friday February 16

One of the most interesting races this weekend is the Group II ATC Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick with nine of the 12 runners resuming from a spell and if you’ve been following our trial stories you will know Learning to Fly has been given a very solid grounding for her return which is good news for the six different vendors that will all offer yearlings from her famous family at Inglis Easter.

Learning to Fly is ready to return on Saturday - image Steve Hart

The so called ‘Hips Don’t Lie’ family has long been a commercial favourite for a long time, but was lacking a Group I winner on the page until Ozzmosis came out and won the Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes last year and now during the autumn Learning to Fly will get her chance to also  put a G1 win on the board.

Undefeated at this time last year, she lost her rider and was injured in the Golden Slipper and connections have taken a patient and very thorough approach in getting the daughter of Justify (USA) back to the races. With three barrier trials since December, Annabel Neasham has left no stone unturned to have her ready.

Advertisement

That latest was this win at Warwick Farm on January 30 over Kimochi, who is among her rivals on Saturday.

It’s going to be a great race on Saturday and then we will see a rematch in two more weeks time in the Group I ATC Surround Stakes (1400m).

Using Breednet’s Family Search it is very easy to find relations in upcoming sales to any star horse you are following and these six below are all from the family of Learning to Fly and Ozzmosis.

Lot 68 Filly Snitzel x Hips Don’t Lie – Coolmore

Lot 82 Filly Zoustar x Invictus Salute – Sledmere Stud

Lot 164 Filly Exceed and Excel x More Cheers (NZ) – Yarraman Park

Lot 181 Colt Wootton Bassett (GB) x No More Tears (NZ)- The Chase

Lot 389 Filly Trapeze Artist x White Coolies – Widden Stud

Lot 405 Gelding Snitzel x Acqume – Willow Park Stud

Advertisment
More Reading...
Another Impressive New Winner St Mark’s Basilica
A colt that holds entries for several upcoming Group races, Piazza San Marco became the 12th winner for Coolmore shuttler St Mark’s Basilica (FR) when bolting in at Galway overnight.
Five Lots Announced for Tattersalls Online Barrier Trials Pop-Up Sale
Tattersalls Online, Europe’s leading online thoroughbred sales platform, will break new ground when offering for auction five lots who took part in the ITM Irish EBF Barrier Trials at Leopardstown Racecourse earlier this week. The sale which takes place on 3rd – 4th September can be viewed on the Tattersalls Online website www.tattersallsonline.com.
Are You Sending a Mare to Cogburn?
Book 1 of the Keeneland September Yearling Sale concluded on Tuesday with the rise of exciting young sire Not This Time as a big player on the world stage well and truly illustrated with 22 of his yearlings selling at an average $805,682.
$1.7million Flightline Colt Sets Pace at Keeneland September Day 1
The 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale is underway and as expected yearlings from the first crop of US Horse of the Year Flightline are lighting up the sale ring, while a colt by Widden Stud shuttler Cogburn’s sire Not This Time sold for $1.6million.
Debut Farnan Winner for Pencarrow Stud
Three-year-old filly Passiflora showed promise at the trials and transferred that potential into raceday success when scoring on debut in the NZ Horse Ambulance 970 at Cambridge on Wednesday.
$3.3million Gun Runner Colt Tops Keeneland September Day 1
Keeneland’s 2025 September Yearling Sale began Monday with double-digit gains while posting a record average price of $653,208 and selling 15 horses for $1 million or more led by a colt by Gun Runner for $3.3 million to M.V. Magnier and Peter Brant’s White Birch Farm. The average topped the previous record $611,038 for a single session set during Day 2 in 2024, and the number of seven-
Trainers Rewarded with Continued NZB Ready to Run Series
With the continued long-term support of Majestic Horse Transport and Dunstan Horsefeeds, NZB is pleased to announce that the Ready to Run Sale Trainers Series will return for its sixth edition this season, kicking off on Saturday at two venues. ? 
Cogburn Sire Not This Time on Fire at Keeneland September
If you have been considering sending a mare to Widden Stud’s exciting new shuttle sire Cogburn (USA) or have already booked one in you are going to be pretty interested in what is going on at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale this week where his sire Not This Time is in hot demand.
Mulberry Racing Purchase $550,000 Colt at Keeneland September
Australian based Mulberry Racing featured on the buyers list during the first session of the Keenland September Yearling Sale purchasing a colt by Quality Road for $550,000.
Vale, Ryan Smith
Victorian breeding farm Kulani Park are mourning the loss of partner and family member Ryan Smith.