Jim and David Wallace are savouring the best of both worlds with their Ardsley Stud homebred War Machine.
While they failed in two attempts to sell the son of Harry Angel at Karaka, father and son are now enjoying the three-year-old’s burgeoning racing career as part-owners of the last-start Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m) winner.
War Machine winning the Listed Bendigo Guineas (1400m). Photo: Scott Barbour (Racing Photos)
War Machine had fallen short of his $100,000 reserve at both New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale and Ready to Run Sale when offered by Ardsley.
“Everybody thought he was too small, I never agreed with that because he always had a little bit of length,” Jim Wallace said.
“He was never going to be a 17-hand giant, but he was always going to be 15 through to 16 and he’s closer to 16 now.
“We liked the horse all the way through and set a mark in the sand and if he didn’t sell, we were happy to do the next thing.”
Wallace prepared War Machine to win a two-year-old heat by six lengths over 1000m at Foxton, which prompted a private sale to clients of Michael Moroney’s Flemington stable.
“We sold him and David and I stayed in the horse, which is a great bonus,” Wallace said.
“He’s going to the paddock now and he will be aimed at the A$10 million race (Golden Eagle) in November.
“He’s certainly a progressive horse and just improving in leaps and bounds and the stable has been absolutely rapt with him.”
War Machine placed in one of his two starts last winter before successfully resuming at Kyneton last month and won again at Cranbourne before claiming the Guineas to provide a great fillip for Moroney, who was hospitalised last week.
The gelding is a son of the Hussonet mare Caserta, a half-sister to the Gr.3 Coongy Handicap (2000m) winner Fire In The Night and to the dam of the dual Group Two winner Hooked.
“David and I bought her (for A$40,000) at the Magic Millions under our MDJ banner and have had her ever since,” Wallace said.
“She was in foal to Shamus Award when we got her and we sold her for $100,000 at Karaka,” Wallace said.
Named Stolen Away, she won twice in Australia while half-brother Bourbon Falls, by Sacred Falls, was a $47,500 Karaka purchase and has so far won twice from Lisa Latta’s Awapuni stable.
“The Per Incanto sold very well last year ($275,000) and she was a beautiful filly, I understand she is in training with Gerald Ryan in Sydney and the reports so far are very good,” Wallace said.
“We’ve got a Darci Brahma yearling colt who is being broken in at the moment and there’s a Satono Aladdin colt on the ground and the mare is in foal to In The Congo.”
Meanwhile, former stable star Pennyweka will be offered through the Sledmere Stud draft as Lot 20 at the Inglis Chairman’s Sale at the Riverside Stables on May 9.
Wallace prepared the daughter of Satono Aladdin to win three races, including the Group One double of the New Zealand Oaks (2400m) and Australian Oaks (2400m). – LOVERACING.NZ News Desk
