Willinga Beast Will Return Home to Arrowfield a Stakes Winner

Mark Smith - Saturday June 15

After three Group II placings from 18 starts, the Snitzel mare Willinga Beast made the trip to the National Broodmare Sale, where she was a $675,000 purchase for Arrowfield Stud and two weeks later rewarded her new owners with a stakes breakthrough in the Listed Maker's Mark Hinkler Hcp (1200m) at Eagle Farm.

That was brave (image Grant Courtney)

Given a positive ride by Craig Williams, the Kris Lees-trained mare battled courageously down the straight to defy the chasing pack. Godolphin's favoured Fastnet Rock gelding Pereille closed to half a length with the Kobayashi mare Midnight In Tokyo a half-head back in third.

It was a thrilling ten minutes for Arrowfield, which part owns the exciting Rosehill winner Know Thyself  (The Autumn Sun).

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 "Craig (Williams) got her to relax - that was the main thing," Kris Lees said.

"On paper, there didn't look like a lot of speed, but our concern was getting back in the field.

&

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t;Great ride, great result and good to get a stakes race with her.

"She won her first start and then raced at a really high level in her three-year-old season so she's got multiple group placings, which are very important for her."

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, Willinga Beast advances her record to two wins, three seconds, and a third from 18 starts with earnings of $517,900.

Willinga Beast won for the first time since her debut at Canterbury in March 2022. 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 is a half-sister to Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial Stakes runner-up Lascars and to the Darley blue hen Essaouira the dam of Alizee, Astern, Tassort and Mogador.

She is a valuable broodmare prospect (image Grant Courtney)

Time Check's dam Alizes (Rory's Jester) won the 2004 STC Magic Night Stakes, and her Group 1 winning dam La Baraka is a daughter of the champion Triscay.

Ciaron Maher Bloodstock /Mystery Downs paid $600,000 for The Autumn Sun half-sister to Willinga Beast at the 2023 Magic Millions, and Paul O'Brien went to $280,000 to secure The Autumn Sun x Time Check (USA) colt at the Gold Coast in January.

Willinga Beast a $625,000 Magic Millions yearling

Time Check (USA) was covered by Anamoe last spring after missing in  2022.

Willinga Beast returns home to Arrowfield as the 145th stakes-winner for their flagship stallion Snitzel. 

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Race Result - Maker's Mark Hinkler Hcp LR 1200m

Eagle Farm Track: Good(4) Time: 1:09.66
1
Willinga Beast
- 4m Snitzel (AUS) x Time Check (USA) (Shamardal (USA))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: Craig Williams 53
2
0.7
Pereille
- 4g Fastnet Rock (AUS) x Montsegur (AUS) (New Approach (IRE))
Tnr: James Cummings Rdr: J B Mc Donald 56.5
Fastnet Rock
3
0.8
Midnight In Tokyo
- 4m Kobayashi (AUS) x Orabelle (AUS) (Casino Prince (AUS))
Tnr: Annabel Neasham Rdr: Damien Thornton 54
Kobayashi
4
0.8
Mishani Sniper
- 5g Your Song (AUS) x Scarlet Tanager (AUS) (Red Dazzler (AUS))
Tnr: L G Ross Rdr: V Duric 58
5
0.9
Nashira
- 5g Zoustar (AUS) x Aunty Betty (AUS) (Encounter (AUS))
Tnr: S O'Dea & M Hoysted Rdr: M J Dee 53
6
1.2
Miss Hellfire
- 4m Hellbent (AUS) x Peace Time (USA) (War Front (USA))
Tnr: P & P Snowden Rdr: J R Collett 54.5
7
1.5
Go Wandji
- 6g Wandjina (AUS) x Secrets Sleeping (NZ) (Viking Ruler (AUS))
Tnr: T J Dougall Rdr: Ron Stewart 55
8
1.5
Ef Troop
- 8g Spirit Of Boom (AUS) x Limealicious (AUS) (Exceed And Excel (AUS))
Tnr: T J Gollan Rdr: Tim Clark 57
9
2.1
Dalaalaat
- 7g Written Tycoon (AUS) x Dancing Heather (AUS) (Danzero (AUS))
Tnr: Nathan Doyle Rdr: Tyler Schiller 54.5
10
2.5
Enterprise Pomme
- 5m Spill The Beans (AUS) x Our Sweet Moss (AUS) (Mossman (AUS))
Tnr: K A Lees Rdr: Dylan Gibbons 53.5
11
3
Irish Songs
- 8g Shamus Award (AUS) x Lucky Songs (NZ) (Johar (USA))
Tnr: Louise White Rdr: Jake Bayliss 60
12
6.6
Maximum Vortex
- 4g Kuroshio (AUS) x Forward (AUS) (Street Cry (IRE))
Tnr: Ethan Ensby Rdr: Cejay Graham 54
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