At home, there was Lady Esprit (Bel Esprit) winning the W.J. Adams Stakes at
Caulfield and Prairie Fire running third on debut in the Group 3 Chairman's
Stakes at the same venue. Abroad, there was a Group 3 win to 3YO filly Fish
River (Canford Cliffs) in South Africa.Rosemont's Anthony Mithen was thrilled with the stakes performances and pedigree updates, particularly for good clients Ed and Clark McKeon of Palya Bloodstock who bred Lady Esprit and Prairie Fire.
Fish River was a Rosemont Premier Sale graduate sold on behalf of Sheamus Mills Bloodstock who had pin-hooked her (she was bred by Victoria's Peter Maher).
"It is wonderful when people that really give it a go get these results. We are proud that we can continually produce horses of this level out of our drafts," Mithen said.
The weekend trio can be added to other Rosemont bred and/or sold horses such as Group 1 winners Santa Ana Lane, Montoya's Secret, Hey Doc and Alboran Sea.
Add to that top performers such as Fuhryk, Fox Swift, Kamacite, Of the Brave, Gold Ambition and Toffee Nose among others.
"We also foaled, reared and raised (Group 1 Queensland Derby winner) Ruthven, so last year we had four individual Group 1 winners come off the farm, that's as good a record as any farm in Australia I would think," Mithen said.
"On the eve of Rosemont's biggest sale for the year, being Melbourne (Premier Sale), to consistently produce group winners is so important, as ultimately that is what the buyers care about.
"They want to buy the top horse. They don't (just) want a maiden winner at Moe, they want to get a return on their investment and hopefully win at the highest level."
Mithen is excited to present a quality draft at this year's Inglis Premier Sale, highlighted by a number of (former Rosemont Stud sire) Starspangledbanner yearlings.
"This crop of Starspangledbanner yearlings will all be eligible for the $1 million Showdown 2YO race, as Starspangledbanner was standing at Rosemont in that season," he said.
Recent Starspangledbanner winners have included the Rosemont bred and raced Miss Oklahoma and the Tony Santic bred Red White and Blue, while Pledgeofallegiance won for Team Corstens and Spicer Thoroughbreds on Australia Day.
"We sold a very nice yearling colt by him at Magic Millions for $360,000 last month which shows that there is definitely market appeal," Mithen said.
"There are couple of our yearlings that I am particularly excited about including Lot 23, the Starspangledbanner x Rahveel colt. He is a good moving, very nice colt with the right blend of the Zabeel blood crossed with the Danehill speed."
Rosemont will also offer Lot 312, a three-quarter brother (by Wandjina) to Prairie Fire, as agent for Palya Bloodstock. Prairie Fire sold for $650,000 at last year's sale.
Rosemont clients Michael Christian and Siobhan Miller of Saconi Thoroughbreds, who bred Fuhryk (among many good racehorses), will present six yearlings through the Rosemont draft headlined by their I Am Invincible x Oasis Bloom filly.
"She will be their star…she is out of a Group 2 winner. She looks like a colt, a big strong girl that will run through a brick wall for you tomorrow.Michael and Siobhan are such good supporters of Rosemont and we will be hoping they get a great result."
Rosemont Stud are also selling at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale offering a draft of eight including three by Starspangledbanner. Click here to see the draft.
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