A conversation at the recent broodmare sale on the Gold Coast has resulted in Australian Bloodstock agent Mark Pilkington acquiring a controlling interest in Group One placed two-year-old Kiwi filly Spanish Whisper for client, Seymour Bloodstock.
Pilkington was in the company of Waterford
Bloodstock's Mike Rennie and fellow agent James Harron at the Magic Millions
sale with the conversation turning to likely prospects in the New Zealand market.
Pilkington has enjoyed tremendous success with horses purchased locally such as He's Our Rokkii, Sin To Win, Peaky Blinders and Risque. His interest was piqued after hearing about the Lope De Vega filly who took out the Gr.2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) before finishing third in the Gr.1 Sistema Stakes at Ellerslie (1200m).
"Mike and James had plenty of good things to say about Spanish Whisper, so I subsequently made contact with her breeder and part-owner, Daniel Nakhle to discuss whether she might be available for sale," he said.
"As a result we have bought a controlling interest in her with Daniel, his father Elias and the other current owner Darren Brady retaining an interest in her as well.
"She will be heading over to the team at Lindsay Park and we are hopeful she can do big things for us in the spring."
Pressed on what attracted him to the filly, Pilkington was quick to point out that it wasn't just her race-track performance that held appeal.
"She is from a very strong international pedigree which will stand her in good stead when she finally heads to the broodmare paddock," he said.
"We are hopeful she can measure up in the spring but even if she doesn't quite reach the heights we would like she will still be a very valuable breeding proposition.
"Based on what I have seen of her on raceday I think she has enormous potential and I would be very surprised if she didn't measure up over here."
Pilkington has also purchased a promising three-year-old out of the Michael and Matthew Pitman stable with Reliable Man gelding Czechoslovakia (NZ) set to join the Trent Busuttin and Natalie Young stable at Cranbourne later this week.
"Michael Stedman was talking to me about Czechoslovakia so I also had a look at him and liked what we saw," he said.
"I've bought him for Seymour Bloodstock and a bunch of my mates, so he will go to Trent and Natalie to get ready for the spring.
"I'm not sure what to make of him just yet in respect of what sort of distance he will suit and the like, but we do think he's another we are going to have a bit of fun with."
Czechoslovakia opened his account with a maiden win over 1335m at Gore at his third start before going on to finish third in the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m) and close up in fourth in the Gr.2 Wellington Guineas (1400m) at his two subsequent runs before being turned out for a spell. – NZ Racing Desk
