Best On Breeding

A half-sister to an Australian Horse Of The Year out of a mare honoured as the Australian Broodmare of the Year makes it an easy choice for this week’s Best On Breeding.

The Coolmore-homebred Art Collection makes her first start in 12 weeks in Saturday’s Group III Chairman’s Stakes at Caulfield where she will vie to become the third consecutive winner of the race for Fastnet Rock after Formality in 2017 and Ennis Hill last year, all three sport the Coolmore silks.

Art Collection was nosed out by the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Vinicunca in the Group III Maribyrnong Plate (1000m) at Flemington on Victoria Oaks day in November last year. (photo Grant Courtney )

Trained by David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig, Art Collection (pictured below as a yearling ) is out of the stakes-winning Stravinsky (USA) mare Estelle Collection who was purchased by Coolmore for $1.4 million at the Magic Millions Teeley Assets Dispersal Sale at the Gold Coast.

Estelle Collection is the dam of Lankan Rupee (Redoute’s Choice), the Australian Horse Of The Year and world’s highest ranking sprinter whose 11 wins and $4.1 million in earnings were highlighted by Group 1 wins in the ATC TJ Smith Stakes, VRC Lightning Stakes, Newmarket Handicap, MVRC Manikato Stakes and MRC Oakleigh Plate.

He was almost solely responsible for his dam’s lofty honour as her only other start was the Manhattan Rain filly Inspired Estelle whose three wins came at Doomben (x2) and Sandown.

Coolmore made a quick profit on its purchase of Estelle Collection when the Redoute’s Choice colt she was carrying at the time was purchased by Gai Waterhouse for $1.8 million at Easter in 2016. Named Regal Stage he was an impressive barrier trial winner at Randwick on January 24 and his belated debut will be highly anticipated.

Estelle Collection’s first foal, the unraced Charming Estelle (Redoute’s Choice) is the dam of the Listed winner Manhattan Street as well as the $1 million Deep Impact (JPN) filly Anood who shows a lot of promise with seconds at her first two starts.

Charming Estelle has a yearling filly by Dundeel catalogued for the Easter Yearling Sale

Another unraced daughter of Estelle Collection, Timeless Choice) is the dam of a Real Impact (JPN) colt that was purchased by Robert Price for $145,000 at the recent Magic Million Gold Coast Sale.

From the renowned family of Grosvenor, National Gallery, La Sizeranne, Mahaya and Shadea, Estelle Collection has a yearling colt by Fastnet Rock in the Coolmore draft heading to the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

She was not covered in 2017 but visited Triple Crown hero American Pharoah (USA) last spring after missing to an earlier cover by Fastnet Rock.