Best On Breeding

Mark Smith - Thursday February 7

Back in the 1960’s and 70’s a form reversal or bad ride was often greeted with a torrent of abuse by punters venting their frustrations, but a ruckus was a little less common among the gentry at the sales ring.

Back in January 1969, the ‘Filipino Fireball’ Felipe Ysmael’s was sitting ringside when 52 of his prize thoroughbreds went up for auction at Wright-Stephenson’s Melbourne Saleyards after he had copped a two-year ban for not letting a horse run on its merits.

The who’s who of Australian racing packed into the arena where the star lot was the Pipe Of Peace colt Always There who had won the Victoria Derby and Sandown Guineas a few months earlier.

But by the time he went through the ring, there were already rumblings of discontent as Ysmael passed in one lot after another. That rose to a chorus of jeering when Always There was led out ring unsold when the final bid of $250,000 fell well short of the $400,000 reserve.

Buyers voted with their feet and with a near-empty auditorium only three of the 27 lots after Always There found new homes.

In total 11 of the 52 lots sold for an aggregate of just under $100,000 but ironically Ysmael would accept the top price of $35,000 for what turned out to be the best of the bunch, the 2yo Alcimedes colt Divide and Rule who would go on and win an AJC Derby, Stradbroke Handicap and Doomben Cup.

Advertisement

Coles Brother made an offer of $300,000 for Always There but Ysmael stood his ground and the son of Pipe Of Peace eventually went to America where added one win three seconds and three thirds from 15 starts.

Sent back to Australia three years later, Always There went back through the sale ring with Ysmael making the final bid at just $20,000 and Always There took up stud duties at Malabar Park Stud.

Always There was a son of the smart racemare April Wonder (Newtown Wonder) who was trained by a young Les Bridge to win the 1961 AJC Widden Stakes and 1962 AJC Keith Mackay Handicap.

Now it would have made a hell of a better story had Les Bridge found a client willing to go one better than the $300,000 paid by Star Thoroughbreds / Waller Racing for the Brazen Beau x Ready As Elle colt out of the Widden Stud draft at the 2018 Australian Easter Yearling Sale.


That’s because April Wonder is the sixth dam of the Chris Waller-trained Accession who has been made the second favourite the inaugural running of Saturday’s $2 million Inglis Millennium (1200m) at Warwick Farm (photo Steve Hart ) .

The winner of two of his three starts including the $500,000 Inglis Nursery (1000m) at Randwick, Accession along with Inglis Banner winner Espaaniyah (I Am Invincible) are still alive for the Inglis Triple Crown, where connections will win a $3m bonus if one wins both the Millennium and the Group 1 ATC Inglis Sires.

Accession was co-bred by Widden and Dany McMillan's Jacob Park Thoroughbreds and both retained a share in the handsome near-black colt. (pictured as a yearling )

He is the second foal and first winner for the talented More Than Ready (USA) mare Ready As Elle, a dual winner at Moonee Valley, who was herself a $250,000 Easter yearling purchase for Spicer Thoroughbreds.

Widden will be offering a Zoustar colt out of Ready As Elle at this year's Easter Yearling Sale.

A half-sister to the Champion Sprinter in Singapore, Emperor Max (Holy Roman Emperor), Ready As Elle is out of the stakes-placed Strategic mare Maxerelle who won four and was runner-up in the Group III VRC Matron Stakes and Group III MRC Mannerism Stakes.

Darley Stud’s Brazen Beau has made an exciting start to his stud career and he looks to have an excellent chance of making himself an unbackable favourite for first season sire honours.

He will not be relying solely on Accession in the Millennium as he has the very talented, Tony McEvoy-trained filly, Pretty Brazen as an able back-up.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Season Finale Flourish for So You Think
Coolmore stalwart So You Think is powering to the end of the Australian racing season with a six winner flurry on Saturday highlighted by a winning treble at Randwick led by his progressive mare Oh Diamond Lil.
Juvenile Trial Watch -Newcastle
Three heats for juveniles at the Newcastle barrier trials on Monday produced some interesting winners including the colt that topped the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Third Stakes Winner for Brazen Beau
Darley Stud’s dual Group 1 winner Brazen Beau was represented by his third stakes winner and first Group winner when the Gerald Ryan-trained gelding Colada scored an upset win in Saturday’s Group II Stan Fox Stakes (1500m) at Randwick.
One to Watch - Belmont
Racing made a welcome return to Belmont Park yesterday and the first winner to salute on the freshly renovated track was a two year-old that started a red hot favourite and could not have been more impressive!
Two New SW's for Too Darn Hot
Too Darn Hot is set to be crowned Champion Australian Second Season Sire and is headed back to Darley Australia this spring at a fee of $275,000 and overnight he produced two new stakes-winners in the UK and Ireland.
Consecutive Black Type Victories For Snitzel Filly Bridal Waltz
Stepping up to open company is always a tough task, but 3yo Snitzel filly Bridal Waltz graduated from a last start Listed win over her own age to win the $200,000 Group 3 MRC Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield.
Godolphin MM Contender Wins on Debut
The powerful Godolphin team won the 2019 Magic Millions 2YO Classic with expensive Snitzel filly Exhilarates and their subsequent shopping spree at the Gold Coast may have produced a contender for 2020 in Brazen Beau colt Conceited.
Sires With Winners - Saturday July 26
Here is the full list of 86 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Zoustar Filly Wander Dune Impresses On Debut In South Africa
Making her debut as favourite in the Race Coast Maiden Juvenile Plate (1200m) at Kenilworth, South Africa on Saturday, 2yo Australian-bred Zoustar filly Wander Dune impressed with an emphatic victory.
Brazen Beau filly Raises $300,000 for CatWalk Trust
The generosity of a number of thoroughbred industry kingpins has led to more than $300,000 being raised for the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust at Karaka on Monday.