No wonder the Whishaw family are all smiles this week, the brand of the famed Tasmanian nursery Armidale Stud carried to WS Cox Plate weekend victory by two very nice horses - Double You Tee and Soul Patch.
What great form the Patrick Payne trained Double You Tee is in, the son of Written Tycoon and Armidale's well related Flying Spur mare Kandy Korn so impressive winning his last four, his winning streak culminating with a big performance at Moonee Valley last Friday.
As is his want, the bold bay gelding settled at the rear of the field in the 2040m event, his regular rider Billy Egan patient letting the race unfold. Hooking out with 500m to go, he was five wide turning and away he went - quickly and easily putting a couple of lengths on his rivals.
It was win number eight - one which saw his prize money tally increase to beyond $330,000 - for the exciting galloper who just keeps doing everything right.
"He just rests for 1800m and I just have to click him up - so long as you have clear room he does the rest!" Egan said.
The sale topper at the 2016 Tasmanian Magic Millions - fetching $115,000 to the bid of his initial trainer John Blacker, Double You Tee always showed plenty of talent contesting early stakes races but it is as a five-year-old that he has really come into his own.
Double You Tee was, at that stage, the highest priced colt ever sold at the Tasmanian Magic Millions - a great achievement for Armidale Stud, one which they matched this year with a striking Fiorente colt sold for the same price to Victorian syndicator Brad Spicer.
The dam of that colt - the stakes placed Savoire Vivre mare Love The Moment - and the dam of Double You Tee - have both visited Armidale's resident stallions; the former producing a lovely Needs Further colt a few weeks ago whilst Kandy Korn has an outstanding Alpine Eagle colt being prepared for next year's sale.
Another eye-catching Alpine Eagle who also heads to the sales ring (the Inglis Melbourne Premier) is a half-sister to Soul Patch who put his class on display with a dominant victory in Saturday's Gr.2 Moonee Valley Vase.
Purchased by the astute Ken Keys from Armidale's draft at last year's Tasmanian Magic Millions, the son of Shamus Award caught the eye from day one with Keys noting that "every one who sees him loves him!"
"He is a lovely style of horse," jockey Dwayne Dunn agreed - happy to also talk up the VRC Derby bound colt's talent.
"His sectionals in the Caulfield Guineas were awesome," he said, pleased to see him more aggressive with the addition of blinkers - "he travelled nicely and I was able to get him out into the clear... he really powered away late."
Whilst taking great delight in cheering home Soul Patch and Double You Tee, the Whishaws were also extremely proud of Mystic Journey's game W.S Cox Plate fifth - the daughter of Needs Further (who was represented by a Launceston double on Friday) not far away in Australia's supreme weight-for-age test.
And there is more to come this spring for Armidale bred horses... bring on Derby Day!
