Leading South Australian based nursery Mill Park invariably bring a top quality draft to the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale and their 10 horse contingent for 2012 features a half-brother to arguably the finest horse they have ever bred and sold in Divine Madonna.
"She was the horse that really put us on the map as commercial thoroughbred breeders," said Chris Watson of Mill Park.
"Her dam My Madonna has been fantastic to us and she's not done yet."
A brilliant performer for the Mark Kavanagh stable, Divine Madonna (pictured) was purchased by her trainer from the Mill Park draft at the 2004 Magic Millions Yearling Sale in Adelaide for $82,500.
The daughter of Hurricane Sky proved a game changer for her trainer, progressing quickly through the lower grades to emerge as one of the best female milers of her time.
Divine Madonna won eight races and $2million in prizemoney from 26 starts with highlight wins in the Group I VRC Myers Stakes, Emirates Stakes, MRC Toorak Handicap and STC Queen of the Turf Stakes.
Retired from racing in 2008, Divine Madonna fetched $2.7 million when offered for a sale as a broodmare with Darley adding her to their stellar collection of mares.
Fast forward to 2012 and Mill Park will offer her yearling half-brother by Bernardini (USA) from My Madonna as Lot 89.
"He's a lovely well balanced colt, very athletic and a great walker," said Watson.
"He's very similar to the Bernardini colt we sold at the Gold Coast in January from My Madonna's daughter Rock on Madonna that made $360,000 to the bid of the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
"The family has been given a little kick along of late with a couple of very promising three year-old fillies coming out to win in The Good Wife (Redoute's Choice x My Madonna) and Angel of Mercy (Hussonet (USA) x Pieta, a daughter of My Madonna), who ran an excellent third in the Vanity last Saturday."
The remainder of the Mill Park draft features youngsters by Fastnet Rock (2), New Approach (IRE) (2), Testa Rossa (2), Choisir, Reset and Starcraft.
Lot 231 is a half-brother to Group II winning sprinter Catapulted by top class sire Testa Rossa from Siren Miss.
"This has been another good family for us and Catapulted is a real 'evergreen' and has added another Group Three win to his tally since the catalogue went to print," said Watson.
"He's a big strong powerful colt, quite a lot like his sire and has a real presence about him. He carries himself so well for a big horse."
Also by Testa Rossa is Lot 461, the half-brother to brilliant stakes-winner Victory Chant from the Marscay mare Classic Status, a half-sister to Group I MRC Thousand Guineas winner Serious Speed.
"He's probably one of my personal favourite horses in the whole crop of yearlings this year," said Watson.
"You could throw a saddle on him right now. Even though he's a late foal, you'd never know it as he's such a forward style of colt.
"His half-brother Victory Chant was a seriously brilliant horse, but had a few soundness issues that held him back, although Leon Macdonald always maintained he was the fastest horse he's trained."
Fastnet Rock is the sire of the moment and Mill Park will present two colts by him from Great Meadows and Elusive Wonder, the first to be offered as Lot 573 and pictured here.
"We sold a Bernardini colt from Great Meadows at this sale last year to DGR Thoroughbreds for $110,000 and I'm sure this colt will also prove very attractive to buyers as well," said Watson.
"He's a big horse with good bone and stands over plenty of ground, but he's not too heavy and I think he's a horse that will cop a lot of work as he matures and to my eye he'd be a typical Fastnet Rock."
A colt with an important pedigree update is Lot 268, by English Derby winner New Approach (IRE) from Group II placed Subsequential, who is the dam of progressive three year-old Moving Money, winner of the Listed Tasmanian Guineas.
"We've had a number of New Approach horses on the farm including a colt from Sizzie Em that made $250,000 at the Gold Coast and was bought by Darley," said Watson.
"This colt is not as forward as that fellow, but he's similar in that he has lovely length and a great hindquarter on him. He may well run at two, but he's going to furnish into a terrific three year-old."
For more information on the Mill Park draft for Magic Millions contact Chris Watson on 0417838489 or visit http://www.millparkstud.com.au/
