Another fruitful week for Cambridge Stud with a new stakes-winner for young sire Embellish, a timely catalogue update for a Karaka 2025 yearling and the little sister of exciting shuttler Chaldean (GB) setting a new European record price for a filly foal sold at auction
Progressive filly Hitabell credited her stallion Embellish with his latest black-type success when she proved in a league of her own at Wanganui.
The three-year-old headed south from her Cambridge base for the Listed The O’Leary’s Fillies’ Stakes and produced a top performance to become our resident sire’s third stakes winner.
The Stephen Marsh-trained Hitabell was quickly into stride to cross the field and lead from a wide barrier.
Jockey Courtney Barnes urged her clear into the straight and she held a strong gallop for her second victory from four appearances.
“She pinged the gates and travelled really nicely and kicked very well,” Barnes said.
“We did get a couple of soft sectionals which helped and at the top of the straight I knew she’d be hard to beat.”
Marsh said the G2 Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day was now a likely target.
“She’s a really nice filly. She won very well on debut, then had those couple of runs at Ellerslie and was probably unlucky not to win one of them, and now she’s come out and led all the way in a black-type race.
Hitabell is a daughter of the late Stravinsky mare Anahita, whose last foal is a juvenile filly also by Embellish, and she was a half-sister to the multiple Group 2 winner and Group 1 placegetter Shikoba.
The full sister to our exciting young sire Chaldean equalled the record price for a foal sold in Europe when fetching 2.5million guineas for Whitsbury Manor Stud at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale where she was bought by Amo Racing.
“The Queen of the Show” was how Tattersalls auctioneer Alastair Pim introduced the Frankel filly from Suelita to the packed sales ring, and she duly exceeded even the loftiest of expectations at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale when selling for a European record 2.5million guineas. The price equalled that set at the 1997 Tattersalls December Foal Sale when the brother to Derby winner GENEROUS set the previous benchmark.
The opening bid of 1million guineas by Philipp Stauffenberg gave an indication of the firepower to come, with bidding eventually narrowing down to a prolonged exchange of bids between trainer Paddy Twomey and Amo Racing’s Kia Joorabchian, with the latter offering the record-equalling final bid following a phone call. It is the highest price ever achieved by a filly foal in Europe, eclipsing the 1.8million guineas for subsequent Group I winner MY TYPHOON at the Tattersalls December Foal Sale in 2002.
Bloodstock agent Alex Elliott commented: "What is there to say? We have spent 2.5 million on an own-sister to a Classic winner and I think we have made a good move, and it is a brave statement of intent by Kia. To have come as he did into the yearling sales was one thing, but to continue it into the foals, it is a really good sign moving forward with a long-term aim.
"I was willing Kia to make that last bid, he had to make a phone call - he said that he had to phone a friend! I said don't ask the audience! I was willing him along, I am over the moon - such horses are so very hard to buy. The mare is unbelievable, the farm is unbelievable, the sire is unbelievable... she is a lovely filly."
Sea Poem provided a significant pedigree update to a youngster in our draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s upcoming National Yearling Sale. We bred the daughter of Pierata, who was an impressive debut winner at Geelong and her half-brother by Sword Of State will be offered as Lot 223 at Karaka.
The Ben, JD and Will Hayes-trained Sea Poem was sent out favourite in her 1200 metre assignment and the money proved on the mark with the filly a comfortable winner under Blake Shinn.
“Blake found a nice spot for her and I could see she was travelling really well on the corner,” stable representative Rahis Baig said.
“It was a good result, we’re very happy and she’s a beautiful looking filly.”
Sea Poem settled in fourth spot before she improved wide near the turn and held a strong gallop to score after hitting the front 300metres from home.
“She did everything right and I presented her a bit early when the pace came out of the race and she did a good job,” Shinn said.
Sea Poem was purchased for A$160,000 by Lindsay Park and Jamie McCalmont out of our draft at the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.
She is the second winner for the Street Cry mare Prose Poem, who was purchased on our behalf by agent John Foote for 65,000gns at the Tattersalls Mares’ Sale.
A sister to multiple stakes winner Fencing, she is a daughter of the G1 Frenck Oaks winner Latice and the family of dual Group 1winner and sire Lawman.
Prose Poem produced another colt by Sword Of State last season before visiting our new stallion Chaldean.
