Well known NSW breeder Ian Smith of Edinburgh Park was one of the first breeding industry participants to take a meaningful public stance on what happens to horses after racing, announcing on the ABC’s 7.30 program that all horses carrying his brand can always come home and that brand will be seen to advantage at the Gold Coast at the 2020 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
Edinburgh Park have a first class reputation for producing top quality racehorses including world champion sprinter Silent Witness, stakes-winners such as Bull Point, Amovatio, Sister Madly, Dances on Waves and this season’s two year-old stakes-winner Tanker, the first stakes-winner for first season sire Pride of Dubai.
Add to that list of past graduates current promising stakes horses such as exciting filly Rubisaki, War Memorial, Lady Naturaliste and progressive gelding Eleven Eleven, who has been stakes-placed at his last two starts behind boom three year-old Alligator Blood and heads to the $2million Magic Millions 3YO Guineas.
Also keep an eye on recent Saturday metropolitan winners Spencer, Chicago Cub and Alburq, whose half-brother by Vancouver will be offered by Edinburgh Park at Magic Millions as Lot 283.
The IKS brand is well recognized at yearling sales around the country with their boutique drafts always much admired and highly prized for their consistent level of elite racetrack success.
However, when the racing part of their career is over, Ian Smith offers all of his horses a safety net for the future.
"Any horse that is carrying our brand, we price guarantee $1000 when they appear in later life at future sales which rules out a knackery or any abattoir purchasing a horse bred by Edinburgh Park,” Smith said.
"It's an initiative that I thought long and hard about, and I wanted to do something for the longevity of not just my business, but the industry as a whole.
"The welfare of the horse matters most and that's why Edinburgh Park has been so successful - because the horse comes first, and always has."
Click here to see the full draft of 13 yearlings for MM 2020 and below are highlights from the first two sessions.
Lot 93 Filly Air Force Blue (USA) x Angora, by Barathea (IRE)
Half-sister to stakes-winner Canali and stakes-placed Vilayet. A well-balanced filly by an exciting first season sire in Champion 2YO Air Force Blue. This filly has all the making of a quality racemare with great residual value after racing.
Lot 123 Colt Written Tycoon x Becerra, by Al Maher
From G1 placed stakes-winner Becerra. This colt is muscle on muscle. A good loose walking colt that looks like a runner. He has a pedigree deep in black type and includes G1 winners First Seal and Episode. This pedigree keeps developing with current spring carnival G3 winner Teleplay emerging and interesting to note she is by this colt’s sire Written Tycoon. He is a colt with purpose and pedigree.
Lot 181 Filly Winning Rupert x Choix de Maia (NZ), by Choisir
A quality filly by the very fast first season sire Winning Rupert. This filly is a big walker and has a pedigree to match. She is out of G3 placed Choisir mare Choix De Maia (NZ), a half-sister to current stakes winning mare Naantali. The Written Tycoon/Choisir works well and has produced seven winners from seven runners!
Lot 208 Colt Hinchinbrook x Cristalina Lago, by Encosta de Lago
This colt stands over ground and has a page to match his stature. From the last crop of ill-fated G1 sire Hinchinbrook, this colt is the first foal of city winning Encosta de Lago mare Cristalina Lago, who comes from the sire producing family that has given us Northern Meteor and Smart Missile. This colt is worth inspection and could be the next Hong Kong Champion like Hinchinbrook’s Beat the Clock.
Lot 283 Colt Vancouver x Euro hic, by Dehere (USA)
A half-brother to smart stakes-placed metro winner Alburq, this colt is a quality son of promising sire and Golden Slipper winner Vancouver. This colt has presence and looks like a 2yo runner as his pedigree indicates coming from the family of Golden Slipper winner Bint Marscay. When you have a Golden Slipper winner on the top and bottom of the page it usually means early speed. A colt that tick all the boxes.
Lot 393 Filly Capitalist x Icy Mist, by Al Maher
A lovely filly that has thrived in preparation, she is a big, strong daughter of Champion 2YO and Golden Slipper winner Capitalist. Her pedigree is packed with black type performers including G1 winners Missy’s Mirage, Classy Mirage and Indian Skimmer. One of only two grey entries by Capitalist, she is a filly that will impress.
Lot 486 Colt Star Witness x Loveitt, by Sebring
A colt by the ever-consistent stallion Star Witness, he stands over ground and will be a 3YO type. He is the first foal of multiple city winning Sebring mare Loveitt, a full sister to G3 winner Shoko and half-sister to quality stakes winners Mimi Lebrock and Heavenly Thought. This colt should be a must to inspect.
See the draft at Stable I 14 – 20, J 8 – 13
