Every buyer that arrives at Riverside Stables for Inglis Classic this week would love to take home a horse like Mildred and Grahame and Neville Begg found her in the Middlebrook Valley Lodge draft, so let’s take a look to see what they have on show this year.
Purchased for just $45,000, Mildred is the dream racehorse to train, quick to come to hand with talent to match.
She started three times during the spring for two wins and kicked off her autumn campaign on Saturday winning the Group III MRC Chairmans Stakes at Caulfield taking her prizemoney haul in excess of $240,000.
Verna Metcalfe always believed the Hinchinbrook filly from Tempest Tost had what it took to be a racehorse.
“She was a nice kind filly, not very big, but had a good shoulder and hindquarters,” Metcalfe recalled.
“She was always first to the feeder and loved her food. She was a push button filly to prep with a great attitude and loved her daily routine of out in yard, then on walker and back to hose bay, then back to the box and straight to her feed before a lie down and sleep.
“I actually said to Neville when he asked me what I thought of her I told him I thought she was a runner just a natural.”
That great attitude and willingness to work combined with talent has delivered exactly what a racehorse owner wants so the Middlebrook Valley Lodge draft is a must inspect this week and can be viewed at Barn E Stables 33-37, 43-51.
The draft features 13 yearlings with eight to be offered in the main session listed below with highlights first.
Lot 230 Filly Divine Prophet x Kiss Me Goodbye, by Snitzel
From the first crop of Caulfield Guineas winner Divine Prophet and is the second foal of a two-time winning half-sister to two stakes placed getters. Her first foal, two year-old Stratum filly Dejanova, is a recent trial winner at the Sunshine Coast. This is the immediate family of Group III winner Sweet Deal.
“This filly is an absolute standout and the farm foaled, raised and sold Divine Prophet on behalf of one of our clients so we obviously are very excited about how his progeny perform on the racetrack,” said Metcalfe.
“Divine Prophet’s progeny have sold extraordinarily well thus far both as weanlings and his first yearlings at Magic Millions and Karaka, so hopefully this will flow through to Inglis Classic.”
Lot 335 Colt Cable Bay (IRE) x My Magic Miss NZ), by Mastercaftsman (IRE)
From first Southern Hemisphere bred crop of Group II winner by Invincible Spirit. First foal of 6-time winning multiple stakes placed mare from the immediate family of SW Gold Symphony.
“This is a late maturer bred on a AAA cross as advised by Ric Jamieson - the man responsible for breeding (amongst others) World Champion Sprinter Black Caviar, Champion 3YO and successful sire All Too hard as well as triple Group I winner Jameka,” Metcalfe pointed out.
Lot 18 Filly Extreme Choice x Blazonry, by Spectrum (IRE)
From first crop of the dual Group I winning son of Not A Single Doubt out of a stakes winning mare.
Lot 81 Filly Rubick x Crown Agnes, by Agnes World (USA)
By the same sire as Everest winner Yes Yes Yes and a half-sister to four winners from five to race including stakes placed getter Mayan. This family (particularly further back in the pedigree) has worked extremely well with a strong influence of Northern Dancer so this mating is an interesting one.
Lot 127 Filly Flying Artie x Exceed and Excite, by Exceed and Excel
From the first crop of Group I VRC Coolmore Stud Stakes winner of a five-time winning Exceed and Excel mare.
Lot 244 Colt Press Statement x Lago Joy, by Encosta de Lago
From second crop of dual Group I winner Press Statement, who sired his first winner last week, read about him here. This colt is a half-brother to two winners from two to race including the stakes placed Grand Challenge.
Lot 406 Colt Smart Missile x Real Jazz (IRE), by Marju
By a proven Group I producing sire out of a four-time winning imported mare.
Lot 580 Filly Star Witness x Airways, by General Nediym
By a proven sire out of mare whose two foals to race have already produced the stakes placed Smooth Landing. This is the immediate family of Champagne Cuddles and Violate.
Middlebrook Valley Lodge are also in charge of selling one lot for Retreat Farm catalogued as Lot 24, a filly by Lonhro from stakes-winning Snitzel mare Bouzy Rouge.
“She’s by champion sire out of a stakes winning mare who won 9 races,” Metcalfe said.
“Her first foal to race is placed this season. This is a quality filly from a small family, but they all run. She is out of an outstanding mare.”
