Yarradale Stud launched its consignment of 29 yearlings to the Perth Magic Millions with an unprecedented winning streak at Ascot in November and December.
The Gidgegannup nursery produced 6 individual stakes winners last year which was second only to Peters Investments (9) in WA. And 2019 climaxed with a summer carnival to remember for owner Ron Sayers and his team led by stud manager Bernie Hamill.
Day 1 of the TABtouch Masters saw Yarradale claim the G2 WA Guineas with homebred colt War Saint (War Chant). Electric Light (Vital Equine) chimed in with a Listed victory in the Jungle Mist Classic and they were joined in support-races by Harry Thomas (Scandal Keeper) and Downforce (Snippetson).
Missile Launch (Smart Missile) won the LR Tattersalls Cup on Day 2 of the TABtouch Masters to complete a treble for Yarradale following the wins of Guns Of Navarone (War Chant) and Prince Turbo (Vital Equine).
Dance Music (War Chant) continued the successful run after a black-type placing in the LR Jungle Mist Classic. She doubled up in the Mandurah Cup and Australia Day Trophy during January and will now be set for the Pinjarra Classic (February 23) and Bunbury Stakes (March 4).
Champion stallion War Chant (USA) has 13 yearlings from Yarradale at the Perth Magic Millions on February 17 and 18 commencing with the colt out of Diamonds'n'dreams (Lot 5) who is the image of his sire.
The War Chant - La Rochelle colt (Lot 50) is a half-brother to the dam of G2 Danehill Stakes winner Dalasan who is one of the favourites for the G1 Australian Guineas later this month.
Another colt that will attract local and interstate buyers is the half-brother to G1 Kingsford-Smith Cup winner Clearly Innocent (Lot 75). He’s a November foal and Hamill can see him blooming as a three year-old.
War Chant’s colt from Rokeby’s Witch (Lot 92) is a younger brother to Witchfulthinking who made $120,000 at the 2018 Perth Magic Millions. “He’s taller and more solid than her with plenty of scope to keep developing,” Hamill said. “He’s also closely related to Delicacy.”
Witchfulthinking is trained by Andrew Noblet who won a G1 William Reid Stakes with War Chant mare Silent Sedition. A promising 3yo filly, she won a Wangaratta nursery last season before an on-pace placing at Flemington.
Yarradale sire Bradbury’s Luck has Keep Your Feet and Gracienne lining up in the RL Magic Millions 2YO Classic (1200m) at Pinjarra this Saturday and they both graduated out of Book 2 at the 2019 Magic Millions.
The depth of Perth’s second-tier sale is borne out by 11 of the 16 starters emerging from Book 2 last year.
Yarradale sold Valour Road for $60,000 from Book 2 in 2017 and he’s won $967,000 for trainer Simon Miller and a large syndicate that includes Sayers.
“Simon liked Keep Your Feet last year and bought him for $30,000,” Hamill said. “It was a good run behind Gemma’s Son first-up and the winner is a very smart colt.”
Keep Your Feet and Gracienne are members of Bradbury’s Luck’s first crop in WA. The Redoute’s Choice sire transferred from Queensland soon after his Group 1 star Luckygray was named WA Horse of the Year.
Among his Day 2 entrants is the filly from Elusive Quality mare Born Princess (Lot 316) who is a direct descendant of champion broodmare Born Rich (Beau Sovereign). Her second dam Born Priceless won a Karrakatta Plate in Yarradale’s colours and Born Princess won at Moonee Valley for Team Hawkes.
“She’s a filly with a great temperament,” Hamill reports. “Big, forward and robust with obvious residual value.”
Fellow Yarradale sire Gingerbread Man (Shamardal) has 8 yearlings entered for the Perth Magic Millions and his stocks continued to rise after the summer carnival with Coming Around completing an Ascot hat-trick on February 1.
Coming Around’s owner-breeder Paul Ramsay and co-trainer Grant Williams will look for a Listed event before turning him out for a spell. Ramsay continues to support Gingerbread Man and has Belmont winner Pattie Me Lass (Lords A Leaping) in foal to him this season.
Gingerbread Man 3yo Red Can Man had earned a Group 2 placing in the WA Guineas while Achernar Star finished fourth in the G1 Railway Stakes before transferring to Lindsey Smith’s satellite stable in Victoria.
Gingerbread Man is also the sire of last-start Caulfield winner Ginger Jones and his Singapore-based mare Gingerella has worked her way into Group company after 4 wins in 8 starts for owner Joe Singh and trainer Michael Clements.
Singh raced Gingerbread Man to Championship honours as a 2YO and 3YO in Singapore before retiring him to Yarradale Stud.
The first Gingerbread Man to parade in the Swan Valley is the half-brother to Mizlecki (Lot 65). “He prepping well and is a strong, stocky type,” Hamill said. “That’s typical of the family.”
Mizlecki (5m Lope de Vega - Miss Strezelecki by Al Maher) fractured a pastern early in her career but has recovered to win four stakes races in Perth. Sayers had raced her second-dam Magdalena in partnership and was out-voted when she was sold as a broodmare prospect to the Hunter Valley.
He tapped back into the family buying Miss Strezelecki in foal to Lope de Vega for just $8,000 at the 2014 Inglis Sydney Broodmare Sale.
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