WHAT a difference from one year to the next in the fortunes in racing. She Will Reign won the 2017 the Golden Slipper Stakes and cost her small-time owners a modest $20,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale, an Inglis sale considered its third-tier auction as far as quality.
Last Saturday at Rosehill, the 2018 edition of the world richest race for two-year-olds was won by Estijaab, a filly who cost her wealthy Middle East region owners - His Excellency Nasser Lootah of Emirates Park, Murrurundi, $1.7 million.
Estijaab is a rare racehorse who has actually repaid her owners more than her massive seven figure yearling price.
The second successive Golden Slipper winner sold via an Inglis sale, Estijaab was sold from its breeders Arrowfield Stud and Jungle Pocket Pty Ltd, at Inglis’ most prestigious auction the Australian Easter Yearling Sale, considered the best in the southern hemisphere.
Locally trained by Team Hawkes of John Hawkes and sons Michael and Wayne, Estijaab is a rare racehorse who has actually repaid her owners more than her massive seven figure yearling price, now earning over $2.2m. Estijaab has assured her Arrowfield Stud based sire, Snitzel, to be crowned champion Australian sire for two-year-olds, as well as cementing his unbeatable massive lead to another record-breaking champion Australian sires’ title by earnings this season.
Snitzel also becomes the first sire to have earnings in Australia in excess of $20m in a single season. Fillies finished in the first three placings of the Golden Slipper, Estijaab who defeated Flemington trained Oohood (by I Am Invincible), with the Magic Millions Two-Year-Old Classic winner, Sunlight, third. The latter filly has assured her Northern Meteor sire Zoustar, to take the champion Australian first season sires title for earnings this season.
The first colt home was Victorian prepared favourite Written By (Written Tycoon) and finished well for fourth, with Hinchinbrook filly Seabrook fifth.
In Her Time wins for Smith
AFTER three Group 1 placings, Newcastle prepared In Her Time deservedly won the Group 1 sprint PFD Food The Galaxy on the same program. It was also the first Group 1 success for her conditioner Benjamin Smith.
Another to grace the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale ring (however failed to reach her reserve of $40,000), the mare is by the unfashionable Redoute’s Choice sire Time Thief, who was exported to South Africa in 2015.
However the mare, now a winner of eight races and over $1.8m, comes from the wonderful stakes producing female family line of dams Vista Anna, Supaburn, Steam Heat and now Hell It’s Hot, bred by the late John and Denise Cobcroft formerly of Parraweena Pastoral Company at Willow Tree.
Treble for So You Think
BUYERS looking for a miler/middle distance horse may well look closer at the 14 listed youngsters by So You Think at the forth-coming Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale following the champion galloper’s treble of new stakes winners last weekend.
Gorgeous grey colt D’Argento became the third Group 1 winner for So You Think, when the three-year-old won the Sky Racing Rosehill Guineas over 2000 metres.
Earlier on the Rosehill program, four-year-old So You Think mare The Pinnacle won the 1900 metres Mounties 50th Birthday Epona Stakes-G3.
At Moonee Valley last Friday night Think Bleue – a three-year-old So You Think filly, won the 1600 metres Alexandra Stakes-G3.
Coolmore Stud (home of So You Think) will be offering four So You Think’s progeny at the sale.
and Winx again
BEING at Rosehill last Saturday was fabulous. But the day had a spectacular attraction of the mighty Winx, who won her 17th Group 1 race (George Ryder Stakes), and her 24th win in succession.