She’s in Control Breaks Maiden 13 May 2005
We were pleased to see talented filly SHE’S IN CONTROL (2003 Inglis Premier $70,000) shake off maiden status with a good win at Gosford last Thursday.
Resuming from a long lay-off, having not raced since an even debut run last July, She’s in Control put in a terrific effort and should now be able to realize the ability she has always shown. Physical immaturity was the main factor holding her back in the past, but with a patient approach her trainer Gary Portelli will seek to take her through the grades this preparation.
Purchased for $70,000 from the 2003 Premier Yearling Sale in Melbourne, She’s in Control is by under-rated sire Perugino (USA) from the Bletchingly mare Jade Court, whose three-quarter sister Concise is the dam of this season’s smart two year old stakes-winner Blizzardly.
A nice pedigree update and an all-important race win, can’t ask for more than that!
More BOBS Money for Chaud Roche 13 May 2005
Our great little filly Chaud Roche (2003 Inglis Classic $28,000) won again at Warwick Farm last Wednesday and full credit to trainer Gary Portelli who has really got this filly firing with three wins from her last four starts.
Last Wednesday she beat colts and geldings to take out another Class Three event and will now progress to an open two year old race at Royal Randwick this Saturday.
Chaud Roche has won over $70,000 in prizemoney including some $25,000 worth of BOBS bonus payments.
It’s excellent money if you can get it and when buying a yearling that you know will be racing here in Sydney, it is certainly a factor that cannot be ignored, particularly for horses in the lower price range.
They can just about pay for themselves with one good Saturday bonus and while you’ll always buy a horse that you like whether it is BOBS eligible or not, I’m sure you will enjoy the horse a whole lot more on race day when those BOBS bonuses start rolling in.
Irish Darling a Nice Surprise 13 May 2005
Last month at the Australian Select Broodmare Sale we bought a mare called Dragon Maiden for long time client, Bill Betar. She was a Group Three winner in New Zealand as a two year old and was offered with a positive test to Royal Academy (USA) in her first season at stud, so at $37,500 I thought she was good buying.
The pedigree was nice enough, but nothing new looked to be coming through of any real note and while I saw there was a three year old filly by Ivory’s Irish, Irish Darling, in the second dam, I confess she did not generate any great excitement in me at all.
Imagine my surprise when Irish Darling wins the SAJC Australasian Oaks Gr 1 last Saturday and here we have just bought Dragon Maiden, a Group Three winning half-sister to the dam of a Group One winner for $37,500. Now I know she was good buying!
Agility Scores Again in Hong Kong 13 May 2005
Talented Hong Kong galloper Agility added to his already impressive record when he scored an easy win in the Class Two event at Sha Tin last Saturday.
Agility was originally purchased by Justin Drake for $6,000 from the 2002 Scone Yearling Sale, before we purchased him from Justin for $45,000 on behalf of Hong Kong based clients following an impressive trial win at Newcastle.
His pedigree is nothing flash being by Langfuhr (Can), a handy but unfashionable sire, from Malayo Girl, a minor winner by Molokai Prince. But if you go back a bit, he is from a great winning family and my clients were after an inexpensive horse with proven ability, so he fitted the bill perfectly.
Agility has been a great horse for his new owners, the Rotary Club of Sha Tin Syndicate, winning six races and $HK3.6 million ($645,662) from 18 starts under the care of astute trainer Sean Woods.
Fillies in Fine Form 27 April 2005
STYLISH BOW (2003 Inglis Easter $400,000) gave her rivals a caning at Royal Randwick on Saturday, clearing out to take a fillies Class Six event by four and a half lengths.
A lovely athletic daughter of Danehill (USA), she has now all three starts earning $56,550 and will now be set for a Black type assignment.
Bargain priced filly Chaud Roche (2004 Classic $28,000) landed her second win when scoring at the Kensington track on Anzac Day. The Gary Portelli trained filly is as honest as they come and when things go her way she is always hard to beat.
Chaud Roche has provided a great introduction to racing for first time owners Adam Frith, Ben Hindmarsh and Anthony Swain, who are among the filly’s nine lucky owners. It seems that whenever we include first timers in a new syndicate, the result is a sure fire winner!
Chaud Roche has been out of the money only once in six starts and with two valuable BOBS bonuses, her prizemoney tally is nearing $50,000.
Her sire Beautiful Crown (USA) continues to do a great job for Alanbridge Stud and his stock are out there winning races every day of the week. He gets his share of stakes horses such as Group One winner In Top Swing and he is certainly a sire whose progeny are great value at the sales.
Chaud Roche has pulled up in good order and the intention is to go around again on Wednesday week in similar grade.
Vin Cox Bloodstock has moved 29 April 2005
The new headquarters of Vin Cox Bloodstock are at:
Level 1, 5 Jersey Rd
Woollahra NSW 2025
The new phone numbers are:
Direct:(2) 9328 5755
P +61 (2) 9328 5788
F +61 (2) 9328 5255
Promising Fillies Go Two for Two 18 April 2005
Promising fillies Bahia (2004 Magic Million $250,000) and STYLISH BOW (2003 Inglis Easter $400,000) made it two for two when successful in Sydney last week, prompting their trainer Gai Waterhouse to declare the pair as having the potential to measure up to Black Type company in coming weeks.
The Snippets filly Bahia toyed with her opposition at Rosehill on Saturday and looks an ideal candidate for the rich juvenile events to be contested during the Brisbane winter carnival. A ready-made racehorse, she has a lovely pedigree and is worth every penny of her $250,000 purchase price.
Stylish Bow graduated easily to a midweek fillies event after opening her career with an impressive maiden win at Kembla. The three year old Danehill (USA) filly is likely to aim up at a Saturday class race in Sydney, before plans to tackle Black Type company are finalized.
Both fillies were purchased for my good client George Altomonte and we are delighted with their progress and achievements to date.
Altomonte has enjoyed great success with Waterhouse, through top class fillies Hasna and Wager, so we can only hope Bahia and Stylish Bow can keep up the good work.
Opportunities Abound at Keeneland Two-year-olds in Training Sale 12th April, 2005
The 2005 April Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale will be conducted at Keeneland next Tuesday (April 19th), featuring an exciting catalogue of 262 primed young thoroughbreds ready to run.
“It’s a terrific catalogue on paper and judging by the times recorded at the breeze-up session yesterday, there will be some very smart horses on offer,” said Vin Cox, Keeneland's Australasian representative.
Shuttle sires well known to the local market with progeny on show include: Belong to Me (USA), Brahms (USA), Elusive Quality (USA), Fantastic Light (USA), Fusaichi Pegasus (USA), Giant’s Causeway (USA), Hennessy (USA), King Cugat (USA), More Than Ready (USA), Red Ransom (USA), Stravinsky (USA), Tale of the Cat (USA), Thunder Gulch (USA), etc.
“The median price at this sale last year was $US135,000, so there will be plenty of nice horses going through that will not cost a fortune,” said Cox.
“The middle market at this sale invariably provides some great buying, with many opportunities to secure well bred colts that have already shown they can run.”
Cox highlighted Lot 82, by Danzig from the A.P. Indy mare Nuts in May; and Lot 14, by Pivotal from Grisonnante (Fr), as two likely colts, which could retain excellent re-sale value as potential stud prospects.
Filly buyers should also take note, with a good selection of beautifully bred fillies featuring internationally recognized pedigrees.
Breeze-up videos can be viewed at http://www.keeneland.com/livesales/workout_videos.asp.
For full results and coverage of the sale log on to www.keeneland.com
Brilliant Debut Win for Bahia 6 April 2005
Smart filly BAHIA (2004 Magic Millions $220,000) confirmed the promise shown in two recent barrier trial wins when she thrashed a field of Class Three two year old fillies at Canterbury on Wednesday. Leading
throughout, Bahia looked an exciting prospect in the making as she shook off all challengers to win by more than four lengths.
Prepared by Gai Waterhouse for George Altomonte, Bahia waspurchased at the Magic Millions Yearling Sale last year for $220,000. She is from the last crop of yearlings by outstanding sire Snippets and her dam Miss Prospect, a stakes-winning mare by Rory’s Jester, is the dam of stakes-winner Consular and stakes-placed Melbourne mare Annie La Vie.
She has a lovely pedigree and judging by this win, it will be no surprise to see her earn a trip north for the Brisbane winter carnival
Stylish Bow and Chaud Roche Strike Winning Form 6 April 2005
Gai Waterhouse and George Altomonte also combined to win with the regally bred Danehill (USA) filly STYLISH BOW (2003 Inglis Easter $400,000), which scored impressively on debut at Kembla Grange. The filly has been given all the time in the world by Waterhouse and with maturity she looks like realizing the ability she has shown on the training track.
A $400,000 purchase from Easter, Stylish Bow is the second foal of the Zabeel mare Satin ‘n’ Silk (NZ), a sister to stakes-winning mares Sybeel and Chamoix. It’s a real “classic” type New Zealand family and Stylish Bow should easily handle journeys far longer than her first up 1200 metre win.
Consistent filly CHAUD ROCHE (2004 Inglis Classic $28,000) broke through for a well-deserved win at Hawkesbury after a couple of luckless runs. The Gary Portelli trained filly ran a terrific race on debut back in January, when narrowly beaten into third place behind Beauty Watch and Paulini at Warwick Farm, then was knocked from pillar to post after drawing wide in the $300,000 Inglis Classic.
The Beautiful Crown (USA) filly hasn’t put a foot wrong since then and her syndicate of owners were delighted with her first win and being a BOBS filly she picked up an extra $5,000 in prizemoney for her efforts as well. All going well, Chaud Roche will tackle metropolitan company at her next assignment.
2005 Inglis Easter Purchases 6 April 2005
The 2005 Australian Easter Yearling Sale broke all records achieving a mind-blowing aggregate of $90 million, while the average held solid from the previous year rising slightly to finish at $207,663. There is no doubt that Easter is Australasia’s number one yearling sale and with eight individual million dollar horses changing hands, the strength at top end of the market was phenomenal.
The demand for the progeny of Redoute’s Choice exceeded all expectation and this young stallion would appear to have the world at his feet. Sales
2005 Australian Select Broodmare Sale Purchases 6 April 2005
The overwhelming success of the Australian Easter Yearling Sale rolled smoothly into the Select Broodmare Sale with more record figures and a very bullish market. All indications for the local industry seem extremely positive and the previously much feared “future without Danehill (USA)” is looking pretty rosy to say the least.
