Bott Justify’s $1.3 million price-tag
Armed with Justify’s (Scat Daddy) ruling Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) favourite Storm Boy, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott loaded up again on another colt by the imposing Coolmore shuttler, this time paying $1.3 million for the first living foal out of dual Group 3 winner and Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) runner-up Invincible Star (I Am Invincible).
The trainers’ agent, Kestrel Thoroughbreds’ Bruce Slade, also signed the docket for the Coolmore-consigned colt who was sold as Lot 795.
“We know mum very well and we’re starting to get to know a little bit about the progeny of dad as well with Storm Boy going into the Magic Millions,” Bott said.
“Invincible Star was such a sharp horse, we had her and she won the first time of asking up the straight at Flemington – she was so quick – and we had her lined up for an Everest at one point and she just went down a nose in the Coolmore.
“She was the fastest filly of her generation and we’ve seen what Justify is starting to do down here, so it seemed a nice mix and he was a nice physical.”
Purchased by Coolmore for $1.45 million at the 2019 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, the former Waterhouse and Bott-trained Invincible Star is a close relation to the stakes-winning filly Festivity.
US Triple Crown winner Justify is the sire of five individual stakes winners in Australia with just two crops of racing age. Last season’s Group 2-winning juvenile Learning To Fly and Group 3-winning duo Air Assault and Storm Boy are among his best southern hemisphere-bred performers so far.
“Justify is doing a phenomenal job worldwide, in America, Europe, and we’re starting to see that success down here in Australia,” Bott said.
“It helps you be confident and go in strong on those horses.”
Farnan fever hits the Coast
Waterhouse and Bott also paid $1.2 million for a colt by their Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Farnan (Not A Single Doubt) who was bred by Bell River Thoroughbreds, a small farm that produces big results.
The Ferguson family’s Lower Hunter Valley farm certainly delivered on their motto, selling their first million-dollar yearling after two decades in the breeding industry and the occasion was not lost on James Ferguson.
It was also an important milestone for the $1.2 million colt’s 2020 Slipper-winning sire, the high-profile acquisition also signalled Kia Ora’s return as a major commercial stallion operation under the ownership of Malaysian billionaire Ananda Krishnan.
“I’m standing here with dad [Andrew] but I’ve got a younger brother [Jock] who led the horse through. He’s just down at the barn with the horse,” James Ferguson said.
“We wouldn’t be able to do it without the three of us and we all know that [my mother] Georgie was part of the business at one stage as well. It’s been a 20-year journey to get to this. It’s just phenomenal to be here.
“The other thing is, we’ve got an outstanding team at home and we’re going to have a big party with them when we get home. It’s surreal to be here as a commercial breeder because this game is so hard.”
Farnan’s trainers combined with Kia Ora and a partnership the stable put together to support the first crop of their Golden Slipper winner. In order to leave the sale with the colt, they had to fight off strong competition from Newgate Farm’s Henry Field, while Gandharvi Racing’s Michael Wallace placed the unsuccessful $1 million bid.
The high-priced colt is the second foal of the Ferguson’s The Galaxy (Gr 1, 1100m) winner I Am Excited (Snitzel), herself from a family that features star mare Atlantic Jewel (Fastnet Rock) and stakes winner Flippant (Hinchinbrook) whose I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) filly made $750,000 on Thursday. I Am Excited’s first foal is a filly by Lonhro (Octagonal).
“It’s no real surprise where he fell in the market because he’s out of a very well-performed mare and there’s some great breeding lines through both sides of the family,” Bott said.
“He’s what you’d really hope to see Farnan stamp in his progeny and he’s one of the best examples we could see and hope for.”
Bott revealed the stable had canvassed partners about going into yearlings by Farnan well in advance of the Magic Millions sale given the faith he and Waterhouse have in the stallion’s credentials.
“Obviously we have so much belief in him with his profile at stud and we knew his ability as a racehorse. He was our last Golden Slipper-winning colt and it’s a great indicator for their success at stud,” he said.
“In his first year we wanted to support the stallion, try and find the best way to do that and with Kia Ora standing him, they wanted to back that concept and help do that, so there was an idea going into the sale that we would be to do that.”
Bell River bred and sold the now super sire Extreme Choice as a yearling and the Fergusons showed their faith in Farnan.
“We believe he is the best son of Not A Single Doubt to have ever gone to stud,” James Ferguson said.
“We worked out he was the best physical mating for that mare. We love that Not A Single Doubt sireline and we think if there is one horse that is going to carry Redoute’s Choice line into the future, this bloke could be it.”
Bell River’s previous highest-priced yearling was an Extreme Choice colt sold for $775,000 at the 2022 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Moody considering Espionage with Snitzel filly
Peter Moody doesn’t train leading Golden Slipper contender Espionage (Zoustar), but after paying $1.4 million for the exciting colt’s half-sister he has every reason to cheer him on in the Group 1 in March.
Moody and training partner Katherine Coleman – along with their Merson Cooper Stakes (Listed, 1000m) winner Eneeza’s (Exceed And Excel) co-owner Tony Fung Investments – signed for the Baramul Stud-consigned filly by Arrowfield’s four-time champion sire, Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice).
Bred by retail king Gerry Harvey, she is a sibling to this season’s Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) winner Espionage, the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Golden Slipper-bound two-year-old who is owned by James Harron’s colts partnership.
“It was too much money but we hope she can run and justify it. The medium-sized Snitzels are generally the runners and she is a half to a Breeders’ Plate winner,” Moody said.
“This filly has the attributes that we’d like to think she’ll be going around in those early two-year-old races as well in the hope that we might have her back up here next year. She paraded terrifically out the back. It got a bit warm out there and great to see their attitude when they’re presented to a foreign environment and she coped with it really well.
“It doesn’t make them run but it makes you feel better, particularly when you have to pay that amount for them.”
The well-bred filly is the fourth foal out of three-time winner In Times Of War (Street Cry), herself a daughter of 2010 Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Military Rose (General Nediym).