Choice colt set to ignite Extreme bidding battle at Easter
With the demand for Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) far outweighing what he is capable of supplying, Newgate Farm have cleverly cornered the market on his progeny at this week’s Inglis Easter Yearling Sale but there is one outlier whose breeder and consignor believe will captivate the auditorium.
Considering the scarcity of such a premium product buyers will be circling Lot 26, the third foal – and second colt – produced by dual stakes winner Pretty Brazen (Brazen Beau), who raced with distinction in the Huddy family’s colours for co-trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy.
Having failed to conceive last year, the mare’s transition to the breeding barn hasn’t all been smooth sailing but her successful mating with Extreme Choice marks the high point of the nine-year-old’s post-racing career given her suitor’s well-documented fertility challenges.
Only a small coterie of mares are selected to go on a date with Extreme Choice each year, but fortunately Graham and Linda Huddy own a share in the generational talent which granted them access to the Hunter Valley’s most exclusive club.
The resulting colt spent his formative months in Queensland at Peachester Lodge, the Huddy family’s farm in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, before making the journey south to Lime Country Thoroughbreds where co-owners Greg and Jo Griffin applied the finishing polish ahead of his official unveiling at Inglis’ Riverside Stables complex.
The bay colt will be the first Extreme Choice cab off the rank, with the Newgate nine then set to follow his lead and, while the early trading can occasionally be slow to pick up, his princely pedigree should ensure fireworks at approximately 11.45am on Sunday morning.
“Extreme Choice obviously doesn’t have many foals each year so we’re absolutely delighted to be able to offer one of his colts, especially at such a prestigious sale as Easter,” Linda Huddy told ANZ News.
“When we got confirmation that our mare was pregnant, it was an amazing feeling and it’s felt like a long wait since then to bring him to this sale. Pretty Brazen is a beautiful mare and the colt has inherited traits from the sire and the dam, so he’s a nice blend of both. He moves really well and he looks pretty fast to me but Extreme Choice can do anything with his progeny, so there’s a chance he’ll get over a bit of ground in time – but we’ll leave that up to whoever buys him.
“Everyone here on the farm loved him and Greg and Jo at Lime Country have a good opinion of him, but we’ll just have to let the market decide what he’s worth. Our main hope, as with all our yearlings, is that he finds a good home. At any other sale you might be a bit wary of him going through the ring so early on the first morning, but at Easter I don’t think it makes a difference because there will be buyers from all over the world ready to bid on the right horse.”
The timing for Peachester Lodge’s other Easter offering may be more consequential, however, with the potential value placed on their Per Incanto (Street Cry) colt set to increase should his half-sister Quintessa (Shamus Award) claim her third Group 1 in Saturday’s New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes over the mile.
Quintessa started life at the family lodge before she was sold to Te Akau Racing for $170,000 at the 2022 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, and if the mare can justify co-favouritism under Opie Bosson in the feature race at Trentham, her principal owner David Ellis may be tempted to reinvest some of his winnings on Lot 252.
That is certainly the Huddys’ hope although ironically Per Incanto might spoil the Quintessa party, with his daughters Marotiri Molly and Bedtime Story both among her Breeders Stakes rivals. But regardless of the result on Saturday, Linda Huddy is convinced the colt’s innate athleticism – allied to his stallion’s pedigree – should ensure that he stands out from the crowd.
“He was quite a late foal but he’s matured and developed into a lovely colt,” she told ANZ News.
“As with all late foals he’s still got plenty of growing to do, but I’m sure the buyers can look past that and see the potential he’s got. Hopefully David [Ellis] will take a good look at him after the success Te Akau have had with Quintessa. It would be a bonus if she can win another Group 1 before the colt goes through the ring, but we’re pretty hopeful he’ll be popular anyway because of the dam’s record and Per Incanto’s recent results.”
Those sentiments were readily echoed by Jo Griffin, the New Zealand native who in conjunction with her husband and fellow Kiwi Greg has owned and operated Lime Country, in the Hunter Valley region, for the past five years.
The boutique Blandford operation has already achieved some spectacular results so far this season, with a 100 per cent clearance rate headlined by the $800,000 sale of their Anamoe (Street Boss) filly to Sheamus Mills on the Gold Coast in January.
But with eight lots by eight different sires up for auction at the Easter Sale, including offerings by esteemed stallions Too Darn Hot (Dubawi), Ole Kirk (Written Tycoon) and Frankel (Galileo), they look to have saved the best for last.
“We think there’s something for everyone in our Easter draft,” Jo Griffin told ANZ News.
“We’ve got a lovely mix of colts and fillies by eight amazing stallions, so there should be yearlings to suit all tastes and budgets. Some of the bigger syndicates have held off this year and kept some money in the kitty to have a red-hot crack at the colts on sale at Easter, so hopefully they’re keeping a close eye on our draft.
“We pride ourselves on our placement, and whether we’re planning a mating, buying a mare in foal or preparing a horse for the sales, we’re always thinking about who our buyers might be. We’ve already had a very successful sales season, but this week is like our grand final. It’s been a big build-up, but hopefully all the hard work has been worth it and we can get some great results for our clients.”
Lime Country’s joint top sellers at this sale last year were their Home Affairs (I Am Invincible) filly and their colt by Fierce Impact (Deep Impact), who sold for $400,000 apiece.
Given the quality which runs right through their 2026 draft, there is a very good chance that figure will be exceeded this year but Griffin is also adamant that buyers with slightly shallower pockets can locate value at the lower end of the market, provided they are prepared to look hard enough for it.
“Some of the colts at Easter will always go for huge money, and the average price can sometimes scare people off, but there is value to be found at this sale and I think sometimes buyers can miss out on getting a bit of a bargain here,” she told ANZ News.
“We sold Sunlight Power for $150,000 at this sale in 2021, he’s since gone on to win plenty of races and been placed at Group 1 level in Hong Kong. Gangster Granny is another one, we sold her for $240,000 three years ago and she’s won a couple of stakes races, so it just goes to show that you don’t have to pay big money to get the results on the track.
“We always want to get the highest possible price for our horses but you also have to be realistic with the market, and fortunately our clients are aligned with our approach. If you want to sell a yearling we’ve got a very good track record, but if you want to pass your horse in then there are plenty of other options out there for you. The farm is our only source of income, so we live and die by the sword and we need to keep the tools very sharp.”