Divine Derby intervention for Sacred Eagle
Wilde’s staying three-year-old to tackle Group 1 for Tasmanian breeder
Armidale Stud has experienced a turbulent month with a touch-and-go battle to save its stakes-producing broodmare God Bless Us (Flying Spur).
Fortunately, things have taken a turn for the better in recent weeks and David Whishaw, the principal of the Tasmanian stud, hopes Saturday’s Victoria Derby (Gr 1, 2500m) can continue the upward spiral when God Bless Us’ son Sacred Eagle (Alpine Eagle) runs in the three-year-old staying contest.
By Armidale Stud’s resident stallion and Tasmania’s reigning champion sire Alpine Eagle (High Chaparral), Sacred Eagle is trained at Warrnambool by Symon Wilde who prepared him to win his maiden over 1860 metres at Kyneton prior to a fourth in the Geelong Classic (Listed, 2200m) on October 25.
There is stamina in Sacred Eagle’s pedigree with his half-brother, the Cornwall Park-based stallion Soul Patch (Shamus Award), winning the 2019 Moonee Valley Vase (Gr 2, 2040m) prior to backing up the following week to run third in the VRC Derby behind Warning (Declaration Of War) and Southern Moon (Puissance De Lune).
Trained by Ken Keys, Soul Patch would race just twice more, finishing third to Alligator Blood (All Too Hard) in the 2020 Australian Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) before injury curtailed his career.
Their dam God Bless Us has also produced the Keys-trained stakes-placed Indictment (Street Boss).
Whishaw said God Bless Us “has been a bloody good mare to us” and that “we nearly lost her post-foaling this year”.
“I guess it has been a bit of an emotional rollercoaster with her over the last couple of weeks with post-foaling complications,” Whishaw said.
“She was booked to go to Russian Revolution this year, which would have bred a very close relation to Soul Patch.
“Sadly, she won’t be bred this year, but she’s been a great mare for us, not only producing Soul Patch but Indictment as well and this guy [Sacred Eagle] looks like a progressive, promising stayer.
“He is not an early maturing type and he definitely looks like he’s going to need ground. It’s nice to see Alpine Eagle get another runner in a Group 1 race.”
Wilde paid $70,000 for Sacred Eagle at the 2022 Magic Millions Tasmanian Sale and he went on to run third at the Warrnambool May carnival as a juvenile, finishing behind subsequent stakes performers Scentify (Justify) and Loose On Gin (Turn Me Loose).
“I thought he was an outstanding colt and Symon picked him up very reasonably at $70,000,” Whishaw said.
“I thought he could have easily demanded more than that, although he was a horse who needed time and a patient trainer and he found a great young trainer in Symon and he’s given him the time he needs.
“Hopefully he can go on and give Symon a big thrill on the weekend.”
God Bless Us, meanwhile, is improving, largely thanks to veterinarian Dr Isabel Collier.
The 15-year-old mare gave birth to a strapping Shamus Award colt on October 3.
“We are lucky in that we’ve put on a resident vet this year, Isabelle Collier, and she’s been instrumental in keeping her alive, so we are lucky to have her as part of the team and be able to give her the around-the-clock care that she needed,” Whishaw said.
“She had a thumping, big colt and it was a difficult foaling and those foaling complications left God Bless Us hanging by a thread, but she’s pulled through, which is great.”
Sacred Eagle’s younger brother sold for $35,000 to Tasmanian Bloodstock’s Neil Walsh at this year’s Magic Millions Tasmanian Sale and Whishaw yesterday confirmed Armidale’s line-up for the 2024 yearling sales series.
“We’ve been on the phone to Tim Brown from Magic Millions this morning to finalise our draft of 30 yearlings going to Tasmania,” he said.
“We will have six yearlings going to Adelaide and four going to Melbourne Premier.”