Festivity continues career with her father at Yarraman Park
Stakes-winning mare Festivity will begin her career as a broodmare at Arthur and Harry Mitchell’s Yarraman Park Stud after the New South Wales-based nursery purchased the daughter of their resident stallion I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) for $480,500 on gavelhouse.com yesterday.
Raced by David Ellis’ Te Akau syndicate, Festivity won six of her starts, headed by a victory in the Hallmark Stud Handicap (Listed, 1200m), while she was narrowly denied a Group victory on her final start when finishing second in the Concorde Handicap (Gr 3, 1200m) in January. The five-year-old mare retired the winner of NZ$156,950 in career prize-money.
Yarraman Park’s general manager Matt Scown said a stallion for the mare had not yet been decided.
“Obviously we follow the I Am Invincible progeny extremely closely and we were keen to secure her as she was electric, extremely fast and is a lovely style of horse,” Scown said.
“This is a family we know well having had her dam on the farm for Shadwell before she was sold with Festivity in utero.
“She looked outstanding in the photos and video and we think she will let down into a lovely broodmare.
“The first box to tick was to secure her and the next ones are to get her over here and then find a suitable mating for her.”
Ellis, who purchased the mare for NZ$410,000 at the 2018 edition of the New Zealand Bloodstock Karaka Yearling Sale, said he was delighted the mare was heading to continue her career with the Mitchell family.
“We are thrilled that she’s coming full circle in a way and heading to Yarraman,” the leading owner said.
“It’s such a great family–run stud, the Mitchells have been friends of mine for a long time and I like buying their yearlings as they breed good, sound horses.”
Festivity is one of three winners out of the stakes-placed Stratum (Redoute’s Choice) mare Mabsam and she is herself a half-sister to Group 3 winner Viking Hero (Elvstroem) and Romany Flyer (Catbird) – the dam of Group 3 winner Invincible Star (I Am Invincible).
The mare’s third dam is Queen Gypsy (Planet Kingdom), who produced dual Group 1 winner Innocent King (Tolomeo) and Group 2 scorer Royal Snack (Lunchtime), the latter being the grandam of Listed scorer Snippets’ Crown (Snippets). Snippets’ Crown herself produced Group 1 winner Unearthly (Zabeel) – the dam of fellow elite-level winner Invest (Dehere).
Mabsam was bought by Shadwell for $240,000 at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale in 2010, before being bought by Mongolian Khan at Windsor Park Syndicate for $150,000 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale when carrying Festivity in utero.
Most recently, Mabsam was snapped up by Kurtis Gillovic for $40,000 via the Gavelhouse NZ Rider Horse 24 April Online Auction in 2021, before being sold for $80,000 via the Inglis Digital (Late) February Sale earlier this year.