Flying Mascot the star of the show as she sells for $600,000 on Inglis Digital
Arrowfield Stud come out on top for Flying Start Syndications’ mare as Gin Martini also finds buyer
Talented mare Flying Mascot (Tavistock) provided her owners Flying Start Syndications with a memorable result yesterday when she was purchased by Arrowfield Stud for a sale-topping $600,000 via the Inglis Digital August (Late) Sale.
Originally bought from the Alexia Fraser Bloodstock draft for $25,000 by Cam Bennett’s syndication group alongside Pinhook Bloodstock at Book 1 of the Magic Millions National Yearling Sale in 2019, Flying Mascot provided her ownership group with a huge return on their investment when she realised six-figures yesterday.
Starting out her career with a debut third placing at Pakenham before recording back-to-back victories in the following two outings, the daughter of Tavistock (Montjeu) would go on to bigger and better things throughout her career.
In 19 starts, the now six-year-old mare recorded six wins and a further five placings, including for career highlight victories in the Tesio Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m), Mannerism Stakes (Gr 3, 1400m) and Matron Stakes (Gr 3, 1600m), banking $565,525 in career prize-money.
From two attempts at Group 1 level, Flying Mascot’s best effort came when fifth in the 2021 Empire Rose Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m), where she was beaten just over two lengths by Godolphin homebred Colette (Hallowed Crown), with elite-level winners Tofane (Ocean Park) and Sierra Sue (Darci Brahma) in behind.
“She has been a great servant for myself, the business and the owners,” Bennett told ANZ Bloodstock News. “For them to get into a mare like this at such a low-cost level, giving them that much fun on the track, it’s a dream come true really.
“I sort of thought she’d make around her price and thank god she did. Any more was a bonus, but that level was what we valued her at so we’re definitely happy with the result.
“We had good luck and success on the track with her and it is great for the owners to sell her for that price at the end of her racing career. It is some turnaround from what we purchased her for.”
Bennett feels that Flying Mascot’s ability and potent turn of foot on the racetrack can stand her in good stead ahead of her new life in the breeding shed.
“I’m sure she’ll do very well,” he said. “She had a good turn of foot and it’s a deep pedigree. She’ll have every chance at Arrowfield Stud and hopefully she has the same success as her mum.”
Flying Mascot is one of seven winners from eight foals out of the Zabeel (Sir Tristram) mare Lucky Mascot, making her a half-sister to the 2010 Cinderella Stakes (Listed, 1050m) winner Koala Bear (Exceed And Excel), the dam of stakes-placed gelding Marsupial, while she is also half-sister to the dam of Group 2 winner Trobriand (Kermadec).
A sister to the Group-placed winner Maythehorsebemagic and to the dam of dual Group 1 scorer and now fledgling Newhaven Park stallion Xtravagant (Pentire), Lucky Mascot, who died in 2021, is a daughter of the multiple Group 2 winner Arletty (Centaine), herself a three-quarter sister to elite-level winner Sixty Seconds and Group 3 scorer Spottswoode.
From 54 runners, Tavistock has sired 33 individual winners as a broodmare sire, with six of those scoring at stakes level, including dual Doncaster Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) winner Mr Brightside (Bullbars).
“The price is about what we valued her at,” Arrowfield Stud’s bloodstock manager Jon Freyer told ANZ Bloodstock News. “She was a filly that we rated very highly, a very talented racer. She won some nice races and defeated a lot of high-class fillies throughout her career.
“Tavistock is emerging as a brilliant broodmare sire and this filly is out of a Zabeel mare, and what a brilliant broodmare sire he is. I thought for us she was probably good value and she’ll be an attractive addition to our broodmare band.”
Although no stallion has yet to be confirmed for Flying Mascot, Freyer did reveal that the Arrowfield team were swaying towards a meeting with their four-time champion sire Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice).
“At this stage, we’ll get her home and discuss it further with the team but we’re leaning towards Snitzel. That is probably where she will go, but a final decision is yet to be made,” Freyer continued.
With John Singleton’s Strawberry Hill Stud Dispersal just a few days away, Freyer felt that the stud had potentially exploited a small window of opportunity to buy the mare for a price he described as ‘probably good value’.
“There was probably a little window at the time with John Singleton’s dispersal sale next week,” he said. “I guess there’d be a few people anticipating buying at that sale that might be sitting on their hands at the moment, even though she is an attractive filly to purchase.
“I thought for us she was probably good value and she’ll be an attractive addition to our broodmare band. That was likely a little value avenue that we snuck through.”
Yesterday’s second highest-priced lot was fellow Group 3-winning mare Gin Martini (Rip Van Winkle), who sold to Lime Country Thoroughbreds (as agent) for $220,000.
A daughter of Galileo’s (Sadler’s Wells) dual Group 1-winning son Rip Van Winkle, Gin Martini was offered by Tricolours Racing and Syndications’ James Moss, who also enjoyed great success with Fasika (So You Think) when she sold for $920,000 in 2021.
“We’ve had plenty of success with Inglis Digital, it’s a great platform to trade horses on,’’ Moss said.
“It’s a very wide-reaching platform now, everyone in the industry is scanning the catalogues twice a month, every month, it markets itself to an extent so it’s a great place to buy and sell and it’s so transparent.
“At the end of the day we’re delighted with the final price.’’
Lime Country’s Jo Griffin added: “We’re thrilled to have secured her, especially given her strong black-type record as a two-year-old and the fact she then trained on to be a dual stakes winner and Group 1-placed.
“There’s no mating plan yet but she’ll definitely go straight to stud this year. The client is aiming to breed a very sharp 1600-metre horse and we think Gin Martini is the ideal candidate for that.’’
Other highlight results in the August (Late) Sale included the Hesket Thoroughbreds-offered Syncretism (Redoute’s Choice) who sold to Walnut Farm for $210,000, and Sur La Mer (Nicconi), who realised $150,000 to John Hutchinson’s Scone Bloodstock.
Meanwhile, a two per cent share in Leneva Park Stud’s stallion Fierce Impact (Deep Impact) made $75,000 when selling to Glenn Hale. The son of Deep Impact (Sunday Silence) is set to stand for $16,500 (inc GST) this breeding season.
In total, the August (Late) auction grossed $4,281,550. Entries for the September (Early) Sale are now open and will remain so until midnight on Wednesday September 6.
The sale will run from September 8-13.