Newgate Farm taking care of business at Riverside Stables
While Newgate Farm super sire Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt) dominated the Inglis Easter Yearling Sale earlier this week, Newgate owner Henry Field was building new relationships with breeders like WA-based Yarradale Stud.
Yarradale owner Lyn Sayers joined Field on the Newgate table at Riverside Stables alongside stud manager Davy Hanratty and his wife Susan, and their $2 million spend included Newgate fillies by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit) and Capitalist (Written Tycoon).
“We bought yearlings here for the first time twelve months ago and went home with five fillies,” Hanratty recalled to ANZ News.
“We couldn’t be happier with how that’s working out and it’s gone to another level this week with Henry. Newgate is an exceptional stud. Lyn and I only heard good things about how well it’s run and how they keep clients well-informed. That’s down to Henry.
“We’ve developed a positive working relationship and spent some time in the Hunter Valley in December getting a feel for the venture. Being involved in the Newgate colts syndicate is exciting and it’s a no-brainer ensuring Yarradale remains a force in the industry.”
Yarradale weighed in with $800,000 for Newgate’s I Am Invincible filly from Peace Time (War Front) (Lot 14) on Sunday morning. The dam’s four foals to race are all black-type sprinters with Xtremetime (Extreme Choice) heading the quartet having landed the Woodlands Stakes (Listed, 1100m) at Rosehill.
“The Vinnie filly is a supermodel,” Hanratty declared. “She’s big, strong and beautiful with a pedigree to match. Chris Waller was the underbidder and he came over and offered his congratulations. Knowing Chris was keen on her vindicated our decision and that was good enough for us to send the filly to him.”
Yarradale also paid $350,000 for the Capitalist filly out of Zoustar (Northern Meteor) mare Menagerie (Lot 425) on Monday. She was the final filly from the Newgate consignment and is a full-sister to Black Opal Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) winner Holmes A Court.
“Peter Snowden was the underbidder so that was a good sign, too,” Hanratty said. “The dam is a half-sister to the Champion NZ 2YO Il Quello Veloce and there’s residual value with Australian Group 1 winners right down the page.”
The Newgate – WA connection goes back to 2013 when Field sold Emirates Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) winner Awesome Rock (Fastnet Rock) for $575,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Gold Front Thoroughbreds owners Alan and Sue Olive kept a share and he’s currently top five on the WA Sires’ premiership with chief-earner Watch Me Rock nailing the Railway Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) during the Ascot summer carnival.
Field also has fond memories of Lyn’s husband Ron Sayers, who died in 2022. A legendary figure in the mining industry, Ron founded Ausdrill and bought Yarradale in 1997. The stud has had top-class stallions such as Breeders’ Cup Mile (Gr 1, 8f) winner War Chant (Danzig) – who died in 2024 at the age of 27.
He also owned a share in Northerly (Serheed) who remains the greatest galloper to ever emerge from the west.
“I had the greatest respect for Ron,” Field said. “He was an extraordinary man and it’s an honour to continue that relationship with Lyn and the Yarradale team.
“They bought two very well-bred fillies from us. I rate the I Am Invincible filly very highly. She’s a phenomenal physical. And the Capitalist was well bought at the price.”
Yarradale also purchased a Justify (Scat Daddy) filly (Lot 8) out of the Group 3-placed mare Pantonario (Not A Single Doubt) from Silverdale Farm for $600,000, and a Maurice (Screen Hero) filly (Lot 108) out of the stakes-placed mare Smirnova (Snitzel) from Arrowfield Stud for $300,000. The former will be trained by Luke Fernie, while the Maurice filly will be prepared by Trevor Andrews.
They will follow Yarradale’s 2025 Inglis Easter Yearlings who are already making an impact in Perth. Leading the way is unbeaten Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) filly Aurum Belle, who was a $725,000 buy last year in partnership with Ridgeport Farm owner Santo Guagliardo.
She’s the second foal out of Dame Giselle (I Am Invincible) who was a multiple Group 2 winner in Sydney, while second dam Ballet Society (Stravinsky) was a multiple Group 2 winner in Melbourne.
Aurum Belle won the Supremacy Stakes (Listed, 1000m) at Ascot last month and will be gunning for more black type in the Gimcrack Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) this weekend. Her Easter Saturday showdown with Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) winner Maria Lucia (Rommel) will determine final favouritism for the Karrakatta Plate (Gr 2, 1200m) on April 18.
Bookmakers have installed Aurum Belle as the ruling $3.20 favourite for Perth’s premier juvenile event at the $5 million The Quokka (1200m) meeting and trainer Neville Parnham is confident there will be more improvement to come out of this weekend’s Gimcrack Stakes.
“She was pretty raw on debut and obviously took benefit from that outing into the Supremacy,” Parnham explained. “We’ve planned to just keep her ticking along and she will front up in the Gimcrack before going on to the Karrakatta.
“We paid plenty of money for her and that won’t be her last black-type win. She looks pretty exciting and I think we will probably be looking at better races for her at the end of the year.”
In-form jockey Brad Parnham reported Aurum Belle could have increased the two-length margin when breaking 58 seconds for 1000 metres in the Supremacy.
“She took the next step from the first-up win when she was a bit full of herself,” he said. “She sprung the gates and was comfortable in the lead today.
“She relaxed and cruised in front and then kicked off the corner. I had them covered and we kept something in reserve.”
Another Yarradale 2025 Inglis Easter Sale graduate ready to debut is the I Am Invincible filly Cos I Am. She is owned in partnership with trainers Dan and Ben Pearce and is coming off two barrier trial wins at Lark Hill.
Cos I Am was a $500,000 buy last year and has been entered for Race 1 at Belmont on Thursday, the Quayclean Maiden (1000m).
“She was a stunning filly parading at Riverside,” Hanratty said. “She looked a very sharp type and we were prepared to go higher.”
I Am Invincible sired her from Randwick winner L’Cosmo (Lonhro) and second-dam Cosmic Endeavour (Northern Meteor) was a Group 1 winner of the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) and Queensland’s Tatt’s Tiara (1400m). Further down the page there’s more Group 1 success through blue-hen Twiglet (Twig Moss) and her iconic Hong Kong hero Fairy King Prawn (Danehill) and Group 1 racehorse and sire Easy Rocking (Barathea).
If nothing else, Cos I Am will be the best-bred youngster going around at Belmont today.