Gervase Park owners Chris and Andrea Gales completed one of the more improbable trebles when Aphrodite Magic gave her rivals windburn in the Woodskin Maiden (1100m) at Northam last Thursday, June 12.
Aphrodite Magic (3f War Chant – Aphrodite Rock by Commands) became the third filly from the Gervase Park consignment to the 2023 Perth Magic Millions to break maiden status at Northam this month following Aurora Queen (War Chant) on June 8 and River Angel (Headwater) on June 2.
What are the odds of three graduates from the same draft opening their accounts 10 days apart at the same venue in the Avon Valley?
Gervase Park has built a reputation as a reliable source of winners and this month’s treble is part of an overall record of 7 individual winners from its 2023 Magic Millions draft at a sky-high 88% strike-rate.
“Sean Casey came up here during inspections and liked her straight away,” Chris recalled. “She’s a typical War Chant. Athletic and racy and she will be all the better for that win. It was perfect ride by Brayden (Gaerth) to sit in behind the speed and then produce her down the centre of the track.”
Casey purchased a bargain when he paid $20,000 for Aphrodite Magic on behalf of Maureen Daly. She’s the first foal to race from Aphrodite Rock (Commands) who won at Cranbourne and Geelong in a career curtailed to five starts for Lindsay Park. Gervase Park bought the mare off the track for $75,000 at an Inglis Digital Sale after her older half-brother Ayers Rock (Nicconi) had improved the page winning a LR Super Impose Stakes (1800m) at Flemington.
Aphrodite Rock has an unraced 2yo named Eternally Yours (Ducimus) owned in partnership by Justin Warwick while her latest foals are colts by Darling View Thoroughbreds sires Splintex (2023) and Lightsaber (2024).
Gervase Park has two first-crop fillies by Splintex (Snitzel) entered for the Perth Magic Millions Winter Yearling Sale this coming Sunday, June 22. First to parade is Lot 42 from Consortium (Written Tycoon) who is a half-sister to G1 SAJC Robert Sangster Stakes (1200m) winner Precious Gem (Econsul). “She was good enough to be catalogued for the Perth Magic Millions in February,” Chris said. “Unfortunately, she came down with colic a day before that Sale and had be withdrawn.”
Her 2yo half-brother Western Ace (I’m All The Talk) is trained by Trevor Andrews and was runner-up to Fila Mia (Safeguard) in a Belmont barrier trial before going shinny. Fila Mia came out a ran second to Just Too Fly (Justify) in the G3 WA Sires’ Produce Stakes.
The other Splintex (Lot 46) is a good-sized filly from Emanuela (Animal Kingdom) who completed a winning hat-trick at Randwick before being run down in the 2019 Country Classic (2000m) at Rosehill. The Snitzel sireline over Animal Kingdom (USA) mares has produced Group winners like the Godolphin-bred Amur (ATC Baillieu Hcp).
Gervase Park’s other yearling at the Winter Sale is the Awesome Rock – Swim Star (Star Witness) filly catalogued as Lot 29. She’s correct and has blossomed in recent weeks as a half-sister to Westspeed Platinum Sires Stakes (1400m) winner Leading Taddy (Ducimus).