Armidale Stud has been the industry leader in Tasmania for generations and the stakes winners continued to roll in for the Carrick nursery during the Hobart Cup carnival.

Star mare Lady Lynette led the charge in the LR Bow Mistress Stakes, Touch Chik won the LR Strutt Stakes and, on Cup day itself, Huon Cry looked a likely stakes winner of the future with a brilliant first-up victory at Elwick.

Armidale has catalogued one of the leading lots at the Tasmanian Magic Millions next Tuesday, February 22, with the full brother to Lady Lynette (Lot 20).  And the Ladoni – Queen’s Own colt is an outstanding individual according to Armidale owner Robyn Whishaw.  

Lady Lynette is the best mare to ever come out of Tasmania winning the G3 Tesio Stakes at Moonee Valley (twice) and she was also runner-up to Typhoon Tracy in the G1 Myer Classic at Flemington.

She’s a great advertisement for the local breeding industry having been purchased from Armidale for $13,000 at the 2006 Tasmanian Magic Millions yearling sale.  The Bow Mistress victory increased her earnings to $692,000 from a 33: 11-5-6 scorecard.

Lady Lynette will attempt to win her second LR Vamos Stakes at Launceston next Wednesday.

David and Scott Brunton train Lady Lynette and they also prepare classy sprinter-miler Life To The Full who has a full-brother by Savoire Vivre catalogued as Lot 32 at the Magic Millions.

“That colt is an imposing type,” Whishaw said while putting the final touches on the Armidale draft this week.  “Life To The Full was voted 2010 Tasmanian Horse of the Year and his brother is a magnificent type.”

Life To The Full (Savoire Vivre) was honoured after a season that saw him win the Listed George Adams Hcp and Newmarket Hcp on home turf as well as the Pink Ribbon Cup at Caulfield.  

Earlier on in his career, Life To The Full was a Listed winner Hobart Guineas and Balaklava Cup for the Bruntons and part-owner and breeder Ian Anderson.  

Savoire Vivre (Sadler’s Wells) leads the Tasmanian winners and wins premiership this season with 20 winners of 31 races ahead of West Quest in second spot with 19 winners of 25 races.

Armidale has 13 second crop yearlings by Helike at the Magic Millions including Lot 39, the half-sister to LR Tasmanian Guineas winner Brainpower (Grand Royale).  “She’s a November foal and is a lovely mover but will take time to mature,” Whishaw predicted.  “The Helikes aren’t early comers but the trainers that bought them last year have promised they will be back for more next week.”

Helike (Rahy – East Of The Moon by Private Account) won twice at Saint-Cloud and is from a French Oaks winning half-sister to Kingmambo.  Their dam Miesque (Nureyev) was an all-time great winning 8 Group 1 events in France plus the English 1000 Guineas and US Breeders’ Cup Mile.

Helike has only had two starters to date – Huff and Skip to the Moon – and both fillies have been placed in their initial preps.  Skip to the Moon is raced by Camoquhill Stud owner Graham McLeod and she has been nominated for the Tasmanian Magic Millions 2YO Classic on Launceston Cup day.

Whishaw was hoping her homebred Helike youngster Blixt would fire up before the sale but he pulled up shinny after trialling at Longford earlier this month.

The Helike colt from Listed Cascade Classic winner Gehanna will also catch the eye at the Magic Millions.  Catalogued as Lot 116, he is a half-brother to Gea Force who has won three races and looks set for another fruitful campaign after cruising home in a Longford barrier trial on Tuesday morning.

“He’s the nicest foal the mare has thrown,” Whishaw revealed.  “He’s a real individual and there will be a few trainers on him.”

Another Helike bound to be popular is the half-brother to Weasel Will (Lot 130).  “He’s the second last foal from the mare and shapes like a readymade racehorse,” Whishaw said.  “He’s built like an athlete and will get up and run.”

The Whishaws bred Weasel Will (Weasel Clause) and he was straight out of the top draw winning the G2 Waterford Crystal Mile (twice) at Moonee Valley and he was also placed in G1 Emirates Stakes at Flemington and G1 Doncaster Hcp at Randwick.

Armidale sire Tough Speed has had numerous winning updates since the catalogue was printed and he is also the sire of Jay Bee’s Gee Gee who was placed in the G3 Tasmanian Derby on February 5.

The Tough Speed – Almighty Buzz filly (Lot 74) is a younger sister to the Brunton trained filly Buzzing Along who flew from last to finish third in the race won by Rich Bonus in Hobart on Derby day.  She is also nominated for the Tasmanian Magic Millions 2YO Classic next Wednesday.

Armidale will also offer yearlings by Victorian based sires Artie Schiller, Churchill Downs, Umatilla and God’s Own.

Churchill Downs is already up and running with Moonee Valley winner Emerald Downs from his first crop and his Armidale filly (Lot 88) is a half-sister to Triple Asset.

Armidale sold Triple Asset to trainer John Keys for $28,000 at last year’s Magic Millions and she wasn’t long in repaying the purchase price with a debut win in Hobart followed up by close seconds in the Listed Elwick Stakes and Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes.

Whishaw reports the Churchill Downs filly is built a lot like her older half-sister and the pedigree is tipped to improve when Keys saddles up Triple Asset in the Magic Millions 2YO Classic a day after the yearling sale.

The Armidale draft will be ready for inspection at the Inveresk Showgrounds in Launceston as from Saturday.