I’m All The Talk took an early lead in this season’s WA 2YO Sires’ premiership when his final-crop filly Talkanco came from the clouds to claim a first-up victory in the Magic Millions Plate (1000m) at Ascot last month.
He unearthed another promising debutante in Canberra on Friday when speedy 3yo filly Miss Backchat was a front-running winner of the ECG Electrical Maiden Hcp (1000m) for trainer Gary Portelli. She was bred and sold by Norm and Jeannine Burren who operate Clare Downs Stud in the Great Southern.
Portelli prepared I’m All The Talk (Stratum) and made a special trip to WA ahead of his first yearling consignment to the 2019 Perth Magic Millions. “He was the fastest horse we had out of the barriers,” Portelli recalled. “He could clock blistering sectionals and led them up by four lengths in a (G1) Oakleigh Plate!”
I’m All The Talk had opened his account in a G3 Skyline Stakes (1200m) at Warwick Farm and he resumed as a spring 3yo to defeat Zoustar in a trial at Rosehill. “I’m sure he could have won a really good Group race that season but he suffered a life-threatening infection and was sidelined for a year. It was heart-breaking.”
Portelli was back in the Swan Valley for the 2023 Magic Millions and made an on-the-spot decision to buy Miss Backchat. “She presented as a well-bodied, well put-together filly,” Norm Burren said. “She wasn’t as tall as some would have liked but that obviously didn’t bother Gary. He saw her for the first time behind the parade ring and was sold on her straight away.”
Clare Downs met the market at $36,000 for Miss Backchat and she made every post a winner for Portelli and an Elite Thoroughbreds syndicate to deny Azzucca (Denman) and Hey Jude (All Too Hard) at Thoroughbred Park on Friday.
It was also a bonus for her dam Jester Ferrari (Testa Rossa) who was a $14,000 buy for Clare Downs at the 2020 Mungrup Stud Dispersal Sale. She has a yearling colt by Awesome Rock and is in foal to Bondi.
The Awesome Rock colt won’t parade at the 2025 Perth Magic Millions but there is a colt and filly by Maschino and a filly by Written By coming up from Mt Barker. The Burrens also have foals on the ground by Manhattan Rain, Safeguard and A Lot plus two first-crop eye-catchers by Geisel Park sire Aysar (Deep Field).
I’m All The Talk’s death in January 2022 after just six books at Mungrup Stud and Darling View Thoroughbreds was a huge loss for the local breeding and racing industries. He was Champion WA 2YO Sire and First-season sire in 2019-20 and Champion WA second-season sire and WA Champion 3yo Sire in 2020-21.