Bippo No Bungus is back home in Western Australia after earning black-type at Flemington and Moonee Valley in March.

Instead of heading to Sydney for the G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes, she will spell at Geisel Park and return in August before connections decide whether she stays in work or retires to stud.

The Dubawi mare is raced by leading Sunspeed breeders Eddie Rigg (Geisel Park) and Ron Sayers (Yarradale Stud) and has turned a $70,000 price-tag at the 2011 Gold Coast Magic Millions into prizemoney of $318,000.

“Eddie and Ron will send her back to Neville Parnham after a winter break and see how she shapes up,” Geisel Park stud manager Brian Collison said.  “Damien Oliver believes she can win a nice race at the spring carnival.”

Bippo No Bungus (4m Dubawi – Quest For Pleasure by Quest For Fame) won the LR Starstruck Quality (1600m) at Ascot in December prior to a trip east where she was placed in the G3 VRC Schweppervescence Trophy and MVRC G2 Sunline Stakes.

“Damien was very happy with her run behind Text’n Hurley at Moonee Valley,” Collison explained.  “He said she preferred a little juice in the ground and will stay on board if she goes back to Melbourne.”

Against that, the residual value of Dubawi mares is rising week by week.  The Darley champion sired his 14th Group 1 winner on Saturday when Tiger Tees was successful in the G1 The Galaxy.  And his four year-old mare Intimate Moment doubled up at Rosehill in the G3 Percy Sykes Tribute.

Bippo No Bungus and Intimate Moment are members of Dubawi’s penultimate book in Australia.  Other stakes winning mares from that crop are Catkins, Shamal Wind and Lady Of Harrods.

Dubawi is from the sole crop of Sheikh Mohammed’s all-time favourite Dubai Millennium and his fee at Darley’s Dalham Hall Stud in Newmarket was increased to 100,000 pounds (AUD 179,835) this year.

“We won’t be seeing Dubawi back in Australia,” Collison claimed.  “He’s a super-sire in Europe.”

Collison was born and bred in Tipperary and has been based at Geisel Park with his wife Brooke since September 2011.  Before linking with Rigg, he worked at Darley’s Kildangan Stud in Kildare, Pin Oak Stud in Kentucky and the Irish National Stud.

“With people like Eddie and Ron, West Australia’s breeding industry can achieve its full potential,” Collison said.  “They shuttled War Chant out here and all the good judges were on his first yearlings at the Magic Millions last month.

“There are exciting times ahead at Geisel Park.”

– Karl Patterson

WINNING TEAM
John Hawkes, Eddie Rigg and Ron Sayers with their Exceed And Excel mare Eastward.
She won at Moonee Valley and is in foal to Frost Giant.