Belmont Bloodstock agent Damon Gabbedy has been a trusted advisor to Peters Investments for many years and they struck a goldmine with Tuscan Queen at the 2018 Inglis Easter Sale.
Tuscan Queen (3f Fastnet Rock – Tavarnelle by Zabeel) cost $300,000 as a yearling and she’s nearly doubled that price-tag following a consummate victory over Red Hot Tip (Red Hot Choice) and Criminal Code (Maschino) in the G2 WA Derby (2400m) on Saturday.
Since a Belmont debut win in September, she has been quarantined in black-type company winning the G3 Champion Fillies (1600m), LR Natasha Stakes (2200m) and G3 WA Oaks (2400m) prior to claiming another WA Derby for Bob & Sandra Peters.
It also caps an amazing season for Peters Investments and co-trainers Grant & Alana Williams following a feature quinella in the $5 million All-Star Mile with Real Power (Pierro) and Superstorm (Sebring) at Flemington last month.
“She’s just gone super and you can’t fault her,” Grant Williams said. “We’ve been very lucky to have Mr & Mrs Peters breed and buy horses like Tuscan Queen. The pressure has been on but this filly has held it together and got the job done.”
The classic was the highpoint of four-timer for connections and their retained jockey Willie Pike at Ascot.
The cerise and white silks were also seen to advantage, albeit on screen instead of in the flesh, on Mystery Miss (Animal Kingdom), Dark Choice (Redoute’s Choice) and Celebrity Queen (Redoute’s Choice).
Meanwhile, Gabbedy could have purchased another future star (pictured above) at the 2020 Inglis Easter Sale last Tuesday when he bid $460,000 for the American Pharoah half-sister to Tuscan Queen. Both fillies were bred in the Hunter Valley by former ATC chairman Michael Crismale.
Their dam Tavarnelle won a G3 Frances Tressady Stakes at Flemington when trained by Team Hawkes. Crismale retained her 2yo colt Stonehenge (Fastnet Rock) who is with John O’Shea at Randwick and he welcomed another American Pharoah filly foal in November.