Maluka Thoroughbreds has prepped and sold its first winner courtesy of talented debutant Hard Empire.
The Hard Spun two year-old scored a barrier-to-box victory in the R&J Publishing Maiden (1000m) last Sunday. He’s a younger brother to Chippenham who also opened his career with a Stawell win in October.
Maluka owners Luke and Mags Anderson sold him (as agent) for $11,000 at the 2015 Adelaide Magic Millions. The Euroa couple founded the specialist sales preparation farm after working at Cambridge Stud in NZ and Chatswood Stud at Seymour.
The Andersons continued their climb among vendors at last month’s Inglis Melbourne Premier 1 Sale with 9 yearlings averaging $102,220.
Hard Empire (2g Hard Spun- Last Quill by Last Tycoon) firmed into a $2.70 favourite first-up and looked a class above his rivals winning by two lengths at Devonport. His next assignment will be the Autumn 2YO Classic at Elwick in May.
“We will then decide whether to press on to the Sires’ Produce Stakes at Mowbray,” trainer Adam Trinder said. “At the moment, he’s just running on nervous energy and is going to make a nice three-year-old over 1600m.”
Trinder prepares Hard Empire for a syndicate managed by Charles White. His connections have been involved in other successful stable horses like the California Dane mares California Wish and Foreshore Dane.