Mill Park Stud flies the flag for South Australia at the Inglis Easter yearling sale with a select draft of six headed by a colt and filly by Fastnet Rock and a Starcraft half-sister to Caulfield Cup winner Fawkner.
Based on the Limestone Coast at Meningie, Mill Park’s father-and-son team of Peter and Chris Watson have a sensational record at Group 1 level and Fawkner looks set for a big spring after an eye-catching run in the G1 William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley last Saturday.
He was having a one-off autumn hit-out and flew home at the end of 1200 metres to finish within two length of Spirit Of Boom.
Fawkner (6g Reset – Dane Belltar by Danewin) was a $70,000 Inglis buy from Mill Park and has earned over $2.54 million for owner Lloyd Williams. His dam has also foaled Gr.2 Zipping Classic winner Tanby (Galileo) and Viking Star (Red Ransom) who was Gr.2 placed at Moonee Valley.
“Dane Belltar has been a wonderful mare for us and her filly Easter filly is typical of the family,” Chris Watson said. “She a leggy filly with plenty of rein and she is an exceptionally good mover.”
Like the her Caulfield Cup winning older half-brother, she is a grey by Arrowfield stallion Starcraft and has been catalogued as Lot 395 at the Easter Sale.
Dane Belltar was a Gr.3 winner of the SAJC Auraria Stakes and she was also Gr.1 placed behind Special Harmony in the 2003 Victoria Oaks. She has a filly by New Approach on the ground and is in foal to Street Cry.
Fawkner is the latest in a long line of Group 1 winners bred and sold by Mill Park that includes Happy Trails (Emirates & Turnbull Stakes), Divine Madonna (Emirates Stakes, Toorak Hcp, Queen of the Turf and Myer Classic), Southern Speed (Caulfield Cup). Rebel Raider (Victoria & SA Derbies), Captain Sonador (Epsom Hcp), Devil Moon (Turnbull Stakes), and Serious Speed (Thousand Guineas).
And the Group 1 winners go further back to Gold Guru (Victoria Derby), Mummify (Caulfield Cup), Undoubtedly (Blue Diamond) and St Clemens Belle (WA Kingston Town Stakes).
Mill Park commences its Easter Sale with a Fastnet Rock colt from USA bred mare Kaimana colt (Lot 66). “He is a three-quarter brother to Gr.1 Thousand Guineas winner Irish Lights from the Fall Aspen family,” Watson said. “The mare’s first two foals both won as two years and this one should be an early goer, too.”
The Fastnet Rock filly (Lot 392) is the first foal out of Gr.2 Villiers Stakes winner Danes On Waves. “She’s all quality and it’s a lovely family for fillies with a Flemington Group 1 winner (Ancient Song) further back,” Watson explained. “She’s a leggy type with plenty of bone and will attract a wide range of buyers.”
Danes On Waves has a Redoute’s Choice colt at foot and is in foal to Street Cry.
Mill Park patronizes Street Cry year after year and has entered a colt by Darley’s champion sire from tough sprinter-miler Tobouggie Woogie (Lot 254). “He’s a neat first foal and a typical Street Cry – correct and a great mover,” Watson said. “I’m sure he will sell well.”
Tobouggie Woogie is a half-sister to Mill Park graduate Majestic Music who reached Group 2 level in Melbourne (Edward Manifold Stakes) and Adelaide (Yallambee Classic). She has a Dream Ahead filly foal and has a PPT to Sepoy.
Mill Park’s More Than Ready – Elusive Wonder filly (Lot 427) will be one of the final youngsters to parade on the last morning of Session 1 and Watson believes she will get up and run in the early-season juvenile races.
More Than Ready is the sire of her three-quarter sister Oak Park and she was a stakes winning sprinter in New Zealand. “She’s a compact filly and a typical More Than Ready,” Watson said. “She’s a ball of muscle with huge hind-quarters.”
Her dam Elusive Wonder was a December juvenile winner on debut at Caulfield and she was stakes placed second-up at the same venue for Lindsay Park. Her half-sister Tantra won a LR McDougall 2YO Stakes at Eagle Farm for Gai Waterhouse.