Adelaide owner-breeder Harry Perks has celebrated a Group 3 double at the Tasmanian carnival on the back of two young broodmares sourced by his bloodstock advisor Adrian Hancock.

Feature winners Gogo Grace (G3 Bow Mistress Trophy) and Pretty Punk (G3 Hobart Cup) are both out of mares purchased by Hancock Quality Bloodstock (FBAA).

“Harry has been one of my very best clients and friends since he purchased Don’t Say Halo (USA) for Toorak Park Stud in South Australia,” Hancock recalled this week. “He’s the most positive person I know, never dwells on bad luck and is always looking for the next winner.

“He looks for value and is happy to buy a mare that has performed over middle or staying distances. Black-type isn’t always a requirement as long as the mare has ability and is a good type.”

Gogo Grace (4m New Approach – Starmon by Monolith) had won four races at Morphettville under the tutelage of Leon Macdonald & Andrew Gluyas before crossing Bass Strait to claim Tasmania’s top sprint for mares on Friday evening.

“Starmon cost us $70,000 at the 2011 Magic Millions National Sale,” Hancock said. “She was by little-known sire Monolith who was by Danehill from a half sister to Zabeel. She had won a Cranbourne Cup and was a really lovely mare at the sale with wonderful scope. That suited Harry ideally for breeding.

“Go Go Grace was her first live foal and her second was a Medaglia D’Oro colt that sold for $320,000. She’s currently in foal to Shooting To Win.”

Macdonald and Gluyas also prepared Pretty Punk to win the G3 Hobart Cup (2400m) for Perks on Sunday. She delivered a career-best effort to forge clear and then fend off late closer Andrea Mantegna.

Pretty Punk (4m Rebel Raider – Reliability by Kurofune) won her maiden by 8 lengths at Morphettville and then blew her rivals away in the LR Hill Smith Stakes (1800m) in October 2016.

“She won at Morphettville in December and won again at Flemington on the way down here,” Macdonald said. “I knew then we had the right horse for a Tasmanian campaign.”

Hancock found Reliability at the 2008 Inglis Great Southern Sale. She had won at Moonee Valley for Katsumi Yoshida a couple of weeks after Delta Blues carried his colours to victory in the 2006 Melbourne Cup.

“Reliability looked a lovely roomy mare at Oaklands,” Hancock said. “She was very attractive at $35,000 in foal to Bel Esprit. She’s by a leading Japanese sire Kurofone who stood one season at Arrowfield and is from one of Europe’s best classic families.”

Hancock’s other buys for Perks include Elegant Eagle, dam of Go Indy Go (G1 ATC Champagne Stakes) and Picholine, dam of Rebel Raider (G1 Victoria Derby).

At last month’s Gold Coast Magic Millions, Perks sold a Not A Single Doubt – Court Pastoral filly for $430,000. Hancock bought her dam carrying that filly for $80,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions National Sale.

Federation of Bloodstock Agents Australia (FBAA) was formed in 1988 to maintain, improve and develop the standards, status and services of bloodstock agents throughout Australia. Its members operate with the utmost integrity and professionalism and are bound by the strict Industry Code of Conduct.

The list of FBAA members can be viewed at: www.bloodstockagents.com.au

PRETTY PUNK