ARMIDALE STUD sires dominate the Tasmanian Magic Millions to be held at Inveresk Showgrounds next Tuesday, February 23.
There are 144 yearlings on offer headed by Armidale residents Savoire Vivre (23), Tough Speed (13), Helike (11) and Telesto (11). Grenville Stud stallion West Quest (23) is the only other stallion with a double-figure consignment.
Tasmanian Magic Millions manager Tony Williams has inspected all the lots and he believes the 2010 catalogue is collectively superior types to any catalogue since Magic Millions commenced selling in Tasmanian in 2005.
Nothwithstanding the apathy of both political parties, the Tasmanian industry is quietly confident the 2010 Magic Millions figures will improve on those from 12 months ago. And Armidale owner Robyn Whishaw is upbeat about the 28 yearlings being prepared at her Carrick nursery.
TELESTO has a colt from Queen’s Own making him a half-brother to star mare Lady Lynette (Lot 47). “He’s a big, strong colt with lots of scope,” Whishaw said. “And you can see the Mr Prospector in him through Telesto.”
Lady Lynette (Ladoni) has earned over $440,000 courtesy of a spring campaign when she mixed it with the best mainland mares in training. After winning the Listed Vamos Stakes in Launceston last February, she was transferred to Robert Smerdon at Caulfield and won first-up for her new stable at Sandown.
The Tassie mare resumed in October and defeated Purple in the Listed Ladies Day Vase at Caulfield before graduating to a G3 victory in the Tesio Stakes at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day.
Lady Lynette was runner-up to Typhoon Tracey in the G1 Myer Stakes when racing switched to Flemington and a week later she was beaten a nose and a nose by Purple and Moment In Time in the G2 Matriarch Stakes at headquarters.
Lady Lynette races first-up carrying top-weight of 59kg in the Clamms Seafood Classic at Caulfield on Saturday. Smerdon fitted her for a return to racing with a soft hit-out at the Cranbourne trials last Monday.
Lady Lynette’s dam Queen’s Own (Coronation Day) foaled a full brother by Ladoni to the mare at Yallambee Stud in November and is back in foal to Magnus.
SAVOIRE VIVRE has a filly from former Telesto flyer Arapeho catalogued as Lot 108 for the Tasmanian Magic Millions. The dam won four juvenile events in a row for the Blacker family but was retired after the winning run came to an end in the Hobart 2yo Classic in April 2007.
Whishaw describes her as one of the better Savoire Vivre yearlings and she also rates his colt from Dazzling Vintage (Lot 133). The dam is a winning sister to G3 Tasmanian Derby winner Father Floyd. “We’re prepping him for Bert Wicks. He’s a loose walking colt and, as long as he’s not rushed, will mature into a top three year-old.”
Savoire Vivre (Sadler’s Wells) is the alpha male on the Armidale roster and his winning strike-rate is bubbling just under 60%. He rarely goes a week without a winner and his mainland reps include the talented gallopers Side Splitter and Pass Me By.
Side Splitter won four times last year but hasn’t been able to break through this prep. His turn can’t be far away with recent placings at Mornington, Moonee Valley and Sandown for trainers Bruce and Jean Purcell.
The Peter Moody trained Pass Me By is raced by Lynrowan Stud owner-breeder Rob Lynch and he completed a winning hat-trick at Moonee Valley in August. He resumed with a midfield finish in the Listed Manifold Stakes at Flemington last month.
Savoire Vivre mare With Decorum was bridesmaid on three occasions at Sandown in 2009 and she finished the year with a head second to Dream Pedlar in the Listed Tasmanian Stakes in Hobart.
She made amends with a deserved Devonport Cup victory in January for owners Ken and Jenny Breese, Jim Osborne and the Whishaw family. The win boosted her bank balance to $240,000.
TOUGH SPEED has 13 lots entered and 4 of them are being presented under the Armidale banner. A Miswaki Group 3 winner at Doncaster, his best runner to date is last year’s Tasmanian Guineas winner Lyell.
The Tough Speed colt from Totness (Lot 87) is a standout. “He’s a ball of muscle,” Whishaw said this week. “He’s got the right attitude and is a real trainers horse.”
Totness is a winning sister to Weasel Will (Weasel Caluse) who won the G2 Crystal Mile at Moonee Valley twice. And her half-sister Dartington (Tertian) won the Listed Tasmanian St Leger twice.
HELIKE has his first crop yearlings for sale and Armidale has 4 of the 11 going under the hammer. He won twice at Saint-Cloud and is by Rahy out of French Oaks winner East Of The Moon (Private Account) who is a half-sister to champion sire Kingmambo (Mr Prospector).
Second dam Miesque (Nureyev) was an all-time great winning 8 Group 1 events in France plus the English 1000 Guineas and US Breeders’ Cup Mile.
The Helike – Escapada colt (Lot 142) looks a readymade racehorse according to Whishaw. The dam was a Listed winner of the 1995 Fosters Classic at Elwick and at stud she has produced the Flying Spur winners White Hart Lane and Vickers. They both won in Melbourne and White Hart Lane was G3 placed in the SAJC Sires’ Produce Stakes.
The Helike – Echarpe filly (Lot 137) has been a favourite with visitors to Armidale in recent weeks. She is a half-sister to Forbidden Quest (West Quest) who has won 8 races and was also stakes placed in the Listed George Adams Plate.
Helike’s filly from Loughmoe Lady (Lot 15) will also be popular at Inveresk. She is a half-sister to the Aliocha Listed winners Wobbley (Tasmanian Guineas) and Lochi (SAJC O J Smith Challenge).