News

Another trio of G1 mares added to Chairman's catalogue

7th Mar 2024

Outstanding G1 mares Hope In Your Heart, C’est Magique and Pennyweka are the latest trio of star entries confirmed for this year’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale.

Hope In Your Heart (Dundeel) is a three-time Group winner of the G2 Guy Walter Stakes, G3 Angst Quality and G3 Tibbie Stakes.

The 5YO Kerry Parker-trained mare is also three times G1 performed, most recently when finishing 2^nd to dual G1 winner Atishu in the Queen of the Turf Stakes at Randwick during The Championships.

Her two other G1 starts saw her finish 1.4L behind champion Mr Brightside in the Doncaster Mile and 4^th to Espiona in the Coolmore Classic, while she also finished 1.3L 4^th to I Wish I Win, Fangirl and Gypsy Goddess in the $10m Golden Eagle.

Hope In Your Heart is being offered by her owners Illes Breeding and Racing as a racing and breeding prospect at The Chairman’s Sale and will be part of the Torryburn draft.

“She’s currently spelling and will be ready to come back in ahead of The Chairman’s Sale so she will be perfectly let down to head straight to the breeding barn or ready to be prepared for the Spring Carnival, pending what the new owners want to do with her,’’ Torryburn’s Mel Copelin said.

“Her mother is back in foal to Dundeel plus there’s a full brother on the ground so the family just keeps growing.

“She’s very neat and tidy and has grown into a beautiful mare, a typical Dundeel and you can also see a lot of [broodmare sire] Montjeu in her. She’s the perfect size to breed to basically any stallion in the market.

“She gave her owners a lot of buzz racing her and they had the time of their lives but they feel they can’t give her the best stallions if they were to keep her so they’ve decided to sell her to someone who can give her the best chance as a broodmare.

“We advised them to go to The Chairman’s Sale, it’s such a phenomenal night and all the right people are there to ensure you have every chance to sell your mares to the best people, plus it’s just such a fun night, we can dress up, it’s so unique.’’

C’est Magique is a beautifully bred 4YO, being a Zoustar half sister to G1 Blue Diamond-winning 2YO and now exciting young stallion Written By (ex Yau Chin).

From just 10 career starts to date she is already four-times Stakes placed including in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, where she defeated the likes of Buenos Noches, Coolangatta, Jacquinot, Best Of Bordeaux, Queen Of The Ball, Lofty Strike etc.

Nine of her 10 career starts have been at Stakes level, eight of which have been at Group level.

The Grahame Begg-trained C’est Magique has accepted to run in Saturday’s G3 Wenona Girl Handicap at Randwick.

Owner Neville Begg described C’est Magique as “elite’’.

“She’s a very good type, a strong mare and her form tells you she’s top class,’’ Hall of Fame trainer Neville Begg said.

“The day she split In Secret and Buenos Noches in the Coolmore, she proved that day she was elite, she came from nowhere and announced herself among the very best of a very, very good crop.

“She’s continued to train on, she’s sound as a bell, she’s not over-raced and she’ll run very well on Saturday from a perfect draw.

“She has a lot of racing ahead of her, she’s going to give her new owners a rare opportunity to buy a mare who can race at the elite level for seasons to come if they choose, and then become an elite broodmare.’’

Fast, black type Australian mares like C’est Magique have produced recent G1 winners such as Riff Rocket, Joliestar. Magic Time, Fangirl, In Secret, Shinzo, Griff etc.

Pennyweka (Satono Aladdin) – the reigning G1 Australian Oaks and G1 NZ Oaks winner – will be one of the rarest offerings at public auction this year.

Australian Oaks winners have a terrific record as broodmares, with recent victors to produce G1 winners including Arapaho Miss (Miami Bound), Dizelle (Pinot), Miss Finland (Stay With Me), Anamato (Anamoe) and Rising Romance (Yearning).

Since 2000, 14% of Oaks-winning mares in Australia have produced a G1 winner and 38% of them have produced a Stakes winner.

NZ Oaks winners also have a great record, with recent winner More Than Sacred already producing Japanese G1 winner Durezza.

The lightly raced Pennyweka has won three of her 12 starts for more than $1m in prizemoney already.

“The greatest thing about her was her temperament, she was simply unflappable,’’ Pennyweka’s trainer Jim Wallace said.

“And she has a great set of lungs, just one of those horses with amazing lungs, it didn’t matter how far she was asked to go, she just thrived. She was a natural athlete, her ability to quicken during a race was extraordinary.

“She’ll be a sensational broodmare. If she passes that temperament of hers onto her progeny, she could be anything. She’s sound as a bell, she’s never had a day of soreness in her life.

“The Chairman’s Sale is recognised as being the premier sale for a mare of her quality. It made it quite easy for us to decide where to sell her and the results of the sale speak for themselves.’’

Hope In Your Heart, C’est Magique and Pennyweka join the likes of dual G1-winning superstar She’s Extreme, this season’s top-class 3YO filly Kimochi, G1 Tatt’s Tiara winner Startantes, G1 placed mare Steinem and G1 Melbourne Cup placegetter High Emocean etc as confirmed early entries for The Chairman’s Sale.

Places in the 2024 Chairman’s Sale are again strictly limited so please contact a member of the Inglis bloodstock team should you wish to discuss your options.

To view our promotional brochure of the upcoming Inglis Breeding Stock Sales Series – which also includes the Australian Weanling Sale, Australian Broodmare Sale, Great Southern Weanling Sale and Great Southern Broodmare Sale – CLICK HERE.

To enter a weanling, filly or mare into any of the above sales CLICK HERE.