News

Four Stakes winners at Sandown for Inglis graduates

16th Nov 2019

Talented 3YO filly Pretty Brazen headlined a red-letter day for Inglis graduates at Sandown, with a bold victory in the G2 Sandown Guineas over 1600m.

Pretty Brazen, the first filly in 14 years to win the race, was offered at the 2018 Inglis Easter Sale by Coolmore Stud and purchased by McEvoy Mitchell Racing for $700,000 on behalf of Linda and Graham Huddy’s Peachester Lodge.

“She was a big, beautiful, athletic filly at the sales and of course she already had a great pedigree,” a thrilled Linda Huddy said.

“Even if she never made it to the track, she was always going to be worth a lot of money and she’s exactly what I went to the sale looking to buy.

“She is so tough and is getting better with racing, so who knows what might be in store for her in the future, it’s just wonderful!”

Pretty Brazen, one of 23 Stakes-winning 3YOs in Australia so far this season that are graduates of Inglis auctions, was bred by Queensland-based Denis and Claire O’Brien.

“I’m absolutely thrilled, particularly for Linda and Graham Huddy,” Denis O’Brien said.

“$700,000 is a lot of money to pay for a yearling, but she was an outstanding sort and it is very rewarding to see her run up to the promise she has always shown.

“It’s a huge credit to the team at Coolmore Stud, who did an exceptional job of raising her and I’m sure they’re excited to be offering her half-sister by American Pharoah – who is also stunning – at Easter next year,” O’Brien said.

Pretty Brazen is the 5th Australian Stakes-winner for her Darley Victoria-based sire Brazen Beau and one of four Stakes winners for her extraordinary dam Pretty Penny (Encosta de Lago), who has produced a further 3 stakes performers from 7 foals to race.

The American Pharoah filly from Pretty Penny, her 8th foal, is set to be offered as part of the Coolmore draft at the 2020 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

On the back of her G3 triumph on Oaks Day at Flemington, in-form mare Teleplay narrowly defeated Home Of The Brave in a thrilling G3 Kevin Heffernan Stakes (1300m).

The 5YO Written Tycoon mare, trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, was offered at the 2016 Inglis Premier Sale by Baystone Farm and bought by Dynamic Syndications for $85,000.

Teleplay – now a three-time stakes winner – was bred by Peter Burke of Taghadoe Stud. “I actually bought her dam Special Episode (Redoute’s Choice) in foal to Written Tycoon while I was working at Broadwater with Mike Fleming, it was really due to sentimental value as she is a three-quarter-sister to First Seal, one of the last horses Bart Cummings ever bought,” Burke said.

“She was my only broodmare at the time, so when Written Tycoon started to hit his straps about six months later and with First Seal at the peak of her powers, I thought the timing was right to sell the filly as a weanling, which I did privately.

“Teleplay was a nuggety filly, not overly big – but she has a lot of the characteristics of her dam,” Burke said.

“It’s really exciting for me as a breeder, having identified the dam at the time – I’m also looking forward to offering drafts at the Inglis Classic and Inglis Premier Sales in 2020 under the Taghadoe banner.”

Earlier on the Sandown card, well-bred filly Xilong showcased her class with an all-the-way win in the Listed Twilight Glow Stakes (1400m) for co-trainers Tony and Calvin McEvoy.

Tony McEvoy purchased the daughter of exciting young Newgate-based sire Deep Field for $360,000 from the 2018 Inglis Easter Sale, when offered by Henry Field’s Newgate Farm.

“She was bred by SF Bloodstock and Matthew Sandblom and she was probably the nicest filly we had on the farm all year physically, she was a really clean filly,” Field said.

“Tony McEvoy has actually bought every foal (all fillies) out of the mare and so far all of them have shown they can run.

“He’s had a massive opinion of Xilong from day dot and it’s great to see her putting it all together with the G1 Sangster Stakes the potential target for her next year,” Field said.

“We’ve got a glorious Capitalist filly out of the mare heading to Easter in 2020, which we’re really excited about.”

In a fitting farewell to a successful career in the saddle, jockey Stephen Baster rode into retirement as a winner aboard 7YO gelding Gold Fields in the G3 Sandown Stakes (1500m).

By Churchill Downs out of Gold Delta (Encosta de Lago), Gold Fields was a $42,000 buy for Glenhuntly Lodge at the 2014 Inglis Vobis Gold Yearling Sale, from the draft of Blue Gum Farm.

The Logan McGill-trained Gold Fields – who has been a fabulous money-spinner for connections with earnings of more than $600,000 – was dropping back in trip, having claimed the Listed Sale Cup (1600m) at his previous start.