Edinburgh’s premium families……
Even at a premier sale level like the Australian Easter, one stud presenting a draft without a weak link is rare, but in 2022 Ian Smith of Edinburgh Park Stud has achieved that feat. The sheer depth of pedigree on each page is quite sensational with all seven youngsters hailing from current, vibrant families. Amongst them are half-siblings to some of the toughest performers in Australia while breeders will have several opportunities to access the blood of a family one could argue is currently having the greatest impact on the Australian Stud Book. With all seven lacking nothing in physique, where do we start?
It has been well documented that many years ago Ian bought the Canadian bred mare Gainesville who became the acclaimed grandam of the G1 winners Criterion and Comin’ Through. Not long after he also invested in Gainesville’s Stakes winning Northern Flagship half-sister Darling Alice whose line of the family has an influence on results seemingly every Saturday and looks ready to explode. It’s a sign of confidence in the family that four yearlings from the one draft can be accepted into Australia’s premier sale. “We are only just starting to open up this branch of the family when you consider Eleven Eleven is the oldest. These pages are going to look a hell of a lot different in the next five to ten years, and that is why we are so bullish and have invested so heavily in this family with the mares all back in foal to the best stallions in the country.”
Amongst the quartet Edinburgh Park offer a pair of fillies that provide tremendous opportunities for breeders to cultivate their own branch of the family.
Both will sell on the second day with Lot 322, Exceed And Excel’s granddaughter of Darling Alice out of the American bred First Defence mare Nothin But A Dream the first to go and she has to be near the top of most shopping lists. Twice a winner at a mile in her country of birth, Nothing But A Dream has proven herself as a quality broodmare foaling the magnificent specimen that is the Bill Stutt Stakes-G2 winner and runner up in the Champagne Stakes-G1, Glenfiddich. Having been patiently handled and currently on the comeback trail, Glenfiddich’s record could well have improved by the time this filly goes through the ring. Ian said of this
lass “This filly is one of the standouts in our draft. By Exceed And Excel, the market is soaking up fillies with this strength in pedigree.”
The remaining filly from the Darling Alice line will sell half an hour later and carries an infusion of blood rarely seen in Australasia. Lot 347 is a Medaglia d’Oro filly first foal out of the Venezuelan mare Piacenza, a granddaughter of Darling Alice through the Quiet American mare Quiet Alice and herself by A. P. Indy’s son League Of Nations. Typical of the family, Piacenza was both talented and tough winning seven of her nine career starts including a pair of Stakes races. Her half-sister Endrygol (Evolutionist) was voted champion older mare with seven Stakes wins to her name, and Piacenza’s full sister Successfully is twice a Stakes winner and continues to race. Quiet Alice is also the dam of three other Stakes performers. Ian explained “We went out on a limb and had to go to Venezuela to purchase Piacenza. She is a gorgeous mare and the first foal is a typical, really nice Medaglia d’Oro filly that will make into a three year-old type. She’s a big, strong filly that has furnished nicely, not a typical first foal and definitely one that you would want to put in your barn.”
However, if it is a colt in the mould of Glenfiddich that you seek then Lot 370, the son of the red-hot Zoustar out of Quiet Kitten by Kitten’s Joy, should fit the bill. His dam is one of those six previously mentioned Stakes performers out of Quiet Alice, Quiet Kitten being the winner of seven races along with a handful of Stakes placings in Florida including a runner up finish at Grade 3 level. Discussing the colt Ian said “His full brother, her first foal, made $450,000 last year and is currently in work with Peter Moody and not far off trialling. We are excited to present this guy who will only keep on furnishing and developing right up to the sale. You know with this line they can all run and it’s a family that just keeps on giving.”
And the best of this family might have been saved for last. Lot 430 is the Trapeze Artist half-brother to the modern day warhorse Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock) and to War Memorial who was a winner and Listed placed at two. Their dam Smokin’ Alice is a daughter of Darling Alice by Champion American sprinter Smoke Glacken. Ian described this fellow as, “A colt with great strength and size, good bone, deep through the girth and with a lot of power behind him. We supported Trapeze Artist in his first season and I think this fellow is the pick of the crop. He is exactly what you would expect from this family and is a half-brother to Eleven Eleven (Fastnet Rock) whose earnings are near $3 million. He looks a strong sprinter – miler who looks like he could run through a brick wall, and that is how I described both Eleven Eleven and Glenfiddich as yearlings.”
Despite being in the twilight of his career More Than Ready continues to churn out winners and his filly from the Flying Spur mare Flying Single, Lot 177, has the pedigree and physique to be amongst his best. Having the outstanding producer and daughter of Rory’s Jester, Singles Bar, as her dam makes Flying Single a half-sister to Not A Single Doubt and to Natural Is My Name, dam of Golden Slipper runner up Zizou. And this is a family that just keeps pumping out Stakes winners as another half-sister Bella Sunday (Sunday Silence) is the dam of Flight Stakes-G1 winner Oohood (I Am Invincible) and the grandam of dual juvenile G1 winner King’s Legacy (Redoute’s Choice). Natural Is My Name is the grandam of the brilliant sprinter Big Parade (Deep Field), so carefully managed by his trainer Mark Newnham and a prime candidate for this year’s running of The Everest. “This is the same cross as Sebring so we know it works and More Than Ready mares have a great strike rate. I think she can deliver on the track and also in the breeding barn long term,” Ian explained.
Flying Single is a proven broodmare with five winners to date while her granddaughter Lady Jivago (Beneteau) won the Inglis 2YO Classic and is the dam of the recent runaway debut winner Zamborghini (Zoustar).
Speaking of Not A Single Doubt, this is the last opportunity to buy a colt of his from a premier sale and Edinburgh Park will present one carrying a mouth-watering pedigree. Lot 262 is a handsome bay out of the Charge Forward mare London Lolly, herself twice a Stakes winner as a juvenile and now the dam of three winners from as many to race. In turn she is out of Lovely Jubly, whose seven wins including the Brisbane G1 juvenile double of the QTC Sires’ Produce Stakes and what is now the J J Atkins Stakes, has been embellished by the fact that amongst her seven winners was the Champion Chautauqua who won six G1’s between Australia and Hong Kong and only $8.7 million in prizemoney. Add to that this colt has as his damsire Charge Forward, damsire of two Golden Slipper winners already, and this colt is an exciting proposition. “This fellow has come to us from the Throsbys who have been very successful with their breeding program. The colt has come on in leaps and bounds throughout his preparation and he certainly looks an early running two year-old, typical of the sire’s stock.”
The Edinburgh draft will kick off with Lot 87, a Charm Spirit full sister to the tough Melbourne sprinter Sansom out of Bryony by Fastnet Rock. “I bought this filly as a weanling thinking she would furnish out nicely and she has certainly done that. Phillip Stokes bought her Zoustar half-sister last year and the reports about her are that she is going well. I think this filly will be well received.”
Stokes also trained Sansom which has won nine of 25 starts to date including a pair of G3’s, the Bletchingly Stakes and the Chatham Stakes at the Flemington Spring Carnival. A winner over 1300 metres in Victoria, Bryony is out of the excellent producer Myrrh (Nassipour) making her a full sister to Heroic Valour, winner of the Diamond Stakes-G1 at two in New Zealand and whose first crop have come out running, and a half-sister to the Doncaster Handicap-G1 winner Triple Honour (Honours List).
So the depth in pedigree is certainly there across all seven lots and buyers won’t be disappointed when they see the physicals as they walk out from the Edinburgh Park boxes at Riverside.
Edinburgh Park yearlings have gone from strength to strength this sales season with record results in 2022.
www.edinburghpark.com.au
Ian Smith: 0419 637 892
Wingham, NSW