The five fillies and three colts from Silverdale Farm at Avoca in the fertile NSW southern highlands are a special group of youngsters by the best commercial proven sires in Australia and include a magnificent filly by Champion The Autumn Sun who is a three quarter-sister to Gr1 ATC Golden Rose winner In The Congo, earner of over $1.7 million.
Steve and Eliza Grant’s Silverdale farm is stunning 230 acre thoroughbred broodmare farm which has been developed with a single purpose. The aim is to rear and sell quality thoroughbreds which have been raised under the best possible conditions by dedicated staff to set them on their journey into the racing world. The ideal location on fertile soil has been augmented with the development of high quality infrastructure, whether it’s the drainage, water management, stabling or horse exercise areas, Silverdale’s facilities are of the highest order. The early results speak for themselves, as even during the development phase, stars such as Golden Slipper winner Fireburn, Gr3 winner Subterranean and Gr3 placed Pantonario have been raised and sold
by Silverdale.
The quality of the 2023 Easter offering from Silverdale Farm is evident from the sire power featured, with colts by Champion Australian sires Snitzel and Written Tycoon, a filly by current Champion sire and great filly sire I Am Invincible, a colt and a filly by the great sire and “king of statistics” Extreme Choice, two fillies by the Gr1 sire and prolific stakes sire Deep Field and the piece de resistance namely the three quarter-sister to Gr1 winner In The Congo by the Champion galloper and emerging young sire talent The Autumn Sun.
Taking the draft in sale order, with comments from Silverdale manager Rob Petith to follow each lot, a brief summary follows –
Lot 50 chestnut colt EXTREME CHOICE – BRAVE SOLDIER by Zizou.
By the super sire Extreme Choice, sire of Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside and multiple Gr1 winner She’s Extreme from small crops, this colt is out of a half-sister to Sydney 2yo winner and multiple stakes producer Longoria. He is bred on the Extreme Choice/Mr Prospector nick which has produced two of the sire’s best runners, Gr2 winner and Gr1 placed Tiger Of Malay and the brilliant SW Extreme Flight.
“A typical Extreme Choice, a great moving colt, which typifies this sireline. He’s by the sire everyone wants but which is in limited supply. This colt has prepped up beautifully, I couldn’t be happier with him.”
Lot 115 bay or brown filly DEEP FIELD – ENDEAN ROSE by Savabeel.
By the proven Gr1 sire of star fillies such as ISOTOPE ($1.2 million), FITUESE (527k). This filly is the third foal of Gr1 placed winner of six races Endean Rose, whose three year-old Russian Rose ran second on debut in mid-February 2023, while her two year-old Untouchable Legend ran fourth on debut at the end of February 2023. This is a pedigree on the move, and includes dual Gr1 winner Domino and dual Gr1 winner Kiwi Hero.
“A lovely filly, very athletic, and a great mover. She’s not dissimilar to the half-sister Untouchable Legend which we sold and whose only two appearances have been a trial win and a very promising first start 4th at Canterbury. This is a real quality filly.”
Lot 328 chestnut filly EXTREME CHOICE – RUSSIAN RUBY by Shaft.
Another by the great EXTREME CHOICE whose daughter She’s Extreme won both the Gr1 ATC Flight S and Gr1 VRC Oaks, this filly is out of winning mare Russian Ruby, whose first foal to race has won three races to date. This is the family of Gr3 winner Girl in Flight, as well as Inglis 2YO Classic placed Soviet Secret.
“What more can I say about Extreme Choice, there are only six in this sale and his stats are nothing short of amazing. This filly is just what you would want, very much like her sire, with a great action typical of the breed. And we know Extreme Choice can sire Gr1 fillies!”
Lot 346 bay or brown filly I AM INVINCIBLE – SENSE OF HITE by Street Sense.
By Australia’s reigning Champion Sire who is one of the great filly sires of the breed, this filly is a half-sister to Australian Oaks-Gr1 placed winner Quintessa and good two year-old Acrophobic, out of stakes placed winner Sense of Hite. Both Waltz on By and recent Gr2 winner Shuffle Dancer are bred on the I Am Invincible/Street Cry cross that this filly has. Sense of Hite is a half-sister to group placed winner Storytime, with both being out of group placed winner Authoress.
“I’m very excited to be taking this filly to Easter, by a champion sire out of a young Gr1 producing mare. There’s a lot of Vinnie about her, great body and shoulder, well muscled. She’s was a beautiful foal and has kept developing the right way all through. A cracking Vinnie filly, what more can I say!”
Lot 367 chestnut colt WRITTEN TYCOON – SNITZEL’S GODDESS by Snitzel.
By Australian Champion sire WRITTEN TYCOON whose sons include Golden Slipper winner and successful sire Capitalist, Ole Kirk and Written By, this colt is out of Snitzel’s Goddess who won three races, one as a two year-old, and her first foal has won three times this season. This colt is from a strong family as his second dam is Horse of the Year and Gr1 winner Zirna, dam of Crafty Irna, dam of recent Listed winner Snickerdoodledandy, also by Snitzel.
“He’s a ripper, a really great colt. Plenty of bone, great shape overall, by a wonderful sire who made his way up the ranks with some exciting gallopers and more to come surely out of his better mares. This colt has a great temperament, it’s a Gr1 family, and the mare is a proven young producer, I can’t wait to show him to buyers.”
Lot 368 bay colt SNITZEL – SNOGGING by I Am Invincible.
This colt is by the quadruple Champion Australian sire and exciting young sire of sires SNITZEL out of the Gr2 placed Snogging a daughter of another champion sire I Am Invincible.This is the family of Gr2 winners Lavish Girl and Hadabeclorka as well as prolific stakes winners Songs Of Vienna and City Of Song.
“A great first foal, loads of Snitzel about him, his head and jowl. He looks a real bull and is very athletic, a great mover with an excellent temperament. This young Vinnie mare is off to a fine start for us as her next foal, a filly also by Snitzel is equally spectacular.”
Lot 405 bay filly DEEP FIELD – TATCEE by Foxwedge.
This filly is another by the GR1 sire and excellent sire of flying fillies ISOTOPE and FITUESE, she is the first foal of Tatcee who won five races, three in the city, and is a half-sister to the dam of group winners Man From Uncle and Head of State. This is the family of quality gallopers Shania Dane, Scintillation, Risk Aversion, Summer Passage, and Northwest Passage.
“Another great first foal, good bone, hip and hindquarter, she’s a very well balanced filly. Her dam is a beautiful specimen, exudes quality, and she has passed that on to this filly. This is a very solid big black type family and this filly lives up to the part.”
Lot 440 bay filly THE AUTUMN SUN – VIA AFRICA by Var.
This filly is a rare gem, by a CHAMPION, out of a CHAMPION, ¾ sister to a Gr1 winner of over $1.7 million. Her sire was Champion 3yo colt in Australia, her dam was Champion sprinter in South Africa and her three quarter-brother is the Gr1 ATC Golden Rose winner IN THE CONGO. Unlimited racing potential, priceless residual value.
“What a cracker, we loved this filly at the MM National weanling sale and went the whole nine yards to get her. No buyer’s remorse here, we are so pleased we did because she’s gone from strength to strength and In The Congo keeps embellishing his record. She’s got everything you want, quality pedigree, great physical, racing potential plus, and a foundation mare prospect being a ¾ sister to a brilliant Gr1 winner.
She’s a queen!”
Steve Grant had the last word in summing up the Silverdale draft, “Rob and the team have done a great job with these youngsters and we look forward to presenting them at Easter, please come and visit us at Riverside in April in barn J”