LIVING LEGENDS NOMS

Not surprisingly, the 2011 service nominations to Champion Victorian Sire Bel Esprit and exciting shuttler Statue of Liberty proved very popular when auctioned off at the Inglis ‘open day’ yesterday.
Offered by Eliza Park to raise funds for Living Legends, the Bel Esprit nomination was knocked down to Inglis as Agent for $25,000, while the Statue of Liberty was purchased by long-time Eliza Park and a wonderful industry contributor in Marianne Smart.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY ...

Eliza Park’s chief ‘meet and greet’, John Jeffs, has been co-ordinating inspections for 13 years on behalf of Eliza Park and Tyreel Stud … from the Gold Coast, to Easter, to Melbourne.
And, despite the inclement weather when most people were dragging themselves out of bed of a Sunday morning, Oaklands Junction was absolutely hopping all day. Indeed, JJ declared it the busiest day he’s experienced at a sales complex – anywhere! – and was at the vanguard of no less than 133 inspections.
All up, the 27 fillies were pulled from their boxes on 280 occasions, while the 24 colts were out 337 times.
Thus far – in the six days of inspections prior to day one of the sale – the colts have been out 1505 times, while the fillies have strutted their stuff on 1315 occasions.

BEHIND THE BRAND

The Y inside the C is the brand of highly successful owner/breeder Robert Crabtree, the principal of Brighton Mazda.
Rob has had a long association with Eliza Park and, indeed, sold the property at Kerrie to Eliza Park’s owner Lee Fleming in the late 90s.
Rob also bred and raced Group One winning sprinter Magnus who now stands at Eliza Park and is selling his first yearlings in 2011.
Not surprisingly, given his ‘speed’ breed and his racetrack tenacity (first four finishes in 10 Group Ones), Magnus’ progeny has been hugely popular at sales on the Gold Coast (former trainer Peter Moody bought the first one!) and in Sydney where his filly from Coconut Mamma topped the Inglis Sydney Classic.
Now it’s on to Melbourne where 32 Magnus yearlings will be offered, 10 of them by Eliza Park.

MASTHEAD'S DIAMOND SECOND

Enormous performance yesterday by Written Tycoon’s flying 2YO – Masthead (below) – in the $1 million Blue Diamond Stakes-G1 at Caulfield yesterday.
Nothing was going to toss the brilliant Sepoy, who put in the fastest Diamond run in 17 years, but Masthead’s effort to finish third was outstanding to say the least.
Running wide for most of the journey, Masthead rattled home for a solid third, beaten a head out of second.
The Group One placing for Masthead became Written Tycoon’s second black type horse after Written Consent was a good thing beaten in the Canonbury Stakes-LR at Randwick on 12 February.
Masthead’s victory in the $250,000 Inglis Classic and Group One placing – coupled with Written Consent’s Listed second – sees Written Tycoon forge well ahead on the First Season Sires’ chart.

Great run too by Delago Brom youngster, Delago’s Lad, who couldn’t buy a run in the straight but was flying on the line to grab sixth.

AWESOME!

Bel Esprit’s Caviar serves up phenomenal Lightning win …
and Statue of Liberty’s flyer is still second on the List

1 … 2 … thank you! Eliza Park stands the sires of the world’s two best sprinters

Well, job’s right. The unbeaten mare, Black Caviar more than justified her $1.28 quote by demolishing Australia’s finest sprinters in the $750,000 Lightning Stakes at Flemington today.
Such was the display that seasoned racegoers could not recall a performance of that ilk and now the question is, who can beat her?
Spare a thought though for Hay List. With his gutsy second – still two lengths clear of the third horse – he remains the second best sprinter in the world.
From an Eliza Park perspective, it could not have been a better result … Black Caviar is by Victoria’s Champion Sire Bel Esprit and is closely related to up and coming stallion Magnus (whose first crop of yearlings are selling in 2011 and topped the recent Inglis Sydney Classic), while Hay List is a son of Eliza Park’s shuttler Statue of Liberty.
Yet, as important a result as this is for Eliza Park, this is also a huge leap forward for the Victorian thoroughbred breeding industry.
As Black Caviar’s trainer Peter Moody said post race – dispelling the fears of those who feel his Champion mare will be lost to overseas racing – “there are plenty of televisions around the world and, besides, they can always jump on a plane!”
Victoria … the eyes of the world are upon us!

Eliza Park will have a 2011 service nomination to both Bel Esprit and Statue of Liberty auctioned at the Inglis Sales Complex on Sunday 27 February with the proceeds going to Living Legends, the International Home of Rest for Champion Horses.

Photo by Bronwen Healy

BEL & STATUE NOMS

Eliza Park stands the sires of the world's two best sprinters in Black Caviar (Bel Esprit) and Hay List (Statue of Liberty) and, courtesy of Inglis, will be auctioning 2011 service nominations to both stallions at Oaklands Junction on Sunday 27 February, with the proceeds going to Living Legends, the International Home of Rest For Champion Horses.

Facetime: Bel Esprit (left) eyes off Statue of Liberty

 

MASTHEAD WRITES NEW PAGE

Potential turned into reality at Mornington today with the gutsy victory of WRITTEN TYCOON juvenile, Masthead, in the $250,000 Inglis 2YO over 1200m.
The Lee Freedman trained colt was competing against a tip top field and sat just off the pace until turning for home.
In a confident ride by Craig Williams, the Written Tycoon flyer strode to the lead over the final furlong and held off the challenges of favourite Emerald Downs and the fast finishing Delago’s Lad (Delago Brom).
Masthead, bred by Vintage Bloodstock in South Australia, has shown considerable promise since winning a trial last September but found trouble on debut when second at Moonee Valley on Cox Plate day.
Masthead then ran fourth in the Maribyrnong Plate-G3 (beaten less than a length) before being turned out and, based on today’s performance, he has returned a much more mature campaigner.
Masthead is out of the winning Redoute’s Choice mare Balsamico, a running family which includes 2YO stakes winners Vintage Dance, Loving Cup and Fullazz.
Written Tycoon stands at Eliza Park and covered 198 mares last season at a fee of $6,600.
Although Masthead is Written Tycoon’s first winner from limited runners to date, he has also been represented by last Saturday’s Canonbury Stakes-LR runnerup Written Consent.

Masthead is now rated a $21 chance for the Blue Diamond Stakes-G1 and Delago’s Lad certainly didn’t do his Diamond chances any harm with his rollicking third.

Masthead takes out the $250k Inglis 2YO. Photo by Taron Clarke