SCANDIVA’S MAGIC IS A FAMILY AFFAIR

Is Scandinavia the most influential broodmare in Australia?

Well, if money is the barometer, then this ‘blue hen’ has just gone ‘deep purple’.

No sale in living memory has captured the imagination quite like Easter ’13 with the Redoute’s Choice colt from Scandinavia’s daughter, Helsinge, poised for a rock star reception when he arrives at Newmarket. As a three quarter brother to Black Caviar and All Too Hard, this is his due.

But Helsinge isn’t the only branch on this tall oak. Scandinavia produced yet another Group winner on Saturday when Scandiva captured a thrilling victory in the Group Two Magic Night Stakes, joining three quarter brothers, Magnus and Wilander, on the black type stage.

(A Group One winning sprinter, Magnus is jointly leading the Australian Second Season Sires’ chart by winners).

The timing certainly hasn’t been lost on breeder/owner, Robert Crabtree whose colours were carried to victory by Scandiva. With next Saturday’s Golden Slipper still a possibility, Crabtree will sell – via Eliza Park’s Easter draft – a three quarter brother (by Redoute’s Choice) on Wednesday 10 April.

There will certainly be a lot of box shopping between Stables 1 (the Helsinge colt) and 2 (Lot 319, the Scandinavia colt) during Easter week.

But even more tempting is that another of Crabtree’s homebreds, the Bel Esprit 2YO, Iconic, won the $250,000 VOBIS Gold Rush a fortnight ago and appears to have a very promising future with two from three. He is out of Scandinavia’s first foal, Danavia.

And last, but certainly not least, is Itameri, who finished just a length off the pace in the Magic Night.

Jockey Kerrin McEvoy clearly has a big opinion of the filly and feels she is poised for stakes success during the Sydney carnival. Her mother: another of Scandinavia’s daughters in Baltics!

The Scandinavia colt to sell as Lot 391 at the Easter Yearling Sale