Danehill Dancer, the Danehill Coolmore Ireland bred sire who has been very effective in Australia and Europe, hasn’t any 2010 yearlings here, because he missed the 2007 season through the equine influenza epidemic, but good alternatives could be found at the Magic Millions Adelaide sale on March 9 and 10 through progeny of Choisir and Churchill Downs.
The Australian world class sprinter who supplied this year’s Oakleigh Plate winner Starspangledbanner, the Coolmore shuttled Choisir is a son of Ireland bred Danehill Dancer and newcomer Churchill Downs is an Australian bred on similar lines to him. Both are by Danehill and Churchill Downs is from a mare by Diesis, a very good influence by Sharpen Up, the sire of the dam of Danehill Dancer.
Although Danehill Dancer was one of the best juveniles in Europe in his year, Churchill Downs, a resident with another top Danehill with yearlings in the Adelaide catalogue, Elvstroem, at Blue Gum Farm, Euroa, Vic may have been more brilliant. He won the MVRC Bill Stutt Stakes and AJC Widden Stakes, finished second in the Gold Coast Magic Millions 2YO Classic, third in the Golden Slipper and Ascot Vale Stakes and fourth in the Caulfield Guineas.
One of the Churchill Downs Adelaide yearlings, a colt on account of Eliza Park, Vic, is inbred 2x3 to Danehill, the dam being a good class New Zealand performer by Danasinga. The others listed are progeny of mares by Red Ransom, Canny Lad, Century, Quick Score (half-brother to Snippets), Jeune, Baryshnikov (half-brother to Zabeel), Lake Coniston (by Bluebird), Jetball (by Marscay), Bellotto (Mr. Prospector) and Military Plume.
Two nice fillies by Choisir catalogued are the second foal of the Jeune Adelaide dual Listed winner Prancelot and one that is a three-quarter sister to Go Cart, a Danehill Dancer winner of eight races, including three Listed events. They are both from Cubicle, a Scenic mare who was a winner and black type money earner in Adelaide.
Cubicle is a relation of the Vinery Stud based Testa Rossa, a winner of six Group 1 races and a popular sire who contributes six yearlings to the Adelaide catalogue. They include progeny of two Woodman mares and one each by Flying Spur and Royal Academy.
All the Testa Rossa yearlings are on account of the Baramul Stud, Widden Valley. Supplying 15 lots all told with the others including progeny of Hussonet, General Nediym, Mossman, Stratum and Foreplay, Baramul is owned by Gerry Harvey, also one of the owners of the Vinery stud and the Magic Millions Sales company.
A feature of the Adelaide sale is the solid contribution from prominent Victorian studs, including the mammoth Eliza Park (19 lots, including progeny of Barely a Moment, Churchill Downs, Elvstroem, Clangalang, Written Tycoon), Caithness Breeding (14 lots, including Churchill Downs, God’s Own, Keep the Faith, Dane Shadow, Bel Esprit), Erinvale Thoroughbreds (11, Bel Esprit, God’s Own, Artie Schiller, Seidnazar, Dubai Destination), Grange Thoroughbreds (9, Hussonet, Gonski, Niello, Don Eduardo, Court of Jewels), Chatswood Stud (7, including five by Lonhro’s Group1 winning younger brother Niello), Oakford Farm (8, Churchill Downs, Gonski, Niello, Keep the Faith) and Swettenham Stud (8, by resident sires Bianconi, Dash for Cash, Hold That Tiger and Keep the Faith).
The biggest consignment for the Adelaide sale is 32 lots on account of the Hayes family’s Lindsay Park. They include progeny of their young Australian bred and performed sires Barely a Moment (Gilded Time – Lady Danna, by Danehill) and Face Value (Red Ransom – Freckled Face, by Polish Patriot).
A triple Group 1 winner and a Caulfield Guineas second, Barely a Moment has 36 second crop yearlings in the 369 lot catalogue, while Face Value, a winner of four sprints and also second in the Caulfield Guineas, has 15 from his third season of use.
Other South Australian contributors with six or more are Ducatoon Park (14, including offspring of Aussie Rules, Churchill Downs, Barely a Moment, Snitzel), Inman Valley Stud (7, Bel Esprit, Written Tycoon, Face Value, Danbird, Magic Albert, Delago Brom), Kambula Stud (6, Blevic, Barely a Moment, Face Value, Snippetson, Zeditave), Kia Glen Stud (10, Face Value, Bianconi, Real Jester, Gonski, Dubai Destination, Lion Heart, Arazi, Artie Schiller), Kirkliston Stud (13, Barely a Moment, Niello, Bianconi, Not a Single Doubt, Keep the Faith, Foreplay), Little Hills Pastoral Company (8, Barely a Moment, Real Jester, Domesday), Meadow Park Stud (6, Zeditave, Bel Danoro, Fraar, Delago Brom, Chateau Istana), Mill Park Stud (9, Mossman, Bel Esprit, King Cugat, Dubai Destination, Danerich, Umatilla), Oakside Park (12, 11 by Akhadan, a Danehill sire of 95 winners), Riva Ridge Stud (7, Written Tycoon, Face Value, Strategic, Gonski, Not a Single Doubt), Riverside Stud (17, including five by the young Gone West sire Mugharreb), Somerset Park Stud (6, Gonski, Not a Single Doubt, Barely a Moment, Snippetson, Bel Esprit) and Willow Grove Stud (12, including nine by Mugharreb).
Sires with eight or more Adelaide yearlings are Akhadan (12), Artie Schiller 8), Barely a Moment (36), Bel Esprit (14), Bianconi (9), Churchill Downs (11), Danerich (11), Dash for Cash (15), Face Value (15), Gonski (14), Keep the Faith (9), Mugharreb (19), Niello (14) and Written Tycoon (8). The bulk of the yearlings are in Breeders Schemes and all are eligible for the rich rewards available through the Magic Millions sales incentives.
