The Hussonet filly Chilean Miss, six lengths winner on debut at Mornington on Friday, was one of the classiest objects at last year's Magic Millions Yearling Sale. She was firmly in my sights but got away because of an in-the-ring announcement which came as a bombshell.
I recommended her strongly to an absentee client who decided to give me up to $350,000 for her. She was in the ring and I was ready to bid when it was announced "she has been seen to windsuck".
I had inspected the filly four times, including in the final minutes when she was about to be walked to the ring, and had had her fully vetted. My lust for her was obvious to Blind Freddie but no one mentioned she had this tag. In truth, she had been seen to grab her feed bowl only a couple of times by the consignor's manager and even the yearling staff were oblivious.
She's walking round the ring and I'm fiddling with my cellphone trying to raise my client, who was holidaying with his family. I'm bidding anyway, "just in case" when finally my client answers. With my bidding already at $260,000, I suddenly have to yell down the phone "she's a windsucker". Being an owner with a penchant for detail, and not a horse expert, my client is trying to come to grips with what this means when, of course, the filly gets knocked down to Clinton McDonald a couple of bids later.
This is a good illustration of the working difficulties sometimes encountered when buying for an absentee client. If I'd been told beforehand about her 'vice', I would have had time to calmly talk my client through the ramifications; however, I couldn't buy the filly without him knowing only to drop it on him later: "Oh, by the way, she's a windsucker".
I bet she hasn't grabbed anything since, other than yesterday's first prizemoney. My luck, she'll win the Blue Diamond.
She's bred on the Hussonet/Nijinsky pattern which seemed to work wonders when the sire stood in Chile.
My client didn't go horseless. Thirty lots later we landed a nice staying-bred colt which is in the Freedman stable.
Bike? Check. Glasses? Check.
Tilly, super cool biker chick.
Melbourne Underbelly?
Looks like it, but actually the Main Man at 'Orange' ... if great coffee, fine food, sumptuous wines, funky atmosphere and fab service are your go, 'Orange' at the Windsor end of Chapel St, Melbourne, is the place. Ask for Anthony and tell him his old man sent you.
SOME RECENT PURCHASES and RECOMMENDATIONS
Thousand Guineas Prelude winner Ortensia, trainer Tony Noonan. Love those nostrils and ears (the filly's).
Fastnet Rock/Rare Insight 2YO colt. Tr J O'Shea
Danzero/Global Dance 2YO colt. Tr G Waterhouse
Canadian 2YO stakeswinner and young broodmare Chelsey's Image (Holy Bull-Lucky Chelsey), in foal to Dylan Thomas (Ire)
Golan/Double Owe 2YO colt, named Double Whisky. Tr C Waller
Redoute's Choice/Volted In 2YO filly. Tr G Waterhouse
Hussonet/Portrayal 2YO filly, named Bolocco Miss. Tr C Waller
Anabaa/Regal Fun 2YO colt. Tr C Waller.
High Chaparral, sire of the Kaapentyne 2YO colt. Tr C Little.
More Than Ready/Rachael's Pride 2YO colt, named Our Corsa. Tr C Waller
Charge Forward/Zerlina 2YO filly, named Passing By. Tr Robert Price
A P Indy's successful sire son Malibu Moon, sire of USA stakeswinner and young broodmare Grant's Moon, booked to Show A Heart.
USA stakeswinner and young broodmare Les Ry Leigh (Broken Vow-Azusa), in foal to Rock Of Gibraltar (Ire)
Hussonet's G1 winning 2YO champion filly La Chiflota
Group winner Rockwood (Rock Of Gibraltar-Foxwood, by Centaine). Tr G Waterhouse
Gr 1 winning mare Absolut Glam (Snowland-Pine Away, by Pine Bluff). Tr D O'Brien.
6 comments:
Obviously that "windsucker" trait hasn't affected the horses ability. Lots of people at sales shy off them.
In your experience does this trait have a marked effect on the horse or can they overcome this easily and win multiple races?
Kingston Town was a windsucker and a weaver!
And Kingston Town couldn't run a yard til he had his balls removed!!!!
Ringling Brothers,Barham & Baileys legendary quote, "There's a sucker born every minute"
windsuckers never bother me when I don't see them doing it.....
Was speaking to Ross and Clinton McDonald today at Caulfield. Clinton says Chilean Miss just grabs her feed bucket and isn't a chronic windsucker. Then they proceeded to regale me with all the windsuckers they had trained/seen ... like Tristarc who was a windsucker, weaver, box-walker ... not only did that make me ill but Clinton said he only got to the MM sale that night with seconds to spare to bid on the filly - he nearly missed her altogether. Blast.
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