The COVID 19 pandemic has brought many challenges for international bloodstock agents whose business revolves around them being fully cognisant of racing and breeding right around the world, but one thing never changes and that’s the ability to identify quality.
Grant Pritchard-Gordon of Badgers Bloodstock has been a regular visitor to Australia over the years and his son Sam has made the country his home, so the recent run of success enjoyed by this respected bloodstock agency is well worth recognition.
Group I VRC Oaks winner Personal (3f Fastnet Rock x Personify) was bred and sold by Cressfield, but her mother caught the eye of Badger’s Bloodstock a long time before that.
“We bought PERSONIFY as a filly off the track with David Hayes at the MM broodmare sale in 2007 for Paul Makin,” said Grant Pritchard-Gordon.
“We were already committed fans of Galileo and I believe that she was his first stakes winner in Australia.
“In one of Paul Makin’s Starcraft dispersals, we resold PERSONIFY in foal to Redoute’s Choice at the Inglis broodmare sale in 2008. Cressfield were the purchasers at $2 million dollars... so our client Mr Makin was very happy!”
At that same 2008 Inglis breeding stock sale, Badger’s Bloodstock purchased BE INSPIRED for a very enthusiastic Victorian breeder Jen Fowler for $150,000.
The Zabeel mare is now the dam of Group I WATC Railway Stakes winner Inspirational Girl (5m Reliable Man x Be Inspired), who has won nine of 11 starts and nearly $900,000 in prizemoney.
“Sadly Jen Fowler is no longer involved... she wrote yesterday to say that .’one day I hope it won’t be necessary to sell prized broodmares to fund the breeding operation’,” revealed Pritchard-Gordon.
The current run of success enjoyed by mares purchased by Badgers Bloodstock doesn’t end with Personify and Be Inspired.
“We have had a memorable month with our broodmare purchases, for Flemington stakes-winner AIN’TNODEELDUN is out of a mare Ain’tnofallenstar that we bought as a yearling for Lee Freedman... having also bought her dam Ain’tseennothing for Paul Makin and sent her to Starcraft for the mating that produced her,” said Pritchard-Gordon.
“In time, we sincerely hope that this colt will also add a Group I victory to the family fortunes.”
The Melbourne Cup victory of the Joseph O’Brien trained stayer Twilight Payment (IRE) in the colours of legendary Australia owner Lloyd Williams was also cause for celebration at Badger’s Bloodstock.
“It is with enormous pride that our agency played a small role amongst three geniuses in Lloyd Williams, Jim Bolger and Joseph O’Brien,” said Pritchard-Gordon.
“We identified the potential of the horse and negotiated a private sale between Lloyd and Jim, before the horse moved to Joseph. And then there was that genius ride too!
“That victory gave us as much pleasure as any of the international victories that have come our way... including 75 Group 1 winners for me as JUDDMONTE’s Racing Manager.
“Australia is very close to my heart ( I now have three Australian grand-daughters) and to be involved with a winner of the iconic Melbourne Cup is one of my own proudest moments... ‘Thank you, Lloyd!’.”
