This is a pedigree update that breeder’s dream of.
Before Friday the Anabaa mare Mabkhara had not had a stakes-winner in her five foals to reach the track – now she has two. At Newcastle on Friday, Australian Bloodstock’s Wandjina mare Wandabaa opened her stakes account in the Group III Newcastle Newmarket Hcp.
A day later Wandabaa’s half-brother Malkovich opened his stakes account with the narrowest of wins in the in the Listed Ata/Bob Hoysted Stakes (1000m) at Flemington.
The 4yo son of Choisir came down the middle of the track to hold the onrushing Brooklyn Hustle (Starspangledbanner) by a nose with Express Pass (Wandjina) a further short-neck back in third.
Like his Inglis Sprint winning stablemate Overpass, Malkovich has been racing in rare form and few would deny him his maiden stakes success.
The Bjorn Baker-trained entire seems to enjoy Melbourne. His three previous stakes placings all came down south, including a second behind Oxley Road in the Group II Caulfield Sprint. His overall record stands at seven wins, six seconds, and a third from 19 starts with earnings of $679,230.
“It was a very encouraging effort in the Oakleigh Plate last week, and it set him up nicely to come back to the 1000 metres,” Parr said.
I do like that set-up, personally, because it means they can roll along very strong with a nice tempo and you can count on them being there in the end.”
Malkovich was an $85,000 pinhook by Woodpark Stud from the Ascot Park draft at the 2019 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale. He then made $240,000 to the bid of Darby Bloodstock at the Inglis Ready 2 Race Sale.
Mabkhara had ten foals in succession. Australian Bloodstock/Kris Lees Racing/Yes Bloodstock went to $575,000 for Mabkhara’s yearling filly by Deep Field at the Magic Millions in January.
After foaling a Capitalist filly last spring, Mabkhara was covered by Cosmic Force.
Malkovich becomes the 104th stakes-winner for Coolmore Stud’s trail blazing Choisir.
Pensioned after the 2019 stud season, the Group 1 winning son of Danehill Dancer died in December last year.
