Western Breeders Alliance graduates are on fire at home, interstate and internationally ahead of the Perth Magic Millions on February 22 and 23 in the Swan Valley.
WBA leads the vendor list once again with 43 lots and it completed a city double with Madhi Girl (Ascot) and She's Greysful (Gawler) on Saturday before a third strike with Magniac (Hong Kong) on Wednesday evening.
The Alliance of Darling View Thoroughbreds (Brent Atwell), Westbury Park (Phil Ibbotson) and Einoncliff Park (Wayne Beynon) topped Perth turnover for four years in a row before Yarradale Stud prevailed by a narrow margin last year.
Darling View has already met the market this year with a Bivouac - Elouera (Street Cry) colt that sold through Attunga Stud to Trent Busuttin for $160,000 at the Gold Coast.
“It was a good start to the Australian sale season and several of the trainers and syndicators I spoke to are coming to Perth,” Atwell said.
“We’re breeding good horses and the market is buoyant over here with the Westspeed Scheme.
“Darling View is fortunate to stand an amazing stallion like Playing God. He sires athletes that are tough with a temperament that makes them easy to train. They’re not show-ponies but name me a Perth trainer who doesn’t want one. There’s over 40 catalogued for Perth so there’s a Playing God for everyone.”
Among the WBA highlights is Playing God’s full-brother to G2 WA Guineas (1600m) winner Zipaway. Catalogued as Lot 24, he’s being offered as agent for the Parnham family and Paula Sullivan. “He’s a big lad and is probably a bit bigger and stronger than Zipaway at the same stage.”
Atwell is also keen on the I’m All The Talk half-brother to this season’s Belmont winner Costazita (Lot 15) and the Farnan filly from Cafe Scientific (Lot 30).
Last year’s WBA graduate Madhi Girl (Winning Rupert) is a live chance for next month’s RL Magic Millions WA 2YO Classic (1200m) following a front-running victory that really impressed her trainer Simon Miller on Saturday.
“She was unlucky first-up and it’s been six weeks since that run so she’s still big in condition,” Miller revealed. “It’s a month to the Magic Millions Classic and she will keep improving with another run under her belt.”
Madhi Girl was sold by WBA (as agent) for $68,000 on behalf of Digby Beacham. The TABradio host bred her from Very Angry Gal (Gingerbread Man) who was an Ascot 2yo winner for Miller in 2016.
She’s Greysful opened her interstate account with a powerful victory in the 4 Ways Fresh Produce Hcp (1200m) at Gawler. The former Perth mare sat three and four wide and was still good enough to grind her rivals down in the straight.
A grey daughter of Vert de Grece (Ire), she was sold by WBA as agent for Bunbury breeder John Cunniffe for $25,000 at the 2021 Perth Magic Millions.
Former Fremantle Dockers footballer Hayden Ballantyne trained her to win an early-season Ascot nursery and she also looked the winner of the 2022 RL Magic Millions WA Classic (1200m) before being swamped by Sheeza Belter (Gold Standard).
She’s Greysful was subsequently purchased by Gawler trainers Aaron Bain and Ned Taylor for $50,000 at an Inglis Digital Sale this time last year. “That was a big effort to win today,” Bain declared at his home track. “She has missed two starts this month because of a track downgrade and a power outage so a 35-day break certainly wasn’t the plan.
“She’s been flying at home and bursting to race. She was wide the whole trip and was very strong late so I guess it was case of third time lucky.”
Hong Kong handler Jamie Richards completed his first double since April 2022 with G Liner (Siyouni) and WBA graduate Magniac (Lucky Street) at Sha Tin on Wednesday.
Magniac was ridden by Hugh Bowman replacing Zac Purton in the Flamingo Hcp (1200m). “Last season I told the owners he would develop into a quality performer,” Richards recalled. “He’s a good-looking horse and acclimatised very well.”
Bred by Darling View Thoroughbreds, he cost Trevor Andrews $65,000 at the 2021 Perth Magic Millions and raced as Final Series in Perth where he completed a Belmont hat-trick before being purchased by the EWO Syndicate.
Magniac is the third winner from Top Show (Stratum) who won three times up to a mile at Belmont for Neville Parnham. She was sold to Darling View for $26,000 at the 2016 Magic Millions Winter Sale and her first foal for the new owners was $400,000 earner Brooklyn Pier (Magnus).
