After three Group II placings from 18 starts, the Snitzel mare Willinga Beast made the trip to the National Broodmare Sale, where she was a $675,000 purchase for Arrowfield Stud and two weeks later rewarded her new owners with a stakes breakthrough in the Listed Maker's Mark Hinkler Hcp (1200m) at Eagle Farm.
Given a positive ride by Craig Williams, the Kris Lees-trained mare battled courageously down the straight to defy the chasing pack. Godolphin's favoured Fastnet Rock gelding Pereille closed to half a length with the Kobayashi mare Midnight In Tokyo a half-head back in third.
It was a thrilling ten minutes for Arrowfield, which part owns the exciting Rosehill winner Know Thyself (The Autumn Sun).
"Craig (Williams) got her to relax - that was the main thing," Kris Lees said.
"On paper, there didn't look like a lot of speed, but our concern was getting back in the field.
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t;Great ride, great result and good to get a stakes race with her.
"She won her first start and then raced at a really high level in her three-year-old season so she's got multiple group placings, which are very important for her."
A $625,000 purchase by Willinga Park Operations Pty Ltd/Australian Bloodstock from the Arrowfield Stud draft at the 2021 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Willinga Beast advances her record to two wins, three seconds, and a third from 18 starts with earnings of $517,900.
Willinga Beast won for the first time since her debut at Canterbury in March 2022. She is the best of three winners from as many to race out of the imported Shamardal (USA) mare Time Check (USA).
Purchased by Badger's Bloodstock for $300,000gns from the Godolphin draft at the 2017 Tattersalls July Sale, Time Check is a half-sister to Listed VRC Maribyrnong Trial Stakes runner-up Lascars and to the Darley blue hen Essaouira the dam of Alizee, Astern, Tassort and Mogador.
Time Check's dam Alizes (Rory's Jester) won the 2004 STC Magic Night Stakes, and her Group 1 winning dam La Baraka is a daughter of the champion Triscay.
Ciaron Maher Bloodstock /Mystery Downs paid $600,000 for The Autumn Sun half-sister to Willinga Beast at the 2023 Magic Millions, and Paul O'Brien went to $280,000 to secure The Autumn Sun x Time Check (USA) colt at the Gold Coast in January.
Time Check (USA) was covered by Anamoe last spring after missing in 2022.
Willinga Beast returns home to Arrowfield as the 145th stakes-winner for their flagship stallion Snitzel.
