Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds took a punt on the first season stallions Brazen Beau and Shooting To Win at the sales in 2018 and have come away with two live chances in Saturday’s $600,000 Group 1 Magic Millions JJ Atkins Plate (1600m) at Eagle Farm.
Their $300,000 Inglis Easter purchase Accession (Brazen Beau) would be a fitting winner following a season where he has won or placed in six of his seven starts while banking $860,000 but we will take a punt on his stablemate Kubrick, and the genius of trainer Chris Waller, to make the transition from a 1200 metre handicap at Rosehill to the 1600 metres at Eagle Farm in the season's Group 1 finale for two-year-olds.
After a
winning career debut at Cranbourne back on May 3, the son of Shooting To Win
kept his record at a perfect two for two when finishing resolutely under Glyn
Schofield to defeat the honest Espinola (Bel Esprit) by a head in a
two-year-old handicap over 1200 metres at Rosehill on May 18. (image Steve Hart)
The favourite Diamond Thunder (Dawn Approach) was two and a half lengths back in third and he came back for a very impressive win in the Listed Oxlade Stakes at Doomben last week.
Kubrick (pictured below as a yearling ) was a $250,000 purchase by Star Thoroughbreds out of the Two Bays Farm draft at the 2018 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, which made him the fourth most expensive yearling by his first season sire that year.
He descends from a family nurtured over the years by Catherine Remond and her father Stanley Wootton.
The champion stallion Showdown is credited with being the only major influence by his disappointing stallion Infatuation however Stanley Wootten would import a daughter of Infatuation that would leave a mark on the breed.
Her name was Expulsion (GB) who had 12 foals, all made the track and nine were winners. They were led by the 1973 VATC Debutante Stakes winner Selsey (Biscay), whose line is still active through the like of the top-class Western Australian mare Camporella (Exceed And Excel).
However, the family has enjoyed most success through Selsey’s stakes-placed three-quarter sister Extradite (Bletchingly).
Extradite’s nine winners were led by the Group III QTC Lightning Stakes winner Facile (Godswalk) and the 1990 Group II VRC Edward Manifold Stakes-winner Twiglet.
A daughter of Twig Moss (FR), Twiglet set the family fortunes soaring as the dam of the Group 1 Salinger Stakes winner and Wattle Brae Stud stalwart, Easy Rocking (Barathea), the two time Hong Kong Horse Of The Year Fairy King Prawn (Danehill) and his 3-time stakes-winning sister Crevette who is the dam of dual Group 1 winner Cosmic Endeavour who is a daughter of Shooting To Win’s sire Northern Meteor.
Honoured as the 2001 Australian Broodmare Of The Year, Twiglet is also the granddam of the Group III ATC Kindergarten Stakes-winner Anise (General Nediym).
Twiglet’s half-sister Fortunata was not as successful as her famous sibling on the track or at stud but she did win two in Sydney and was runner-up in both the Listed AJC James Carr Stakes and Listed AJC Angst Stakes.
The daughter of Dr Grace is the dam of the Listed winner Chic Choice (Redoute’s Choice) and the stakes-placed Fastnet Rock mare Rock Of Fortune whose sister Alcatraz was purchased by Neville Parnham for $280,000 out of the Segenhoe Stud draft at the 2012 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.
Alcatraz placed just once from four starts before the pin was pulled on her track career.
Kubrick is the second foal of Alcatraz and the first to reach the track. She has a weanling filly by Written Tycoon and was covered by the Woodside Park stallion again last spring.
Kubrick is one of six first crop winners for Darley Stud’s Group 1 Caulfield Guineas winner Shooting To Win whose brother Deep Field is keeping Better Than Ready honest for the title of leading first season sire for number of individual winners.
With a new season around the corner, a first winner at the highest level could not be any more timely.
