Wednesday, 18 February 2009: Another six yearling purchases in Perth last week has boosted Ready To Run Sale specialists BC3's pool of horses to 16 as the group heads towards offering a sizeable draft of two-year-olds at September's Magic Millions Horses in Training Sale.
 | John Brocklebank
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
|
BC3 Australia General Manager Aaron Corby said at this stage, it looks like they will have a draft of between 40 and 50 horses heading to the Gold Coast for this year's sale.
“Obviously we have to be very specific about the yearlings we buy,” Corby said.
“At this stage, we are very happy with what we have been able to secure this year and it was nice to add another six horses to our list from Perth.
Corby said while it was imperative that the yearlings purchased will stand up to the training program, it was equally important to find a balance between performance and pedigree.
“We've bought equally nice colts and fillies at this stage,” he said. “It's important with fillies in particular to have a pedigree page to support them so they appeal to trainers and breeders alike.”
Colts by Lonhro, Snitzel, Bradbury's Luck and Lion Heart were purchases in Perth, along with fillies by Magic Albert and Starcraft.
This follows 10 purchases made by BC3 on the Gold Coast, which included progeny of stallions including Flying Spur, Stratum, Johannesburg, Jet Spur, Dubawi and Sequalo.
Formed by John Brocklebank and Shane Chipman, BC3 Australia aims to bring to Australia what they have been doing so successfully in the United States for many years, with a charter to “select, buy and train young thoroughbreds to specifically produce quality racehorses for the Thoroughbred Racing Industry.”
In other words, “pinhooking” from yearling sales and then bringing in a specialist team to prepare those horses for Ready to Run Sales – specifically the MM HIT – later in the year.
It is a formula that has worked for Brocklebank over a number of years in the US, where he is one of the leading Pinhookers and most respected judges of young horses.
"We look to buy athletes that will not only sell well, but will take the next step and produce the racetrack results that our clients are coming to expect from BC3 Thoroughbred horses in the USA,” Brocklebank says.
"Our nutrition and bone conditioning means that our horses are ready to head straight to the races.”
Every horse on the BC3 books is for sale, in order to make for total transparency and to buck off the perception that Ready To Run Sales are simply a dumping ground for cast off horses.
“We are offering the Australian market something more than we have here at the moment,” BC3 Australia Director Bill Vlahos said.
“Two-year-old sales work very well everywhere else in the world except here. People have been cynical about the product and why they are selling those horses.
“But last year we brought a product to the sale that blew a lot of people away. They (buyers) said to us if they knew those types of horses would be there they would have brought some orders.
“From that, we have already had people saying they will be back this year.
“It seems most people think it's a good thing for the industry and are keen for it to get off the mark.”
Vlahos says BC3 has worked closely with Magic Millions on “addressing a weakness in the Australian industry” and he feels the goodwill generated from last year will show immediate dividends in 2009.
“I have no hesitation in saying that this year's two-year-old sale will be the biggest ever,” he said.
BC3 made an immediate impression with their draft at last year's MM Horses in Training Sale, where they sold the sale topping Red Ransom-Joie colt for $180,000, and the highest priced filly of the sale, by Elusive Quality from Sabkha for $140,000.
From just a handful of runners from BC3's draft at last year's sale, already there has been the stakes placed Fast Lover, along with recent winners Benefaction (the sale topping Red Ransom colt) and Classic Rush.
“The early results have been encouraging and I know there are quite a few others from last year's sale that have trialled well and pleased trainers ahead of their race debuts,” Corby said.
BC3 will next be aiming to buy at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale, Adelaide Magic Millions and QTIS 600 Sale on the Gold Coast.
BC3 2009 Purchases to Date
Gold Coast (10)
Sessions 1-4
Stratheden Stud (A/A for Parsons Creek T'breds) 0001 Chestnut Colt Flying Spur Radio Song 210000
Rheinwood Pastoral Co (As Agent) 0194 Chestnut Colt Stratum Whirligig 175000
Eliza Park (As Agent) 0267 Bay Colt Stratum Beauty World 170000
Holbrook Thoroughbreds (As Agent) 0270 Chestnut Colt Johannesburg Bella Corona 65000
Session 5
Oakwood Farm (As Agent) 0862 Black Colt Johannesburg Musical Chimes 105000
Session 6
Glenlogan Park (As Agent for P & L Maguire Pty Ltd) 0943 Brown Filly Jet Spur No Vice 30000
Alanbar Lodge (As Agent) 0978 Chestnut Colt Dubawi Satin Secret 12000
Lyndhurst Stud Farm 0982 Grey Colt Sequalo Silver Thongs 43000
J4S Equine Nursery 1046 Chestnut Filly Jet Spur Bahamian Beauty 24000
Warrandale Stud 1108 Chestnut Colt Jet Spur Fientina 36000
MM Perth (6)
Riverslea Farm Pty Ltd 0056 Chestnut Filly Starcraft Chinese Whispers 117500
Dawson Stud 0085 Chestnut Filly Magic Albert Deanna's Smile 35000
Eliza Park (As Agent) 0095 Bay Colt Lonhro Drama of Life 80000
Riverslea Farm Pty Ltd 0164 Bay Colt Snitzel Helisseous 92500
Oakwood Farm (As Agent) 0269 Bay Colt Bradbury's Luck Paintbrush 34000
Three Bridges Thoroughbreds (As Agent) 0363 Chestnut Colt Lion Heart Summer Magic 165000
