Renowned producers of top quality yearlings who go on to success on the track, Cressfield once again have an outstanding draft of nine yearlings for the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Cressfield’s last two select drafts at this sale have already contained stakes placed two year-old Euphoric Summer and city winner and Gr.2 placed three year-old Villami. Other quality graduates recently include Missrock and Granny Red Shoes. Bluebloods spoke
to Cressfield’s Operations Manager Liesl Baumann.
What appeals to you most about the MM sales and race series?
As this sale is the first yearling sale for the year, energy levels are high, and expectations are buoyant. There is a lot of general positivity surrounding the two events.
The race series is great because there are races that suit a range of horses across different ages and distances. It means horses can come back year after year to compete for very good prizemoney. Our own Egyptian Symbol ran third in the MM Guineas in 2016, returned in 2018 to run third in the MM Snippets Plate over 1200m, before winning the race in 2019. In those three races she earned in excess of $800,000 prizemoney.
How would you sum up your farm and the service you offer?
I would sum up Cressfield as boutique in numbers yet vast in size. It gives us the opportunity to allow our stock to grow out in large paddocks without the health implications that overstocking can often bring. We carry only a small number of client mares during the breeding season to help rationalise staff. We don’t so much offer a service as we do a product which are our yearlings that we are very proud to present at Magic Millions.
How many mares did you breed with in 2019, who is the best known?
We breed approximately thirty of our own mares every year. We have several well credentialled mares but the best known is probably Listen Here. She is the dam of two new sires making their presence felt in Deep Field and Shooting To Win. She was a $3.4 million buy in partnership with China Horse Club at the Magic Millions National Broodmare sale in 2016 and has since called Cressfield home.
How would you summarise your draft this year?
A bit like our staff. An abundance of quality females with a couple of strong colts for good measure.
Three yearlings in this draft are out of Gr.1 winning mares, and one of the most exciting has to be the filly from Gr.1 Stradbroke winner Mid Summer Music, whose two year-old filly Euphoric Summer was stakes placed on debut recently. “This filly is by champion sire Fastnet Rock, wonderful sire of race fillies and eventual broodmares. She has a broad nostril, moves fluidly and stands over a bit of ground.”
Dashing dual Gr.1 winning sprinter Platelet’s second foal, a colt by Exceed and Excel, has the pedigree for speed. “A masculine colt with a good shoulder and nice sprinty short rein.”
Out of Gr.1 winner Regimental Gal, this Snitzel filly is the ¾ sister to group winner Lilliburlero, and to the stakes placed dam of Souchez. “A precocious looking filly, not overly big but moves with great purpose. She has a deep girth and good length from hip to hock.” Also by Champion Sire Snitzel is the colt from Adelie, a young winning half-sister to Gr.1 winner Snowland. “An attractive colt, he is a very strong, forward, balanced individual.”
Cressfield sold young sire Headwater as a yearling, and three yearlings in their 2020 Magic Millions draft have a connection to him. A filly by Headwater out of the super tough stakes winner of eleven races, Isibaeva, is “An attractive filly with a good head and nostril, strong colour, correct and neat.” Cressfield will also offer two fillies by Gr.1 winner and sire Pierro each of out half-sisters to Headwater. Water Rising’s filly is “A very well developed forward filly with a strong hindquarter and broad chest.” while two year-old winner Dove Lake’s yearling
is a “Good boned, scopey filly.”
Fans of So You Think will want to inspect the filly from Personification who is “A strong well-developed filly that has good depth across her shoulder and hindquarter, but maintains enough scope to stand over a bit of ground.” Rounding out the Cressfield draft is a Deep Field filly out of Egyptian Cross, a winning daughter of Gr1 Our Egyptian Raine. “Looks a running type of filly, big, strong, powerful and athletic.”
Which country would you most like to visit next and why?
Somewhere in the Pacific Islands
In 40 years what will people be nostalgic for?
Idle time. The idea of waiting, for anything, will be gone.
If you could shop for free at one store, which would you choose?
A homewares store. There is something about those stores that whips me into a frenzy, making me think I need another cushion for the bed, an ornate vase, a mirror and several scented candles. Most of the time I get paralysed by choice and leave empty handed.
Would you rather be an Eagle or a Labrador?
Labrador. At the end of November, tummy rubs and long snoozes are sounding pretty good. The Eagles can keep their squawking young and bristly beds.
