Bowness Stud’s John North has plenty to be excited about as the 2022 Magic Millions approaches with his draft shaping as one of the must-sees of the sale.
“We had Dr Greg Nash here recently (the second week of November) and he was impressed by how forward our horses were,” North said.
“He struggled to find a fault amongst them and noted that they had been very well selected by Magic Millions. They are very forward and almost ready to go!”
North loves the atmosphere of the Magic Millions, noting that “it is a great time of year to be up there. Everyone is in a festive mood which is the right mood to be in to buy horses!”
“It is also a great opportunity to catch up with old friends who you don’t get to see throughout the year.”
North has particular reason to be excited with Bowness presenting one of the very few colts from the third crop of the rising star Extreme Choice.
Going through the ring early as lot 3, he is out of Egyptian Melody, a daughter of Exceed And Excel. One of just 32 members of his hot young sire, he is out of a placed daughter of the US Group 2 winner Sherine from the family of the Group 1 gallopers Bodemeister and She’s A Julie.
“He is a great type of horse who is going to attract a lot of attention.”
As will other members of the Bowness draft…
Lot 35 chestnut colt by Impending from Fascinating (by Choisir): a half-brother to the city placed three times winner Zounate, he is out of a winning 3/4 sister to the Listed winner Choistar from the Lea Lark family of Southern Halo and Miswaki.
Lot 291 br/gr colt by Frosted from Mountain Dew (by Snowland): half-brother to the metropolitan winner Good Soize out of a city winning daughter of the Group 2 mare Basra whose grandam is the US Group 1 placed stakes winner Silk’s Lady, half-sister to the Italian Horse Of The Year Miss Gris.
Lot 300 bay colt by Brave Smash from Music Media (by More Than Ready): by an exciting first season sire, he is a half-brother to this year’s Australasian Oaks-G1, 2000m winner Media Award out of a winning daughter of the Listed winner Harley Ma.
Lot 373 bay colt by Churchill from Pink Rocks (by Fastnet Rock): his dam is a granddaughter of the expensive Group 3 winning mare Milanova who has produced the European Group 3 winner Pretty Perfect. Hails from the same branch of the prolific Fanfreluche family as the French Champion 2Y0 Colt Holy Roman Emperor and the NZ Derby-G1, 2400m winner Sherwood Forest.
Lot 468 bay filly by Flying Artie from Sadler’s Wish (by Not A Single Doubt): out of a tough race mare who won seven races, she is a half-sister to the Singapore based five times winner Revolution. This a real runners’ family with his dam’s stakes placed half-sister Silk And Money winning 12 races.
Lot 592 bay colt by Harry Angel from Sweetwater (by Starcraft): a member of the first Australian crop of his high class sire, he is out of a placed daughter of the stakes placed Redoute’s Choice mare Flowerchild, half-sister to the dual Group winning sprinter Wild Rain from the family of the superstar Northerly.
Lot 941 bay colt by Adelaide from Party Hard (by Fastnet Rock): bred on that great Galileo/Fastnet Rock cross, he is a half-brother to three winners (from her first three foals) out of a city placed daughter of the Group 3 winning Bletchingly mare Party Time whose granddaughter Miss Frost was a stakes winner last spring.
Lot 950 bay colt by Divine Prophet from Plain Magic (by Magic Albert): his sire was recently represented by his first stakes winner whilst two of the first three foals to race for his stakes winning dam are city winners; Magic Conqueror and Magic Fox.
Lot 1073 chestnut colt by Russian Revolution from Babelicious (by Not A Single Doubt): bred on a 3mx3m cross of Redoute’s Choice, he is out of a four times winning sister to the Listed winning juvenile Jackson from the family of Marscay and Subzero.
Lot 1140 bay filly by Spieth from Good Times Roll (by Exceed And Excel): her dam is a winning half-sister to the dual Group 3 winning sprinter Fast ‘N’ Rocking and the Listed winner Good ‘N’ Fast. Her grandam is the stakes winner For The Good Times from the family of the big race winners Shiva’s Revenge, Happy Archer and Just Now.
Lot 1171 bay colt by Real Steel from Lacey Lonhbreak (by Lonhro): half-brother to the triple winners Lacey Lynx Pack and Bid To Fame out of a placed mare from the family of the stakes winners Golden Pistols, Keep The Faith, Faithful Son, Always Fair, Ley Hunter and Lailani (GB Champion 3Y0 Filly).
Lot 1221 bay filly by Divine Prophet from Nervous Nellie (by Snitzel): third foal for a daughter of the city winning Montjeu mare Calm, dam of the multiple city winner My Guiliano. Member of a high class European family, one which has been represented at the elite level by Zafonic (European Horse Of The Year), Announce, Prohibit, Elmaamul and Midday.
Bluebloods asked John a few questions…
Who are your favourite stallions?
At the moment we are very excited about D’Argento. He is putting a really good product on the ground, we are very happy with what we are seeing.
Another favourite is our evergreen boy Bon Hoffa, the mares he gets are never elite but he just keeps upgrading them significantly. He gets Group 1 performers and is just so reliable.
What is the most important object you own?
My mobile phone, it is my office!
What is the most stupid way you have been injured?
Years ago as a young man I was on a stockhorse and I thought, just for fun, I would see how fast he could go so I gave him a dig – well he went sideways faster than he could go forward and off I came, I spent a week in hospital.
What is your most useless talent?
The ability to stand on a surfboard whilst living out in the bush!
