With G1 winner Redzel (Snitzel) as a headline graduate from Marquee Stud’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale drafts, it’s no surprise to see them back at the sale after a few years away. Redzel, who Marquee Stud sold for $120,000 in 2014, won the first two runnings of The Everest as well as the G1 Darley Classic and G1 Doomben Ten Thousand, with earnings over $16 million. In Marquee Stud’s most recent Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft in 2019, they sold both their yearlings offered and both are now winners.
Bluebloods spoke to Marquee Stud’s Mark Alati about their 2022 draft.
Who are your favourite stallions?
I’m a big fan of colonial stallions, such as Snitzel, Written Tycoon, but my absolute favourite is Exceed and Excel, who I think is a freakish worldwide phenomenon. I also love Lonhro, and this one is the pick of our draft. All Too Hard is underrated, blending speed and stamina. It depends on what suits the mare too, I like to look at the nicks too.
In one of their biggest Magic Millions drafts, Marquee Stud will present eight yearlings by eight different stallions, giving buyers plenty of choice. Two fillies out of stakes winning American mares have plenty of residual value to go with their racing potential. So You Think leaves good looking competitive horses, and his filly, lot 328, is out of Listed winner Nursery Rhyme (Tale of the Cat), who is a half-sister to a Group winner. Nursery Rhyme has left three winners so far, and she is the granddam of stakes placed Ramazzotti. “She looks like an early comer, more so than you’d expect from pedigree. She should race at two and is very attractive like her sire.”
Juvenile Listed winner Link to My Heart (Stravinsky) is the dam of lot 212, a Nicconi filly, and this is another strong American family with plenty of precocious form that will suit the types buyers like at this sale. “By a speed stallion and looks the part, ideally suited to the early two year-old races like the Gimcrack.”
Lonhro colts are sought after at the sales, so lot 871 provides a good opportunity for buyers and this colt is the first foal of Concubine (Redoute’s Choice), a winning half-sister to stakes placed pair Knight Exemplar and Laqyaa. The only other colt in the Marquee Stud draft is by Rubick, lot 974, and his dam, Search the Stars (Tale of the Cat) has left five winners from as many to race, including a full brother to this yearling who won
in Hong Kong recently.
“He’s not a typical Lonhro, being more of a Magic Millions earlier type. The Redoute’s Choice nick with Lonhro is an amazing cross. This colt is a fantastic specimen in every way, correct, forward, an all-round impressive individual.”
Champion Sire Exceed and Excel needs no introduction, and his filly, lot 644, is out of stakes placed city winner Triple Six (Dehere) who is out of a half-sister to G1 winner Calveen. “By one of my personal favourites with a fantastic pedigree. She could be a Magic Millions type of horse and develop into a miler.”
Brazen Beau is living up to the lofty expectations set on his stud career with fifteen stakes winners led by G1 winner On The Bubbles. His filly, lot 415, is from one of Australia’s best families, and her dam, Rainbeam (Fastnet Rock) has already left a two year-old winner. This is the family of Group winners Head of State, Summer Passage, Shania Dane, and Scintillation. “A very strong filly, who we are selling on behalf of Hilbene Farm who are developing a reputation as very good breeders. She is a compact strong type of filly, an absolute jump and run horse, who is ideally suited to Magic Millions. She has blossomed through the prep and should catch a lot of people’s eyes.”
Young mare Iguazu Falls (Pure Theatre) has already left two winners and she is a half-sister to international group winner Il Cadetto from the family of classy German two year-old, Nasr Allah. Marquee Stud will offer her fourth foal, lot 1158, a filly by G1 Sires Produce Stakes winner Invader. “A big strong powerful filly built to run early and she will catch the eye of many good judges.”
A filly by second season sire and group winner Supido, lot 1159, is the second foal of winning mare Imposition (Commands), who is a three-quarter sister to Soul, a stakes winner in Australia and England, from the family of Golden Slipper winner Kiamichi, and Denman.
“A big strong forward black filly, by a well credentialled young sire. The mare has done fantastic job, as she looks like a runner, and is an ideal syndicator’s horse.”
A Rubick colt, lot 974, is a half-brother to five winners and is out of Search the Stars, a half-sister to Group placed winner Fast and Sexy from the family of Pride of Dubai. “An absolute cracker of a type. He’s a full brother to Ka Ying Spirit who won on debut in Hong Kong recently and is trained by David Hayes who has a big opinion of him.”
What’s the best website name you’ve seen?
vipbettingservices.com.au
If someone asked to be your apprentice and learn all that you know, what would you teach them?
I was working as an electrician on a house for a wealthy guy and he gave me this advice, which he’d been told by a guy who had a successful business in tractors. “Forget about crawl before you can walk, just get up and run.”
It’s a great way to think about starting a business.
What is the most impressive thing you know how to do?
I can remember people’s phone numbers after dialling them a few times.
