A true family affair comes to an end with Causeway Girl ahead of Chairman’s sale
For Sledmere Stud’s Catriona Murphy the sales journey with Causeway Girl (Shamus Award) is about to go full circle.
It all started back in 2017 when Murphy prepared the striking black daughter of Shamus Award (Snitzel) on behalf of her mother, Jennifer MacKay (who bred her), for the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale.
There she was knocked down to the bid of Caulfield trainer Clinton MacDonald for $150,000, a price that delighted Murphy and her immediate family, especially considering the filly almost didn’t even make it down to Oaklands Junction.
“When we first brought her in for the sales we thought we are not sure if she will make it. She came in with a long, woolly coat and was going through an awkward stage but then she just blossomed through the preparation.
“Her coat came out and she dappled up and was picture-perfect going into the sale. She had an enormous action and overstep with a bit of a mission and had a bit of sass about her, which we quite liked.
“She was really well received and Clinton (MacDonald) fell in love with her. She was one of the highest-priced Shamus Awards at that time,” said Murphy.
A bit like MacDonald, Murphy and her husband Royston were pretty enamoured with what they saw and jumped at the opportunity to buy back into her for the racing chapter of her life.
“We said absolutely, as we could see she would make an early horse,” said Murphy.
Early high opinion of her was evident when she made her debut in the Quezette Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at Caulfield.
She was beaten four lengths and, after a short let-up, it was decided to run her in lower grade at Mornington in Benchmark 64 grade, where she won narrowly carrying the Sledmere racing colours for the first time.
With that narrow win under her belt she was off and away. She went on to win another two races and, despite 12 gallant attempts, was denied black-type success in her 30-start career.
“It’s really sad she didn’t get her stakes-winning performance ticked off because she was so gusty and tried so hard and always gave 150 per cent,” said Murphy.
“Just when you thought she wasn’t going to make it, she showed an amazing turn of foot and tried her heart out. She was a very tough filly.”
Causeway Girl was retired on April 10 with connections deciding to put her through the Ingils Chairman’s Sale.
“When mares get to this sort of age I think the biggest thing is they need to start looking at the next point of their career, which is the breeding barn, and the season is only just around the corner.”
The timing of Media Award’s (Shamus Award) win last Saturday in the Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m) could not have been better for Causeway Girl’s market value ahead of tonight’s glittering mare sale.
“It’s unbelievable. It was all planned,” joked Murphy.
“That’s sales for you and that’s timing and you need a little bit of luck in this game, whether you are breeding or racing. Things have to fall into place at the right time. Going into this sale the timing couldn’t be more perfect.
“You need all these things to help you out in the sales ring and certainly when the stallion (Shamus Award) is kicking goals there’s a lot to like. There’s probably a lot of her father in her and we know they are tough horses and keep knocking away.”
As to be expected, there’s been plenty of inspection interest in Causeway Girl this week.
“Anyone that’s come to see her has been blown away by what an unbelievably good sort she is. She has a huge girth and big hip and walks like a panther. Nobody is disappointed when she comes out of the box.
“If you are breeding with her you have the choice of whatever stallion you want to because Danehill is far enough away and there are lots of options in her pedigree.”
It’s difficult for Murphy to part with such an appealing mare that she has so much personal connection to, but there’s a commercial reality she is also mindful of.
“I think the biggest thing is when you have got a syndicate where there’s a few people involved, not all of them want to head off to the breeding barn and that’s when these mares go off to market and dissolve a partnership.”
What Murphy is sentimental about is the role her mother has played in the development of the line of mares in Causeway Girl’s family. MacKay bred and raced her dam Lady Katina (Giant’s Causeway) as well as her stakes-winning half-sister Katima (Zeditave) and her own well-performed granddaughters Spring Heat (More Than Ready) and Keeping Up (Quest for Fame) and Miss Portofino (Flying Spur) .
“Mum has bred some amazing horses and always puts a lot of effort into all her matings.
She’s been a very successful horse breeder and racegoer and she’s been responsible for putting all the black type on the page.
“This is all my mother and father’s pedigree, so it’s been in our family for a very long time. There’s a lot of sentimental value attached to Causeway Girl from our family perspective.
“When these mares fly the flag for your family as far back as 1920 it’s exciting and to have her (Causeway Girl) with our brand on is what everyone sets out to do.”
Another achievement Murphy is proud of at this year’s Chairman’s Sale is being entrusted to consign Pippie, the fast and flashy Group 1-winning daughter of Written Tycoon (Iglesia).
“To go into any sale with two such high-class, quality mares like we have is a credit to the owners that have supported us to offer them for sale and we are very grateful to Glen Heran and his family who have been long-standing clients of ours for many years.
“Since we first started at Sledmere they have been wonderful supporters of us.”
Since her retirement on March 19, the Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) and Oakleigh Plate (Gr 1, 1100m) winner has been enjoying a much slower life on the hills of Sledmere Stud in Scone.
“Her temperament is so unflappable and nothing has bothered her at all. She’s been at the farm for a good month and she is very straight forward. That’s what makes these mares so good they cope with all situations and changes.
“She handles everything in her stride. That’s what we love about her. She is a beautiful individual that just gets on with it.”
For far more than just her high profile on the racetrack, Pippe will be one of the real standouts in the sales ring at Riverside tonight.
“It’s a sale that gets a lot of attention and has the best line up of broodmares and race fillies in Australasia, so any of the horses in this catalogue are getting plenty of attention,” asserted Murphy.
“She’s a beautiful, rich chestnut with a beautiful blaze and she certainly gathers plenty of attention.
“I would love to buy her but unfortunately that won’t be happening,” she laughed.
The 66-lot Inglis Chairman’s catalogue gets underway at 5.30pm this evening, hot on the heels of yesterday’s Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, and boasts a who’s-who line up of stakes-winning and producing mares, including In Her Time (Time Thief), Celebrity Queen (Redoute’s Choice) and El Dorado Dreaming (Ilovethiscity).
The auction will be conducted as a live auction this year, having been forced online in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak, yet still grossed $24,179,090 from 56 lots sold, headlined by In Her Time, who sold for $2 million and makes her way through the ring once more this evening after a change of direction for owners Orbis Bloodstock.