Artorius’ breeder savouring colt’s success as he prepares for seasonal return
McNeil Stakes resumption for Perry’s untapped Group 1-winning son of Flying Artie
Greg Perry, the breeder and part-owner of Group 1 winner Artorius (Flying Artie), marvels at what the new season three-year-old has been able to achieve in his short career.
To the prominent industry investor, the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained colt has already defied the odds and is a mark to Perry’s perseverance and the resilience of Artorius’ mother Gracie’s Lass (Redoute’s Choice) in the face of adversity.
And the story is 11 years in the making after Perry, a partner in Vinery Stud, purchased US Listed winner and Grade 1-placed mare Grace And Power (More Than Ready) for US$700,000 in 2009.
“It’s a great story; a great journey. It is really rewarding because I’ve obviously got the family. I bought Grace And Power back in 2009 and she dropped Delectation (2015 Group 1 Darley Sprint Classic winner) and Gracie’s Lass, the mother of Artorius,” Perry said yesterday.
“Gracie’s Lass never raced because she was born prematurely and she was never going to make the track. People were looking at her wondering if she was viable, but anyway, she came through it all.
“She was running in the paddock one day with her short little legs and I said, ‘she can still run even though she’s not going to make the track’ and she’s produced a Group 1 winner, so it’s very rewarding in that sense.”
Artorius, whose stud career is assured courtesy of the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) win which led to Newgate Farm buying into him, starts his spring campaign in today’s H D F McNeil Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Caulfield.
Perry remains a hands-off owner, preferring to leave the management and placement of Artorius to the Freedmans and Newgate Farm’s Henry Field, but he is optimistic the colt can add to his Group 1 record this spring.
The Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), at this stage, is the most likely target.
“Artorius had a couple of bone chips removed in the off-season but he looks to have come back well,” he said.
“If they can harness his talent I think he could be anything because he’s a bit headstrong. He only does what he has to and the Slipper was a bit of a nightmare and then he let down the last 150 metres where he just exploded when it was all over (to finish sixth). He just didn’t handle Rosehill.
“I really hope he runs a great race (today). Does he win first-up? I am not sure, over Caulfield at 1200 metres. I am not sure where he is going to be in the run. Barrier three, he might get cluttered up.
“But I am sure he will be powering home if he’s given the chance. I’d be disappointed if he’s not.”
Artorius was bought by the Freedmans and agent Julian Blaxland for $120,000 at the 2020 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and Perry immediately took the opportunity to buy back into the horse he bred, who is the third foal out of Gracie’s Lass.
“I’d never really known Anthony, but I text him and said, ‘I’m blah blah – can I take 20 per cent?’. I actually put my sister into ten per cent, so it’s a windfall (for her),” said Perry.
“It’s my pride and joy. Delectation was a mad horse. He used to get his head up and only a few jockeys could ride him. (James) McDonald rode him in the Darley and it put the family on the map and he’s kept me going.
“If he hadn’t come out I guess I’d be left scratching my head a little bit.”
Perry retains ownership of Artorius’ older, unraced half-sister Mhaille (I Am Invincible) who will be covered by Capitalist (Written Tycoon) in her maiden season at stud this year, while Gracie’s Lass, who is in foal to Deep Field (Northern Meteor), has a return date to Flying Artie (Artie Schiller).
He said: “I have weighed it up and I am sending her back to Flying Artie. I don’t like doing the obvious thing, but it’s a good mating and I can’t complain about it.”
Grace And Power, aged 17, also remains part of Perry’s extensive broodmare band and, despite the challenges, he persists with her, not least because she possesses the potent mare La Troienne (Teddy) in her pedigree.
Born in France in 1926, La Troienne became one of America’s most influential broodmares of the 20th century as the dam of five stakes winners and two Hall Of Fame inductees, filly Black Helen (Black Toney) and her brother Bimelech, with the former’s descendents leaving an impact in Australia and New Zealand.
She features in the pedigrees of Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), his son Frankel and Danehill (Danzig), while US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah (Pioneerof The Nile) possesses five strains of La Troienne in his pedigree. Champion US sires A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) and his grandson Tapit (Pulpit) also have multiple crosses of the mare in their pedigree.
“Grace And Power has been difficult in the breeding barn, if I can put it that way, and I have only had two foals in the past six or seven years,” Perry said.
“She dropped Gracie’s Lass and then she went back to Redoute’s and she got twins, so that didn’t turn out. I ended up going to Congrats (producing a filly named La Sevena) and there was a theory to it because of Grace And Power’s dam line.
“I have got three daughters out of Grace And Power (and their offspring). I do try and develop families and so far, so good. It’s quite rewarding.”
Grace And Power, who has been under the careful management of renowned Victorian reproductive veterinarian Angus McKinnon, will be covered by Written Tycoon (Iglesia) this year.
Perry also has her most recent foal, an unnamed Fighting Sun (Northern Meteor) two-year-old filly, in pre-training with Tim Boland at Limitless Lodge.
“I sent her to Fighting Sun and people were scratching their heads, but for breeding aficionados, it’s four by four Fappiano,” he said.
“As soon as I saw her after she was born, she was just like Delectation. She’s a beautiful, strong filly. He doesn’t know yet, but she will go to Chris Waller because he trained Delectation and Delectation put the family on the map.”