Star hope to add Classic sparkle to Fiesta sale
Queensland has provided a memorable setting for Denise Martin’s Star Thoroughbreds, both on the racetrack and in the sales ring and, after the million-dollar sale of multiple Group winner Fiesta (I Am Invincible) at this week’s explosive Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, the prominent syndicator is looking to add a pair of Classic contests to her enviable trophy haul in the state across consecutive weekends.
Tasmanian Martin has overseen the racing career and sale of two of the country’s most prized breeding prospects in the last two years, with Invincibella (I Am Invincible), a Group 1 winner in Queensland of the Tattersall’s Tiara (Gr 1, 1400m) and twice a winner at the lucrative Magic Millions raceday, fetching $1.3 million at last year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale when knocked down to Coolmore, and Fiesta, a Group winner at two, three and five years of age, going one bid better, selling for $1.35 million on the Gold Coast on Tuesday to heavy investors Rosemont Stud.
“We thought about it over the summer period that we might keep her (Fiesta) going for another year,” revealed Martin, with Fiesta having claimed a pair of Group 3 victories in the Melbourne spring, her fourth and fifth at stakes level and two triumphs which took the evergreen mare past the $1.5 million mark in prize-money.
“But fairly recently, Chris (Waller, trainer) decided that the broodmare barn was beckoning and that the right thing to do would be to retire her now.
“We hoped she could at least achieve the result of last year’s broodmare sale when Invincibella made $1.3 million, and she did.”
Martin’s star fillies cost just $150,000 (Fiesta) and $185,000 (Invincibella) at their respective yearling sales, with combined prize-money earnings and sales results marking an astounding return of $7.1 million.
“We bought her (Fiesta) in Sydney at the Inglis Classic Sale for $150,000 and she was a very good two-year-old. Joao Moreira rode her in the Gimcrack Stakes that year and said to the group that this will be the best filly to come out of this field today. And he wasn’t too far from the mark,” recalled Martin.
That third placing in the Gimcrack Stakes (Listed, 1000m) set the tone for what was to become unquestionably a glittering racetrack career for Fiesta, who won the Widden Stakes (Gr 3, 1100m) at two and the Silver Shadow (Gr 2, 1200m) and Inglis Sprint (RL, 1200m) at three, however Martin recalls plenty of heartache in a career that yielded five seconds at Group level, including in all three races that make up the three-year-old Darley Princess Series, culminating in the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick.
“We’ve got mixed emotions that we said goodbye to her, she’s been a fantastic performer,” continued Martin.
“On the day that Fiesta finished second in the Flight Stakes, it was an extraordinary day, because we had two outstanding chances in the Flight Stakes and the Epsom, and Fiesta was beaten just the bob of the head by Oohood and forty minutes later D’Argento was beaten by the same margin by Hartnell.
“I said to both owners at the end of the day ‘the phone will be out of reach tomorrow, I need to get over just missing out on winning two Group 1s at Randwick, so phone me on Monday!’
“Fiesta was a terrific character and a terrific mare. Breeders crave high-class two-year-olds when they’re available and to still be winning Group races at five, it was a great result.
“She’s gone to a wonderful progressive farm and we very much look forward to following her progress in the years to come.”
Yet the party may not just end with Fiesta for Star’s loyal owners, with Martin, who famously won the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) with Sebring in 2008, in the unprecedented position of having two live contenders for Classic success at a carnival.
Recent Roshill winner Achiever (Pride Of Dubai) will bid to upset the all-conquering Luigi Muollo-owned Explosive Jack (Jakkalberry) in the Queensland Derby (Gr 1, 2400m) today, while Martin teams up with Muollo to race Kiwi import Only Words (Sweynesse) in the Queensland Oaks (Gr 1, 2200m) at Eagle Farm a week later, a horse Martin purchased from the Novara Park studmaster as a tried horse after she won a Listed contest in her native New Zealand.
“I think, more importantly, it shows the brilliance of Chris Waller,” said Martin. “Three months ago, if I had mentioned a Derby and an Oaks to the owners of Achiever and Only Words they would think it was a bit of a fanciful notion.
“The fact that Achiever has progressed really well this preparation to a more confident and more determined three-year-old, is testament to Chris’s training style, and with Only Words, it’s testament to what is needed to have a legitimate candidate for an Oaks in acquiring the filly last year.”
Martin had her eyes set on Achiever after the strapping colt initially passed in at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Yearling Sale, negotiating a deal to purchase him for $80,000.
“Achiever was a lovely yearling in Melbourne at the Premier sale,” said Martin. “I saw the colt in Melbourne and he was a pass in, I just remember at the time thinking how much I wanted to buy him. The breeder was Bert Vieira, and I remember saying to Brett Howard, ‘please could we just check that this horse is in fact available, because I think he’s a very inexpensive horse.’”
Achiever is out of Lady Circles (Ascot Knight), a daughter of Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner Circles Of Gold (Marscay) and a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winners Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus) and Elvstroem (Danehill) as well as the stakes-placed Hveger (Danehill), dam of Highland Reel (Galileo), Cape Of Good Hope (Galileo) and Idaho (Galileo).
Nash Rawiller, who famously rode both Elvstroem and Haradasun in their careers, is on board the three-year-old today.
“He’s just gone from strength to strength. When he led in the Frank Packer Plate and he gave a kick at the 150-metre mark, I was thinking ‘this can’t be possible!’ and he ran very well (to finish third).
“Then when he ran last start at Rosehill he was very determined in holding off the Godolphin runner and I remember thinking at the time that this horse has just come of age.
“It’s great to get Nash for the Derby because he has such an association with the family. He rides horses that like to sit on the pace really well. I understand that the top horse (Explosive Jack) deserves to be favourite. He’s had a fantastic preparation and won everywhere.”
Explosive Jack’s breeder and owner Muollo goes from rival to partner for the Oaks a week later, as The Roses (Gr 2, 2000m) winner Only Words looks to back up in the Classic.
The filly is a product of a subtle dabble into the tried horse market for Martin, with Only Words, a filly who passed in for NZ$2,000 as a weanling, acquired after claiming a Listed win at Wanganui.
“Over recent years we’ve addressed the issue of tried horses with Chris, and suddenly we’ve had some success, not at the elite level yet, but with horses like Humbolt Current and a tried horse that we bought through Dermot Weld called Masaff, who won last week.
“Over the last few years we’ve put a small toe in the water, as it were. It will never be a major part of our business, but we are very much interested in acquiring large shares in tried horses from Europe, maybe three or four.”
Martin has been surprised by the progress of the filly, a daughter of Muollo’s young Champion First Season stallion Sweynesse (Lonhro), whose win in The Roses arrived after a stakes placing in the Gold Coast Bracelet (Listed, 1800m) and a victory at Canterbury in April.
“When Only Words was available, Chris sought to try and acquire the horse, knowing the owner and trainer in New Zealand with whom he’d had associations in the past. So he approached both to ask if Only Words could be bought and our Star owners bought a sizable percentage of the filly,” said Martin.
“When she won at Canterbury three starts back, I felt she was developing into a talented filly. But I don’t think that any of us, six months ago, would have thought she’d be winning a Group 2 at Doomben through this carnival.
“Craig Williams was very happy with her and Chris was delighted. Clearly barriers that day, in a big field, didn’t go the way of some of the favoured horses that day, but she was very strong and you would think she’d be one of the major chances next week.
“I’ll get through the Derby first but the Oaks we can be very much involved with.”