The gift that keeps on giving
A mare Go Racing’s Sir Owen Glenn gifted to his director Steve O’Connor reaped healthy rewards at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale on Wednesday when her first foal, a colt by I Am Invincible, sold to Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock for $800,000.
When Sir Owen discovered that O’Connor and his then partner, now wife, were expecting their first child, he decided to buy the unborn child a mare to help the burgeoning new family on their way.
“Sir Owen has a place in Fiji and he invited my wife, who was my partner at the time, to spend New Year’s with him in Fiji with his family,” O’Connor told ANZ Bloodstock News. “So when we went and stayed we told him the news that Morgan was expecting our first child he kindly said he would buy our daughter a mare to set up our family.”
O’Connor was then instructed to select the mare, who would also become part of the family, and after searching he landed on the US Listed-winning and Grade 3-placed mare Giza Goddess (Cairo Princess) at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, who was carrying the I Am Invincible colt utero. The docket that day was signed by Jim Clarke for $1.15 million.
“So over the next six to eight months we searched high and low looking at all the mares privately and ones in foal and landed on Giza Goddess at the Magic Millions sale and was able to purchase her,” O’Connor said.
“She lives at Newgate and she produced her first foal, an I Am Invincible colt, who never put a foot wrong and to see him sell this week was pretty satisfying. It was fantastic. It’s a great story and Sir Owen has been very generous, not only to me in my life and given me a great opportunity, but to many people. He’s an Order Of Australia because of his philanthropy and he has his own charity and he is a very generous man.
“We are very thankful for this gift he has given our family and hopefully she is something we can work on and hopefully we bought the right mare and not only have one result, but keep producing nice foals.
“She has a lovely Extreme Choice foal. She’s not in foal now, but she will be bred to one of the better stallions.”
Giza Goddess is out of the placed mare Comfort And Joy (Harlan’s Holiday), making her a half-sister to Listed-placed winner Vai Via (Liam’s Map).
“It was pretty nerve–wracking towards the end as we were pretty much on our last legs. I bought the mother a couple of years ago carrying this colt,” Jim Clarke said.
“She’s a gorgeous mare. An electric fast mare and a very well-bred mare. When Bjorn and I were looking at the draft on the farms, this one caught the eye and was very keen to go after.
“We thought this horse would be our big ticket item at the sale if we were able to get him. I wasn’t confident as we got closer but Bjorn was very keen to try and buy a flagship horse like him.
“He’s got the credentials to be up and going early. If he can run anywhere near his looks and remain an entire then he’ll be a well-sought after colt.”