Pinning hopes not all about profit

Musk Creek's first foray into pinhooking set a high bar, and came by chance in many ways, when it purchased Pierro and re-sold the soon-to-be champion as a yearling.

"We got into it almost by accident because the first year we had foals at the farm, we had 70 per-cent fillies and we felt we had to go and buy a few weanling colts just to balance the gender up," said Musk Creek owner David Kobritz. "That first pinhook weanling turned out to be Pierro."

Musk Creek purchased Pierro at the 2010 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale for $115,000 and re-sold the son of Lonhro for double that at the following year's Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

Pierro went on to win 11 of his 14 career starts, including a Golden Slipper and has made an excellent start to his stud career with 12 stakes winners from his first two crops.

Not surprisingly, Musk Creek has continued to look for the right pinhook opportunities.

"It isn't necessarily a financial decision to make more money it is about balancing the draft," said Korbitz, a Moonee Valley Racing Club committeeman. "Of course we are looking for nice weanlings, but also from stallions we think will be popular."

True to Musk Creek philosophy, the draft includes a nice colt by Spirit Of Boom (Lot 412) and did include a three quarter sister to Tulip by Zoustar, which had to be withdrawn and will be offered at Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale.

Finding balance

Musk Creek's Farm Manager Scott Williamson said it was important to find the right balance when preparing a pinhook weanling for the sales.

"I want to prepare a horse with its future in mind, they are not only going to be racehorses and represent the people that buy them on the track but also our brand," he said.

"We want the horses to be a success and then for the owners to return to us in the future. We want the owners to know that we prepare them the same every time. For an early sale like this we want to educate them enough and get them looking healthy and well enough for the sale."

Williamson is thrilled with the progression of the Spirit Of Boom colt, stating, "He is the boom sire and this was the best Spirit Of Boom I saw."

The colt cost $150,000 from Magic Millions National Weanling Sale and the new owners should have fun naming him, being out of Red Dazzler mare Boomalicious.

"He has progressed very well and been very well received here. He has really furnished over the last week. He is very well made and has strength where he needs it. He has great hip, an excellent walk and is very relaxed. That temperament seems to be standard for Spirit Of Boom and he parades the same every time he comes out," Williamson said.

Vancouver colt impressing

Lot 743, a colt by first-season sire Vancouver which cost $140,000 from the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, also carries an impressive page but it is what the colt has done in preparation for the sale that has pleased Williamson most.

"I've had this horse in the round yard lunging and I've never seen a yearling move as well as this horse. He is a quality colt. We wanted to take a crack at a first-season sire and we felt Vancouver was the right one."

He is out of Light Touch (Charge Forward), a stakes-placed mare from the family of Group 1 winners Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock) and Bonaria (Redoute's Choice).

They are just two of the 120 catalogued lots that were purchased or offered as weanlings last year.

In selling the pinhook dream, their vendors only have to point to the success of Pierro or fellow pinhook pin-up Redzel (Snitzel) as an example of what is possible.