Magnum (NZ) (Per Incanto) is a graduate of the Masterton farm and, following a successful racing stint in Singapore, he returned home and will on Saturday carry the stud’s familiar green and gold stylised jacket in Saturday’s Thorndon Mile.
“It would be a dream come true if he won,” said Williams, who operates Little Avondale with wife Catriona. “I remember every one of Sound Lover’s foals and it’s been a great family and what a legacy she has left.”
Sound Lover was bred and raced by the Williams family and won five races, including the G3 Ladies’ Mile, but it has been in the broodmare role that she has surpassed all expectations.
Sound Lover with her last Per Incanto foal, who was unfortunately lost
Prolific producer
Her 11 foals to race have all been successful and have won a combined tally of 60 races up to Group 2 level. The best so far has been Philosophe (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}, who won the G2 Chairman’s H. and ran third in the G1 Sydney Cup while his brother Men At Work (NZ) was a Listed winner and placed in the G1 The Metropolitan H.
Men At Work winning the Listed Neville Sellwood S. at Rosehill in 2006
Her first three foals to the races – Trillion Win (NZ) (Last Tycoon (IRE), Successful Spirit (NZ) (Centaine) and Cheeky (NZ) (O’Reilly {NZ}) – were all multiple winners in the competitive Hong Kong environment while Sir Lovesalot (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ} was a New Zealand black type winner.
“We’ve had the family for decades and we retained all Sound Lover’s daughters and we still have Bella Baci, Rites of Sydney, who was an unraced Stravinsky mare, and Savamour,” Williams said.
“Savamour’s Per Incanto colt is a three-quarter brother to Magnum and he will be sold (Lot 380) at Karaka,” Williams said.
“Magnum is the last living foal of Sound Lover, we had another Per Incanto colt, but he had an accident and died before the sales.” – Sam Williams.
“Magnum is the last living foal of Sound Lover, we had another Per Incanto colt, but he had an accident and died before the sales.
Sound Lover
“She was just a wonderful mare and she had a heart attack and we found her dead in the paddock one morning. She was in foal to Per Incanto, now that was a sad day.”
On a brighter note, Williams and his wife are currently syndicating a daughter of Per Incanto (USA), who stands at Little Avondale, out of Savamour.
“She’ll be going to Bjorn Baker and we’re bringing more people into the game without having to buy a horse,” Williams said.
Sound Lover is a sister to the former top mare Candide (NZ), who won the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas and the G1 New Zealand Oaks and placed in the G1 AJC Oaks and G1 Caulfield S.
“I remember strapping her as a yearling, I would have only been 15 or 16 at the time.” – Sam Williams.
“I remember strapping her as a yearling, I would have only been 15 or 16 at the time,” Williams said.
Sam Williams (right)
The grand-dam of the G1 Australasian Oaks winner Marju Snip (NZ) (Marju {IRE}), Candide is also integral to another ongoing part of the Little Avondale story. She is the dam of the G1 Blue Diamond S. winner and Group 1 producer Nadeem (Redoute’s Choice), who is resident at the stud.
Magnum was originally sold by the farm at Karaka for NZ$100,000 to Michael Freedman and Michael Wallace.
“He was from the first crop of Per Incanto and the only one by him in the Premier Sale,” – Sam Williams.
“He was from the first crop of Per Incanto and the only one by him in the Premier Sale,” Williams said.
Magnum as a yearling
“The other one we tried to get in was Dal Cielo (a subsequent 2-year-old Group 1 winner), but he ended up in the Select Sale. They were our two star colts.
“Twenty-four hours after they bought Magnum they approached me and I ended up keeping 20 per cent of the horse and I knew all the other guys, apart from two in Singapore,” Williams said.
Magnum, who will be cheered on at Trentham by the Singapore-based Justin Knight and Jessica Knight, was a multiple winner over there and performed with distinction in quality races.
“In the Triple Crown series he drew the outside or second to outside and was the only horse to finish in the first three in all three legs,” Williams said. “He was a bit unlucky to run into that good Thorn Park horse of Cliff Brown’s, Debt Collector.
“Magnum developed some joint issues and I said to the guys why don’t we bring him home.” – Sam Williams.
“Magnum developed some joint issues and I said to the guys why don’t we bring him home. He had won NZ$340,000 and he was too good to leave up there and retire.
“It’s not a cheap exercise to bring them back this way and none of them questioned that.
“We gave him to Lauren Brennan, who had him before he went to Singapore, and she just treats him like one of the family.
Magnum (green silks) trialling for Lauren Brennan
“She takes him away with the kids and the ponies and spoils him rotten.
“He’s such a happy horse and done more already than we had hoped for.” – Sam Williams.
“He did his rehab with Dean Hawthorne before he went to Lauren. He’s such a happy horse and done more already than we had hoped for.”
Magnum has had eight starts for Brennan since his return and has won twice, including a Listed sprint and an open handicap, and last time out finished fourth at Group 2 level.
“The Rich Hill was only his third start in 18 months over a mile and it was just the last bit that told, he’ll strip a fitter horse at Trentham,” Williams said.
“To be competing at a mile in a Group 1 shows how good a job Lauren has done and what a good horse he is.”
If Magnum can get his head in front at the finish of the Group 1 Thorndon Mile, it will surely be to the popping of champagne corks and a toast to Little Avondale’s cherished Sound Lover.
