By Anthony Manton
The Black Book will identify race performances around Australia particularly worth following in the future. These may be high profile runners at trials and smaller tracks, or eye-catching performances, we'll aim to give you a horse to add to your pedigree or performance black book for the future.
Hawkesbury trainer Brad Widdup debuts an exceptionally well-bred filly at his home track on Thursday in Beachbreak (Sebring) when she lines-up in race one, the 2-year-old Maiden Plate over 1000 metres.
Beachbreak is the first foal of multiple stakes-winning mare Oakleigh Girl (Snitzel). Her grand dam is Group 1 winner Miss Kournikova (Mr Greeley {USA}) and being by Sebring she carries a weight of expectation.
Beachbreak has had two public barrier trials at Warwick Farm and shown good improvement from her first trial to her second. At her second trial on February 4, Beachbreak was very professional showing good tactical speed to lead the trial before striding clear in the straight to win easily and Widdup believes she will continue to improve again under race conditions.
“Her second trial at Warwick Farm was better than her first and she’s improving each time she steps out so I expect her to keep on improving."
“Her second trial at Warwick Farm was better than her first and she’s improving each time she steps out so I expect her to keep on improving." - Trainer, Brad Widdup
“Tommy Berry got off her after her second trial and said she did everything right and was ready to go to the races”.
Trainer Brad Widdup
“This time of year there are never any easy 2-year-old races to win but she’s drawn well [barrier 2] and that’s going to be a big advantage on debut,” said Widdup.
In early 2017, Widdup with the support of prominent owner Damion Flower was appointed head trainer at Platinum Park adjoining Hawkesbury racecourse. Widdup had previously spent almost a decade as foreman to John Hawkes and Peter & Paul Snowden at Crown Lodge.
It was Widdup and Flower’s first season attending the yearling sales together and they went to the sales with the intention of securing the filly ultimately paying $450,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.
Beachbreak as a yearling
Flower is best known as the owner of Snitzel whom he purchased with the assistance of trainer Gerald Ryan in 2004 and later turned him into a super stallion at stud.
“Damion puts a lot of work into his yearling selections and did all the groundwork.” - Brad Widdup
“We obviously liked her pedigree, on paper she is impeccably well-bred and through Damion’s affinity with Snitzel he was very keen on her."
“Damion puts a lot of work into his yearling selections and did all the groundwork.”
“Damion has always backed me from the start so I back him with his yearling selections and we were both wrapped to take her home”, said Widdup.
Despite ticking all the boxes on paper Widdup says Beachbreak has had to develop into herself and fill out physically.
“She was a little bit backward as a yearling and a bit on the smaller side but Sebring himself wasn’t a big imposing colt at the same time so we were able to look past that and she has grown into herself now and done really well." said Widdup.
Platinum Park
Breachbreak’s dam, Oakleigh Girl, a $400,000 purchase as a yearling raced mainly as a 2-year-old and only raced once at three before being retired for breeding duties. In her 2-year-old season, Oakleigh Girl won the Group 3 7 News Stakes, 1000 metres at Flemington at her debut on Melbourne Cup day, and won the Listed Calaway Gal Stakes, 1010 metres at Doomben at her second start before later running second in the 2-year-old Magic Millions Classic at the Gold Coast behind Unencumbered (Testa Rossa).
Her grand dam Miss Kournikova was also only lightly raced starting on seven occasions with her career highlight winning the 2001 Group 1 Oakleigh Plate, 1100 metres at Caulfield.
Miss Kournikova has produced six foals to race with Oakleigh Girl easily the best performed on the track.
Earlier this year a half-brother to Beachbreak, a colt by I Am Invincible x Oakleigh Girl sold for $1.7 million at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. Widdup believes if Beachbreak could perhaps get some black-type next to her name it would make her a very valuable broodmare post-racing career.
The $1.7 million I Am Invincible x Oakleigh Girl colt
“Damion puts a lot of work into his breeding business and this filly is already very valuable especially since her brother was sold in January for $1.7 million, but if she could get some black-type next to her name that would just put her at a whole different level as a broodmare,” said Widdup.
