In his racetrack debut for trainer Chris Waller, Yes Yes Yes (Rubick) gave an impressive display against a crack field under Blake Shinn, to ascend to equal second favourite in the $3,500,000 Golden Slipper.
"He was explosive when I gave him an inch of rein,” Shinn said. “That was a dynamic performance from an exceptional horse. Bring on the Slipper."
And that is music to David Raphael’s ears, as the sire of Yes Yes Yes, Rubick was the first horse bought by Raphael's group, Stallion Racing.
“We were thrilled when Yes Yes Yes became the first winner for Rubick at Flemington in December, showing such promise, but to see him capitalise on it in a dominant display and become the first stakes winner, is just exceptional.”
Stallion Racing's David Raphael
“When he was asked at the 600, it was like Shinn was riding a good horse against unproven horses. Weiry always said from day one that he was a serious horse, and now he has undoubtedly shown that,” Raphael said.
Lucky first
And while the old saying, “lucky last”, is often true, in Raphael’s case, it was a case of lucky first.
“Amazingly, Rubick was the first horse that my group bought into. I remember looking at all the shortlisted colts, and I took a particular shine to the son of Encosta De Lago out of Sliding Cube, a three-quarter sister to Redoute’s Choice.”
Rubick stood out as a yearling due to his 'pure athleticism'
“Unlike some of the Encosta sire sons, who can be a touch big and raw, this colt stood out for his pure athleticism.”
Reserved to the fact that he would demand a seven-figure bid at auction, a relieved Raphael happily signed the docket for $460,000.
Now able to claim the title of the most popular stallion in Australia last spring, the beautifully bred and brilliantly fast Rubick, covered 262 mares at a fee of $17,600.
"He has every chance to succeed in the breeding shed and through his progeny on the track." - David Raphael
“With many top-class mares on his book, coupled with big numbers, he has every chance to succeed in the breeding shed and through his progeny on the track,” Raphael said.
“But the most important thing to me, is that many breeders sent mares back to him when they saw the first foals on the ground. Breeders haven’t just gone to him because he was good value, they have gone to him because they love the product, and the number of returns demonstrate that.”
A precocious sire
Raphael is also quick to point out that Rubick shouldn’t be pigeon-holed as a just a two-year-old sire.
“Everybody thinks that Rubick was a very early horse, but he was more precocious than early. Anybody that remembers him at two, and then took note of him at three, would see that he was still maturing physically.”
“Rubick as a yearling was not big or heavy boned, and he is leaving horses like that. He is stamping his progeny with exactly the same traits as him. He can tidy up the mares and refine them,” Raphael said.
Another interested party also celebrating the brilliant win was the breeder of Yes Yes Yes, Arlington Park’s Brett Bradley.
“I actually bought the dam of Yes Yes Yes, Sin Sin Sin from New Zealand as two-year-old to race. She won her first start at Wellington in the Wellington Boot, and showed quite a lot of promise, so I bought her out to Australia, for her first start in the Group 2 Magic Night.”
Sin Sin Sin at Rosehill
A three-time winner, the Fantastic Light mare, Sin Sin Sin was a consistent performer around New South Wales tracks.
“She mainly raced in the country, but always had ability, was a good doer, and a nice type. It’s wonderful to have the connection to her as both a racemare and now as my star broodmare.”
It’s wonderful to have the connection to her as both a racemare and now as my star broodmare.” - Brett Bradley, breeder of Yes Yes Yes
“I always loved her pedigree, the Steam Heat family. She has a great page that has fortunately been updated brilliantly with dual Group 1 winner In Her Time (Time Thief). I always planned on retaining her as a broodmare, and it has worked out very well.”
Sin Sin Sin is a half-sister to dual Group 3 AJC The Shorts winner Hot As Hell (County), Listed Carrington Stakes winner Flaming Hot (County) and the Hong Kong stakes-winner Craig's Dragon (Catbird) as well as Hell It's Hot (Zeditave) from the famed Vista Anna family nurtured by the Cobcroft family.
“I still race a few horses through syndicates with my good friends, and every once in a while, I will try to find a good filly or mare to buy,” Bradley said.
“In fact, the first foal that I sold out of Sin Sin Sin was to trainer Tony Gollan. When he put her back through the mare sale last year, I had to buy her back.”
Keeping it in the family
Named Dee Nine Elle and by Duporth, who Bradley is a shareholder in, she was a Listed placegetter, and is now in foal to Coolmore’s Merchant Navy (Fastnet Rock).
“It’s the full circle, and it is great to have her in my band, particularly with the recent pedigree updates.”
Bradley is full of praise for the Kitchwin Hills team for doing a great job having sold Yes Yes Yes at the 2018 Magic Millions Yearling Sale to Darren Weir Racing and John Foote Bloodstock for $200,000.
Yes Yes Yes as a yearling
“Sin Sin Sin currently has a great Sebring colt foal on the ground, which I think is probably the nicest foal she has had so far. He will be going through the ring next year with Kitchwin, although I will certainly be trying to keep a piece.”
“Unfortunately, Sin Sin Sin missed to Not A Single Doubt last year, but she will be ready to go nice and early this season. We are still deciding on who she will visit, but we will again upgrade her with a top commercial sire.”
Bradley has six mares currently residing at Kitchwin Hills, with James Hetherington from Marketing and Nominations and all the Kitchwin team looking forward to seeing the exciting next chapter in Yes Yes Yes’s career.
“We are delighted to see Brett and his mares have such success. He is a great supporter of the farm, and we want to thank him for his loyalty over the years allowing us to care for his mares on farm, and to also present his yearlings for sale.”
“We are excited to be entrusted with the half-brother next year by Sebring at the sales and will all be cheering for Brett and Yes Yes Yes on Golden Slipper Day,” Hetherington said.
