Seeking to improve on its strong results at last year's Inglis Ready2Race Sale, Musk Creek Farm will look to use the insight of Group 1 winning jockey Jamie Kah as it takes a draft of 13 to next month's sale in Sydney.
Having sold the top lot, a Poet's Voice (GB) colt for $280,000, at the 2018 sale, Musk Creek, based at Flinders in Victoria, went to the yearling sales this year looking to source horses which it believed would suit the market. It purchased six yearlings in all and five of them are catalogued for the Ready2Race Sale on October 22 at the Riverside Stables.
Last year's top lot was a Poet's Voice (GB) colt for $280,000, sold by Musk Creek Farm
"We have gone out there the past yearling sales season to source horses we thought would make nice racehorses," Musk Creek Farm Manager Scott Williamson said. "Yes, pedigree was a consideration, but we wanted to buy a type that we felt we would be happy to race ourselves and we would be confident they would be sound prospects."
"We wanted to buy a type that we felt we would be happy to race ourselves." - Scott Williamson
"We were buoyed after last year, we had the top lot and a good average across the four we sold so we stepped up this year and got a bit bigger."
But while its reputation continues to build, the secret weapon ahead of the sale could be Kah, who rode the majority of Musk Creek Farm's draft at last Friday's breeze-ups at Cranbourne.
Jamie rode 100-1 shot Gatting to victory in the G1 Makybe Diva S.
A day later Kah was the toast of Flemington having guided 100-1 shot Gatting (Hard Spun {USA}) to victory in the G1 Makybe Diva S.
Williamson said Kah had done a considerable amount of work with its horses ahead of the breeze-ups and her insight was a crucial asset.
"We got a lot of feedback from Jamie Kah on our horses. That was great, a jockey like her, she won a Group 1 the day after. It’s nice to get feedback. She's even posted on Twitter about a couple of horses of ours, saying she'd be happy to ride them as early 2-year-olds," Williamson said.
"She had helped us out in the lead-up to the breeze. That wasn't the first time she sat on them. She's been a great help."
Williamson said that while the time of breezes are somewhat of a guide to a potential of a horse, the feedback from a high-profile jockey like Kah was arguably more important.
"We want them to be educated properly so that they run straight and run true. The good feedback we were getting from Jamie, all of the ones she rode, they all ran straight and true," he said.
"She wasn't really pushing them, she was holding them together and still getting nice times. That shows that there is still more to come. So whoever is buying them, they are buying them with the prospect of them still improving going forward."
Showcasing future as much as speed
Williamson is very much a believer that the Ready2Race Sale is more about showcasing a horse's long term future as it is about pure speed through the breezes.
"It’s not always about the time with these horses. Our main aim is we want to present a horse on sale day that a trainer can go on with and it’s going to be a long-term prospect. We don’t want to push them so hard at this stage, having just turned two, that they are overdoing it and they haven't got anything to work with," he said.
"We want to build up a buying bench that keep coming back to us, When they buy off us, we want them to know that the product we are selling has longevity and hasn’t been burnt out."
Musk Creek Farm's draft is made up of around half of its own horses and half from clients, which have now joined them for sale preparation.
Draft on point
The two which have particularly shone are a pair of Bull Point colts purchased at the Inglis Classic Sale for $45,000 and $25,000 respectively.
"All they have done since we have had them is keep jumping through the hoops and improving. We had one (Lot 24 out of Brazen Hussey (Hussonet {USA}) breeze the third fastest time in 10.65s, and did it very comfortably. Jamie said she didn't realise how many gears he had, every time she asked him for more, he tended to speed up," Williamson said.
"Jamie said she didn't realise how many gears he had, every time she asked him for more, he tended to speed up," - Scott Williamson
"The other Bull Point (Lot 81) out of a Galileo (Ire) mare, Just Incredible (Ire), who we thought wasn't necessarily going to post a really fast time but looks like a 3-year-old Guineas/Derby horse, did it easy 11s flat. He's a natural racehorse and they both move well."
Williamson said Lot 168, a colt by Smart Missile out of Stage Performer (Encosta De Lago), a half-sister to Group 1 winner Prized Icon (More Than Ready {USA}), also impressed.
"He did a very casual 11.3s and did it like he was just going out for a hack. When you watch the video in slow motion, his stride is very impressive. He’ll make into a lovely 3-year-old and older horse," he said.
Lot 39 - Unencumbered x Choose Wisely (colt) breezed in 10.63s
One of the client horses, Lot 39 by Unencumbered out of Choose Wisely (Falvelon), recorded the day's second fastest time of 10.63s and is now with Musk Creek readying for the sale.
"They will all have a bit of a break now and have their x-rays taken. The last week to ten days, we do a bit of work with them and make sure their coats are looking good and ready and presentable for the sale," Williamson said.
"The main thing is to let them down and give them a break after the work they did in the lead-up to the breeze-up.
"We think we have some very nice horses and we are looking forward to see who's at the sale and finding them a new home."
