Written by Paul Vettise
Bloodstock agent James Bester places more emphasis on appearance than pedigree when inspecting young horses, but his purchase of a daughter of So You Think (NZ) combined both in a graceful package.
Bester was immediately taken when he first saw the filly at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, so much so that he took a slice of the action for himself. Now racing as Realm Of Flowers, she is proving to be an inspired buy.
The Anthony Freedman-trained filly showed the depth of her staying potential when she executed a long-term plan with a dominant last-start performance to win the G3 SA Fillies’ Classic at Morphettville.
Other key components in Realm Of Flower’s make-up is her sire and the presence of Bester’s all-time favourite racehorse Dancing Brave (USA) (Lyphard {USA}) in her international pedigree.
“As with any horse I buy, it was her looks and I buy on type and not so much pedigree. Her head was a beauty and she just oozed quality and athleticism,” he said.
“She was clearly a staying type and didn’t have all the muscle and glory of the sprinting types I buy. The quality and athleticism were the two things, she’s a beautiful filly.
“Her head was a beauty and she just oozed quality and athleticism.” – James Bester
“Then, I saw that her second dam Jolypha was a Group 1 winner in France. She is a sister to Dancing Brave, who Frankel or not, is my idea of the greatest horse I have ever seen. Then there was also Redwood one dam closer and he was an international star.”
Bester is also a major admirer of Coolmore resident and international Group 1 winner So You Think.
“I think he is under-appreciated in the market and I’m always on the look-out for a good So You Think,” he said. “He’s a remarkable stallion and just because he doesn’t get 2-year-old stakes winners the market tends to overlook them at the sales.
So You Think (NZ) | Standing at Coolmore
“That’s starting to change a little now and we do need the Guineas, Oaks and Derby horses. He’s so under-valued in my opinion.”
A daughter of Astral Flower (GB) (Kalanisi {Ire}), Realm Of Flowers was offered at the Easter Sale by Arrowfield Stud.
“I had her on my radar, but I didn’t go in to bid on her as I had more commercial fish to fry,” Bester said. “She was passed in off her reserve of $200,000 and I took my client Robert McClure to see her and he loved her and said right let’s make an offer.
“I had her on my radar, but I didn’t go in to bid on her as I had more commercial fish to fry.” - James Bester
“We got her for $180,000 and brought in another client Kia Ora Stud and a few others.”
Like her half-brother Thunder Cloud (Manhattan Rain) who is a six-time winner up to 2100 metres, Realm Of Flowers has always shaped up as a staying prospect and accordingly the stable hatched an early plan.
“I was at the Magic Millions in January when she had her first start at Werribee. I watched the race in a pub with Brad Taylor, Anthony Freedman’s Racing Manager, and she ran a fast-finishing second and certainly should have won,” Bester said.
Realm Of Flowers as a yearling
“Brad said to me that day, there’s a lovely 2500 metre Group 3 race at Adelaide during their carnival. They were already planning to go to the SA Fillies’ Classic as she’d showed them quality and class.
“I think she is very much untapped at the moment, but for bad luck and her racing pattern she could almost be unbeaten,” Bester said. “Even the guy who rode her on Saturday (Damien Thornton) said there’s lots more where that came from.
“She got to the front very easily and looked around because she’s never been in front before until the line. In previous starts she’s come from so far back in the field.”
