Cover image courtesy of Inglewood Stud
The Inglewood Stud-bred last-start winner Mystique Falcon (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai) will carry its hopes in the Listed Kennedy Taj Rossi Series Final while Miss Mandito (NZ) (Zacinto {GB}) will attempt to defend her title in the Jim Beam Leilani Series Final.
Further success for Mystique Falcon would crown a bumper seven days in Australia for Gus and Bianca Wigley’s farm as the filly’s half-brother Mystery Shot (Shooting To Win) won at Caulfield last Saturday to retain his unbeaten record.
The Lindsey Smith-trained 3-year-old was a NZ$260,000 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale purchase for Tartan Meadow Bloodstock and is a son of the multiple winner and stakes performer Mystique (NZ) (Montjeu {Ire}).
Mystique Falcon was bought by co-trainer Ciaron Maher and Eales Racing at Karaka last year for NZ$220,000.
“It’s really exciting for us and a good win by Mystery Shot, who is three from three, and there’s a bit of a wrap on the filly as well,” Gus Wigley said.
“When Bianca and I first took over the farm in 2012, my parents had wound it right down and there were only a couple of mares left. There really wasn’t a stud left, we took over a brand name, but what we did get was three daughters of Seamist.”
“There really wasn’t a stud left, we took over a brand name, but what we did get was three daughters of Seamist.” – Gus Wigley
Seamist (NZ) was a daughter of Beaufort Sea (USA), who stood at Inglewood Stud for Wigley’s father Nick, and she won 12 races including the G1 New Zealand S. and produced Mystique.
“Nick was given Seamist by his mother Barbara, who bred and raced her and she was obviously one of the top mares in the country,” Wigley said.
“It’s nice that the mare is doing the job for us and helping us to break into Australia is a daughter of a mare that my grandmother raced. It’s a good family and we’ve tried to updater it.
Mystique Falcon (NZ) as a yearling
“We sent Mystique to Shooting To Win and to Pride Of Dubai to get some Aussie blood and it looks like it’s working.
“Mystique is an interesting one. The first five seasons at stud she got in foal five times in a row and we sent her to Australia and she had a Preferment colt that had really bad tendons and had to be put down.
“She was then put in foal to Merchant Navy and reabsorbed. We sent her back over to Merchant Navy last year and she’s in foal and looking a million dollars.”
“We sent her back over to Merchant Navy last year and she’s in foal and looking a million dollars.” – Gus Wigley
Mystique will once again visit the Group 1-winning sprinter and is one of a number of mares that Inglewood will send to Australia.
“She’s flying out on Monday morning and we’re sending nine over and we might look at buying another one on the Gold Coast. Mystique Falcon winning at Sandown and Mystery Shot at Caulfield was a major thrill for us,” Wigley said.
“We made the decision four years ago to really concentrate on Australia and breed horses that they want to buy. Now we’re getting some Saturday winners and horses in black type races is really rewarding, it’s a business plan we came up with and it’s working well for us.
Gus Wigley
“Last year I sent the mares over after they had foaled with the direct flight from Christchurch to Sydney and they were being served two or three days after arriving. This year with the uncertainty we decided to get them over early.”
Inglewood will be sending mares to Written Tycoon, Dundeel (NZ), Microphone, Brazen Beau, Blue Point (Ire), Harry Angel (Ire) and a couple more yet to be locked in.
“We’ve got 30 mares now and send 15 away and 15 to War Decree and he’s getting a really good go and getting Book 1 mares. We’re giving him every chance we can,” Wigley said.
A son of War Front (USA) out of the Street Cry (Ire) mare Royal Decree (USA), War Decree (USA) won the G2 Vintage S. and will be standing his third season at Inglewood this year.
War Decree (USA) | Standing at Inglewood Stud
