When Sousa and Mee picked out Ra Ra Epic for $80,000 at last year's Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, the Steve Tregea-trained Incentivise had yet to make his racetrack debut.
Now, less than 12 months later, Incentivise is favourite for the G1 Caulfield Cup and second pick for the G1 Melbourne Cup after putting a six-race winning streak together, culminating in his stunning 12l victory in Saturday's G3 Tattersall's Cup at Eagle Farm.
Recently part-purchased by Brae Sokolski and Ozzie Kheir, and set to enter the stables of Peter Moody, the 4-year-old son of Shamus Award has a massive boom on him.
Now, breeders are set to be able to get access to his half-sister through the Inglis Great Southern Sale, where she is offered as Lot 448 as part of the Bhima Thoroughbreds' draft, in foal to Coolmore stallion Yes Yes Yes.
Lot 448 - Ra Ra Epic
Speaking to TDN AusNZ, Mee said that while there was an element of fortune in Incentivise's subsequent rise since he and Sousa purchased Ra Ra Epic, he felt she was an excellent buy at the time.
"It was a combination of things. She was a really good sort. She was a metropolitan winner from a really deep family. It's Steve Tregea's family and he knows what he's doing. She was also in foal to a sexy sire in Deep Field and we thought she had upside and that's how it panned out," he said.
"The market for those mares straight off the track has been particularly hot, so we thought we'd step back a bit and look at those younger mares who might have already had a couple of foals. We were looking for nice winning race mares out of nice families."
Roger Sousa (second from the left) and Dave Mee (second from the right) | Image courtesy of Inglis
Indeed, Ra Ra Epic already had a lot to recommend her before Incentivise emerged. She is also a three-quarter sister to Group 3 winner and young Waikato Stud stallion Ardrossan, a full sister to multiple Listed winner Bergerac (Drumbeats), who raced with distinction in Tregea's red and white colours, and a half-sister to Listed winner Cheyenne Warrior (Not A Single Doubt).
A three-time winner, she was the third foal out of Miss Argyle (Iglesia), who was stakes-placed herself in a Listed Gimcrack S. Miss Argyle is a sister to multiple stakes winner Diamondsontheinside (USA).
Recent G2 Spirit Of Boom Classic winner Prince Of Boom (Spirit Of Boom) also features close up on the pedigree page, adding to the currency of the family.
"Incentivise wasn't even really on the radar at the point we purchased Ra Ra Epic, but when you buy out of those older type mares with more runners to come, every now and then something pops up and in this case that is exactly what has happened." - Dave Mee
"Incentivise wasn't even really on the radar at the point we purchased Ra Ra Epic, but when you buy out of those older type mares with more runners to come, every now and then something pops up and in this case that is exactly what has happened," Mee said.
"There's definitely an element of good luck there, but when she came up, we felt the price was right. It was an acceptable value and away we went."
The right timing
Since her purchase last year, Ra Ra Epic has subsequently produced a Deep Field colt that will be sent towards the major yearling sales in 2023.
Sousa and Mee work on a trading strategy for many of their mares, and there was definitely an aspect of seizing on the currency of Incentivise in the decision to sell her at Oaklands Junction on the second day of the Sale, next Monday.
"The numbers Incentivise is running are huge. Often in this game, you can get rewarded for expectation on a close sibling as opposed to reality," Mee said.
Ra Ra Epic is inbred three by three to influential stallion Last Tycoon (Ire) and the mating with Yes Yes Yes only adds to her appeal. It gives the resultant foal a double-up of blue hen Shantha's Choice (Canny Lad) through Yes Yes Yes' sire Rubick and Ra Ra Epic's sire Drumbeats.
"He was a champion 3-year-old, who won The Everest and it’s a good physical and genetic match and there's a lot to like there," Mee said of the Yes Yes Yes mating.
"We won't be frightened of retaining her if we don’t think the price is right."
Quartet to go through Bhima's draft
Sousa's Platinum Breeding and Racing are set to put four mares through the Bhima Thoroughbreds draft at the Inglis Great Southern Sale.
As well as Ra Ra Epic, there is Lot 579, What A Diva (NZ) (Pentire {GB}), a three-time winning half-sister to Group 1 winner Fully Fledged (Align), who is being offered in foal to Trapeze Artist, Lot 512, Dylan's Deeva (Dylan Thomas {Ire}), the six-time winning half-sister of Group 3 winner Setsuna (Choisir) and Listed winner Miss Solis (Oratorio {Ire}), who is in foal to Hellbent, and Lot 580, another six-time winner in Without A Shadow (Not A Single Doubt), who is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Be Positive (Anabaa {USA}).
Like Ra Ra Epic, those three mares had foals last year which will be targeted towards the major yearling sales. Dylan's Deeva produced a Shalaa (Ire) colt, What A Diva a filly by Trapeze Artist and Without A Shadow a Shooting To Win colt.
"They are all nice, youngish mares in foal to commercial stallions, so we hopefully might stand out a bit down there," Mee said.
"The broodmare market is so strong, and Roger and I take a shorter-term view of rolling these mares over. The golden rule of horse-trading is always leave something for the next guy, so it’s a combination of a hot market and nice young mares. Hopefully, they stand out a bit and there is a fair result for all."
